GW Danville preview
- Thread starter mike salem
- Start date
Could be a big year.. Vance will show just how legit these guys are. I hear they're absolutely loaded. QB is going to ECU and they have a tight end going to Oklahoma to play for Stoops and the Sooners. A run orientated team is in trouble when playing this defense, however, I noticed last week that GW's secondary is weaker. Lost 3 guys (2 D1's and a D2) so they'll be a noticeable difference for the first couple of games. A lot of unproven players. GW's JV team beat Vance 77-70 last year in Charlotte, so the younger guys know what it takes to win. As far as the rest of the season, GW knows they have to beat Magna Vista in order of avoiding a Salem, Amherst or Woodgrove in the second round. I see it being a very good year for GW. No D1 prospects (which I like because I hate egos) and they're going to be overlooked because of their weak schedule. We'll know A LOT more about this team after the Dan River game Friday night.
GW only returns 1 defensive starter. How can you say they'll be that good? Offense returns 4, albeit some very good ones. And by your own admission, the schedule is weak. They won't be in too many top tens.
But this is a good program. They have a good Coach. They will get better every contest despite youth. They still have to win the games and the schedule SHOULD give them a high enough seed for a beatable first round opponent. But probably not much further than that.
Coaching. The type of players in the system. Most of these kids grow up very hard in Danville and they see Tim Glass, Malik Clements, Curtis Brooks going major D1.. They want the same. Fact be known, since 2012, they've sent at least 2 seniors to college each year. Every year someone out of the blue steps up. The team that beat Courtland in 14, lost 7 or 8 defensive starters from the previous year. These kids have been playing with each other since optimist league. Now like I said, they're not as dominant as last year, they had 7 D1/D2 players on defense, but they're experienced and they have depth. Most of these kids started 2 years on JV and practiced with the big boys for 2 years, they know what it takes. GW Danville is much JM in Fredericksburg. They own the city, with it being the only high school in the city limits. GW had a couple of horrendous years after David Wilson graduated in 09, from 2010 to 2012, leadership sucked.. Now that they have Coach Anderson, the guys have bought into the system.. They're a program again. They've reloaded each year. No rings to show for it but better teams have beaten them (Courtland '13, Salem '14, Champe '15). Won't wanna see these guys come November. Now if they were gonna suck this year, I'd be the first to tell you, but believe me, they're gonna be pretty good.
The regular season record will say that, yes.
And yes, they beat my boys in 14. That's a frustration for many Cougar fans. For example, my boys lost to KG last year during the regular season 19 - 14. They had no business losing that game. Few fans even go to KG because it's an easy win. But Who were those guys? In the playoffs, they beat them 45 - 0. That was Courtland. Not the score, but they way they played.
Same with The GW 14 game. No way GW wins that game. They should lose by 3 TD's. Same as the year before, if not worse. But it was Courtland. When they lay an egg, it's a big one and you can count on at least one a year. Very frustrating indeed.
But GL to GW regardless. They'll end up with a nice seed at playoff time.
And yes, they beat my boys in 14. That's a frustration for many Cougar fans. For example, my boys lost to KG last year during the regular season 19 - 14. They had no business losing that game. Few fans even go to KG because it's an easy win. But Who were those guys? In the playoffs, they beat them 45 - 0. That was Courtland. Not the score, but they way they played.
Same with The GW 14 game. No way GW wins that game. They should lose by 3 TD's. Same as the year before, if not worse. But it was Courtland. When they lay an egg, it's a big one and you can count on at least one a year. Very frustrating indeed.
But GL to GW regardless. They'll end up with a nice seed at playoff time.
@DanvilleSportsHead I like what I'm seeing out of GW this year and yes Dan River game Friday will be a good test for them.
I agree! I knew they'd be good this year, but not this good. Still a lot of work to do, but they'll be okay! Anderson and his staff have done an amazing job on putting their stamp on the program. I'll love to hear what you see Friday night in person.. I'll be listening to the game from Richmond on the WBTM app. DR has a solid team.. IMO I think they'll be the Appo of last year. Should be a fun one Friday night!
I wouldn't get too excited as the GW program is a mere shadow of what it used to be due to a variety of reasons. Fact is they play a relatively weak schedule(not their fault just the district and area they play in) and come playoff time they will advance potentially as far as home field will carry them(first, maybe second round). GW has had some great players in recent times(Wilson, etc.), however, you have to go back 20 years(maybe more) to find a product on the field remotely comparable to one they put on the field from the late 1960's through the early 1980's.
