Kind of strange Pulaski Co being D3. Been D4 a long time. Looking forward though to playing in division 3 next football season.
Hello D3
- Thread starter pcken
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In my day Pulaski was a Triple AAA powerhouse playing before packed houses at home and away. Hated that cougar roar. Lol. Check out the attendance for the 1981 and 1982 PH and Pulaski games. It was a madhouse at both places.
Yes they were. Enrollment is less than half as it was then. Hopefully we’ll have good participation in the coming years.
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Joel Hicks had a lot of very good squads. Funny story on that Cougar roar. In 1982 they came to GW Danville. Their kick returner, I believe it was Billy Myers, took the opening kickoff to the house for a quick 7 - 0 lead and they cranked up the Cougar. Guy I was with turns and said I hate that Cougar roar. One of the GW player parents turned and said, "they just wanted to make sure you got to hear it once." Sure enough, GW won 37 - 7(I think) and the Cougar remained silent the rest of the evening.
Great story! Man,@cutnjump you had to bring that up. Yes, GW took us (PH) 21-7 and Pulaski 37-7 out in consecutive weeks. I've said it before and I will say it again. The 1981 and 1982 GW Danville (AAA State champs) teams were two of the best high school squads I have ever seen. As a matter of fact, Pulaski was good in 1981, 1982, and 83. I think they beat GW in the 83 regional final. Those were the days. 1982 PH@Pulaski was freaking cold (20 Degrees) and the PH@GW game was cold and wet with intermittent sleet. I say this with total respect, I detested Pulaski and GW football, so much I still haven't driven through either place since.
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I never saw Pulaski play but I heard that when Pulaski came out to the fields during warm ups they would play the theme song from star wars and they fans would go crazy. Gar-field found a way to stop the crowd noise. When Pulaski would play star wars Gar-field would go to the center of the field and jump up and down like they were the home team.
Great stories. Brings back old memories. GC used to have the train horn that sounded off every time they scored. Many people hated it because it went off many times. 😂😂😂
It is strange what the mind remembers but, that 1982 team dismantled Lake Taylor 58 - 15 in the state championship game. They were explosive offensively and stingy on defense. PH gave a great account for themselves losing 20 - 7 I think. The only two closer games they had that year were Fleming in the opener(7 - 0) and Durham Hillside(10 - 6). I am not telling you anything you did not directly experience but, players like Robert Majors(WF) and Bo Blankenship(PH) to name just two of many more made the local games much more competitive than either the state semis or finals.
Bo and I were very close friends growing up. Our dad's coached baseball and football together. I spent a lot of summers playing football, whiffle ball, basketball, and par three golf with him and RD Ayers. In the winter we even played deck hockey. Bo was a much bigger and better athlete than me, but we went toe to toe in everything. The only sport I was better at was wrestling. One of my fondest memories as a teenager was going to the various parks in Roanoke with Bo, Rogers Ayers (NCAA Basketball Official), and a few other buddies playing against all of the local studs. Beck, the Hardy brothers (Mickey, Angelo, and Antonio) and more. We would drive them crazy with our picks, screens an rebounding. We used to call Bo "Larry Bird". We often would hold the court until they ran us off.
On a side note, in 1982 we played Pulaski at Pulaski. Walking down the steps we had tobacco spit on us, cold drinks, and everything else thrown on us. you would have thought we were the devils children. Dang that was fun! We should have won that game. Poor Victor Brammer dropped two long balls that would have been for scores. Not his fault it was cold as a well diggers tail and we didn't wear gloves back then.
On a side note, in 1982 we played Pulaski at Pulaski. Walking down the steps we had tobacco spit on us, cold drinks, and everything else thrown on us. you would have thought we were the devils children. Dang that was fun! We should have won that game. Poor Victor Brammer dropped two long balls that would have been for scores. Not his fault it was cold as a well diggers tail and we didn't wear gloves back then.
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Beck, the human pencil and eraser. The names you mention probably indicate you played with/against others like Ricky and Ralph Wright, Charles Hill, James Otterman, etc. and the parks included Highland, Woodrow, Breckinridge, etc.. I know a little about all of those.
