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Favorite games that your team lost either in playoffs or regular season

freeatlast2013

freeatlast2013

VaPreps Honorable Mention
Feb 23, 2013
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1995 playoffs Amherst at Salem
Amherst County had beaten Salem the year before 55-19 in playoffs and this looked like a repeat early as Amherst scored on two runs but Salem just settled in and started making first downs and eventually took the lead 26-21 late. Salem almost put the game away late but Amherst defense rose up late with a big hit on Salem fullback from a player who went on to Va Tech to become a very good division 1 player. I believe it was David Pugh. The game went into overtime and Amherst went on to win a state title over Sherando 56-12.

2006 playoffs Amherst at Salem
Salem almost executed perfectly in this game and they had to because this was a great Amherst team who was smoldering after they were on the losing end to Salem the last two years. Salem took the lead late 21-18 and with I believe under a minute to go Amherst scored on a long pass. Salem still drove and had a chance at the end but could not quite get it done. Amherst prevailed 25-21 and went on to beat Louisa County in state 34-27.

2007 playoffs Salem at Amherst County
This game ended up 48-35 Amherst but Amherst scored late and the game was tight the whole game. Amherst loaded the box but Salem had huge big chunk plays in the running and throwing game and a bad snap by Amherst almost cost them the game. Amherst goes on to win state 56-10 over Sherando.
 
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Dinwiddie has lost three State Championship games and several regional finals which could serve to answer your question. I have two choices and aside from our 2013 State Championship victory these two games stand out.

2010: Class 5 State Semi: Phoebus comes back from being down 13-0 to defeat us 21-13. They scored two touchdowns in five minutes. We thought we had ended a dynasty, but the Phantoms crushed our dreams. Today, if you ask any Dinwiddie fan what team they detest the most; with reverence and respect (beat us in 2008 final as well) they will say Phoebus. @DEVILSLB99, LT ain't far behind.

2016: State Championship against Salem. Probably the best high school game I have ever witnessed. Salem won, but there were no losers that day. The talent on that field was unreal.

Nice post @freeatlast2013.
 
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BleedingNavy said:
Dinwiddie has lost three State Championship games and several regional finals which could serve to answer your question. I have two choices and aside from our 2013 State Championship victory these two games stand out.

2010: Class 5 State Semi: Phoebus comes back from being down 13-0 to defeat us 21-13. They scored two touchdowns in five minutes. We thought we had ended a dynasty, but the Phantoms crushed our dreams. Today, if you ask any Dinwiddie fan what team they detest the most; with reverence and respect (beat us in 2008 final as well) they will say Phoebus. @DEVILSLB99, LT ain't far behind.

2016: State Championship against Salem. Probably the best high school game I have ever witnessed. Salem won, but there were no losers that day. The talent on that field was unreal.

Nice post @freeatlast2013.
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No losers in that game. Proud of both communities and players and coaches for getting together after game.
 
The 2006 Amherst state title game. The loss stung for a looooong time, especially with the bad call, but it proved that Louisa could compete with the best in the state, many of my friends starred in the game, and man, was it a fun game to watch. To this day, that Amherst team was one of the best I've ever seen in Virginia. It's not often you see linemen running as fast as the DBs.
 
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LionNation540 said:
The 2006 Amherst state title game. The loss stung for a looooong time, especially with the bad call, but it proved that Louisa could compete with the best in the state, many of my friends starred in the game, and man, was it a fun game to watch. To this day, that Amherst team was one of the best I've ever seen in Virginia. It's not often you see linemen running as fast as the DBs.
Click to expand...

That was a heck of a game. Were you older or younger than them or just didn't play?
 
And some of those guys are on Louisa's staff now. Very young staff. Patrick is only a few years older than us.
 
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If by favorite you mean heartbreaking, Culpeper lost to PH-Ash in 2001 in the state semis 30-29 in OT. Went for 2 on the last play and came up a whisker short.
 
