1. E. C. Glass
2. Salem
3. G. W. Danville
4. Blacksburg
5. Pulaski
6. Jefferson Forest
7. Halifax County
8. Amherst
2. Salem
3. G. W. Danville
4. Blacksburg
5. Pulaski
6. Jefferson Forest
7. Halifax County
8. Amherst
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Early 4a west rankings. My opinion
- Thread starter southbottomU
- Start date
Switch Pulaski County and Blacksburg, put Halifax County at #7 instead of Byrd (they are now in Class 3 Region D), and I agree completely. Still largely a guessing game at this point.
Made the change for Halifax. Missed that development. However, Pulaski will have to beat Blacksburg for me to switch those two.
Thus far between Pulaski County and Blacksburg, they have played one legitimately good team. That being Lord Botetourt, to whom Blacksburg lost. Compared to PC, Blacksburg has been less impressive against teams they should beat decisively; Giles, for instance, who, once you remove the school name from the jerseys, is currently an average (at best) Class 2 team. That’s why as of today, I’d have Pulaski County barely ahead of Blacksburg. It will all shake itself out, as the two will go head-to-head.
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That's six VERY good teams in an eight team region. And the #7 team is unbeaten. And the #8 team has tremendous in-season upside potential.
Tough group.
Tough group.
I think there's a substantial gap between the top 3 and the others.
If GW can clean some things up, which I think they will, I will agree with you. Glass and Salem are hands down the top 2 best teams in Region D. GW isn’t too far behind.
Amherst would beat Halifax by a significant margin IMO. I like and agree with your top 6 though.
Salem has work to do on the OL. Last year Salem had a Sr line across the board with 2+ years experience. They were inexperienced in the secondary. This year those roles have reversed. The RB group is very solid. If the OL can improve each week they should be very competitive in Region D.
GW has a big and experienced line. These kids were on JV and watched when Salem dominated the varsity lines as freshmen and sophomores 2 years ago. They are definitely one of GW’s strengths. The secondary, which is no where as bad as it was 2 years ago but still is vulnerable to the big play, and special teams, which is piss poor, separates GW from the best teams in 4A.
Glass still has work to do. On offense the offensive line is doing very well. Right now skill wise, it’s just the Kendrick show. Craighead looks good at RB as well. Once Foster and the receivers get up to speed they’ll be even better.
On defense, the secondary needs to tighten up/get healthy, but so far so good.
I was very worried watching the scrimmages, but looks like they’re coming together. But still a lot of season left to improve.
On defense, the secondary needs to tighten up/get healthy, but so far so good.
I was very worried watching the scrimmages, but looks like they’re coming together. But still a lot of season left to improve.
GW is definitely not far behind. They have a bye week to work out the kinks.
GW will be very hard to stop offensively. They just keep running different style and fresh backs at you. They do need to clean up their run defense and special teams, but heck it was the first game when we played them. When they protect the qb and he stays in the pocket using sound form he throws nice balls. Get on the move and he tends to miss and sail it. Tons of talent and this GW team does not seem to quit like some of their past teams.
We played Salem and Glass (scrimmaged) the past two years, plus watched the Spartans game with Franklin County on YouTube. Salem's athleticism and speed has surely improved from last season. Their linebackers seem to be playing at a high level, but I believe Kendrick and the Glass spred will give them fits. I would take EC Glass in a low scoring close game.
I could be way off, but if GW can put together an above average defensive effort and slows the game with a pounding running game they could beat Glass. They have equitable athleticism and GW has faced a similar offense in Dinwiddie.
Salem vs. GW could be an old fashion slobber knocker. I don't think Salem will beat GW through the air; however, unless the Eagles defense improves the Spartan backs will do damage. GW's backs, will be play an important role as they will need to force Salems defense to play run which will allow GW to test them with their speedy wideouts. Surprisingly, this one could be a track meet. Last one to score wins.
Not being critical of these 3 fine teams. EC Glass wants to prove they are back to stay, GW seeks to end their frustration against Salem and Salem desires to show why they have been and will continue to be the team to beat in the West. Going to be fun to watch.
