Originally posted by SpartanOfYore:
BTW, people - all of those teams play those schedules for the same reason Salem plays the schools it does. The reason being - they schedule the closest schools available! In the same district. Schools that have history and geography in common. So, at least try to dial back on the Salem hatred for five minutes, and quit holding Salem up to some ridiculous standard to which no other school in the state is being held, when it comes to scheduling.
Either that, or start sending in those sizable checks so Salem can afford to travel four hours one-way every week. Because, despite what the "experts" who have been to Salem once in their lives are claiming - the school system cannot afford such a travel-heavy football schedule. The city cannot afford it. Salem Stadium has needed renovating for at least five years, and the city can't afford that. I've lived in Salem every single day of my fifty-some years. So please - you people that may have been here for a game once or twice: stop telling me what Salem can afford to do.
A couple of things about some items in your above post. Within the last 2 cycles Phoebus has played Dematha in 2013..Norview has played Roosevelt from MD, and some other teams from outside the area, Booker T. Washington played Broad Run and other teams from outside the area, Churchland played Phoebus, Hampton, GW Danville, and other schools in the past, Woodrow Wilson has played Northeastern who by the way lost in the state finals this year, Granby has played Woodbridge when they had DaShawn Hand, Norcom has played Northeastern, Lakeland plays in an ultra competitive district that has them stuck with 9 district games including Oscar Smith, Dinwiddie plays in the tough Central District, and Kings Fork see Lakeland. Now I say all this to say teams in the Southeastern District (Indian River, Kings Fork, Oscar Smith, Western Branch, Lakeland, Nansemond River, Hickory, Great Bridge, Deep Creek, and Grassfield) is 10 teams which means you have 9 games because they are locked up in district so they have to go out and find the best game possible in out of district competition. Beach District (Tallwood, Landstown, Salem, Ocean Lakes, First Colonial, Bayside, Cox, Kempsville, Princess Anne, Green Run, and Kellam) which is 11 teams deep and so they don't have an out of district game. Peninsula District (Phoebus, Hampton, Warwick, Gloucester, Heritage, Kecoughtan, Bethel, Denbigh, Menchville, and Woodside) which gives them 10 teams and 9 district games. The only district that has multiple openings for out of district games is Lake Taylor's district which is the Eastern with (Booker T, Granby, Norcom, Maury, Churchland, Norview, LT, and Wilson) now with 8 teams that leaves teams with 3 out of district spots so in the PD and SED there are 20 OOD games to be had and the Eastern District has 24 games needed. In saying all this you talk about the districts, but show me one district what is full of cupcakes? Sure the Eastern District has the history of being not that great and honestly that is due to lack of members, but 5 out of 7 made the playoffs and 3 won. Salem plays against the River Ridge District correct? (Blacksburg, Carroll Co., Cave Spring, Christiansburg, Hidden Valley, PH-Roanoke, Pulaski) So they played OOD against Franklin Co, William Byrd, and Northside which Northside is solid. You can't help who you play when its against old district foes, but the other 3 games can be controlled. There are other solid teams in the area that could be played s
You talk about how Salem Stadium needs renovations and how the city is broke do you think this is a Salem only problem? The city of Norfolk is broke yet we got on a charter to Amherst and Bird during the regular season and stayed overnight in Charlottesville for state finals because we fund raised as coaches like crazy. We have NO booster club. Guess what the city told our football team a long time ago to figure out how to pay for rings and jackets IF we won it all as they wouldn't contribute one dime. Salem can find a way to gas up a bus for a trip out of their comfort zone ONE time every TWO years. It's not as finically crippling as some are trying to make it seem.
