Possible change in 2A state championship location.

[singlewinger92]

I seen in the paper this morning that if appo and poquoson were to win that game would probably be moved to William and Marry and not in Salem. If union would win it would stay in Salem. Also chance that if SR wins over Heritage the 3A state game would be played Friday night in Salem, only if SR was the winner. Why go changing things at last min?

 

[OCBoy]

I seen in the paper this morning that if appo and poquoson were to win that game would probably be moved to William and Marry and not in Salem. If union would win it would stay in Salem. Also chance that if SR wins over Heritage the 3A state game would be played Friday night in Salem, only if SR was the winner. Why go changing things at last min?

Read on the 4A board. This was brought to everyone's attention in the minutes during the meetings before the season started. The sites are not set it says. Like last year the 3A game with Staunton River and Blacksburg could have been moved to Salem. Its all about the money.

 

[Keith_Stone33]

I am not trying to count chickens before they hatch or jinx anyone, but I'm just wondering since it states what would happen should Union win or should Appo/Poquoson win: Where might the game be played if Appo/RE Lee both win?

I'm hoping that SR wins their matchup in 3A and can set the precedent for having 3 games played at one site, so that for next cycle, they can consider only having 2 locations with each playing 3 games.

 

[Bo Bob]

This is ridiculous!
They need to have a location and stick with it.

 

[bulldog1150]

I agree that it's all about $$$$$, but why would fans of the involved teams oppose this if it benefits them from a travel perspective. Frankly, anything that keeps the kids from having to stay overnight in a hotel is a good thing. No 16/17 year old plays well after not sleeping in their own bed

 

[oldfool]

Appo would have travel 3 plus hours vs 1.5 hours to salem. Poq travels 4 plus hours to salem. How would a change from salem better benefit both teams.

 

[bulldog1150]

It may not in every case, but here are the times:

Its 1:37 to Salem and 2:26 for W&M from Appomattox per Google.

Its 3:55 to Salem and :40 for W&M from Poquoson per Google.

I realize that Appomattox might see this as showing favoritism to Poquoson, but from a business standpoint, its a no brainer in my opinion if I work for the VHSL. Again, they need the football games to pay for everything else.

I seriously doubt that any Appo fans would let that extra 49 minutes stand in the way of them seeing their team.

 

[High School Sportz2]

Of all the things VHSL has done this may make more sense really, but would be a logistical nightmare. Would be nice if you had a week in between the Semi's and Finals to get everything lined up but hey Appo only has (1) game on their schedule right now and that is in Big Stone Gap..

 

[eh31]

Appo would have travel 3 plus hours vs 1.5 hours to salem. Poq travels 4 plus hours to salem. How would a change from salem better benefit both teams.

If Puqouson and Appomattox both made it and they were definitely going to move it from Salem wouldn't it make more sense to play it at the university of Richmond? That's probably close to being midway for both isn't it? Maybe about 1:15 for Puqouson and 1:30ish for Appomattox?

 

[longtimerhsfan]

In theory, this idea has a little bit of sense to it, since you don't even know IF you are making it to a championship game until you win your semi, so therefore no team should ever have its heart set on playing for a state title in one specific location. But I think we will run into the same logistical issues we do with any kind of playoff.......how to make everybody happy.

If they just have three locations, such as W & M, Liberty, and Salem for example, and they have to fit all six games into one place or another, then surely it would work out that some of the teams would have shorter trips and others would not. So maybe they are wayyyyyy ahead of us and have multiple locations on standby once the teams are known.

I personally like Salem for Groups 1 and 2, and will be surprised if they ever move the 1 game out of there, because there is always going to be a SW Va team competing, since one of the two teams HAS to come from Region C or D. It is already far enough for a Galax or Burton or Clintwood to come to Salem, so imagine the uproar if they made them come to Richmond or someplace like they do for basketball.

Should be interesting to see how it all sorts itself out.