You forgot the tough ones. We went to the project parks as well. We even had names for each Park. The Palestra (Melrose), The Garden (Wasena), and Fallon Park (The Forum). Had to earn those guys respect and not let gamesmanship get in your head. I tell people all the time how this part of my life paid off in dividends. It helps me relate to the kids I work with, the players I previously coached, most importantly how to treat each and every individual with dignity and respect. Those guys talked junk and backed it up. They tried to hustle us and we did the same. We were all brothers on the playing field/court and excuses were not accepted. The cool thing was we were just as poor as them and they knew it. Our only difference was the color of our skin and not one person gave a crap. It was man up and play ball. True fact, we had to pick up pop bottles and cut grass to to replace our worn out PF Flyers and Chucks! Ricky and Ralph Wright were a bit older than us. Bob Harley, John Beavers. Antonio Brown, Mansy Brown, and Darryl Hagan were all stud players. Do you rember Victor Caldwell our running back. Man he was good. He single handedly wiped out a 20 point deficit against Fleming in 1981.
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I didn't forget those but, I am familiar with all of them. The names you mention I knew along with quite a few others such as Al Comer, Keith Gilliam, Martin Skelly, etc.. The older ones I mentioned were closer to me and they always liked to get the best of a Danville boy, even one that was older and not as spry as in his youth. As an old man I still played pickup games at Woodrow with youngsters George Lynch, Percy Covington and Curtis Blair. Good times but, sadly the mind may be willing while the body has long gone. ;-)
Lol. You got that right. So you played against Drew and Chuck Kepley. Alvin Comers passes were so easy to catch while Bo would split the skin between your fingers. Alvin was such a pure passer and with Sleepy and Bo as is wide outs he destroyed teams when Coach White let him pass. If we played the spread back then it would have been unreal.
Now Coach Dean's squad noted above was unreal. I remember coming home from college to watch them destroy Dematha (J. Mustaf) while Fleming busted Oak Hill in the tail. 10,000 people paid to see those two games at the Civic Center. I loved it when they sent Lonzo and Indian River packing. Russell Turner (college basketball coach) said Mourning may have blocked 17 of our shots, but I will remember my one on him a lot more. That PH team is the third best HS basketball team I have seen in VA. I saw Moses Malone's Petersburg team play in the final and Benedictine with John Kuester play Roanoke Catholic in 1971 or 72. Holy Moly they were freaking good. I worked with Rhea Saltz the 2 guard from Benedictine and he said they wanted to play Petersburg after the season and the VHSL forbid it. He didn't say where or the results, but it was allegedly settled in a pickup game later that spring.
Now Coach Dean's squad noted above was unreal. I remember coming home from college to watch them destroy Dematha (J. Mustaf) while Fleming busted Oak Hill in the tail. 10,000 people paid to see those two games at the Civic Center. I loved it when they sent Lonzo and Indian River packing. Russell Turner (college basketball coach) said Mourning may have blocked 17 of our shots, but I will remember my one on him a lot more. That PH team is the third best HS basketball team I have seen in VA. I saw Moses Malone's Petersburg team play in the final and Benedictine with John Kuester play Roanoke Catholic in 1971 or 72. Holy Moly they were freaking good. I worked with Rhea Saltz the 2 guard from Benedictine and he said they wanted to play Petersburg after the season and the VHSL forbid it. He didn't say where or the results, but it was allegedly settled in a pickup game later that spring.
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All you say is true. Also saw that Dematha game. Great team in their own right with Jerrod Mustaf. The Moses Malone teams were phenomenal and games with big Calvin Crews and Halifax were great as well. Never saw Kuester but, I know the team. The RELee teams with the Madden Bros., various Martinville Bulldog teams, the Ralph teams and many more including John Marshall of more recent vintage it is hard for me to pick just 1, 3 maybe even 5. Enjoyed the walk down memory lane.
One last trip and a Pulaski legend. Do you remember Michael Porter. He was fun to watch in high school. One of the fastest guys I have ever seen on the court.
I remember him well. He and Richard Morgan went at each other pretty hard with some epic games. I will also tell you that Fleming with Coach Paye pretty much owned Porter because some of the guys mentioned in this thread overplayed his right hand and forced him left which resulted in a Fleming big cutting off his lane and/or forcing him to give up the ball or take an off balance jumper. Fleming had some really good basketball teams and Coach Paye was a great coach and good man.
Quick story about Richard Morgan. He played for Andrew Lewis Junior High/MS. I played for Stonewall Jackson Jr. High. Bo, John Beavers, Bob Harley, Nathan Brown, Jeff Elkins we're our starters. We finished 13-0 and won the City Championship. We scrimmaged them before our season. Morgan was a 7th grader. We won the game 50-48. Morgan scored 46 points and Rodney Varney had 2. We couldn't stop him. I tried to take a charge and he jumped right over me. Unreal talent.
