Interesting sports news about Essex, Northumberland, Rapp, Middlesex, W&L etc.

[uvacavs1]

Here are some highlights of this weeks Rapp Times Sports sections.

1) Large game articles and pics on Essex over Northampton, Northumberland over WP, and W&L over CB.

2) Good preview on NHS at Essex - interviews with the head coaches etc. Main focus is on Palmer.

Palmer is an amazingly explosive player. Some of his TDs v WP were like....Daaaang..... One like 4 or 5 guys were in position, play looked done before it started, then 60 yard TD.

The poor WP Head Coach talks about how they did everything they could to prepare for him.

However, as noted by others, Essex is loaded with athletic talent and speed on D and will be well prepared to contain him. It will be very tough for NHS against that stout Essex D.

3) Essex great Sterling Hammond - CIAA Defensive Player of the Year

4) Stats for Volleyball and Cross Country, box scores for football

 

[uvacavs1]

5) Great piece and photo on Rappahannock's female three sport star, Meredith Slaw.

She signed her National Letter of Intent to play Softball at Virginia Tech!

Congrats to the Slaw family and Rappahannock!!!

 

[uvacavs1]

6) This is very exciting and cool for the NND and Tidewater!

The Northumberland Indians v the Middlesex Chargers will be the opening act (play a regular season 1A high school basketball game) for the NBA's Washington Wizards at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.

Northumberland and Middlesex (boys and girls basketball teams) play on December 29th right before the Washington Wizards take on the Houston Rockets.

Now what an experience for those kids!

It is only 40 bucks to ride the fan buses and watch all the games for the whole trip. If interested, contact NHS or Middlesex athletic departments.

 

[NNKD4L]

I haven't read the article yet, but I heard the NHS coach made a comment that "Palmer gives him the advantage and tips the scales in his favor to win Friday"?
Anything can happen, it should be a show down for sure!

 

[TrojanFan22560]

Unless he's as good as Juan Thornhill it won't happen. Essex rolls...

 

[DivePitchKeep]

Unless he's as good as Juan Thornhill it won't happen. Essex rolls...

Still wouldn't be enough. Northumberland will struggle to stop the Trojan offense. Too many weapons and too many ways to move the football. Indians gave up over 30 points to Lancaster and WP-and Essex is a different caliber. Dameron and Johnson are better than anything they've seen since their last visit to Tappahannock.

 

[uvacavs1]

I haven't read the article yet, but I heard the NHS coach made a comment that "Palmer gives him the advantage and tips the scales in his favor to win Friday"?
Anything can happen, it should be a show down for sure!

Coach Lewis discussed that having Palmer back at QB should give his team an advantage in that one category (that the Indians did not have last time- Palmer had missed like 5 games before that with an injury). That is the way it sounded to me.

He also talked about how really tough the Essex defense is, hopefully this game his team will make less miscues, how his team are the big underdogs and have nothing to lose and will play that way.

Everyone knows Essex is the heavy favorite to win.

 

[NNDanalyst]

Not saying Northumberland is going to win but Essex isn't unbeatable. There offense goes anemic at times and all it takes is one break down before palmer is off to the races. I think the fact that Palmer is at QB will make it a much different game than the 1st one.

Johnson & Hundley are some studs as well.

 

[nnkalumni2]

Essex offense last game really only earned 2 touchdowns where they actually drove on the Indians defense. Essex had 4 turnovers in that game. If Indians didn’t have an horrific start the first quarter I think it’s a different game. Not saying the Indians will win this time but I think it will be a close one just the fact the best player on the field will be wearing green and gold and will give the Indians hope.

 

[uvacavs1]

Essex has won 19 of the last 20 meetings against Northumberland.

The average Essex victory was by 33 points during that 20 year time span.

The Indian task is daunting to upset the Trojans especially at home....but, yes, there is hope.

 

[NNDanalyst]

I don't think the last 20 games has anything to do with this game tho. I mean does that mean Essex (losing a lot of key players) will win vs Northumberland next year b/c of the last 20 games?

 

[uvacavs1]

Many (probably most) coaches and fans say last year doesn't matter at all this year. I understand that way of thinking but I completely disagree.

Essex loses key players every year and still (usually) wins. Riverheads loses good players and still wins. So do all powerhouse programs.

Sorry, but Essex will defeat Rappahannock and Lancaster next year in football. I have no idea who any of them have coming back or whose coming up from JV. It doesn't matter.

I hope that UVA beats Va Tech this year in football. The Cavs are doing great!


Guess what, most likely VA Tech wins again. How do I know? Easy look at the past....

Now that doesn't mean that upsets do not happen on occasion or that new powers cannot emerge now and then....

 

[NNDanalyst]

lol How that work for W&L and Northumberland this year? Also how did that work out Clemson and Syracuse?
Essex will be weak next year, I asked about Northumberland and you bring up Rapp and Lanc.
But I think Rapp beats depending on who actually comes back next year for them whether you believe in it or not. Returning talent is returning talent which essex pipeline is running a little dry after this years team.