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The best GW team of the millennium was the 2007 team & was led by the best football player to grace the city of Danville and the backfield in Blacksburg. That loss to Potomac stings even to this day. I think we had 6 fumbles that day and gave the game to the Panthers. The man himself, David Wilson, had 4 of those fumbles but it was one of the best (but disappointing) games I’ve seen in my time here on this earth. David would have 4 300 yard games the next season and the rest is history. I get sad every time I think about his unfortunate injury. I have no doubt that he’d be the best RB in the NFL right now.
Game page: http://www.gwfootball.com/last07-12.htm

I know you remember this one @Chuck Vipperman (GW) :(
 
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GW Danville 94 group AAA state championship game against Annandale we lost in Danville Va in 6OT best game I’ve ever seen! And all we had to do was make a PAT to win the game that year.

Also GW vs Chantilly 1996 Group AAA State Championship game(mud bowl) we lost after scoring 3 TD and only getting credit for 1! Chantilly was able to put together 1 scoring drive and 1 fumble recovery to score Final was 14-7
Yes I was at both of these games!
 
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iDidntGetBanned said:
The best GW team of the millennium was the 2007 team & was led by the best football player to grace the city of Danville and the backfield in Blacksburg. That loss to Potomac stings even to this day. I think we had 6 fumbles that day and gave the game to the Panthers. The man himself, David Wilson, had 4 of those fumbles but it was one of the best (but disappointing) games I’ve seen in my time here on this earth. David would have 4 300 yard games the next season and the rest is history. I get sad every time I think about his unfortunate injury. I have no doubt that he’d be the best RB in the NFL right now.
Game page: http://www.gwfootball.com/last07-12.htm

I know you remember this one @Chuck Vipperman (GW) :(
Click to expand...
The thing I remember most is that three of those fumbles came at the end of 20-25 yard runs. One of them would've set us up at the Potomac 20.

*grumble grumble grumble*
 
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Lewis918777 said:
GW Danville 94 group AAA state championship game against Annandale we lost in Danville Va in 6OT best game I’ve ever seen! And all we had to do was make a PAT to win the game that year.

Also GW vs Chantilly 1996 Group AAA State Championship game(mud bowl) we lost after scoring 3 TD and only getting credit for 1! Chantilly was able to put together 1 scoring drive and 1 fumble recovery to score Final was 14-7
Yes I was at both of these games!
Click to expand...
That 1994 AAA championship game was high school football at it's finest. What a game!!
 
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I guess I’d have to say that the aforementioned 2007 state semifinal against Amherst County, won by the Lancers 48-35, is the best game I’ve ever seen Salem play in, and lose. I made a list a few years ago of my top twenty all-time games; most were games involving Salem, and that was the only one on the list where the Spartans had came up short. The bad snap to which the OP referred didn’t really almost cost Amherst the game, but I would definitely say it cost Salem a golden opportunity to set themselves up for victory.

Amherst had spent the whole game with a lead that bounced between seven and fourteen points. Finally, early in the fourth quarter (or possibly late in the third) Salem tied things up at 28-all. Then, the Spartans managed to force a Lancer punt, for the one and only time all day. Salem was going to get the ball (probably in decent field position) with the chance to finally take the lead, and the initiative. Amherst had been having as much trouble stopping Salem as Salem had stopping Amherst. The play that happened next is seared into my memory. The snap from center sailed far over the Amherst’s punter’s head. The ball probably rolled back inside the Amherst 35-yard line, maybe even the 30 (I have never seen a single replay of this play). I was ecstatic, with thoughts of a Salem player picking it up and running it in flashing through my mind. I remember thinking at the least, we’ll have awesome field position! As the Lancer punter scrambled after the ball, I waited for a white shirt to dart into view. None came. The punter was almost to the ball; still no white shirts. As the Amherst kid picked the ball up and headed back upfield, I thought, “Oh no - he’s gonna get back to the line of scrimmage.” As he kept going, I thought, “Oh crap - he’s gonna get a first down!” As he got to the sideline, the thought was, “Oh #*$%, he’s gonna score!!” He didn’t - he got knocked out at the Salem three-yard line, and Amherst scored a touchdown on the next play. Amherst went up 35-28, and the rest is history.

