Salem/Magna Vista Benefit Game
- Thread starter Shabutie
- Start date
Playing Magna Vista is little better than playing Carroll County. That’s how far the Warriors have fallen. Hopefully they get back to being the MV of old. The MV that beat Salem two years straight.. Andrew Lewis would’ve beaten their varsity team.
Personally, I would like to see Salem have a benefit game with Heritage or LCA. Everyone would like to see Botetourt, but I don't think that will happen.
Their offense looks like backyard football, plays drawn in the dirt. Looked like they had some talent but poorly used.
By the way those two Salem teams that Magna Vista beat back to back were 7-4 and 8-4. For Salem those were down years.
Salem wasn’t down those years, competition was much much stronger. If Salem was down, they wouldn’t have competed with Christiansburg the way they did in both years. Played Christiansburg way closer than MV did.
lol Salem was without question down those years. Cave Spring has two wins over Salem in the last thirty years, they both came when Salem posted a four loss season. Franklin County has one win over Salem in the last thirty years and again, four loss Salem team. Salem is 403-82 since Willis White took over in 1983, 39 seasons ago. That means they average a 10-2 record which means when you see a 7-4 or 8-4 team (just like a few years ago in 2018) that is considered a down year for Salem.
You don't go 10-2 for forty years just because everyone else so happens to be bad during the same seasons when you're good, you go 10-2 for forty years because you're very often better than other teams even when they're good.
Just curious from an outsiders standpoint but why do Salem and LB not play in a benefit or regular season game? Which side is against playing the other? Thanks
Go find a woman. Man you cry all the time. Whether they were “down” or not, MV beat them.
And you’re mad and debating something that happened 10 and 11 years ago. What I said still stands. That wasn’t even MV’s best teams if we’re going there. Fact is, MV’s program isn’t a crumb of what they once were.
Harless doesn't want to play Salem, that's all there is to it. IIRC Salem even offered to play LB during the COVID season on an "anytime, anywhere" basis and they said no.
It made sense at one point in time as to why LB wanted to get a virtually guaranteed L off their schedule (1-25 lifetime against Salem) but he should have enough confidence in his program by now to step up and do some home-and-homes again.
I figured LB was ones not wanting to play.. Salem plays anybody and should as good as they are year in and year out...Martinsburg, Dinwiddie etc.
Youre right, their is no debate. Simple facts. Salem has averaged 10 wins a year over 40 years. Therefore, 7-4 and 8-4 seasons are significantly below just an average Salem team and obviously way below the 13 and 14 win teams. We can agree that MV's program has deteriorated.
The reason behind LB not playing Salem has an interesting story to it. Coach Harless told me this directly. When he found out he got the LB job, he talked to Willis White (Salem Coach from 84-03) Coach White told Coach Harless that LB should not play Salem, because when the kids got to play at Salem Stadium they and their parents would likely want to leave LB and go to play for Salem.
This happened about 10 years ago when LB had 1 win in 26 tries against Salem. Now LB has had really good teams and played in championship games. As a fan I'd like to see it, even if it was just a benefit game.
if I'm not mistaken MV beat a Salem team that wasn't abysmal they just had Cburg in the district who dominated the area during that time. The Cave Spring team if I'm not mistaken was loaded during that time as well with the QB who played at Liberty and went on to the NFL, a safety who was on scholly at VT and played, and a RB in Sam Wright who was a man amongst boys when it came to game time. Salem fans love to holler that oh we were down or weren't Salem of old but in reality the parity in the area had the talent pendulum swing elsewhere. Salem was still winning games and contending but there was a bigger contender around. So when you say they were just average or below thats a conditioned statement. If they would've played in a different year they could've been equal to the teams that won more games against different competition and vice versa for those teams who won more than below avg teams, they could've lost to the same teams that those below avg teams did. As the titles show talent comes in cycles in Salem (98-00) three peat (05-06) back to back (15-17) three peat and that accounted for 80% of the state championships in school history -- the talent cycle/pool was favorable for those years compared to the ones where they didn't quite make it and others had favorable talent pool filling up their roster.
