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Yes! I was HSHS grad in 76. Played Hampton and lost several times and again to Bethel in State semifinal play.
FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT CENTRAL 2023
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Exactly. I only remember because when I was in elementary school they made such a big deal of Petersburg winning the Richmond areas only Triple A state title. TC Williams, Hampton and Annadale were thorns in our side. Lol
That is not correct because they were also three private school state champions, so he is correct there were six
Why would I even care about private schools in this thread. I don't care if Benedictine plays Highland Springs or Phoebus. Lol
I don't foresee them ever going back to 3 champs... 6 championships mean more money and money dictates everything.
You are never going to have a perfect system, no one will ever agree on the same alignment, region, district, points system, etc. I can recall as far back as 2009 having discussions about a 4-class system. Matt Gilliam, Tom Garrett and myself would put out models all the time on what it could look like.
Four classes makes it extremely difficult for a lot of schools. There's a few that are going to be alright, even in down years. But it's almost sad to hear the fans of some of those other schools talk about is such-and-such fast, are they going to be able to keep it within a couple scores, then you look, and one of the big dogs just blew them out by 50 or something. Most of those schools have no chance at winning a 4A state championship.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023
FOOTBALL: VHSL REGION RANKINGS, PLAYOFF PROJECTION FRIDAY PREVIEW
Take a deep breath! And away we go! Who's in, who's out, what's left to be done, and more in our deepest dive of the season into the Virginia High School League (VHSL) football region rankings!
(X--clinched playoff berth)
(Z--clinched #1 seed in region)
***************
CLASS 6, REGION A:
1) X-Thomas Dale 35.556 (9-0, at Petersburg (3-6) Friday)
2) X-Highland Springs 35.0 (8-1, at Hanover (6-3) Friday LIVE on RVA Sports Network)
3) X-Manchester 32.222 (8-1, at Cosby (4-5) Friday)
4) X-Glen Allen 30.667 (7-2, at Mills Godwin (6-3) Friday)
5) X-Oscar Smith 29.667 (6-3, vs. Western Branch (4-5) Friday)
6) X-Landstown 26.444 (5-4, vs. Green Run (9-0) Thursday)
7) Western Branch 25.444 (4-5, at Oscar Smith (6-3) Friday)
8) Cosby 25.0 (4-5, vs. Manchester (8-1) Friday)
---
9) Grassfield 23.444 (3-6, vs. Indian River (6-3) Friday)
10) Meadowbrook 22.7 (3-7, regular season complete)
ANALYSIS: The biggest question we are getting, and it isn't even close, is "If Thomas Dale and Highland Springs both win Friday, who gets the number one seed??"
The first answer is, if it were just head to head, Highland Springs would just barely eclipse Thomas Dale. However, almost as important as winning in Week 11 is having the teams that were on your schedule also win. Between the Springers and Knights, there are twelve (yes, 12!) games also being played that will affect the final standings. Both teams share two of them: Cosby/Manchester and Patrick Henry/Varina. The Knights are rooting for Cosby and Patrick Henry to pull upsets. The Springers want Manchester and, yes, Varina to win. You get two bonus points for every win by a team you have defeated in the regular season, one bonus points if a team you lose to wins (i.e., Maury for Highland Springs).
If you are a Knights fan, you're also rooting for L.C. Bird and Glen Allen, too. If you are a part of Springer Nation, you need I.C. Norcom, Riverbend, Henrico and Hermitage to emerge victorious, and a win from Miramar (FL) wouldn't hurt. We'll know who is #1 and who is #2 at approximately 9:30 Friday night. That's why you want to listen to our exclusive coverage of Highland Springs/Hanover here on the RVA Sports Network because we will start projecting all the playoff brackets immediately following the game's conclusion (and likely have a few bits of breaking news before the game is over).
CLICK HERE to listen live on Friday night!