I went into such a detailed description of one play because, for me, that’s probably my most memorable play ever that has a negative connotation. [And of course, I’m just talking about high school games I’ve attended, and excluding plays that resulted in injuries.] In the space of about ten seconds, I went from sheer euphoria to utter dejection. It was an astounding play - an awesome play by the punter from Amherst, whose name I do not recall. To this day, I don’t know why no Salem player was anywhere near the vicinity of the ball. Salem usually chose to put little or no pressure on the punter, in favor of setting up a return, so that might have contributed. Anyway - such is the life of a sports fan.

Most of the losses, I don’t look back upon with much of a warm fuzzy. Sore loser, I guess. On my short list of “favorite” losses I would include the 2011 Division 4 Region IV semifinal against Magna Vista at their place. The Spartans did a pretty good job all game of containing the magnificent Harvey Taylor - except for one run in the vicinity of fifty yards in the fourth quarter that turned the tide in favor of Magna Vista. The game went into overtime, and the Warriors prevailed 36-35. That was a good game.

The only other game I would include would be the 14-0 loss to Hampton in the 1986 AAA Division 1 (later known as Division 6) championship game, at Todd Stadium in Newport News. That was Salem’s first trip to the title game - and indeed, first-ever visit to the playoffs - and the whole postseason was such an unexpected joy. “Gee whiz - we’re playing for a championship - against Hampton!” Hampton was totally da bomb in those days, of course. The Crabbers were definitely the better team that day, but not by a whole lot. Salem missed its best scoring opportunity, and a chance to tie the game at seven, right before halftime, when a Timmy Smith pass sailed just past the fingertips of a diving Randy Foley in the end zone. Salem was completely shut down in the second half, and the Crabbers added an insurance touchdown. So, I include this game not so much for being an aesthetic masterpiece, but more for what it represents to me as a Spartan fan. Whenever I might be in danger of taking all the hard work and blood, sweat, and tears of all the players and coaches for granted, I just think back to those first few early years of big success, when it was all new and exciting, and we didn’t know if we’d ever make it back to that point again. Never take anything for granted, my friends - especially things earned by other people.
 
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The 1998 AA state championship game between Powell Valley and Madison County. Two of the best running backs at any level on the field that day. Julius Jones (Notre Dame) led PV to the title over MC and their stud RB Raymond Kirkley (Pittsburgh).

Kirkley led MC to the title the next year.
 
Marshall-Dillon said:
The 1998 AA state championship game between Powell Valley and Madison County. Two of the best running backs at any level on the field that day. Julius Jones (Notre Dame) led PV to the title over MC and their stud RB Raymond Kirkley (Pittsburgh).

Kirkley led MC to the title the next year.
Click to expand...
Just as a reference on how good Madison was back then (Single A school)....that year, 1998, they beat Culpeper (5A school). The following year Culpeper beat Hampton on the way to winning the 5A State Title. Small schools can play big.
 
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SFUWO said:
the play is in the intro to the above video BTW.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure the official that you can see in the picture actually did his job correctly. He is looking straight at the ball to see if it is a catch... I'm pretty sure another official should have been in position to watch the feet/out-of-bounds line. Anyone that knows more about officiating might be able to shed some more light on this.
 
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Shabutie said:
I'm pretty sure the official that you can see in the picture actually did his job correctly. He is looking straight at the ball to see if it is a catch... I'm pretty sure another official should have been in position to watch the feet/out-of-bounds line. Anyone that knows more about officiating might be able to shed some more light on this.
Click to expand...
They should have discussed with the other officials and they never did.
 
wikki said:
They should have discussed with the other officials and they never did.
Click to expand...
No official overruled his call because nobody was in position to see his feet and the out-of-bounds line. There are generally only discussions when two officials see things differently.
 
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Shabutie said:
I'm pretty sure the official that you can see in the picture actually did his job correctly. He is looking straight at the ball to see if it is a catch... I'm pretty sure another official should have been in position to watch the feet/out-of-bounds line. Anyone that knows more about officiating might be able to shed some more light on this.
Click to expand...
Either way the refs missed it. They are human and this play did not decide the game. Just tied it. I believe it was 1st and 10 from the 20.
 
SFUWO said:
Either way the refs missed it. They are human and this play did not decide the game. Just tied it. I believe it was 1st and 10 from the 20.
Click to expand...
Yes.

