Radford 20 Gretna 7 FINAL

[Marshall-Dillon]

FIFY. Seriously, though I like Thornhill's vision and instincts more. Hall was the fastest, most electric player I have ever seen in high school. Both were a joy to watch.

Ronald Curry and Allen Iverson were the best HS players I saw on the gridiron.

 

[BigWinners]

Ronald Curry and Allen Iverson were the best HS players I saw on the gridiron.

Did you get to watch Thomas Jones?

 

[MT FAN 91]

Steven Peoples wasn't bad either, best player on the field in almost every game he played in high school.

 

[Marshall-Dillon]

Did you get to watch Thomas Jones?

Yes. Both he and Julius to be exact. No doubt they were awesome. But as HS players, Curry and Iverson did things I'd never seen before or since. As QBs, they got to freelance a bit more than RBs. Obviously, the Jones had better post HS careers (in football) but in HS only...

 

[colonel 72]

I agree 100% on the jobs and how it affected schools. Look at Martinsville HS- used to dominate Football and Basketball but lost all of the furniture and textile plants not to mention tobacco. I will argue one point however; if the right bloodlines stay around numbers sometimes don't matter. Case in point is WC. They won the state with a total of maybe 300 hundred students total in HS. They just have some freakish genetics. Haley's, Peerman's and other families are just freakish athletes.

Martinsville is a perfect example also and I agree about bloodlines. But in football numbers do help a lot.

 

[Union_Fan]

One thought on Gretna toughning their schedule. Gretna and for that matter Altavista are not the same teams they were in the 2003 and 4 eras. Both schools along with William Campbell have shrunk in size due to factory closings in the Altavista/Hurt areas. Gretna played tougher competition then because we were a big 2A school and now we have shrank till we are very close to joining Altavista and WC in single A. These three schools may never see the depth of talent that they enjoyed in that time with Altavista being the most recent. Drive thru Hurt sometime and notice that tall brick smokestack that used to mean maybe 1500 jobs and cross the river and checkout Lane Company that probably employed 2000 in its heyday. Several other closings and downsizings with support companies also feeling the pinch. It is sad. Western Virginia teams know a little about this scenario.

We sure do.

Union(Appalachia/Powell Valley combined) has a smaller enrollment than just PV had in the late '90s.

If I remember correctly, Lee High had close to 1500 kids when it first opened and was 4A. Will have less than 700 the next cycle.

Grundy was once 3A equivalent. Now 1A.

Richlands competed in 4A. Now less than 700.

Graham,Tazewell, Marion, Va High, Gate City and John Battle were all 3A equivalent at one point. Graham and Tazewell will barely be above 500 kids the next cycle.

Ridgeview(all of Dickenson Co) was built for over 700 kids. Already down to 570 for the next cycle.

Wise Co Schools had student enrollment of over 10,000 in the late 70s and early 80s during the coal boom. Enrollment is around 5,500 now.

And numbers continue to dwindle.

 

[colonel 72]

We sure do.

Union(Appalachia/Powell Valley combined) has a smaller enrollment than just PV had in the late '90s.

If I remember correctly, Lee High had close to 1500 kids when it first opened and was 4A. Will have less than 700 the next cycle.

Grundy was once 3A equivalent. Now 1A.

Richlands competed in 4A. Now less than 700.

Graham,Tazewell, Marion, Va High, Gate City and John Battle were all 3A equivalent at one point. Graham and Tazewell will barely be above 500 kids the next cycle.

Ridgeview(all of Dickenson Co) was built for over 700 kids. Already down to 570 for the next cycle.

Wise Co Schools had student enrollment of over 10,000 in the late 70s and early 80s during the coal boom. Enrollment is around 5,500 now.

And numbers continue to dwindle.

God almighty I didn't realize just how much your region has shrank. I did realize that a lot of the storied teams had combined but man!! Coal industry out there is probably the biggest reason but also textiles and furniture like in my region. All of us still wear clothes and we buy furniture. But read the labels as to where it comes from. Coal has a bad rep but how about that clean and harmless nuclear and oil has no downsides right ??? Being sarcastic. I feel for your region because it has been the backbone of football for years in my opinion.