Manchester cannot catch either team ahead of them, and with a win over Cosby, would clinch the #3 seed. If Cosby continues their late season hot streak, however, it would, barely, keep the door ajar for Glen Allen, should they defeat Mills Godwin, and several other things go the Jaguars' way. Glen Allen, though, continues to have Oscar Smith breathing down their neck. The Tigers are fighting, uncharacteristically, for just one home game, currently fifth, meaning if the standings hold, they'll come to Glen Allen next Friday. A Mills Godwin win, however, and the Tigers and Jags could flip-flop, forcing Glen Allen to make the trip to Chesapeake. The top two are on their own tier, then the next three.
Cosby needs to beat Manchester to ensure a playoff bid. A defeat, coupled with a Grassfield win over 6-3 Indian River, could make the Titans the odd team out. It will, again, come down to other results. And, though they have been eliminated, a shout out to the Meadowbrook Monarchs, who took a giant step forward in their rebuild this season! They're closer to making the postseason in the immediate future than people think.
OTHER CLASS 6 REGIONS (State Semifinal Pairings are 6B champion vs. 6D champion, and 6A champion vs. 6C champion. ALL other regions are A vs. B, C vs. D)
REGION 6B: 1) Freedom-PW 34.5, 2) Mountain View 34.444, 3) Colonial Forge 32.333, 4) Battlefield 32.222
REGION 6C: 1) South County 31.667, 2) Lake Braddock 31.444, 3) West Springfield 30.444, 4) Thomas Edison 28.778
REGION 6D: 1) James Madison 34.333, 2) Washington-Liberty 33.0, 3) South Lakes 32.667, 4) McLean 31.222
Posted by robwitham at 7:12 PM
Last edited:
I remember that in 1990s and early 2000s people were noting that the two best teams kept meeting up in the semifinal with some wondering if that game would have made a better state final. A few years later...
TONIGHT: Our annual Playoff Projection Show as #TheFinalWord returns for a special broadcast here LIVE on Instagram at 10:30pm!
Rob Witham will have the latest regional bracket projections and will take your questions live!
Rob Witham will have the latest regional bracket projections and will take your questions live!
Projected #Region6A Quarterfinals (Fri. Nov 10th):
#8 @CosbyTitansFB at #1 @gohshsfootball
#7 Western Branch at #2 @TDKnightsFB
#6 Landstown at #3 @lancer_footbal
#5 Oscar Smith at #4 @glenallenfb
#8 @CosbyTitansFB at #1 @gohshsfootball
#7 Western Branch at #2 @TDKnightsFB
#6 Landstown at #3 @lancer_footbal
#5 Oscar Smith at #4 @glenallenfb
They need to eliminate one round of the playoffs. Teams under .500 do not deserve to get in. Why run the risk of star players on good teams getting hurt for a meaningless round. I understand that on any given day those teams can pull the upset but they really shouldn't even have the chance. Stop making underachievers feel good about their season.
14 games instead of 15 for the 2 teams that make it to the final Saturday? Most coaches are gonna sit their stars if and when the first round game gets out of hand. Some schools have played a ton of football over the last 20 years as compared to others. Stone Bridge, Salem, Riverheads, Phoebus to name a few. Can you think of some? The year before Oakton won their title, their star RB was hobbled and they lost to Robinson in the playoffs. This current 5 game playoff system is ridiculously long.
I’ve never agreed with the “everyone gets a trophy” mentality! When are we going to teach these kids,their feelings don’t matter?! Losing should not be rewarded. Take ONLY teams with .500 or better records,and if teams get byes…SO BE IT! It’s not about the spectators. It’s about EARNING what you want.
How “good” does a kid feel taking a 60point beat Down in a game they didn’t even deserve to be in?!
because they played the game
that used to be what it was all about in high school
Virginia's number of games to the state championship title game is no different than other states... 5th game is the state championship in Illinois, for example... and in effect the IHSA rules don't have teams with 4 or fewer wins qualifying for each classes' 32 team field, with 5 win teams on the bubble based on opponents wins (sort of an equivalent of power points, see: https://www.ihsa.org/data/fb/playoffs.htm for the excruciating details). Also, in Illinois parochial and private schools are not separately classed.