2nd and 10 if memory serves and they had just driven down the field throwing the ball. That is one thing that is so disappointing is that Salem never got the chance to prove that they deserved it and on the other side Amherst didn't get a legitimate chance to stop them on the drive.
 
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SpartanOfYore said:
I guess I’d have to say that the aforementioned 2007 state semifinal against Amherst County, won by the Lancers 48-35, is the best game I’ve ever seen Salem play in, and lose. I made a list a few years ago of my top twenty all-time games; most were games involving Salem, and that was the only one on the list where the Spartans had came up short. The bad snap to which the OP referred didn’t really almost cost Amherst the game, but I would definitely say it cost Salem a golden opportunity to set themselves up for victory.

Amherst had spent the whole game with a lead that bounced between seven and fourteen points. Finally, early in the fourth quarter (or possibly late in the third) Salem tied things up at 28-all. Then, the Spartans managed to force a Lancer punt, for the one and only time all day. Salem was going to get the ball (probably in decent field position) with the chance to finally take the lead, and the initiative. Amherst had been having as much trouble stopping Salem as Salem had stopping Amherst. The play that happened next is seared into my memory. The snap from center sailed far over the Amherst’s punter’s head. The ball probably rolled back inside the Amherst 35-yard line, maybe even the 30 (I have never seen a single replay of this play). I was ecstatic, with thoughts of a Salem player picking it up and running it in flashing through my mind. I remember thinking at the least, we’ll have awesome field position! As the Lancer punter scrambled after the ball, I waited for a white shirt to dart into view. None came. The punter was almost to the ball; still no white shirts. As the Amherst kid picked the ball up and headed back upfield, I thought, “Oh no - he’s gonna get back to the line of scrimmage.” As he kept going, I thought, “Oh crap - he’s gonna get a first down!” As he got to the sideline, the thought was, “Oh #*$%, he’s gonna score!!” He didn’t - he got knocked out at the Salem three-yard line, and Amherst scored a touchdown on the next play. Amherst went up 35-28, and the rest is history.

I went into such a detailed description of one play because, for me, that’s probably my most memorable play ever that has a negative connotation. [And of course, I’m just talking about high school games I’ve attended, and excluding plays that resulted in injuries.] In the space of about ten seconds, I went from sheer euphoria to utter dejection. It was an astounding play - an awesome play by the punter from Amherst, whose name I do not recall. To this day, I don’t know why no Salem player was anywhere near the vicinity of the ball. Salem usually chose to put little or no pressure on the punter, in favor of setting up a return, so that might have contributed. Anyway - such is the life of a sports fan.

Most of the losses, I don’t look back upon with much of a warm fuzzy. Sore loser, I guess. On my short list of “favorite” losses I would include the 2011 Division 4 Region IV semifinal against Magna Vista at their place. The Spartans did a pretty good job all game of containing the magnificent Harvey Taylor - except for one run in the vicinity of fifty yards in the fourth quarter that turned the tide in favor of Magna Vista. The game went into overtime, and the Warriors prevailed 36-35. That was a good game.

The only other game I would include would be the 14-0 loss to Hampton in the 1986 AAA Division 1 (later known as Division 6) championship game, at Todd Stadium in Newport News. That was Salem’s first trip to the title game - and indeed, first-ever visit to the playoffs - and the whole postseason was such an unexpected joy. “Gee whiz - we’re playing for a championship - against Hampton!” Hampton was totally da bomb in those days, of course. The Crabbers were definitely the better team that day, but not by a whole lot. Salem missed its best scoring opportunity, and a chance to tie the game at seven, right before halftime, when a Timmy Smith pass sailed just past the fingertips of a diving Randy Foley in the end zone. Salem was completely shut down in the second half, and the Crabbers added an insurance touchdown. So, I include this game not so much for being an aesthetic masterpiece, but more for what it represents to me as a Spartan fan. Whenever I might be in danger of taking all the hard work and blood, sweat, and tears of all the players and coaches for granted, I just think back to those first few early years of big success, when it was all new and exciting, and we didn’t know if we’d ever make it back to that point again. Never take anything for granted, my friends - especially things earned by other people.
Click to expand...
I think the punter you are talking about in the Amherst game was Anthony Fletcher
 
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