All facts bro! Sometimes you just gotta let people have it cause it’s no reasoning.
yeah it is a lot of the same sentiments rehashed year after year but it doesn't quite resonate anymore, yes you've perennially been good congratulations for having a strong program but don't make quips or excuses for when you dont win it all or slight those kids who were on that team or an opposing one
statistics can be manipulated to show whatever you want them to show -- so they don't lie but they may not tell the entire truth also
Regardless what anyone thinks, a 4 loss season is not a typical Salem season, stats or no stats. It is what it is. An argument can be made for both sides, maybe the talent pool was down at Salem, and greater everywhere else, or maybe it was down at Salem and it evened the playing field?? Neither side of this argument can be won!! But if you must, have at it!!
Salem in 2010 started 5-0, then Seth Fisher tore his ACL & they went 2-4 after that.
Salem in 2011 lost 4 games by a total of 14 points, to teams with a combined record of 42-7.
I would say 2010 was definitely a down year,
I would say 2011 wasn't a down year, just really good competition.
L to FC on a blocked XP by a future NFL player.
L in OT to a NS team that won 2 championships in a 5 year period.
L to CB, who was runner-up.
L to MV in OT because Harvey Taylor refused to lose.
completely new offensive scheme, may take a couple of try’s to achieve success, But believe it or not we’ve got Smart boards and no longer use dirt. We’re not as bad as you say and y’all are not as good as you think, so I’ll call it a draw.
I really don’t think Salem being down had anything to do with MV beating Salem. In 2009, Salem was 10-0 and MV lost 14-7 in the first round to Salem. If I recall correctly, Salem scored late to win. In 2010, I was at the CS game when Fisher tore his ACL. Salem was still really good with Marty Bishop but definitely wasn’t a typical Salem year. Salem actually came and slapped MV in the mouth until MV unleashed some long balls and Salem had no answer. In 2011, football in the area was really good. CS, Salem, Christiansburg, FC, MV and Northside were all very good. Probably the deepest year we’ve had in our area in recent memory. Salem actually had MV beat in 2011. MV scored in OT and went for 2. Christiansburg beat the snot out of them next round.
I was writing a reply to you when I got a txt and when I came back I lost my work. Seth Fisher was the heart and drive of the team, leader of both sides of the ball. Competition was at an all time high 09-11 in particular. So I would say 2010 was a disappointment, 2011 a lot of teams had both barrels on blast!
MV is a huge head scratcher in all sports. They have a HUGE area to draw from, their school demographics mirror what the powerhouse schools have, and they have very good coaches. They have the athletes in that area to run Class 3. People forget that the Warriors were amongst the worst teams in 04 and 08, but quickly turned it around.. Feels like they’ve been stuck in blahhh since they won that last state championship.
I was at both of those games. Salem jumped out to a 21-0 first quarter lead in one game. Usually that's a curtain call. MV had a tall fast WR that caught everything the rest of the game and MV ended up winning. Great comeback.
Christiansburg was good that yr but I thought the game should have been closer.
Not jealous, I admire what’s being done consistently but to diminish another teams accomplishment because you were 7-3 during regular season is a head scratcher. A majority of those teams who defeated Salem went on deep playoff runs. Which goes back to crediting where credit is due.
christiansburg was a problem for Salem for about 3/4 years (motley and rb went to tech) they were a special group but ran into the nova buzzsaw with briar woods .
I’m not slighting those salem teams because they still made the playoffs During those down years . They just weren’t the best in the area as the fans have grown accustomed to.
Deshaun Penn. Grew up with him. Those MV teams were good and tough. Their basketball team’s starting 5 included a 6’1 PG, 6’4 SG that signed with Hofstra, 6’6 SF (Concord), 6’3 PF (linebacker on those teams that beat Salem and had a great career at Charleston) and a 6’8 center. All that and couldn’t beat Christiansburg who lost in the state championship in football and won the basketball title with that same football team. Christiansburg was generational those 3/4 years.
Yepppp! Thanks for bringing back that memory. If I'm not mistaking, no other team from Southside Virginia has ever beaten Salem before in football but Magna Vista those two years. I could be wrong? Maybe Martinsville did when they had Shawn Moore at QB but that was before my time.
I was thinking no Southside team had beaten Salem also, (other than MV) but according to fourseasonsfootball.com, Halifax Co did in 1978 & Bassett did in 1981 & 1982.
Bassett's coach in 81 was John Favero, the father of Magna Vista head coach now Joe Favero.
Salem has only lost to MV. 4-0 vs Martinsville and 5-0 vs GW I think.
Christiansburg ran into a great Briar Woods team that barely beat them. That BR team was loaded
Let's just say the team further south on 81 has tried to play them every year. It would be a good game, gate and short bus ride. I don't see it happening in the near future.
