This year the 'Doah will be more compact which should be a blessing in terms of driving on those cold winter nights. On paper the entire race could be a toss-up due to some stronger teams leaving and some weaker teams likely improving. But here is my general view, more or less in order of what "could" be their predicted finish...............
Staunton: If they win the district, it will be as much about tradition as anything. There is still "just enough" of the Hatcher pride left over and this will probably always be a basketball school regardless of any and all name changes. The one thing that will keep them from just being completely dominant will be the lack of a true big man, unless a new one comes along. But I recall a strong JV team last year, so all of that adds up to them being the favorite if there has to be one at this early stage.
Riverheads: The Big Red made it to the state quarter-finals last year where they almost beat eventual state champ Surry in its own back yard. The Gladiators will return four starters from that team, a hot-shooting sixth-man who was the leading scorer in that game, plus a big man with another year of eligibility due to his transfer status. All that adds up to what could be (on paper at least) the best Riverheads team in years.
Stuarts Draft: Although I don't have the stats here at my fingertips, it seems from memory that the Cougars and their uptempo offense have challenged for the title every year but never quite made it to the top. Assuming they will stick with their game plan, they will be a nightmare to guard night in and night out, and probably come out on top more often than not.
Wilson: I have to honestly say that I am sticking the Hornets in this slot because they are the one team among the six that I remember the least about. So they could easily finish higher or lower. They will likely be competitive in every game and will not be a pushover for anyone.
Buffalo Gap: If any Bison fans are reading this, they may be outraged because they know what I know.......that they improved tremendously last year and that they were very young then, which will make them older and wiser this year. But the overall district will be evenly-matched, as I mentioned at the top. So a higher finish for the Bison is well within the range of possibilities, but I still don't see them being strong enough to topple any of the first three.
Fort Defiance: The Indians struggled last year so this position is mainly based on them still lacking the confidence to climb any higher on the ladder. If I am not mistaken, their JV team was a little weak also, which could keep them from improving. I also recall a real downturn in their fan support, so they might want to work on that. I can remember a time back in the good old days when Fort fans could out-yell any team in any gym, no matter how far they had traveled.
So what say you fellow hoops experts........am I anywhere close?
Staunton: If they win the district, it will be as much about tradition as anything. There is still "just enough" of the Hatcher pride left over and this will probably always be a basketball school regardless of any and all name changes. The one thing that will keep them from just being completely dominant will be the lack of a true big man, unless a new one comes along. But I recall a strong JV team last year, so all of that adds up to them being the favorite if there has to be one at this early stage.
Riverheads: The Big Red made it to the state quarter-finals last year where they almost beat eventual state champ Surry in its own back yard. The Gladiators will return four starters from that team, a hot-shooting sixth-man who was the leading scorer in that game, plus a big man with another year of eligibility due to his transfer status. All that adds up to what could be (on paper at least) the best Riverheads team in years.
Stuarts Draft: Although I don't have the stats here at my fingertips, it seems from memory that the Cougars and their uptempo offense have challenged for the title every year but never quite made it to the top. Assuming they will stick with their game plan, they will be a nightmare to guard night in and night out, and probably come out on top more often than not.
Wilson: I have to honestly say that I am sticking the Hornets in this slot because they are the one team among the six that I remember the least about. So they could easily finish higher or lower. They will likely be competitive in every game and will not be a pushover for anyone.
Buffalo Gap: If any Bison fans are reading this, they may be outraged because they know what I know.......that they improved tremendously last year and that they were very young then, which will make them older and wiser this year. But the overall district will be evenly-matched, as I mentioned at the top. So a higher finish for the Bison is well within the range of possibilities, but I still don't see them being strong enough to topple any of the first three.
Fort Defiance: The Indians struggled last year so this position is mainly based on them still lacking the confidence to climb any higher on the ladder. If I am not mistaken, their JV team was a little weak also, which could keep them from improving. I also recall a real downturn in their fan support, so they might want to work on that. I can remember a time back in the good old days when Fort fans could out-yell any team in any gym, no matter how far they had traveled.
So what say you fellow hoops experts........am I anywhere close?
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