Fact is the team that should have won the game between GW and Courtland in both '13 and '14 did win, your protestations to the contrary notwithstanding. In '13, the game went back and forth in the first half but, Courtland's Wing T stepped on the gas in the second half to go with a 60 yd. interception return for a TD which led to the final result 56-34. In '14 GW stepped on Courtland's throat right out of the gate 29-7 in first half and the game was not as close at that point as the score indicated. To Courtland's credit( and the mark of a good program) they kept fighting and when GW completely shut it down in the second half they almost endured the ultimate humiliation letting Courtland back in the game for a 29-26 final nail biter. Your contention "they should lose by 3 TD's" is an opinion to which you are entitled, albeit an uninformed one at best. This isn't the first time you have tried to rewrite that game history but, the actual facts/results of that game do not support your opinion in any way.
Very true. I just relate to David Wilson, Kenny Lewis, and Cam Martin because the years that you stated were way before my time lol but those 90s teams had some d*mn good players as GW made the state's almost every year. Players such as Nate Poole, Tyrone Robinson, Micah Knight, the Brooks boys, etc. 80s no question, they'd take anybody to the woodshed. But you're exactly right. GW sports in general isn't what it used to be. Football and basketball, specifically.
Uninformed would be wrong. Yes, GW won the second game. Courtland ran up and down the field on them in the first. They actually did the same in the second. And no, I give GW no credit at all for the win. That was all on Courtland against a team that had no business being on the field with them.
Like I said, when they lay an egg it's a big one. Due credit for dominating the second half but the Cougars are not a team that can come back from a such a deep hole that they dug themselves. I'm not trying to defend them. They lost. But it is frustrating when you can watch a team beat often insurmountable odds with heart, discipline and hard play and then go out and play a game like a Middle School squad. I don't ever Mind losing. That's fine. But just going through the motions or being so cocky, you think effort is not required is unacceptable. But that's who my boys sometimes are.
And then there was LT. First time I ever saw them scared. Not saying they could have won. That would be rediculous. But if they came out as Salem did. UnIntimidated. It may have turned out to be a different kind of game. Again, there's the Cougar frustration. Win or lose, play a good game. Just doesn't happen at the oddest times. Who are those guys?
From a closer vantage, I would not say GW is down at all. BB has been final four since 4a started. GW FB was one at least 4 games a year since 1964 even as they were playing up in classification in the late 2000's. GW suffered when the central administration got rid of the AD position and made it part of an assistant principal. They also sat on Bobby Martins perm appointment.
The new school administration is now behind GW athletics and there is a full time AD. The principal got funding for 100 percent helmet replacement with Riddell Speed helmets before the former helmets usable period was over. The city council is overseeing the renovation of the football stadium.
GW's size has increased by 70 students from 2 years ago. The numbers and depth of the football program are up including linemen. There is a good crop of athletes and big guys in the 8th and 9th grade. People will be surprised when they see the 2017 non district schedule.
The biggest plus is Nick Anderson and his staff. There is more energy in the school and City than I have seen in quite some time. GW will be just fine.
The new school administration is now behind GW athletics and there is a full time AD. The principal got funding for 100 percent helmet replacement with Riddell Speed helmets before the former helmets usable period was over. The city council is overseeing the renovation of the football stadium.
GW's size has increased by 70 students from 2 years ago. The numbers and depth of the football program are up including linemen. There is a good crop of athletes and big guys in the 8th and 9th grade. People will be surprised when they see the 2017 non district schedule.
The biggest plus is Nick Anderson and his staff. There is more energy in the school and City than I have seen in quite some time. GW will be just fine.
Thanks Tommy. I've heard only speculation about the new schedule. IMO, if everything falls into place, next year could be the year to bring home a state championship. You have to be impressed with what Coach Anderson has done these past 4 seasons. We're very lucky to have him on our side. Danville should be very happy and excited about our teams. BTW, the basketball team will be scary good this year. I saw the rising seniors such as Pat Robinson, Cayman Lewis, and Amardius Jones play A LOT this summer. Sam Branch will be the new PG. Anything less than a state championship will be a disappointment.