Other states have their own particular variations.
My point being 32 teams and 5 games to the state championship is not unusual.
Other states have their own particular variations.
My point being 32 teams and 5 games to the state championship is not unusual.
Bull! It’s always been about wins & losses. How many 9-1 teams missed the playoffs before this new format came in? Little Johnny doesn’t need a trophy!
My issue is VHSL rewarding bad teams for no reason other than money. In the past it was 4 teams that made it in div 5 and 6. There were teams that finished 9-1 that didn't make it but it created a better regular season and a more rewarding playoffs. I am cool with them combining 5 and 6 and having a 8 team playoffs per region but what they have now is silly. Making a 4-6 team to travel to get beat down is bad. Having a 4-6 team get a chance to pull the upset is just as bad. You need to earn your play off ticket and not be given it.
A five game playoff is fine. Eight teams in each region is fine because Virginia only has about 300 VHSL high schools. A state championship should be earned and should be tough to win. We already have enough classes anyways, but the VHSL will never turn down that state playoff money for six classes.
Four classes would be ideal with roughly 75 schools in each class with 32 teams in each class making the playoffs (four eight team regions).
Or, we could go back to the old way and do four teams from each region and play four games, and then we will hear the same old 757 and 804 people whining about 8-2 or maybe 9-1 teams not making the playoffs. And if they aren't whining about that, some of the teams and fans who make the playoffs would complain about having to drive an hour to a local playoff game. Tell that to a team in Texas this coming week where they are driving six and a half hours for a first round game (Amarillo to El Paso) and then come back to me on that. I'm sure those folks aren't complaining.
Six games in Texas that takes you from this coming week to mid-December or the weekend before Christmas. It's awesome.
The bracket should be even. It should take the same number of games for everyone to win a state title. Byes should not be given, but there are too many coaches that watch too much NFL and think byes are wonderful. Districts should be made by size and you're seeded based on the finish in your district.
I loved the old way. You had to put in maximum effort each week or you could be outside looking in. Losing regular season games should mean something. I would rather have one 9-1 team not making the playoffs than to to have two 4-6 teams make it. If a 9-1 team believes they got screwed over than they should have finished 10-0!
According to the Football God’s Bible of Loss Terminology the word beatdown is reserved for losses between 35-59 points. Section 1A Part 5 states: “Once the scoring differential surpasses the 60 point threshold the terminology changes. Acceptable words are smashed, cremated, decimated, annihilated, manhandled, obliterated, and the completely made up; deprided.”
I don’t think any system is perfect but when I brought this topic to the message board earlier in the season my point had nothing to do with driving distances or 9-1 teams missing the playoffs. I could not care less about whining fans. Fans have a propensity for demonstrating sorry behavior, from cutting food lines at halftime to murdering opposing fans inside the stadium. In 1975 my dad would not allow me to play football. I was 10 years old. My other 10 year old friends were playing. Fast forward to 2023 and kids are starting football at 4-5 years old. I have been on sidelines to witness explosive bone breaks and other injuries and I am sure you have seen a few yourself. The leaders of football conferences answered the problem of concussions by increasing the amount of football being played while falsely claiming that it is safer. That is a lie. The brain bouncing around inside a skull for 20 years from age 5 until 25 is not an healthy lifestyle no matter the helmet tech! And please remember that the trustworthy leaders of the billion dollar NFL lied about concussions. God only knows the other lies and deceptions. In the pros the media and some fans treat player injuries as if they have a character problem with the standard, “He can’t stay healthy.” That absurd media/fan behavior starts somewhere and the solution is going to need to come from somebody. No matter if it is another massive brain injury or another suffering player just commits suicide how much football during one Virginia high school season is enough before you say, “Hey great a shorter season. They can play more in college and maybe have a chance for the pros.”