 

[charlie22650]

It may not in every case, but here are the times:

Its 1:37 to Salem and 2:26 for W&M from Appomattox per Google.

Its 3:55 to Salem and :40 for W&M from Poquoson per Google.

I realize that Appomattox might see this as showing favoritism to Poquoson, but from a business standpoint, its a no brainer in my opinion if I work for the VHSL. Again, they need the football games to pay for everything else.

I seriously doubt that any Appo fans would let that extra 49 minutes stand in the way of them seeing their team.

Seems to me that Lee is not getting much respect here,if they play like they did last week they are going somewhere and it is not home.

 

[OCBoy]

Regardless two teams will play at those destinations

 

[Bo Bob]

I guess in reality it makes no difference.
Win, then worry.
Don't win, don't worry.

 

[charlie22650]

I guess in reality it makes no difference.
Win, then worry.
Don't win, don't worry.

Believe me those kids would go anywhere to play for the state championship.

 

[islandersfan]

charlie22650, Poquoson is not taking R. E. Lee lightly, I can guarantee you that.

 

[VolNation85]

If Puqouson and Appomattox both made it and they were definitely going to move it from Salem wouldn't it make more sense to play it at the university of Richmond? That's probably close to being midway for both isn't it? Maybe about 1:15 for Puqouson and 1:30ish for Appomattox?

VHSL isn't concerned with being convienient for teams. It's about money. It makes sense to move it to W&M if it's Appo/Poquoson in the final. Maybe the VHSL believes that Appomattox fans would travel well regardless and that Poquoson fans would be less likely to travel to Salem. All about maximizing profit.

 

[Stabler1980]

Really !!!!! We don't care if we play in a cow pasture, bring it on ! Go raiders

 

[charlie22650]

charlie22650, Poquoson is not taking R. E. Lee lightly, I can guarantee you that.

I hope it is a good game,those kids have a long trip,be careful and be safe.

 

[gtownfencecrew]

Seems to me that Lee is not getting much respect here,if they play like they did last week they are going somewhere and it is not home.

Its not that Lee is being disrespected. Its just one of the scenarios. If Poquoson wins, and Appo wins, its moving to W&M. If Poquoson loses, then it stays at Salem, and a drive down 81 for Lee.

 

[OCBoy]

Just curious as to what 4A 3A game 2A would bump to play at WM? 2 games are still required to be played at those venues to my understanding.
Salem vs Louisa or Lafayette that puts Salem at home not happening
Sherando vs Louisa Could be at Salem
Sherando vs Lafayette would cause an uproar by Lafayette with WM being in their backyard

Heritage vs Hopewell would have hopewell in an uproar
Heritage vs JM could be at Salem
SR vs Hopewell would have Hopewell in an uproar
SR vs JM could be at Salem

And to think 6A here for a second:
Say Colonial Forge beats Oscar Smith, are you going to make CF travel all the way to Hampton to play Westfield or Woodbridge who are all in a 20mile radius of each other?

Just many things to take into consideration by the VHSL

 

[BigWinners]

In theory, this idea has a little bit of sense to it, since you don't even know IF you are making it to a championship game until you win your semi, so therefore no team should ever have its heart set on playing for a state title in one specific location. But I think we will run into the same logistical issues we do with any kind of playoff.......how to make everybody happy.

If they just have three locations, such as W & M, Liberty, and Salem for example, and they have to fit all six games into one place or another, then surely it would work out that some of the teams would have shorter trips and others would not. So maybe they are wayyyyyy ahead of us and have multiple locations on standby once the teams are known.

I personally like Salem for Groups 1 and 2, and will be surprised if they ever move the 1 game out of there, because there is always going to be a SW Va team competing, since one of the two teams HAS to come from Region C or D. It is already far enough for a Galax or Burton or Clintwood to come to Salem, so imagine the uproar if they made them come to Richmond or someplace like they do for basketball.

Should be interesting to see how it all sorts itself out.