GW playing very good tonight against Dan River. DR went up 7-0 and GW answered on the ensuing kickoff. Junior Deshawn Wallace took it 77 yards to the house. GW up 13-7 at halftime. Kueshaun Forest has 93 yards rushing already. DR will be a serious championship contender in 2a this year. Happy for both teams.
GW 26-14 Final. UGLY game. Forest 202 yards rushing. Defense is stout, offense is a work in progress. Still early. GW (unofficially) had 1 pass for 2 yards tonight.
I appreciate the feedback. Gives everyone something to think about. But some systems run so differently. A short game scrimmage is one thing. 8 minute quarters, tops.
Punt and kickoff returns at a scrimmage would never happen in the Burg. Just like College. No sane Coach puts his players in that kind of jeopardy. Even Special Teams Guru Beamer didn't do that.
Just IMO.
Were you at the '14 game or did you follow your usual MO of looking at a few HUDL highlights and proclaiming yourself the expert on all that happened in the game? It has already been established you did that with the LT/Salem game, a point you reemphasize here by laughably calling LT intimidated which could not be further from the truth. Maybe a little overconfident or perhaps young in a couple of key spots could be defended but, intimidated shows about as little understanding of what transpired in that game as I have seen to date.
Now back to GW/Courtland in "14. The first half was a total blowout 29-7 and not even as close as the score indicated. GW gashed the Courtland defense for about 15 yds per carry(the entire game after shutting it down in the second half still ended up just shy of 10 yds per carry). Courtland's lone score came on a four yard run on a drive that began from favorable field position. On the first half alone to assert that Courtland ran up and down the field like they did in 2013 shows either your opinion uninformed or worse. Let's take a look at the second half. Courtland scores once on a 37 yd TD pass, a significant portion of their 42 total passing yards for the evening. They pick up the other 2 TD's on short runs in drives bolstered by a couple of long runs in key third or fourth down situations(not unexpected when the back breaks the first level of defenders in a short yardage situation). Courtland misses a few two point conversion tries leading to the final 3 point margin and GW preserves the win with a late game interception. For the game Courtland runs the ball something like 57 times for about 278 yards(well shy of their 400+ yd outburst the year before) for a YPC average slightly less than 5. Factor out the long individual gains on a couple of carries and the YPC goes down to slightly below 3 ypc. Further calling in to question your description of "ran up and down the field like they did in 2013".
You can make up whatever fantasy you like to help you feel good about the result, however, reality and the game sheet is open to a much different interpretation of the plays that actually occurred. GW more than belonged on that field notwithstanding what you think. To "give GW no credit for the win" is just a pathetic denial by a little man whose ego and arrogance is writing checks that his actual knowledge of the game cannot cover.
You do make me laugh sometimes.
For example, I didn't say LT was intimidated. I said Courtland was.
I did not use HUDL to see the game through clips. It was streamed live. No, I did not see the 13' game. I just saw the 50+ score and that was that.
For the 14 game, they just played a horrible match against GW. Similar to the 15 game against KG. Foxes had no business winning that game but they did. Met KG in the playoffs and won 45 - 0. Same type of thing would have happened against GW.
Like I said, I have no issue losing. That happens. Even when you play well. Sometimes the other guy is just better. But when you decide to not get off the bus and let the JV play, I have a problem with that. it's a long standing problem for Courtland and fortunate for the opponent that plays them on that inexplicable WTF day.
It's kind of like this. We had a really outstanding player with DI offers. A player other teams had to plan for. Pre-season scrimmages were like, WOW. How is anybody gonna' deal with this guy? He opened the first game of his Senior season. After the game, everybody said "what's wrong with him?". Saw the doctor on Monday. Mono. That's what happens to the Cougars sometimes and out of nowhere. A team wide MONO infection.
For example, I didn't say LT was intimidated. I said Courtland was.
I did not use HUDL to see the game through clips. It was streamed live. No, I did not see the 13' game. I just saw the 50+ score and that was that.
For the 14 game, they just played a horrible match against GW. Similar to the 15 game against KG. Foxes had no business winning that game but they did. Met KG in the playoffs and won 45 - 0. Same type of thing would have happened against GW.
Like I said, I have no issue losing. That happens. Even when you play well. Sometimes the other guy is just better. But when you decide to not get off the bus and let the JV play, I have a problem with that. it's a long standing problem for Courtland and fortunate for the opponent that plays them on that inexplicable WTF day.