We played Salem and Glass (scrimmaged) the past two years, plus watched the Spartans game with Franklin County on YouTube. Salem's athleticism and speed has surely improved from last season. Their linebackers seem to be playing at a high level, but I believe Kendrick and the Glass spred will give them fits. I would take EC Glass in a low scoring close game.
I could be way off, but if GW can put together an above average defensive effort and slows the game with a pounding running game they could beat Glass. They have equitable athleticism and GW has faced a similar offense in Dinwiddie.
Salem vs. GW could be an old fashion slobber knocker. I don't think Salem will beat GW through the air; however, unless the Eagles defense improves the Spartan backs will do damage. GW's backs, will be play an important role as they will need to force Salems defense to play run which will allow GW to test them with their speedy wideouts. Surprisingly, this one could be a track meet. Last one to score wins.
Not being critical of these 3 fine teams. EC Glass wants to prove they are back to stay, GW seeks to end their frustration against Salem and Salem desires to show why they have been and will continue to be the team to beat in the West. Going to be fun to watch.
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I think the top 5 teams are fairly even, with Glass getting the edge right now. The question will be how they will execute at end of year and end of season. When you look at last year, how much difference was there between about 8-10 teams in all of division 4? Not much. Pulaski County lost twice to Blacksburg in close games and lost to Salem in close game. Pulaski County beat Danville in playoffs. Blacksburg lost in overtime to Woodgrove, who beat Lake Taylor. Glass lost by 35-14 to Blacksburg. All that being said Glass looks like they are the front runner now but teams sometimes look different at end of year due to injuries, players getting better and so forth. Pulaski County has not allowed any points I do not believe. Blacksburg lost to a physically tough and injured Lord Botetourt team but bounced back against Amherst. Salem, like Mike pointed out is a work in progress. They have two very good running backs, some tall athletic receivers,quick defense and tall athletic defensive backs. If their offensive line comes together they could be there. They play Northside at Northside right up Peters Creek Parkway at Viking Stadium. Pulaski beat Northside in opener 14-0. Danville is right there again on the cusp. If I was to pick a top 5 right now I would go
Glass
Pulaski County
Salem
Blacksburg
GW Danville
The Eagles have a chance to get some playoff points in two weeks against Glass. We will learn a little more about Salem when they play at Northside , at Blacksburg the next two weeks. Both close games, in my opinion. We will also learn a little more about Blacksburg.
Glass
Pulaski County
Salem
Blacksburg
GW Danville
The Eagles have a chance to get some playoff points in two weeks against Glass. We will learn a little more about Salem when they play at Northside , at Blacksburg the next two weeks. Both close games, in my opinion. We will also learn a little more about Blacksburg.
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There is probably not a lot of separation in regards to your top 5. I am not sure if the order you have them would be correct. I think to this point Pulaski has not been tested with the exception of a depleted Northside team (that lost some key players to transfer) in which the game was actually closer than the score. The Vikings actually did score early but the touchdown was called back and that IMO changed the momentum and the game. They have since played a "bad" Bassett team that did score on a crazy last second of the game type play. They (Bassett) will be lucky to win 1 or 2 games. They then beat Abingdon this past Friday and that game was not as meaningful as was thought it would be heading into the season due to the fact of the transfer of key players for Abingdon especially the big lineman that went to LB. Also in that game Abingdon lost their starting center at the beginning of the game and they literally could not get the ball snapped and committed multiple turnovers because of the center QB exchange which resulted in easy scores for PC. They (PC) will not get their first test until they see Bburg and due to the teams they play "should" be undefeated going into that game unless something strange happens. The fact is PC simply has no offense this year at least to this point. The defense (which is pretty solid) along with another soft schedule has been the difference. At some point when they face a viable opponent that can score that formula will be tested for sure. I still believe PC will or at least should go 8-2 at worst and as far as playoffs go who knows based on their past performances.
I think this is a fair assessment at this point. Although I think any of the top 4 teams could be in any order this early in the season. We should start seeing some separation over the next few weeks with Glass and GW playing each other in 2 weeks and Salem and Blacksburg playing next week.