Yall beating out a 9-1, potential State Champion in MBK in 2011 has to be studied. That was the best MBK team I ever saw and they couldn’t get over the Dale hump for YEARS!!
2009 was the year. I still have my State Championship hoodie from that year. Once again they should have went 10-0 and then they would have probably had a hoodie instead. Lol beating Oscar Smith was no easy task that year. Meadowbrook may have had to play them on a sunny and dry day. I was so happy Vic Williams stuck to his guns and made them play. If they were as good as advertised that year they should have be able to play in any conditions. See Hampton 1996 state championship at Hovey field.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2023
FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT CENTRAL 2023
The Road to State Championship Saturday is set in both the Virginia High School League and the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association! Bookmark this link to follow all the action throughout the postseason, all the way to December 9th, from the RVA Sports Network!
VHSL:
CLASS 6: (State Semifinals are A vs. C, B vs. D)
REGION A:
QUARTERFINALS (Friday November 10):
Game 1: #8 Cosby at #1 Highland Springs, 7pm
Game 2: #5 Oscar Smith at #4 Glen Allen, 7pm
Game 3: #7 Western Branch at #2 Thomas Dale, 7pm
Game 4: #6 Landstown at #3 Manchester, 7pm
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#5 Oscar Smith at #1 Highland Springs, 7pm
#3 Manchester at #2 Thomas Dale
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
*****
REGION B:
QUARTERFINALS (Friday November 10):
Game 1: #8 Potomac at #1 Freedom (PW), 6pm
Game 2: #5 Gainesville at #4 Colonial Forge, 6pm
Game 3: #7 Forest Park at #2 Mountain View, 7pm
Game 4: #6 Patriot at #3 Battlefield, time TBA
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#4 Colonial Forge at #1 Freedom (PW)
#3 Battlefield at #2 Mountain View
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
*****
REGION C:
QUARTERFINALS (Friday November 10):
Game 1: #8 West Potomac at #1 South County, time TBA
Game 2: #5 Fairfax at #4 Edison, 7pm
Game 3: #7 Mount Vernon at #2 Lake Braddock, 7pm
Game 4: #6 Hayfield at #3 West Springfield, 7pm
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#5 Fairfax at #1 South County
#3 West Springfield at #2 Lake Braddock
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
*****
REGION D:
QUARTERFINALS (Friday November 10):
Game 1: #8 Langley at #1 James Madison, 7pm
Game 2: #5 Herndon at #4 McLean, time TBA
Game 3: #7 Yorktown at #2 South Lakes, 7pm
Game 4: #6 Westfield at #3 Washington-Liberty, 7pm
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#5 Herndon at #1 James Madison
#7 Yorktown at #6 Westfield
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
***************
Posted by robwitham at 1:54 PM
FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT CENTRAL 2023
The Road to State Championship Saturday is set in both the Virginia High School League and the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association! Bookmark this link to follow all the action throughout the postseason, all the way to December 9th, from the RVA Sports Network!
