Overseeded?

[pizzzzza]

I know it's always easy to say a particular team is overseeded/overrated etc....the day after they get upset.

I remember when the pairings came out - and I know it's all a numbers game as far as seedings.
But it's also a matchup game - that's what had me concerned about Northside and Western Albemarle.

Of all the #1 and #2 seeds in all 6 divisions, these were the two that worried me the most, as far as advancing.

When I saw the draws, a few things immediately jumped out at me:

2A West was LOADED - especially the Top 6
4A West was LOADED - especially the Top 5

3A West was WIDE OPEN

I'm not an expert on high school football, but I do follow it very closely back home in Virginia.

To me, the top 2 seeds in 3A (Western, Northside) were good teams, but were definitely beatable - based on their regular season results.

I felt that Magna Vista and Lord Botetourt were better teams overall, and expected them to advance to at least the 3rd round, which they did.

So I was not all that stunned when I saw #1 Western and #2 Northside go down last night.
Staunton River was a BAD matchup for Western - and it showed in the results.
And Abingdon had the type of game that I knew would give Northside fits - and it did.

It just goes to show that you still have to play the game on the field, regardless of seedings.

 

[obguthr]

Abingdon is always a team that's hard to pinpoint. They are so far removed from any other school in their classification, they play mostly a 2A schedule. They can go undefeated and it means nothing. Their schedule prevents them from ever getting a top seed, so the question every year is "just how good are they?". This year they're proving they're pretty darn good.

 

[EHC87]

Obguthr, you are correct on Abingdon's schedule.....AHS is in a no win situation as far as that is concerned and it isn't going to change anytime soon. The Falcons did try to beef up their schedule this year by adding 2 conference 32 opponents which were Blacksburg and Christiansburg. Unfortunately CHS didn't have a good year but Blacksburg was decent. We have 4 required district games and 2 conference 32 games on our schedule. I was told that 2 of our opponents (that I would love to have off the schedule) aren't going away anytime soon because of the gate for those games. That leaves 2 games as options. Gate City and Graham, both are 2A, are traditionally strong programs. Both teams had down years BUT played an excellent schedule, even if it was 2A competition. Tennessee schools have a different contract year for scheduling AND they change classifications so often that it makes scheduling them difficult, but not entirely impossible. Side note here.....It is 90 miles to our nearest 3A school and 120+ miles for most of our conference opponents.

Running the table isn't likely enough in most years to give any 3A team with our geographic challenges a chance to be a top 4 seed.......that is reality and no use in concerning yourself with something that cannot be changed.

If AHS plays well in all 3 phases, they definitely have a legitimate opportunity to win Friday night but that could be said of all the teams still playing.

Hope that all teams out there play to their ability and hope that injuries are avoided. Safe travels to all following their teams this weekend and in upcoming weekends.

Go Falcons!