This is tough to do early in the season, but the list is a good one. The top five seem relatively close to me, but I agree with 1More that there is probably a more substantial drop after G.W. Danville.
Glass looks formidable on both sides of the ball. I was impressed with their convincing victory over Franklin County and am looking forward to watching that full game on YouTube. Kendrick is playing at a special level and will be tough for any team to contain, let alone stop. Their O and D lines are stout and quick and from what I could tell from the highlights, handled Franklin County without any real struggles. Simply put, I see them as legit "1" at this point.
G.W. is harder for me to gauge. I feel like from the points they've allowed that defensively, they're suspect. I'm huge on defense and see that as a stumbling block come November, but also admit to being a little biased because of of their results in big games the last few years. They do seem to be playing better against top tier squads so far this season and offensively can match up with the best of them.
Salem is much faster this year as a team. Pinello looks quite a bit quicker at LB and the DB's maturity has been apparent already in the first couple of games. This may indeed be one of Salem's better defensive squads. As has already been mentioned, Salem's O line development will probably be the difference between a good year and playing into December. There is no shortage of play-makers from Collins, the McDonald twins, Logan, and Ferris at the wideout position. Chaney looks solid at QB and has a quick release as well. However, Salem's bread and butter is to establish the run. They've got speed (Persinger) and power (Wood), but will need some improvement on that O-line to beat a team like Glass IMO. Two good tests against Northside and Blacksburg will give us some idea of the direction they're heading in the next couple of weeks. One more thing to note is that Zavione Wood is a beast!! Love watching that kid play on both sides of the ball!
Due to the weak Piedmont District, Halifax has a legitimate shot at going 8-2 or 7-3. The top two teams they will face this year are JF and GW (GW should easily win the Piedmont). Amherst, Glass, and JF all play in a competitive district where almost any team can win on a given night. Salem, Blacksburg, and Pulaski are all also top notch teams. It will be interesting to watch this region play out, all of the teams could finish with winning records.
Right now according to power rankings:
1.Pulaski 25.33
2.Glass 25.00
2.Salem 25.00
4.Halifax 24.00
5.Blacksburg 19.00
5.GW Danville 19.00
7.JF 18.00
8.Amherst 12.00
1.Pulaski 25.33
2.Glass 25.00
2.Salem 25.00
4.Halifax 24.00
5.Blacksburg 19.00
5.GW Danville 19.00
7.JF 18.00
8.Amherst 12.00
I know this is meaningless at the moment but how on earth does Halifax get that many points from playing a 2A and winless Person County team.
From what I've seen and read so far, in my opinion I would have to say:
1. EC glass
1. Salem, Pretty much a flip of the coin.
3. Pulaski Co.
3. GW Danville, giving a slight edge to Pulaski with a questionable offense and a real good defense over Danville who has a really good offense and a questionable defense only because I believe defense wins ball games.
5. Blacksburg, doesn't seem to be as strong as they have been in the last couple years.
6. Jefferson Forest
7. Amherst, will get better every game and it's just two or three years away from being a real good team.
8. Halifax, to be honest I don't know a lot about them.
1. EC glass
1. Salem, Pretty much a flip of the coin.
3. Pulaski Co.
3. GW Danville, giving a slight edge to Pulaski with a questionable offense and a real good defense over Danville who has a really good offense and a questionable defense only because I believe defense wins ball games.
5. Blacksburg, doesn't seem to be as strong as they have been in the last couple years.
6. Jefferson Forest
7. Amherst, will get better every game and it's just two or three years away from being a real good team.
8. Halifax, to be honest I don't know a lot about them.
The only thing I can think of is the Rider points from Person, who has played 4 games already and is counted as a 4A team.
"GW should easily win the Piedmont"
Magna Vista will be probably be a shootout to decide the Piedmont.
Magna Vista will be probably be a shootout to decide the Piedmont.
Halifax has a very good chance to be 5-1 heading into GW (loss @ JF). We gave them a scare last year. From what I've seen, the pass attack is finally developing after years of running 90+% runs. We still have a chance, but I think GW will win 35-14. The freshman QB will take this team places in the coming years. We haven't went 8-3 since 2005, and I think we've got a real chance to do that again this year. 4D is stacked this year.
