Giles & Narrows: time to discontinue playing ?

[GilesRules06]

These 2 neighbors have played over 50 times, but momentum has swung heavily towards Giles in roughly the past 25 years. The last win for Narrows in this series was in 2002. Before that, Narrows posted wins in 1990 & 1991. Before that, I think the Green Wave won once in the 80s.

There was a time when these two squaring off was the highlight to each team's season. I don't think that is any longer the case. By far, it is each team's biggest draw, generating money for the athletic programs.

Faced with an aging county population, in addition to aging schools, and smaller enrollments at the schools, is it time to consolidate?

 

[RichlandsRyan]

These 2 neighbors have played over 50 times, but momentum has swung heavily towards Giles in roughly the past 25 years. The last win for Narrows in this series was in 2002. Before that, Narrows posted wins in 1990 & 1991. Before that, I think the Green Wave won once in the 80s.

There was a time when these two squaring off was the highlight to each team's season. I don't think that is any longer the case. By far, it is each team's biggest draw, generating money for the athletic programs.

Faced with an aging county population, in addition to aging schools, and smaller enrollments at the schools, is it time to consolidate?

That word is a very sensitive word for those two communities. I've seen them argue back and forth over on the board I frequent most and it gets a bit nasty lol.

 

[ghs89er]

Funny how 7 miles...n old feelings could separate a county like it does....and to be honest narrows is against consolidation much more than the rest of the county...classes would be smaller than my class of 89 after consolidation from giles...it should happen...Powell Valley and appy did...bland and rocky gap....Haysi n clintwood last year...it's all ok.

 

[CallMeCoach19]

I'm very familiar with this and agree. Narrows is the biggest advocate to leave it be. Not only athletically, but educationally it makes sense. The Middle School concept works...that's fact. Why would you leave 8th graders in a position where they are less successful and less likely to finish on grade level. As for playing...consolidation is the only way it will get dropped. I know several sports have considered it...so far they all play.

 

[60 minute man]

At least they'll play Giles. Most 1A and 2A schools around here won't. Giles has a tough time filling their schedule. So give Narrows a pat on the back , let the schools make some money, and maybe once every 20 years they get to party like they won the super bowl.

 

[RichlandsRyan]

At least they'll play Giles. Most 1A and 2A schools around here won't. Giles has a tough time filling their schedule. So give Narrows a pat on the back , let the schools make some money, and maybe once every 20 years they get to party like they won the super bowl.

We have the same problem down here in Richlands. We are lucky to now have some good rivalries out of district, but before the new system began, we had problems getting teams our size to play. Traveling to Patrick Co, Pulaski, Botetourt, etc were necessary to be able to get points for a good seed.

 

[mmqp]

Off the topic, but I'd love to see a Giles vs. Bluefield matchup! Have they ever played?

 

[GilesRules06]

We have the same problem down here in Richlands. We are lucky to now have some good rivalries out of district, but before the new system began, we had problems getting teams our size to play. Traveling to Patrick Co, Pulaski, Botetourt, etc were necessary to be able to get points for a good seed.

Giles and Richlands is a matchup I'd like to see, but coaching families pitted against each other is not so great an idea. Liked the games vs. Lebanon too. I wouldn't be surprised to see Pulaski Co and Giles start playing in the not too distant future.

Good luck to Richlands.

 

[GilesRules06]

Off the topic, but I'd love to see a Giles vs. Bluefield matchup! Have they ever played?

Don't recall any games vs. Bluefield. It has been awhile, but Giles has played Princeton and ventured across the state line to play James Monroe, but I don't ever see James Monroe on the schedule again.

 

[CallMeCoach19]

That Pulaski matchup is a good one! I'd love to see that in this already pretty stout Giles schedule. They play some 1A teams sure, but most of them are quality 1A.

 

[THEGOATFROMJMU]

Greenbrier West in WVA is about 90 min away from Giles and they are usually a solid team but their fans/staff/radio guys couldn't be nicer people......