VHSL:
CLASS 6: (State Semifinals are A vs. C, B vs. D)
REGION A:
QUARTERFINALS (Friday November 10):
Game 1: #8 Cosby at #1 Highland Springs, 7pm
Game 2: #5 Oscar Smith at #4 Glen Allen, 7pm
Game 3: #7 Western Branch at #2 Thomas Dale, 7pm
Game 4: #6 Landstown at #3 Manchester, 7pm
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#5 Oscar Smith at #1 Highland Springs, 7pm
#3 Manchester at #2 Thomas Dale
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
*****
REGION B:
QUARTERFINALS (Friday November 10):
Game 1: #8 Potomac at #1 Freedom (PW), 6pm
Game 2: #5 Gainesville at #4 Colonial Forge, 6pm
Game 3: #7 Forest Park at #2 Mountain View, 7pm
Game 4: #6 Patriot at #3 Battlefield, time TBA
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#4 Colonial Forge at #1 Freedom (PW)
#3 Battlefield at #2 Mountain View
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
*****
REGION C:
QUARTERFINALS (Friday November 10):
Game 1: #8 West Potomac at #1 South County, time TBA
Game 2: #5 Fairfax at #4 Edison, 7pm
Game 3: #7 Mount Vernon at #2 Lake Braddock, 7pm
Game 4: #6 Hayfield at #3 West Springfield, 7pm
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#5 Fairfax at #1 South County
#3 West Springfield at #2 Lake Braddock
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
*****
REGION D:
QUARTERFINALS (Friday November 10):
Game 1: #8 Langley at #1 James Madison, 7pm
Game 2: #5 Herndon at #4 McLean, time TBA
Game 3: #7 Yorktown at #2 South Lakes, 7pm
Game 4: #6 Westfield at #3 Washington-Liberty, 7pm
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#5 Herndon at #1 James Madison
#7 Yorktown at #6 Westfield
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
***************
Posted by robwitham at 1:54 PM
Last edited:
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2023
FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT CENTRAL 2023
The Road to State Championship Saturday is set in both the Virginia High School League and the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association! Bookmark this link to follow all the action throughout the postseason, all the way to December 9th, from the RVA Sports Network!
VHSL:
CLASS 6: (State Semifinals are A vs. C, B vs. D)
REGION A:
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#5 Oscar Smith at #1 Highland Springs, 7pm
#3 Manchester at #2 Thomas Dale
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
*****
REGION B:
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#4 Colonial Forge at #1 Freedom (PW)
#3 Battlefield at #2 Mountain View
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
*****
REGION C:
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#5 Fairfax at #1 South County
#3 West Springfield at #2 Lake Braddock
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
*****
REGION D:
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#5 Herndon at #1 James Madison
#7 Yorktown at #6 Westfield
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
***************
Posted by robwitham at 1:54 PM
FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT CENTRAL 2023
The Road to State Championship Saturday is set in both the Virginia High School League and the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association! Bookmark this link to follow all the action throughout the postseason, all the way to December 9th, from the RVA Sports Network!
VHSL:
CLASS 6: (State Semifinals are A vs. C, B vs. D)
REGION A:
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#5 Oscar Smith at #1 Highland Springs, 7pm
#3 Manchester at #2 Thomas Dale
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
*****
REGION B:
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#4 Colonial Forge at #1 Freedom (PW)
#3 Battlefield at #2 Mountain View
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
*****
REGION C:
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#5 Fairfax at #1 South County
#3 West Springfield at #2 Lake Braddock
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
*****
REGION D:
SEMIFINALS (Friday November 17):
#5 Herndon at #1 James Madison
#7 Yorktown at #6 Westfield
CHAMPIONSHIP (Friday/Saturday November 24/25):
Semifinal Winners, time TBA
***************
Posted by robwitham at 1:54 PM
VHSL CLASS 6: (State Semifinals are A vs. C, B vs. D)
REGION 6A: #3 Manchester at #1 Highland Springs, Friday November 24 1:30pm
REGION 6B: #3 Battlefield at #1 Freedom (PW), date and time TBA
REGION 6C: #5 Fairfax at #2 Lake Braddock, date and time TBA
REGION 6D: #6 Westfield at #1 James Madison, date and time TBA
Posted by robwitham at 7:05 PM
REGION 6A: #3 Manchester at #1 Highland Springs, Friday November 24 1:30pm
REGION 6B: #3 Battlefield at #1 Freedom (PW), date and time TBA
REGION 6C: #5 Fairfax at #2 Lake Braddock, date and time TBA
REGION 6D: #6 Westfield at #1 James Madison, date and time TBA
Posted by robwitham at 7:05 PM
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