It's kind of like this. We had a really outstanding player with DI offers. A player other teams had to plan for. Pre-season scrimmages were like, WOW. How is anybody gonna' deal with this guy? He opened the first game of his Senior season. After the game, everybody said "what's wrong with him?". Saw the doctor on Monday. Mono. That's what happens to the Cougars sometimes and out of nowhere. A team wide MONO infection.
Maybe you were talking about Courtland but, if you reread the paragraph you actually typed it is not hard to misinterpret you were talking about LT. As for your "opinion" that the "same type of thing" would have happened against GW" as happened to KG that is a lot of supposition supported by NO facts. The actual facts as presented and which you so far are unable to even remotely refute would say your opinion is at best uninformed(trying to be charitable to you) and not grounded in any reality at all. Your woulda, shoulda, coulda, talk is just typical loser speak. You picked a losing horse in this debate and probably should let it die without continuing to embarrass yourself or at least come up with some actual facts that give your assertions some real substance.
Just to clarify then. Yes , it was Courtland that was intimidated and came in tIght against LT. They needed a perfect game to beat them and be the only team in 2 years to keep them from making a big play. They made mistakes which LT took advantage of and their playmakers were exceptional. 21 points worth in about 15 seconds. I didn't expect my boys to win and picked against them in the pool but I was happy with their play. They did not back down and played hard. I can live with that.
Against GW, it was embarassing. I don't need numbers to see what I saw. That was not them. But as I said before, that's my Cougars and a problem. Lose is one thing. Not showing up to the party is another. Take it as you will.
Against GW, it was embarassing. I don't need numbers to see what I saw. That was not them. But as I said before, that's my Cougars and a problem. Lose is one thing. Not showing up to the party is another. Take it as you will.
Last edited:
This is what GW has to deal with in 2 weeks. As big of a fan as I am of GW, I fear that this may not even be close. We'll see just how good GW is when they travel to Charlotte.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/high-school/article96847112.html
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/high-school/article96847112.html
Last edited:
We are looking forward to this game as well for a measuring stick before we head into conference. 1 correction though Sports Head... Vance's JV beat GW last year. I can't remember the score but we won by a touchdown. Could've gone either way though.
Thanks my brother! I saw it on Max Preps but thanks for the correction! It will be a dog fight. I say Vance by 2-3 scores but who knows? Ifedi and Hall will be the best tandem GW will play all year. Coach Brand has done an amazing job at Vance as you guys play in the best conference in NC. Good luck to you guys and I look forward to hear your insight on the game!
They'll more than likely have a fan charter bus. I'd say 100-200 GW fans should be there. GW has a very very loyal fan base. Win or lose, they support their team. I'd imagine that with Charlotte only being an hour and 45 minutes down the road that a lot of people will be willing to make the drive.
@Big Cougs GW will bring a big crowd it's about a 2 hour drive from Danville. There are a lot of people that are from Danville that live in Charlotte including myself. Really looking forward to this game! Did you see the game between Vance and West Mecklenburg?
@DanvilleSportsHead GW looked solid on defense against Dan River. The backfield looked very good. I just hope Forrest can stay healthy all year with the work load that going to be asked of him. But like we said before we will know more about our team when we play Vance. Sam Branch has to become more comfortable with his knew crop of WR's. Branch has also added a new element to his game that we didn't see much of last year by taking off and running with the ball I like that. We should be ok once some guys get some experience under thier belt!
I agree 100%! I love the way the younger guys played! Junior Darius Davis (6'3, 220) and Senior Daijuantez Giggetts (6'3 245) played exceptionally, they're nice replacements for Anthony Long (Averett) and Curtis Brooks (Cincinnati). Freshman Max Roupe is going to be a stud on the O and D lines. Our D line is our strong point. Secondary is getting stronger and will hopefully be ready for Vance. If Devante Grasty and Curtis Waller can play the way they played against Dan River, then we'll have a chance against that lethal Vance passing game. Deshawn Wallace is another on offense and defense to watch. He'll be our leading receiver for the next 2 years and should see some time at safety. I'm happy with how things are shaping up. Branch is one of the toughest competitors I've seen at the high school level in some time. If this rubs off on some of the younger guys, I like our chances going into November to play with the big boys.
Similar threads