Ahhh us folk in SWVA are used to the VHSL not caring about us, its like the state ends near Roanoke to the VH$L

 

[60 minute man]

I seen in the paper this morning that if appo and poquoson were to win that game would probably be moved to William and Marry and not in Salem. If union would win it would stay in Salem. Also chance that if SR wins over Heritage the 3A state game would be played Friday night in Salem, only if SR was the winner. Why go changing things at last min?

Why now? Why this year? It's never played with the system before. Since they moved the A and AA games to Salem, I've never even heard any talk of switching locations.

 

[VolNation85]

Just curious as to what 4A 3A game 2A would bump to play at WM? 2 games are still required to be played at those venues to my understanding.
Salem vs Louisa or Lafayette that puts Salem at home not happening
Sherando vs Louisa Could be at Salem
Sherando vs Lafayette would cause an uproar by Lafayette with WM being in their backyard

Heritage vs Hopewell would have hopewell in an uproar
Heritage vs JM could be at Salem
SR vs Hopewell would have Hopewell in an uproar
SR vs JM could be at Salem

And to think 6A here for a second:
Say Colonial Forge beats Oscar Smith, are you going to make CF travel all the way to Hampton to play Westfield or Woodbridge who are all in a 20mile radius of each other?

Just many things to take into consideration by the VHSL

The article said that there would be 3 games played at Salem if Staunton River wins. 1A, 2A, and 3A with 3A being played Friday night. If Heritage wins then most likely 3A would remain at W&M with the addition of 2A if Appo and Poquoson win. 4A will remain at W&M regardless. 5A and 6A would remain at Hampton.

 

[catchtds]

VHSL opened up a can of worms! People are going to complain either way but should have just left it as it is.

 

[VolNation85]

I like the idea of not having specific classifications locked in to a specific venue. For the fan of one of the championship teams It can be a hassle trying to plan a trip on relatively short notice but it's great for the overall brand of the VHSL. Virginia is a large state geographically with quality, contrasting styles of play throughout the state. This year's format gives fans the opportunity to see teams and styles of football that they usually don't see.

 

[DivePitchKeep]

The thing that makes the most sense-to me anyway-is to have locations set with 2 games in each location. No one location locked into any classification. At the completion of the semifinals, VHSL should announce where each final will be played. This can be based on travel to somewhat accomodate all teams involved, their fans, and of course-the almighty dollar.
Sure, there will be complaining in some instances but there always will be. Being on the east coast of Virginia, fans of the few 1a schools who are lucky enough to play in a final ALWAYS have to travel 4 plus hours for a 12pm kickoff. Granted, its a state final and kids, parents, and fans are willing to go wherever for that opportunity.
If Class finals are not tied to any location-assignments can be made AFTER semi finals end and more intelligent, and "fair" decisions can be made to best accomodate all parties involved.

 

[VolNation85]

This is just speculation but I think the reason for having venues reserved without assigning games is because of the facilities themselves. Meaning, VHSL can't wait until a week before to reserve a facility. They certainly can't afford to reserve every major football stadium in the state, "just in case."

 

[DivePitchKeep]

Completely get it......reserve the venues for 2 games each. Then assign which games are played at which venue following completion of semifinals. ( Or at least....that's what I was trying to say....)

 

[VolNation85]

Completely get it......reserve the venues for 2 games each. Then assign which games are played at which venue following completion of semifinals. ( Or at least....that's what I was trying to say....)

That's exactly what they are doing.

 

[longtimerhsfan]

As long as they have at least one game in each location, I guess that is all we can hope for. Obviously the fans of any given team can and will go wherever their team is sent and if they are sent to a better location than they were expecting, then how could they complain? So I really don't see an issue unless one team gets what amounts to a "home game" and someone else has to travel 3-4 hours to play them there.

