GW-7 Sussex-8 Final!!!

[G MASTER BLASTER W]

I'm pretty much biting my tongue on the whole subject, because it's silly. But I did want to chime in on this particular post here. I know it's not so much you, Blaster, it's more about what you've heard.

But if these people you are listening to list these three guys, then they are absolutely clueless. There's no way they come to (or back, in H.S.'s and to some degree Stephen's case) to GW.

Zero percent chance. That's just folks talking out of their asses, and nothing more.

No doubt they are extremely long shots but thise are the names being tossed around. Anyone in the know at GW knows those 3 will probably never be at GW again. I know for a fact Joey is staying right where he is. Steve is happy in Pulaski and HS will never coach at GW again. But that's the names they want and yes I'm simply saying what has been said by others.

 

[FORT89]

Just imagine what kinda team GW would have with Dixon at the helm. Holly shit, every kid in wythe county would want to play at GW. He can take a bad team and make them look great.

 

[CallMeCoach19]

Harner and Ingo are not in remotely similar circumstances. I'll leave it at that. I think Harner has earned his time for a while longer. These same things were coming out about Ingo in 2011. Some people in wville just don't know how to lose with grace or admit when they are bested.

 

[HighestPoint]

33-8 in 3 seasons.
24-4 in the last 2 years.
GW was 6-5 the year before he took over.
You can say it is all the kids all you want. He apparently knows how to coach a little bit. This season GW wasn't in any close games other than this final loss. in 2015 they won 4 games that were decided by a TD or less. So you could say that this season, anyone could've coached GW and been successful but you usually don't win the close ones without good coaching, which was the case in 2015.
I don't know any of those kids, the coach, or much about the situation other than what the GW faithful post on here. I will say this, if Harner is back in 2017, kids will still play. You only get 4 years of HS football. If you are willing to throw it away because your coach is mean, that is silly. GW will likely have another run deep next year and could even flip the switch and get to Salem. Why would these kids throw that away? Yes they say it now, but let them roll through basketball, start to lift, get to know Harner as the teacher/ less high strung coach in the off season again and they will be back in August. Saying he would have 0 players is ridiculous. He may lose 1 or 2 but I highly doubt there is going to be this mass exodus that you speak of. Where are these people going to go? Families are going to physically move from their homes to other districts because the coach is mean? If they go to GW now, they can't just go to another school (even FC) without sitting out unless they move. Are the families in wytheville wealthy enough to move their family over a year of HS football?

 

[honestjohn60]

Get beat by a very good 14-0 team by 1 point and want to fire the Coach, send him to Grundy, they can use him.

 

[MT FAN 91]

Just imagine what kinda team GW would have with Dixon at the helm. Holly shit, every kid in wythe county would want to play at GW. He can take a bad team and make them look great.

Some of the kids wouldn't want to play for Dixon either if they think Harner is mean. Dixon tells them how it is on a regular basis and if you can't handle being yelled at he isn't the coach for you. If you're going to play for Dixon you better be ready to get up early every morning and put in the work or you want see much playing time. Several kids from Galax quit or will not come out every year because they can't handle what it takes to play for him. Couple of kids transferred over this year and didn't last a couple of days before they were done. He is a heck of a coach and if you want to play for him you will do it his way. With out him Galax is 500 or below team year in and year out. He is a great coach and I personally love the things he does, he not only teaches the game but he is getting the kids ready for real life.

 

[hokie0015]

Some of the kids wouldn't want to play for Dixon either if they think Harner is mean. Dixon tells them how it is on a regular basis and if you can't handle being yelled at he isn't the coach for you. If you're going to play for Dixon you better be ready to get up early every morning and put in the work or you want see much playing time. Several kids from Galax quit or will not come out every year because they can't handle what it takes to play for him. Couple of kids transferred over this year and didn't last a couple of days before they were done. He is a heck of a coach and if you want to play for him you will do it his way. With out him Galax is 500 or below team year in and year out. He is a great coach and I personally love the things he does, he not only teaches the game but he is getting the kids ready for real life.

I agree. He demands 100% commitment in every area of life. From 5:30 am workouts year round, to conduct off the field, etc etc. he run a very tight ship. You have to have thick skin, too.