 

[GilesRules06]

Greenbrier West in WVA is about 90 min away from Giles and they are usually a solid team but their fans/staff/radio guys couldn't be nicer people......

You may know, but aren't the VA/WV schedules out of kilter with each other....like Va started its 2 year schedules this season and WV is finishing their rotations this season. Are East & West about the same size?

 

[The G-Man]

Yes, VA and WV schedules are "out of kilter". And no, East and West are NOT about the same size. East is a Class AAA school with over 1,000 students and West in a Class A school with around 400 students.

 

[THEGOATFROMJMU]

That's why I recommended West and not East

 

[mmqp]

That's why I recommended West and not East

Yea but Greenbrier East is really nothing special. Consider Parry McCluer put up 49 points on them 2 years in a row. Bath County beat them a time or two as well. And Greenbrier West lost to very weak James River squad last year.

One thing I have noticed with any of those WV schools (minus Bluefield) is that its hard to beat them when they're at home but they dont fare very well on the road.

 

[mmqp]

I'll tell you another matchup I'd LOVE to see.. Martinsburg vs. Salem, or even the Big Reds of Parkersburg vs. Salem.

Riverheads vs. East Hardy or Moorefield might be interesting as well. But Moorefield is just a shadow of what they used to be.

 

[Runfast16]

If narrows wants to win in football it's time to fire every coaches they have. Some of the. Have no business coaching at all just horrible.

 

[VaBlueDevil33]

Unless the new coach you want at Narrows so bad can bring about 15 kids with him that can play then he won't suceed either....all about the kids(or in Narrows case lack of)....don't blame the coach for that

 

[Cougar Ed]

Th

At least they'll play Giles. Most 1A and 2A schools around here won't. Giles has a tough time filling their schedule. So give Narrows a pat on the back , let the schools make some money, and maybe once every 20 years they get to party like they won the super bowl.

They play Giles for the gate, I watched Giles beat pulaski and C burg this year, what benefit do they get from playing Auburn, Narrows and East Mont, the VHSL needs to re district the 1 and 2a schools in the Three Rivers, Pioneer and Mt Empire. It would be a outstanding league for all and if you want to play someone for a gate do so.

 

[dringtuoti]

Unless the new coach you want at Narrows so bad can bring about 15 kids with him that can play then he won't suceed either....all about the kids(or in Narrows case lack of)....don't blame the coach for that

Ditka, Saban, or Lombardi couldn't win in Narrows.

 

[60 minute man]

Th

They play Giles for the gate, I watched Giles beat pulaski and C burg this year, what benefit do they get from playing Auburn, Narrows and East Mont, the VHSL needs to re district the 1 and 2a schools in the Three Rivers, Pioneer and Mt Empire. It would be a outstanding league for all and if you want to play someone for a gate do so.

So let me get this straight, it's OK for Giles to play 3A and 4A teams, but Auburn, E.Mont. , and Narrows shouldn't have to play 2A schools. It would be almost impossible to create districts where every team is in the same classification. Football is not the only sport these schools have to play a district schedule in. So what do you want? Football only districts?

 

[CallMeCoach19]

I will say there are plenty of kids in Narrows that don't play football. I'm not going to speak to the ability they possess, but I know there are a bunch. A new coach could fix that. Ragsdale did at Giles, Ingo did at GW, and Bluefield West does it year in year out. They get the kids (even the less talented ones) fit and playing.

 

[GilesRules06]

I will say there are plenty of kids in Narrows that don't play football. I'm not going to speak to the ability they possess, but I know there are a bunch. A new coach could fix that. Ragsdale did at Giles, Ingo did at GW, and Bluefield West does it year in year out. They get the kids (even the less talented ones) fit and playing.

Isn't Narrows one of the smallest schools in the western part of the state?
It is a shame that boys (and their parents) don't value playing sports like many years ago. Narrows, for whatever reason, has let a great tradition slip completely out of their grasp.