I think so too. I think Magna Vista may be the favorite to come out of the west in 3A despite the talent on Botty’s line. Magna Vista is a real good football team.
My opinion
1. Salem - More complete offensively than Glass, even though Kendrick would give them fits on defense.
2. Glass - Other Offensive pieces need to take some of the load off Kendrick. He was banged up by playoff time last year.
3. GW Danville - I see the potential. Clean things up and they'll be very good. Hang with Dinwiddie.
4. Pulaski - Dont know much but they have a good defense
5. Blacksburg - Still have speed, but upfront is concerning.
6. JF - Still no Defense, and the spread is easier for other teams to defend.
7. Amherst - Better than last year, but still a year or two away.
8. Halifax - We'll see about them when they play JF next week
1. Salem - More complete offensively than Glass, even though Kendrick would give them fits on defense.
2. Glass - Other Offensive pieces need to take some of the load off Kendrick. He was banged up by playoff time last year.
3. GW Danville - I see the potential. Clean things up and they'll be very good. Hang with Dinwiddie.
4. Pulaski - Dont know much but they have a good defense
5. Blacksburg - Still have speed, but upfront is concerning.
6. JF - Still no Defense, and the spread is easier for other teams to defend.
7. Amherst - Better than last year, but still a year or two away.
8. Halifax - We'll see about them when they play JF next week
From watching both teams against GW, I personally thought Amherst was better collectively than JF.
I would not sleep on Halifax. They improve during the season since they usually do not have a lot of summer participants. They can run the ball.
Since it is early the season, power points are based on a limited number of games. Wait till weeks 5 and 6 and you will see more separation in rider points.
I hesitate to use the transitional property since it's really dumb in sports for practical application but if you want a good idea of PC then see how Salem/Northside goes Friday. PC beat them 14-0 then NS beat a bad CS team and then need last-second heroics to stave off HV.
The week after with Salem/Blacksburg will further clarify things. Blacksburg seems good but certainly not the team of the past few years. Being outgained by 340 to 270 against Amherst (albeit with a good MOV win) made me raise my eyebrow a bit.
The week after with Salem/Blacksburg will further clarify things. Blacksburg seems good but certainly not the team of the past few years. Being outgained by 340 to 270 against Amherst (albeit with a good MOV win) made me raise my eyebrow a bit.
Thank you for that. I have been meaning to ask this question about who played GW better, Amherst or JF
Amherst had more weapons and was able to stop GW a couple of times and was up 20-0 at one point (TD was called back).
I don’t doubt it tommy but do you think that schedule prepares them for teams like GW and Magna Vista? Their schedule is laughable.
Halifax beat Magna Vista last year 36-14 and lost to GW 15-6, but if memory serves me was only losing 8-6 in the 4th and was driving when they threw an int that was a pick 6.
You are correct, however, I don’t think that any of the Halifax guys believed that they’d win that game. GW played about as bad as anyone could that game and I don’t think they even panicked. I knew GW’s season was over when the guys were out on the field taking pictures with the Halifax guys after the game like GW was a bunch of celebrities. You barely beat a terrible team and you’re smiling from ear to ear. I don’t say that to tear them down but I say it to show the lack of focus they had for a good part of last year.
Halifax usually plays their best game against GW. They see GW like GW sees Glass. Back in the days of Jr High
sports, the games with Hailfax were as big as the inner city games for Lee, Bonner, and Langston Jr Highs.
My parents grew up in Halifax Co and I lived there for several years. Back in the day Halifax and GW was like Salem and Pulaski. I know the rivalry in football is not as strong as it once was due to GW dominating the matchup, but I know Halifax would love to flip the script.
GW/Halifax is one of the biggest basketball rivalries in VA. Halifax will probably have its best chance ever to win the basketball state championship this year moving down to 4A and with GW being the defending champs, it’ll be huge. I think with the football game being in South Boston this year, it’ll not only be standing room only, but if GW plays with no focus like last year, GW will get beat by Halifax.