The only people that I can see possibly being disappointed are the local, but neutral fans in those areas who come to the games every year just for the entertainment. For example, last year in Salem I talked to a group of guys from Parry McCluer, who said they attended the 1 and 2 games there every year. So people like that would come out on the losing end if all their games were taken away from them.

Our local paper (Staunton) has been saying all along and is still saying that if Riverheads and Lee both win Saturday, they WILL be in Salem, no matter who the opposition might be. Time will tell.

 

[Gunz41]

As long as they have at least one game in each location, I guess that is all we can hope for. Obviously the fans of any given team can and will go wherever their team is sent and if they are sent to a better location than they were expecting, then how could they complain? So I really don't see an issue unless one team gets what amounts to a "home game" and someone else has to travel 3-4 hours to play them there.

The only people that I can see possibly being disappointed are the local, but neutral fans in those areas who come to the games every year just for the entertainment. For example, last year in Salem I talked to a group of guys from Parry McCluer, who said they attended the 1 and 2 games there every year. So people like that would come out on the losing end if all their games were taken away from them.

Our local paper (Staunton) has been saying all along and is still saying that if Riverheads and Lee both win Saturday, they WILL be in Salem, no matter who the opposition might be. Time will tell.

Even if they are right, it's hard to trust anything coming from the paper. The 3 articles about Riverheads player was overboard, posting wrong information on SD and the playoffs where I had to tell people they were wrong, and not knowing the history of the school in their own city. Credibility has suffered this season

 

[gtownfencecrew]

As long as they have at least one game in each location, I guess that is all we can hope for. Obviously the fans of any given team can and will go wherever their team is sent and if they are sent to a better location than they were expecting, then how could they complain? So I really don't see an issue unless one team gets what amounts to a "home game" and someone else has to travel 3-4 hours to play them there.

The only people that I can see possibly being disappointed are the local, but neutral fans in those areas who come to the games every year just for the entertainment. For example, last year in Salem I talked to a group of guys from Parry McCluer, who said they attended the 1 and 2 games there every year. So people like that would come out on the losing end if all their games were taken away from them.

Our local paper (Staunton) has been saying all along and is still saying that if Riverheads and Lee both win Saturday, they WILL be in Salem, no matter who the opposition might be. Time will tell.

1A will be in Salem regardless of winners tomorrow. If Lee beats Poquoson, then yes, the final in 2A will be in Salem regardless of who wins betweenn Appo and Union.

 

[charlie22650]

Even if they are right, it's hard to trust anything coming from the paper. The 3 articles about Riverheads player was overboard, posting wrong information on SD and the playoffs where I had to tell people they were wrong, and not knowing the history of the school in their own city. Credibility has suffered this season

Bad as the New York Times.

 

[OCBoy]

This is just speculation but I think the reason for having venues reserved without assigning games is because of the facilities themselves. Meaning, VHSL can't wait until a week before to reserve a facility. They certainly can't afford to reserve every major football stadium in the state, "just in case."

My understanding is there will be two games at each location regardless. Now which 4 teams are there is up in the air. maybe @DEVILSLB99 can verify this.

 

[Hoofprint]

Roanoke Times says SR in 3A could play Friday night. And have only one game in Williamsburg.

 

[Hampton Roads 6]

Just move all games back to Lynchburg. Where they belong.

 

[Hampton Roads 6]

I seen in the paper this morning that if appo and poquoson were to win that game would probably be moved to William and Marry and not in Salem. If union would win it would stay in Salem. Also chance that if SR wins over Heritage the 3A state game would be played Friday night in Salem, only if SR was the winner. Why go changing things at last min?

If game is moved to W&M it will give Poqoson a home game in reality.

 

[charlie22650]

If game is moved to W&M it will give Poqoson a home game in reality.

Got to get there first.

 

[Hampton Roads 6]

That's why I said "if"

 

[Gunz41]

Just move all games back to Lynchburg. Where they belong.

All games were never at Liberty, and would be a logistical nightmare. But Liberty is a great place to watch at