Yep, both teams were 11-0. Danville had an awesome team that year. We weren't bad either. Coach Hicks said earlier in the week that he would like to get a quick lead because Danville wasn't used to being behind. He was hoping they wouldn't react well. After we went up 7-0 Danville then fumbled deep in their own territory and PC recovered it. That was the end of good things for Pulaski Co that night. The worm turned fast. Danville was a well deserved state champ that year.
That 82 team was stacked with D-1s and was battle tested. In the two year period 1981-1982 GW went 27-1 with the lone loss being to Hampton in the 1981 AAA State Championship game. The 82 team was just finishing the job.
They replaced Parade A-A quarterback Jaime Harris with Percy Moorman and arguably got better on offense. They also had a large number of seniors that had been starting juniors that were now a year older. They were really good and this last statement is sure to draw some debate. Everyone knows that David Wilson is synonymous with the GW running back position and there have been a host of others over the years, however, lots of old timers will tell you, based solely on high school career, Bryant "Keeta" Covington is easily on the short list of greatest GW football players ever. He and TE Ferrell Edmunds went on to play with his older brother Al "Bam Bam" at the University of Maryland but before that those two along with Moorman were the engine that capped off the championship season with 58 points in the title game against Lake Taylor.
Thanks for the kind words. I do believe that team is in the discussion but, I think those type discussions are great message board fodder and really hard to say definitively because beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.
What I will say is Hampton, Phoebus and Highland Springs with their multiple consecutive state title runs are also in that discussion and I am sure fans of several other multiple consecutive state title runs would support their teams as well so fans of Salem, Riverheads, etc., etc., please do not get offended as the list above was more a top of the head than an exhaustive, all inclusive one.
It all comes down, at least in my opinion, as to how people evaluate and value the criteria. Is it a single year? Is a multiple year run better evidence? What role does higher versus lower classification play? What about the number of divisions and playoff spots? We could go on but, my point is just to once again say there are a lot of things that could factor into that debate. Finally, Virginia is and has been blessed through the years to enjoy a lot of good high school football teams and players and while it is not Florida, Texas, California or a few other hotbed states it is not chopped liver either.
@cutnjump you can be as humble and sensible as you desire. You will never convince me otherwise. I have seen a lot of football in my 57 years and until someone impresses me more 1982 GW Danville it is. Heck, 1981 was as good and I actually like J Harris better as a qb. P. Moorman was more dangerous legs/arms, but dang Harris could hit a gnats tail from 40 yards. I will say Moorman even though there was no such thing at the time may have been the original spread/read option type qb. The man would give you nightmares just by watching him on film.
I know I wasn’t even thought of back then but I do know that 08 Phoebus is probably the best VHSL team ever assembled. I don’t think it’s remotely close. With the way the game changed over the years Passing wise to score over 700 points & only allow 52 points in a 15 game season is preposterous & unbelievable (9 Shutouts). The crazy thing is they maybe on their way to eclipsing that 52 PA this year…
Everybody is entitled to their opinion and mine had a lot more to do with being the kid in the candy store who cannot decide than trying to be humble.;-)
As far as Percy goes, he played tailback while Harris was there and Keeta played wide out some and DB some with both those position switches due to injuries and a product of how good an athlete they were at multiple positions. A real shame Percy had to get in trouble at NCSU. Everybody told Harris he would not like Georgia and just turning to hand the ball to the tailback, even if it was Herschel. Good times and maybe the best run (68 - 82/83) in GW history bookended by state championships. Didn't even make the playoffs every year with some good 9-1 teams left out.
Like I said the debate makes great message board discussion fodder and can hinge on a lot of factors. That Phoebus team was included in my mention earlier. While you are entitled to your opinion, I disagree with your assertion that it is not remotely close and my opinion is based on having seen all those teams and several others in person over the years. The stats for the Phantoms that year were phenomenal, however, I suspect there might be disagreement as to whether they are even the best team ever on the Peninsula, let alone the state. I would never count out a Ronald Curry led team or for that matter one with Bubbachuck. Lots of really good teams throughout the ages from Virginia.
