Assuming it is never too early to start talking football, here are my thoughts on this year's district race. I am putting this in the 2-A thread since the majority of our teams (5 out of 8) are 2-A teams.
I am sure it will not turn out to be this simple, but I can almost go right down the list and rank the teams two by two. Here is what I mean:
1 and 2: My thoughts are that this will come down to Riverheads and East Rock. The Gladiators will re-load like they always do and will have their usual stable-full of running backs, so I see them as being definite front-runners and surely a strong playoff candidate at the end of the season. However, Lee High and Waynesboro will be a pair of non-district toughies that could make the early season interesting. As for the Eagles, their season should be all about the senior campaign of Jaylen McNeir. I don't know enough about the rest of their team to know how much support he will get, but just his presence alone should make them a contender.
3 and 4: Buffalo Gap and Stuarts Draft: Last year, the Bison were sailing along doing great things until they got steamrolled at Appomattox. But considering where that particular train ended up, maybe it was not so bad after all. So the key to another Bison run may be in how much returning talent they have. I know they had a do-it-all senior running back (name escapes me) so losing him could be a big blow to their chances. As for the Draft, my perception of them last year was that they were a young team on the way up. If that was the case, I might have to give them the edge over the Bison, since the game between them will be played at the Cougar Den. SD also gets Riverheads at home in the season finale, so depending on how things work out, that could be a VERY meaningful game.
5 and 6: Luray and Wilson: If I recall, both had roughly break-even seasons last year but still made it into their respective playoffs. The game between them (at Wilson) from what I read in the papers saw the Hornets win the battle (statistically-speaking) but lose the war on the scoreboard. There is probably no major reason to expect that one or the other will surge that much higher in the standings.
7 and 8: Page and Stonewall: The struggles of these two programs are well-documented but each deserves credit for continuing to get enough commitment to field a team and try to stay competitive. If they stick with it, each will have its day in the sun one of these old days. Obviously one will have to beat the other, but a realistic goal will be to surprise someone else in the league and pull off an upset.
Thoughts?
I am sure it will not turn out to be this simple, but I can almost go right down the list and rank the teams two by two. Here is what I mean:
1 and 2: My thoughts are that this will come down to Riverheads and East Rock. The Gladiators will re-load like they always do and will have their usual stable-full of running backs, so I see them as being definite front-runners and surely a strong playoff candidate at the end of the season. However, Lee High and Waynesboro will be a pair of non-district toughies that could make the early season interesting. As for the Eagles, their season should be all about the senior campaign of Jaylen McNeir. I don't know enough about the rest of their team to know how much support he will get, but just his presence alone should make them a contender.
3 and 4: Buffalo Gap and Stuarts Draft: Last year, the Bison were sailing along doing great things until they got steamrolled at Appomattox. But considering where that particular train ended up, maybe it was not so bad after all. So the key to another Bison run may be in how much returning talent they have. I know they had a do-it-all senior running back (name escapes me) so losing him could be a big blow to their chances. As for the Draft, my perception of them last year was that they were a young team on the way up. If that was the case, I might have to give them the edge over the Bison, since the game between them will be played at the Cougar Den. SD also gets Riverheads at home in the season finale, so depending on how things work out, that could be a VERY meaningful game.
5 and 6: Luray and Wilson: If I recall, both had roughly break-even seasons last year but still made it into their respective playoffs. The game between them (at Wilson) from what I read in the papers saw the Hornets win the battle (statistically-speaking) but lose the war on the scoreboard. There is probably no major reason to expect that one or the other will surge that much higher in the standings.
7 and 8: Page and Stonewall: The struggles of these two programs are well-documented but each deserves credit for continuing to get enough commitment to field a team and try to stay competitive. If they stick with it, each will have its day in the sun one of these old days. Obviously one will have to beat the other, but a realistic goal will be to surprise someone else in the league and pull off an upset.
Thoughts?