If the issue is Harner cusses out kids too much - get over it. Tell your boys not to go to college. If he's arrogant, well so be it -- arrogance is often perceived by those with a pre set agenda.

 

[GatorBait1988]

I think a lot of the problem is that this group of kids from Wytheville have been very successful on the football field with a Coach who isn't in your face as much, proving to them that it doesn't take a guy in my face or "arrogant" for us to be successful. Their parents then see how successful they are and little Jimmy comes home and tells Mom and Dad that mean old Coach Harner said this....parents have never heard little Jimmy complain about a Coach before so of course they are going to believe it. Mix that in with blowing everybody out you played this year and then you have a close game and lose and who's fault is it? Of course it isn't little Jimmy's fault, it's mean old Coach Harner's fault. This team had loads of talent and sometimes talent and success come with not knowing how to handle losses, through no fault of their own, they aren't use to it. But, that's why I keep harping on the parents, this is where they step in and PARENT. Stop letting little Jimmy complain about authority and leadership and make him take accountability for his own action(s). I don't blame the kids that much, complain about a Coach, probably pretty typical of a 16-18 year old young man. I could even understand the parents complaining, a little. But, to go to the lengths of calling this man names, telling people you want to fight him, and trying to get him fired is just sad.

*Little Jimmy is made up*

 

[Dtayl6]

Why dont the coaches, administration, and parents stop to sit down and talk. Maybe the 2 sides could sit down to discuss their differences and then figure a way to resolve them. Sometimes its just misunderstandings.

 

[Arnsparger]

This has to be the most asinine thing that I have read in a very long time. You are going to start throwing names out for the job? I like many of the comments that were made by others on the board in this thread. You can't move, quit, and throw a little temper tantrum because you can't get everything you want. That is life get over it and move on. They will get what the deserve by letting this kind of foolishness continue. The man has a 33-8 record in 3 years. Folks get spoiled with winning and they think it just comes easy or it is their rite of passage to win. Doesn't work that way folks. There are other teams (kids), with other coaching staffs, and other schools with that kind of tradition that expect the same thing.

 

[catchtds]

I hate my boss but love my job and money. I'm a winner, I'm not about to let my boss run me out!

 

[Xcross]

This has to be the most asinine thing that I have read in a very long time. You are going to start throwing names out for the job? I like many of the comments that were made by others on the board in this thread. You can't move, quit, and throw a little temper tantrum because you can't get everything you want. That is life get over it and move on. They will get what the deserve by letting this kind of foolishness continue. The man has a 33-8 record in 3 years. Folks get spoiled with winning and they think it just comes easy or it is their rite of passage to win. Doesn't work that way folks. There are other teams (kids), with other coaching staffs, and other schools with that kind of tradition that expect the same thing.

I Agree !

 

[CoachinCavs]

It seems to me that the people at GW need to step back and take a look in the mirror about the situation they are bringing up. I have known Coach Harner my entire life, played HS ball with him, and coached with him at Carroll while he was there. GW isn't going to find anyone that is going to out-work that man when it comes to preparing a football team to win games. I have witnessed it first hand.
A comment was made about him coming from a team with not as much talent to a team with an abundance of it. That is correct. While at Carroll the coaching staff made many of the teams more competitive than they probably should have been. He was a major reason for that.
I'm sure some of the kids do not like some of the ways he gets his point across, because he is honest with them. Some kids have a hard time dealing with the fact that their is someone better at a position than they are. Personally, I want the coach that my son plays for to be honest and on his case to get the best out of him. The man is 33-8 in 3 years with 3 state playoff appearances, and their are people in that community wanting his head. That is absolutely stupid if you ask me. The man knows how to coach football, maybe the parents should let him do just that.

 

[G MASTER BLASTER W]

Again guys I agree with what you're saying but that is the situation right now. I hope for the kids sake it very fixed fast I also agree there is no sense in throwing away your playing days. But they all seem very willing to do just that if he isn't gone. Only time will tell what's next in wytheville. And no one is saying he won't have any kids but it's the retuning talent who plays that doesn't want to come back. I hope they do 99% of us know what those days mean.

