Lord Botetourt should contend again

[freeatlast2013]

Lord Botetourt has Colston Powers a up and coming junior at 6'5" 285, who has offers from UVA and EAST CAROLINA, along with rising junior Hunter Rice, an offer from UVA, and Evan Eller QB SS,who has offers from Air Force and Army plus three others. They also have added Gage Bassham, OL, from Abingdon, 6'4 301, who will be enrolling at LB after this semester. He holds an offer from ODU, but could add offers with his size and a spring and summer in the weight room . He has visited Vance Vice, the VA Tech OL coach. Lord Botetourt did graduate OL Hanson, who participated in spring game for VA Tech. Lord Botetourt lost 42-39 to eventual state champion Heritage in playoffs.

 

[Shabutie]

Lord Botetourt has Colston Powers a up and coming junior at 6'5" 285, who has offers from UVA and EAST CAROLINA, along with rising junior Hunter Rice, an offer from UVA, and Evan Eller QB SS,who has offers from Air Force and Army plus three others. They also have added Gage Bassham, OL, from Abingdon, 6'4 301, who will be enrolling at LB after this semester. He holds an offer from ODU, but could add offers with his size and a spring and summer in the weight room . He has visited Vance Vice, the VA Tech OL coach. Lord Botetourt did graduate OL Hanson, who participated in spring game for VA Tech. Lord Botetourt lost 42-39 to eventual state champion Heritage in playoffs.

LB is absolutely loaded and they have a lot of consistent talent that will be cycling up from middle school. I'm pretty sure they also got Xavier Stephens from Northside, along with his brother.

 

[VolNation85]

I have a lot of respect for the LB program but it just seems like they always underachieve for a team that’s always so loaded with talent. For example, last season they had 5 FBS players on their team and got knocked out by a less talented Heritage team that had 1 FBS player. Name another 3A team with that many FBS scholarship players that didn’t at least make it to the championship game.

Is it coaching that’s holding them back or is their “talent” overrated?

 

[iskolinbckers]

It's coaching of course, play selection ,I was there and saw how they played heritage missed afew tackles and HC was off to the races, he's very talented makes u wonder if Rice was still at JF, going to be an interesting year . Why so many transfers headed that way ??

 

[freeatlast2013]

I have a lot of respect for the LB program but it just seems like they always underachieve for a team that’s always so loaded with talent. For example, last season they had 5 FBS players on their team and got knocked out by a less talented Heritage team that had 1 FBS player. Name another 3A team with that many FBS scholarship players that didn’t at least make it to the championship game.

Is it coaching that’s holding them back or is their “talent” overrated?

I look at it a different way. Vol. I believe the program has come a long way by developing players. They also play a hard nosed brand of football. Jesse Hanson was a senior last year. Eller was a Junior and Rice and Powers were sophomores and Bassham is just going to be joining team.I think they are becoming a consistent team by developing players through weight room and consistent success.

 

[Shabutie]

I have a lot of respect for the LB program but it just seems like they always underachieve for a team that’s always so loaded with talent. For example, last season they had 5 FBS players on their team and got knocked out by a less talented Heritage team that had 1 FBS player. Name another 3A team with that many FBS scholarship players that didn’t at least make it to the championship game.

Is it coaching that’s holding them back or is their “talent” overrated?

I wouldn't say they are "always" loaded with talent. The phrase would fit last year's team but that is the only one I would apply it to. As for Heritage, they might have only had one FBS player but they had a heck of a FCS player and he was playing a very important position to be able to have an impact on every play offensive play.

In my view, the biggest thing hurting LB was that their non-stars are not as good as some other teams and they don't have the best depth. While they have some huge strengths, they have also had greater weaknesses than most other top schools. They are also a team that can have some bad matchups outside from an athletic standpoint as they have not had an abundance of talent at the cornerback position, in particular.

I do think that some of their talent has been overrated but they also have some underrated players as far as recruiting goes. Evan Eller and Hunter Rice should both have WAY more offers than they do. Granted, I am sure more will come in the future.

 

[Shabutie]

It's coaching of course, play selection ,I was there and saw how they played heritage missed afew tackles and HC was off to the races, he's very talented makes u wonder if Rice was still at JF, going to be an interesting year . Why so many transfers headed that way ??

In regards to transfers, a couple of things:

1) Botetourt is a great place to live and is undergoing even more growth than they had been as some high quality employers are setting up shop there (Ballast Point Brewing, for example).

2) LB has been winning consistently lately and has established a very good culture.

3) They have had a lot of players getting D1 attention recently... probably more than any other school west of Richmond. Players and parents notice this and when combined with numbers 1 and 2, make this an attractive place to go.

 

[Shabutie]

I look at it a different way. Vol. I believe the program has come a long way by developing players. They also play a hard nosed brand of football. Jesse Hanson was a senior last year. Eller was a Junior and Rice and Powers were sophomores and Bassham is just going to be joining team.I think they are becoming a consistent team by developing players through weight room and consistent success.

To add to this, very good article on LB's weight lifting.

https://www.roanoke.com/sports/buil...cle_f4ea61a9-1451-5bc4-8085-8220f87dfa22.html