Until Graham proves it can mentally beat Richlands, I won't put them ahead of the Blues. They've won ONE matchup with the Blues in the last 12 years and held 3 score leads in both games vs Richlands last year and couldn't close. Richlands is in their head, bad.
Like I wrote, I pick Graham to supersede Richlands this year. I could be wrong, but I stand by the pick. Graham will win the football game in my opinion. Why? I told you. I watched Graham against Glenvar and that team I watched is legitimate. They are the real deal. I know little about the Richlands and Graham series other than what fans of both sides have told me. Similar to the information you gave about Richlands dropping the hammer on Graham the last 12 of 13 times, the info I have received is even more detailed.
Graham has dominated Southwest District play years ago and Tazewell County football from the 1950's through about 2004 with Tazewell having some solid teams in the 60's and getting some wins over Graham here and there, and Richlands having some success a couple of years in the early 90's when it won a state title. I've been told the talent has always been there at Graham, but the coaching since their legendary coach passed away had slipped, adding to that, Mance from Richlands was on the rise. With the new coach at Graham, I have heard good things and that the tide is turning in that Coach Mance has 1 or two more years left, and of course Graham's coach is very good and he's exactly that, a new coach and getting kids out for football, and getting kids from West Virginia. Just like the tide turned for Richlands in 2004ish, it's about to turn back in Graham's favor (my opinion only). Keep in mind that since Richlands has been on an incredibly long run of wins since roughly 2003-2004 with many state semifinals and state finals appearances, they have won a total of 1 state title in this timeframe.
I picked Richlands to beat Graham close last year and win the state title over Appo. I also picked the Richlands and Graham winner (if it were to be Graham) to beat Appo. I was wrong on one half of the equation in the winner of the game. I don't think I will pick Richlands again in the state finals. For whatever reason, they just don't perform to the level of expectations. Appo last year was not a letdown for Richlands, as Appo would have whipped any team it faced, but the example is....Richlands was far better than Stuarts Draft last year in the semi's, yet it nearly let Draft win the game. The same happened with Poquoson years ago. My step-son was a junior on the Poquoson team and to this day, I think Richlands was a better team and I was of course rooting for Poquoson, but Richlands found a way to lose it. I just don't trust Richlands late in the playoffs. Historically, or at least in the last 13 or so years since Richlands has been very dominant, Graham simply hasn't made it that far to have a "letdown"; so credit Richlands for getting that far year in and year out, but at the end of the day, success is measured by titles, whether we like or not, and whether we want to admit it or not, and through all of Richlands solid years since roughly 03-04, they only have 1 state title to show for it. I don't think it matters much at this point because like I wrote, I think the tide is going to turn back in Graham's favor starting with this year. Time will tell and I could be wrong, but even if I am wrong, I sure as heck am not picking Richlands to win a state title game. More times than not, if I pick the other team, I will be right. History shows us that, and it shows us that even when Richlands is probably the better team, and they have had more than 1 year since 2004ish when they definitely-likely were the best team in their classification. Probably 3-4 times they have had the best team, but again, titles is a big measure of success. The loss/retirement of Richlands coach is going to be an absolutely huge factor in the series with Graham. His departure, whether at the end of this year or next, is going to play a part.
One final thing on the Richlands and Graham series since 2004. You wrote that Richlands is in Graham's head. I trust your word as a fan and I am sure a regular watcher of this football game, but I question (at least from a distance on what I've read on this board and what I've heard) that they have been in Graham's head. Meaning.....I think there is the large possibility or likelihood that Richlands has simply been better...much better than Graham. Richlands has whipped lots of teams on a regular basis since 2004, so I question seriously that the teams were "equal" and Richlands just won 13-of 14 or however many it is simply because they were in Graham's head. I think Richlands has been better. This year....going by what I saw at Glenvar, Graham will be better than Richlands. Only my take. On Belfry, Kentucky, they had the winningest class in their history last year as those seniors dominated. They lost 23 of them and if one reads the Kentucky message boards, it reads....Belfry has never lost 23 seniors in the history of the program and they will be as down as they have been in 2017 in about 15 years. Therefore, the scrimmage win by Richlands is still over a solid program, but it's a little misleading when going by Belfry's history alone. Belfry lost 23 seniors and will have its worst year in 2017 since about 15 years ago. The 2017 is no where close to where Belfry has been.