You mentioned Jamie Harris. I also remember in 1979 (coach Hicks first year at PC) we made the playoffs as a wildcard and had to play number 1 ranked Danville with Harris at QB. Pulaski co won that game 7-0. It’s still one of the greatest wins in PC history. We were huge underdogs. Shutting out a powerful offense like Danvilles that year was extremely unheard of.
485 points for 113 against. That's not too shabby. @General172011 you know I have seen some good squads run through Richmond and Dinwiddie. I was also present at the 2008 game at VA Tech and the 2010 game in Dinwiddie played against Phoebus. You felt the pain of those two games and know how good the Phantoms we're on a personal level. I felt the pain of the 1982 GW game and guess what I know how good the Eagles were. We both feel strongly about this and I respect your opinion. Did you have nightmares about Phoebus? GW caused me to have freaking dt's. Lol
I always think about that 2010 game it’s unhealthy how much it stays on my mind 😔
Good memory of game and score. I think PC's only score was an INT return by Curtis Trail. I did not recall Jaime playing that game, he may have, but, he would have been a sophomore and subbing for the starter Woody Fowler, maybe due to an injury, if he did.
Yeah, @SFUWO he was a phenom. He was super smart too. Bo hurt his knee in college and had to quit football. He decided to try out for the golf team at Tech and made the team. One summer I saw him make 25 straights shots from the top of the key and we were outside. I played flag football and mens fast pitch softball against him in the late 80's. I also grew up with and played a lot of ball with the current Roanoke College coach Mike Mitchell. He lives in Salem now. Do you know him?
I only know Bo in passing. I do know Dan Foutz. I'm sure you would probably know him too. Our wives use to work together. I have probably met Mitchell. Im friends with several of the coaches and a lot of Roanoke College staff. I've been running around that campus since the 80's😂
I have enjoyed all the great posts. Many great athletes and coaches mentioned. I’m a old man living in Tennessee. Spent a lot of my life in Va. with meeting many of the coaches and film study of the people mentioned. My only thought was of the great players who played in an era prior to Virginia state championships. If memory holds me correctly, state wide championship began somewhere around 1970. Just wondering where these great athletes and coaches would rank, I.e. prior to 1970. Just food for thought.
@TS69 I am no historian, but I have watched my dad's film on and can speak for the Jefferson Senior (Roanoke) teams from 1955-1959. Their coach Rudy Rohdanz was from Tennessee and developed some great teams during time. In fact, they won the state championship in 1957. There only loss was to a loaded Dobbins Bennett team from Kingsport, Tennessee. Carlton Waskey and Jay Blackwood we're their studs. My dad coached so I saw a lot of games as a young kid . EC Glass with Rick Volley. He was so exciting to watch. Andrew Lewis in 1971 and 72. Oh my were they good. I was only 6 when Andrew Lewis lost to the Titans, but their upset of Dobbins Bennett who was the #1 HS team in the country was unreal. The game was played at Salem Municipal and the place was jammed. I remember standing on the 3rd base dugout watching the game. G Sprinkle was my favorite player. Billy Sample (pro baseball player) also played on that team I think. The 1973 PH team was really good too, but they benefitted from the merger and closure of Jefferson. I was also fortunate to see a lot of Lucy Addison HS games. I remember seeing Al Holland (pitcher Phillies) play. They were a solid football team. The early 70's in Roanoke Valley was an unbelievable hot bed for sports and I got to see it all. Roanoke Rebels, Roanoke Buckskins, Cosmopolitan Track, Salem Pirates and even the ABA VA Squires with Charlie Scott and Dr. J. Yes sir.....
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You are correct. The current system came into effect in 1970. Prior to that there was a state championship but, it was more based on a subjective determination as far as participants and subject to some debate. However, great players are great players and great teams are great teams outside of any ranking system.
It was already mentioned about the Jefferson teams and there are lots of others. Segregation muddied the picture even further as there were outstanding teams everywhere. The issue now is there are fewer people actually around from those days that can still give clear direct eyewitness accounts but, people should take advantage and talk to those they encounter. I was lucky enough to have many opportunities to talk with some of those gentlemen including George Preas, Carlton Waskey and Rudy Lacy. Their stories were very, very entertaining.
Quite a bit of money changed hands after that game. The PC fans bet big.
GW became much better when Coach Pugh brought Lightning Mason over from Langston. He led GW to a huge upset of Andrew Lewis.
Jefferson's last basketball loss was to GW 26-21 in the 1974 regional semis. First GW game i ever saw was GW 38 JS 7 in 1964.
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