 

[Essex Trojan1]

Essex offense last game really only earned 2 touchdowns where they actually drove on the Indians defense. Essex had 4 turnovers in that game. If Indians didn’t have an horrific start the first quarter I think it’s a different game. Not saying the Indians will win this time but I think it will be a close one just the fact the best player on the field will be wearing green and gold and will give the Indians hope.

Both teams had about the same amount of turnovers (give or take) in that game. Essex turned Northumberlands turnovers into scores. To copy what you posted about Essex.... “Essex Offense last game really only earned 2 touchdowns”...if that’s the case, I could say Northumberland didn’t earn ANY of the 21 they scored because one was a turnover around Essex’s 10 and the other 2 TDs were against Essex subs in the late 4th. If you want to cancel out Essex’s scoring off of turnovers then you must cancel out Northumberlands score off a turnover as well as the 2 scores against Essex subs.

 

[riversportsfan]

Essex offense last game really only earned 2 touchdowns where they actually drove on the Indians defense. Essex had 4 turnovers in that game. If Indians didn’t have an horrific start the first quarter I think it’s a different game. Not saying the Indians will win this time but I think it will be a close one just the fact the best player on the field will be wearing green and gold and will give the Indians hope.

Best player on the field will be wearing number 4 in purple and gold. May not have the every down impact as Palmer, but NHS better not lose track of him.

 

[NNKD4L]

Either way, we should see great athletes on the field tonight. Maybe with both sides talking about the athletes, it might come down to coaching.
Palmer is a definite threat on Offense, Defense, and Special Teams... Whenever he as the ball. No one can argue that FACT. However, Lee is just as dangerous, as so does Essex have Dameron, Johnson, and Hundley to help them out. Both teams have the weapons to post scores, maybe its a defensive game?

 

[Eaglepride89]

Just read the Free Lance Star and it’s crazy to think even with J.J McNeill being out the past 4 games he still leads the area in reception yards (including playoffs).47 catches for 859 yards and 8 TD. Wonder how many yards he would’ve finished with this season if healthy

 

[Essex Trojan1]

Either way, we should see great athletes on the field tonight. Maybe with both sides talking about the athletes, it might come down to coaching.
Palmer is a definite threat on Offense, Defense, and Special Teams... Whenever he as the ball. No one can argue that FACT. However, Lee is just as dangerous, as so does Essex have Dameron, Johnson, and Hundley to help them out. Both teams have the weapons to post scores, maybe its a defensive game?

I agree.

 

[NNKD4L]

Here is an interesting comparison... It was stated that Palmer would be the best athlete on the field and he has had a hand in multiple scoring in Offense, Defense and Special Teams. Is Delvin Palmer the New Juan Thornhill??? Northumberland isn't a one athlete team, but we also know the history with Essex and Thornhill! Just wondering how the rest of the NNK feels about it.

 

[peck_7]

Palmer is NOT Thornhill. Great athlete by all means.

 

[riversportsfan]

Juan Thornhill was one of the best to do it at this level. Palmer is great no doubt, but you are comparing him to a man who graduated with 5 state championships. Not to mention Juan played with some great teammates. Their defense was incredible. Northumberland definitely has the fire power to make this a shoot out, but NHS defense is their weakness. Coach Lewis has to find the recipe to penetrate that Essex defense, which few have been able to do this year. It is going to be a heck of a game either way simply from atmosphere. Good luck to all the guys playing tonight! Hope everyone stays healthy and has fun. Win or lose we appreciate what you do.

 

[TrojanFan22560]

Here is an interesting comparison... It was stated that Palmer would be the best athlete on the field and he has had a hand in multiple scoring in Offense, Defense and Special Teams. Is Delvin Palmer the New Juan Thornhill??? Northumberland isn't a one athlete team, but we also know the history with Essex and Thornhill! Just wondering how the rest of the NNK feels about it.

You should be ashamed for even making that comparison.

 

[NNDanalyst]

Palmer is not Thornhill. Thornhill and UVA will give Miami a fight no one expects this wknd

 

[Essex Trojan1]

The history with Essex and Thornhill AND the rest of the Altavista team BACK THEN, is not the same as Essex and Palmer and the rest of the Northumberland team today. To compare Palmer to Thornhill or the 2013 and 2014 Altavista teams to the 2017 Northumberland team is is like comparing apples to oranges. Even thought they both have/had a major star with a supporting cast around them, Altavista was by far the more dominant team between the two. As for Palmer being the new Thornhill....There is a young man out west at Galax that just might be a tad bit better and he’s not on a Thornhill level. He was doing it on offense, defense and Special teams just like Palmer until he got injured last week and is out for the season. Palmer is a handful. Can’t take that from him AT ALL. There are 2 things I can say he has that Thornhill has...that’s speed and he’s very shifty. He has broken plenty of ankles in these parts this year. Lol. He’s just not the size of Thornhill.

 

[uvacavs1]

Just to be clear, it is not a Northumberland fan making the comparison to Thornhill....

Hard to fire up the troops when you have beaten a team by 30+ points for basically over 20 years....