 

[Arnsparger]

Good for them...then let them stay at home.

 

[Keith_Stone33]

No matter how good a coach is , one loosing season and the fans want him gone ! They forget any success in the past and the demons come pouring out . Will be no different at Riverheads . Casto has a year of below average talent and his name will be mud . In the pros its the $, In college its $ and pride and in high school its the parents living their life thru their children . The fact is this is high school football win or loose the sun will shine the next day . Just pray your kids don't get hurt and hope its fun for them . Sometimes the blame could be shared by all . Coaches , players , fans , and parents . jmo

I've heard Riverheads fans talk badly about Casto about every year the past 5 years (excluding this year) for some call he made or something he should/shouldn't have done (mostly regarding 2 point conversions) and how bleacher coaches have the nerve is beyond me. Casto will honestly forget more about coaching football than any of those bleacher coaches could ever hope to learn. He has taken average talent throughout the years and over achieved more times than not.

Edit: not riverheads fans on here, but folks at games or on facebook.

 

[Maroons67]

Why dont the coaches, administration, and parents stop to sit down and talk. Maybe the 2 sides could sit down to discuss their differences and then figure a way to resolve them. Sometimes its just misunderstandings.

They have on numerous occasions Harner even belittles his asst. coaches in front of the kids. The admin. has met with the coaching staff on 2 occasions I know of. They met concerning Harner talking down to an asst. coach right in front of the team. Harner was Hale's asst. at Carroll County for a few years and that is where he learned to coach. He also has the same mentality in that "I am smarter than everybody". The principal and school board panicked when there first pick backed out at the last minute and hired Harner. Harner even applied for the head job at CC at the same time; and didn't even get an interview. I wonder why?

 

[RedPrideNation_RollPride]

I have heard it too Keith. At the championship last year when he went for two it was chaos in the stands out of some. Apparently they failed to see that Galax had controlled the entire game minus the last two minutes on 3 very good plays.

 

[G MASTER BLASTER W]

They have on numerous occasions Harner even belittles his asst. coaches in front of the kids. The admin. has met with the coaching staff on 2 occasions I know of. They met concerning Harner talking down to an asst. coach right in front of the team. Harner was Hale's asst. at Carroll County for a few years and that is where he learned to coach. He also has the same mentality in that "I am smarter than everybody". The principal and school board panicked when there first pick backed out at the last minute and hired Harner. Harner even applied for the head job at CC at the same time; and didn't even get an interview. I wonder why?

Yeah there is alot more going on that people don't know about. Wasn't last year that him and an asst coach almost got into a fight?

 

[Xcross]

LET IT GO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Arnsparger]

MB wants the job!

 

[CoachinCavs]

They have on numerous occasions Harner even belittles his asst. coaches in front of the kids. The admin. has met with the coaching staff on 2 occasions I know of. They met concerning Harner talking down to an asst. coach right in front of the team. Harner was Hale's asst. at Carroll County for a few years and that is where he learned to coach. He also has the same mentality in that "I am smarter than everybody". The principal and school board panicked when there first pick backed out at the last minute and hired Harner. Harner even applied for the head job at CC at the same time; and didn't even get an interview. I wonder why?

He had multiple interviews for the job at CC.

 

[kwhs95fan]

I think it comes with todays society. Kids don't know how to take discipline or someone being honest with them because most aren't getting taught discipline at home and their parents let them have their way. So when a coach gets on them or hurts their little feelings they go running home crying about the mean coach. And we wonder what's wrong with half the kids today. It's because they are being babied at home and know they can go crying back to mama or daddy if they don't like something. They couldn't play for some of the coaches I played for growing up and probably couldn't play for me today because I coach a lot like the way my coaches coached me. And if I went home to my parents complaining they'd tell me to suck it up and that's life. Parents today won't do that and think their child is never wrong. If I was coach I'd say let them walk if that's what they chose to do but I'd refuse to change my beliefs to pander to pander to parents or a few kids who are spoiled and don't like discipline

 

[catchtds]

Not saying Harner should leave on his own accord or somebody's else's but why would any coach want to walk into the mess that seems to be the parents at GW?