Congrats to Galax on their 1st State Football title. Wow, what an excellent coaching job for Dixon and his staff. They not only finished on an awesome 10 game winning streak (after starting 1-4), but the preparation and game planning for the two best teams, Essex and Riverheads is quite impressive.
While Galax's Charles Harris gets all the attention, dang, Caleb Spurlin sounds like the MVP of Galax to me (and the entire state). Without, Spurlin, Galax loses those last two games. That dude can and did do it all in those last two games and before in earlier games, I'm sure. Sounds like the Galax lines (Dixon's boys) were the heart and soul of that team. So excellent work to the Maroon Tide.
Riverheads did an excellent job this year and Coach Castro is an outstanding coach from all I've read. Nothing but respect for his accomplishments. However, I must disagree with many posters that liked his gutsy (indeed it was) call to go for 2 at the end. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but when Riverheads had that amazing final TD drive, I was thinking that Riverheads had made it into OT and will probably pull it out in OT with momentum on their side. Then they went for it (with a pass of all things) and it did not work out. Had they made it, it would have been legendary "ballsy" call. Even if it had worked, still odds were much higher in this case, to go to OT.
IMO, this was sort of a "Pete Caroll" Super Bowl call (btw, I really like Caroll and think he is a brilliant, innovative & excellent coach, hey, everyone makes mistakes).
I disagree that going for two (in this case, at that point, with how the game had gone from start to finish) was as many posters have said "he made a choice to go for the win" or Castro was "going for the win" instead of "playing not to lose".
Going into OT was by far his teams best chance to win. So going into OT, would be using the odds that are in your favor, so that would definitely be going for the win. Sometimes, depending on matchups or game situations, go into OT is playing to have a better chance to achieve victory.
1) Riverheads finally had the momentum it needed to go into OT fired up 2) Galax D was tired after that long drive 3) Riverheads is a running team, why pass, go with what brought ya to the show 4) The game was 7-6, not in the 30s or 40s or 50s. Galax D was stopping them short yardage already. If this was that WC v CB game that was in the 60s, definitely go for the 2. 5) Dixon and crew were ready for the game, not the craziness of OT that would probably have gone to the favorite, Riverheads, not the underdog. 6) Riverheads has a good kicking game I believe.
In the end, they tossed the coin and called heads. It landed tails. That's how it goes sometimes. You gotta respect the risk. As the longtimer said, it would have gone down as legendary, had it worked...
Congrats to Galax. They beat the top two teams and deserve to celebrate indeed.
All the final four teams were excellent - Galax, Riverheads, Essex, & George Wythe. Essex certainly was not helped by having an away game "50 min away" for their home game, but that was not Galax's doing. Galax took advantage of the hand they were dealt. And took it all the way for a title...Well played to the Maroon Tide.
While Galax's Charles Harris gets all the attention, dang, Caleb Spurlin sounds like the MVP of Galax to me (and the entire state). Without, Spurlin, Galax loses those last two games. That dude can and did do it all in those last two games and before in earlier games, I'm sure. Sounds like the Galax lines (Dixon's boys) were the heart and soul of that team. So excellent work to the Maroon Tide.
Riverheads did an excellent job this year and Coach Castro is an outstanding coach from all I've read. Nothing but respect for his accomplishments. However, I must disagree with many posters that liked his gutsy (indeed it was) call to go for 2 at the end. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but when Riverheads had that amazing final TD drive, I was thinking that Riverheads had made it into OT and will probably pull it out in OT with momentum on their side. Then they went for it (with a pass of all things) and it did not work out. Had they made it, it would have been legendary "ballsy" call. Even if it had worked, still odds were much higher in this case, to go to OT.
IMO, this was sort of a "Pete Caroll" Super Bowl call (btw, I really like Caroll and think he is a brilliant, innovative & excellent coach, hey, everyone makes mistakes).
I disagree that going for two (in this case, at that point, with how the game had gone from start to finish) was as many posters have said "he made a choice to go for the win" or Castro was "going for the win" instead of "playing not to lose".
Going into OT was by far his teams best chance to win. So going into OT, would be using the odds that are in your favor, so that would definitely be going for the win. Sometimes, depending on matchups or game situations, go into OT is playing to have a better chance to achieve victory.
1) Riverheads finally had the momentum it needed to go into OT fired up 2) Galax D was tired after that long drive 3) Riverheads is a running team, why pass, go with what brought ya to the show 4) The game was 7-6, not in the 30s or 40s or 50s. Galax D was stopping them short yardage already. If this was that WC v CB game that was in the 60s, definitely go for the 2. 5) Dixon and crew were ready for the game, not the craziness of OT that would probably have gone to the favorite, Riverheads, not the underdog. 6) Riverheads has a good kicking game I believe.
In the end, they tossed the coin and called heads. It landed tails. That's how it goes sometimes. You gotta respect the risk. As the longtimer said, it would have gone down as legendary, had it worked...
Congrats to Galax. They beat the top two teams and deserve to celebrate indeed.
All the final four teams were excellent - Galax, Riverheads, Essex, & George Wythe. Essex certainly was not helped by having an away game "50 min away" for their home game, but that was not Galax's doing. Galax took advantage of the hand they were dealt. And took it all the way for a title...Well played to the Maroon Tide.
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