 

[Runfast16]

Isn't Narrows one of the smallest schools in the western part of the state?
It is a shame that boys (and their parents) don't value playing sports like many years ago. Narrows, for whatever reason, has let a great tradition slip completely out of their grasp.

It's all coaching, a lot of the narrows so called coaches have no business on the sideline. Narrows little league does well then in high school they drop off and to me that's all coaching. Maybe I'm wrong but giles seems to know how to get the best out of their boys.

 

[hokiebird01]

It's all coaching, a lot of the narrows so called coaches have no business on the sideline. Narrows little league does well then in high school they drop off and to me that's all coaching. Maybe I'm wrong but giles seems to know how to get the best out of their boys.

You are clueless if you think it's all coaching is the reason narrows can't win....They don't have enough kids to compete period....they could compete if they decided to consolidate BUT I guess they want to continue to finish 1-9 and every now and then have a great season and finish 2-8....they could join big brother up the road and play playoff games on a regular basis BUT they people of narrows don't want this.....oh well their loss

 

[hokiebird01]

I do agree with you that alot of the coaches on the sideline have no business on the sideline....heck they have more "coaches" than they do players it seems like.....I think some of them are just there to get in the game free cause i doubt they do anything other than watch the game

 

[hokiebird01]

Ditka, Saban, or Lombardi couldn't win in Narrows.

Exactly right....People this isn't the 1970's

 

[mmqp]

You are clueless if you think it's all coaching is the reason narrows can't win....They don't have enough kids to compete period....they could compete if they decided to consolidate BUT I guess they want to continue to finish 1-9 and every now and then have a great season and finish 2-8....they could join big brother up the road and play playoff games on a regular basis BUT they people of narrows don't want this.....oh well their loss

Used to have to hear the "not enough kids in the school" argument in Buena Vista...the Blues finally made a much-needed coaching change and things are okay now. Same with Auburn. Maybe the same thing is needed in Narrows, how long has the current coach been there..and what was his track record before getting there like?

So Narrows cant compete with Giles...who cares? Many teams cannot. Focus on being competitive against the 1A schools on their schedule first and foremost and work up from there. I seem to recall them giving Bath County a few problems during those early-00's Charger teams...work up to being that again. So they might not ever win a state in football..big deal, a lot of schools dont do that either.

It's been a while since they've had success, but why does the solution always have to be "consolidation" when it comes to Narrows problems? Why not some in-house changes?

 

[Cougar Ed]

So let me get this straight, it's OK for Giles to play 3A and 4A teams, but Auburn, E.Mont. , and Narrows shouldn't have to play 2A schools. It would be almost impossible to create districts where every team is in the same classification. Football is not the only sport these schools have to play a district schedule in. So what do you want? Football only districts?

Those teams are not Giles nor will they be , no matter who the coach is, maybe once in a blue moon they can win. How impossible would it be to put Giles, Glenvar , Floyd , James river, graham and Radford in a all sports district for D 2 and divide the D 1 schools into 2 districts. Real hard as you can tell, more balanced , more competitive. Giles nor these lower division teams benefit from the games they play. I will ask the question again how does Giles benefit from these games.

 

[mmqp]

Those teams are not Giles nor will they be , no matter who the coach is, maybe once in a blue moon they can win. How impossible would it be to put Giles, Glenvar , Floyd , James river, graham and Radford in a all sports district for D 2 and divide the D 1 schools into 2 districts. Real hard as you can tell, more balanced , more competitive. Giles nor these lower division teams benefit from the games they play. I will ask the question again how does Giles benefit from these games.

I remember the arguments on this board for doing just this back during the days when Glenvar would go 9-1 during the regular season and miss the playoffs because James River would win the Pioneer with a 5-5 record (including one loss to Glenvar). That happened at least twice that I recall.

I loved the idea of putting East Mont and Auburn in the Pioneer then and I love the idea now. Moving James River to the TRD would open up a week for Giles to schedule whoever they want, whether it be a throwaway game like an Eastmont or a tougher opponent. It seems like a win-win to me for them as they get more points for beating a 2A James River and possibly another 2A or higher as well. I guess Auburn gives them a few points but is it really all that many more than James River would give them?

 

[60 minute man]

I will ask the question again how does Giles benefit from these games.[/QUOTE]
My guess would be Giles benefits greatly from these games. If you play 10 top notch programs you most likely enter the play-offs pretty banged up. Having some lop-sided games allows starters to rest some and back-ups to get some playing times. Doesn't next years team benefit greatly by younger players getting some playing time? You're still trying to divide up districts based on football. I love high school football, but it's not the only sport. Did you feel sorry for Blacksburg, C-Burg, Cave, and HV, all those years PC and Salem were dominating? Of course not, you know these cycles come and go. Giles has been pretty blessed the last 10 years. Most schools that size can't reload for that long a period without a down year somewhere. It too will end.

 

[intrinsicreward]

Kids are kids no matter where they live. They just need the right kind of coach who has the vision and the support of parents and the community to inspire and succeed. In a case like Narrows that would take a very special coach and enough players willing to give him a chance. But...They have a long way to go. there are many recent examples where this has happened. It takes a few years:

 

[dringtuoti]

Used to have to hear the "not enough kids in the school" argument in Buena Vista...the Blues finally made a much-needed coaching change and things are okay now. Same with Auburn. Maybe the same thing is needed in Narrows, how long has the current coach been there..and what was his track record before getting there like?

So Narrows cant compete with Giles...who cares? Many teams cannot. Focus on being competitive against the 1A schools on their schedule first and foremost and work up from there. I seem to recall them giving Bath County a few problems during those early-00's Charger teams...work up to being that again. So they might not ever win a state in football..big deal, a lot of schools dont do that either.

It's been a while since they've had success, but why does the solution always have to be "consolidation" when it comes to Narrows problems? Why not some in-house changes?

Let's pump the breaks a little and be honest. What Turner has done with auburn is remarkable but what have they really done other than beat terrible teams during first part of season. He has created an energy there but nobody has any unrealistic expectations. PM had one unbelievable athlete that made them competitive.

 

[CallMeCoach19]

I still think if you look at a coach's track record after 10+ years, it may be time to move on. Of course changing your offense every two years, bringing in a new lift regiment every summer, and thinking the newest lifting gadgetry will fix all of your problems is also a sign of being a lackluster coach. Or not having any control of the assistants who are clueless.

 

[dringtuoti]

I still think if you look at a coach's track record after 10+ years, it may be time to move on. Of course changing your offense every two years, bringing in a new lift regiment every summer, and thinking the newest lifting gadgetry will fix all of your problems is also a sign of being a lackluster coach. Or not having any control of the assistants who are clueless.

I agree more than you think, maybe a change is needed but finding a qualified candidate to take the job maybe difficult. With Giles right next door, most people that love football and want to play for a contender every year probably go to Giles. At Auburn, where are kids in that community going to go to that has a Giles type resume.

 

[THEGOATFROMJMU]

The Pioneer district hasn't been relevant in the past decade.....

 

[60 minute man]

The Pioneer district hasn't been relevant in the past decade.....

I see what you are saying there. Every team in the Three Rivers District except Auburn, has played for a state championship in the last 10 years. Yet some say we should break that up, like it's a bad thing.

 

[The G-Man]

I'll tell you another matchup I'd LOVE to see.. Martinsburg vs. Salem, or even the Big Reds of Parkersburg vs. Salem.

Riverheads vs. East Hardy or Moorefield might be interesting as well. But Moorefield is just a shadow of what they used to be.

Parkersburg is a mere shadow of its former self...

 

[The G-Man]

How impossible would it be to put Giles, Glenvar , Floyd , James river, graham and Radford in a all sports district for D 2 and divide the D 1 schools into 2 districts.

Real hard because half of the schools in your proposed district are further away from Graham than the furthest school in the Southwest District, if Graham was to go back to an all AA district....