Some of the big games in SW Virginia next year to look forward to

[southbottomU]

Feel free to add your own--just did a few off the top of my head:
Magna Vista vs. G.W.Danville----Magna Vista looks for revenge on the team that gave them their only defeat in 2014
Salem vs. Amherst----old rivalry renewed---should be early in the year and will be a good test to see if Salem is still good and how much Amherst has improved.
Giles vs. Glenvar---2014 2a State Champs play the team that everyone thought would be the 2014 State Champs
Salem vs. Northside----Northside program wants to be the big dog in the Roanoke Valley---game will be at Northside and the last time it was played there Northside won.
Salem vs. Patrick Henry----5a Patrick Henry usually has some good speed but will be going to Salem Stadium.
Salem vs. Pulaski---Pulaski should be a playoff team and that game is always game 10 on the schedule and if both teams have done well could be a traditional good game and good crowd.
Blacksburg vs. Christiansburg-----traditional rivalry but a new coaching era for the Bruins.
Jefferson Forest vs. Heritage-----scored over a 100 points total last year---can they score even more?


Some possible playoff games that could be really interesting:
Magna Vista vs. Phoebus---could be in state semis or state finals but could be something special
Northside vs. Magna Vista----the last two years the team that won this game in 3a won the state championship
Salem vs. Jefferson Forest----Jefferson Forest wishbone vs. Salem traditional I---throw back game
Salem vs. G.W. Danville-----could be in Danville next year---GW will be looking for the Big Pay Back


This post was edited on 12/29 5:00 PM by southbottomU

This post was edited on 12/29 5:06 PM by southbottomU

 

[pcken]

I certainly think Pulaski Co vs Salem could get back some of the old luster from the old days this coming year. I think PC is on the right track getting it's program back to the old ways. Coach James did a good job this past year and better days are ahead.

 

[Flame48]

U must b kidding PC played a weak schedule and still only won a hand full of games. they have no Athletes and it will B a good while B 4 they R a factor again. Wishful thinking

 

[hamspear]

Salem 35 Pulaski 7 just another way of pumping up the Salem schedule. Not even close.

 

[southbottomU]

In our Conference---what do you expect---got to play those teams--If Salem did not have to play conference teams they would never play Carroll County--don't have a choice---Pulaski will be better and Salem will not be quite as good. At one time maybe the biggest rivalry game in the state.

 

[DEVILSLB99]

You don't HAVE to play conference games in football as the conference means nothing. IF that's the case then that's some bologna that some AD's conjured up for whatever reason. However maybe you misspoke because if you had to play your conference you would have played GW and Jefferson Forest correct? I think you meant districts. Even districts mean nothing and most districts are still playing their district schedule because it makes scheduling easier, but I have seen recently where teams are taking advantage of the whole more than 2 classification thing and even dropping old district teams.

 

[pcken]

You got it big guy. keep up the confidence. Another Jones man.

 

[southbottomU]

Have no idea who that guy supports or what in the world he is thinking. Game should be closer next year.

 

[ConsumingFire]

What happened to the Roanoke area lately in football? I remember the River Ridge being a ridiculously tough conference every year. Even in the lynchburg area it seems like Amherst and Brookville have fallen off in a big way.

 

[southbottomU]

Glenvar state champs. Magna vista state champs Salem state runner up. Jf 12 1. Things aren't as bad as you might think.

 

[Flame48]

Now u have resorted to closeness hell when u get beat by 30 plus I guess closer is a starting point That should B A good game

 

[cutnjump]

Area hasn't been relevant at the highest levels for 20 years or more. With the recent R&R it is relevant at 3A and below and might squeak in with Salem and/or Fleming in 4A eventually.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

So, only state champions are "relevant"? I would be tempted to label a team that dominated its region, had a 14-1 record, was state runner-up on the field, and finished ranked second in state 4A by VaPreps, Maxprep, VHSL-Reference and GilliamRatings "relevant", but I'm probably being too inclusive. The same team seems to have been pretty relevant in its classification for the past twenty years. Northside, Brookville, Rustburg, Heritage, Jefferson Forest, Amherst, Giles and others all won state championships before the R&R.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

James Wood, Millbrook, Handley, Skyline.....

LOL Wow. Real "Murderers Row" ya got there. What happened - did you all run out of crappy West Virginia teams to schedule?

With a collection of creampuffs like Sherando plays yearly, anybody with the least bit of sense would be careful about running their mouth concerning another school's schedule. Thank goodness Salem's "pumped up" schedule didn't keep the Spartans (minus their best player, no less) from drilling the team that drilled Sherando - twice. My only regret from the past season is that Salem didn't get to welcome Sherando to the Stadium in the playoffs. I would have really enjoyed seeing the better team actually win this time (unlike 2013), to the tune of 56-7 or so. Salem should still be that much better than Sherando next season, so - hopefully we'll see you in 2015.

 

[hamspear]

The better team won last year and the better team would have won this year. Why are you so angry about Sherando?'we treated you all good when you came up to Stephens City. are you just a bitter person or something?

 

[numb3rs]

I could see PH making some noise occasionally in 5A. If they have a good wave of talent and go 9-1 or 10-0, they could get a high seed in the playoffs and force NOVA teams to travel to Roanoke for the first 2-3 rounds of the playoffs. I don't see the winning or maybe even making a 5A championship game, but making it to the semi-finals at least would make them relevant in my opinion. Again, I don't think that will happen often, but they have a solid coach who should be able to take advantage when they have more talent than usual.

 

[cutnjump]

To answer your questions state champions are not the only schools that are relevant but, in my opinion and let me stress it is just my opinion, for a school to really be relevant they have to be a realistic threat to actually win a state title. At the highest levels, old AAA and now 5 and 6, the Roanoke area hasn't had a team like that since the 90's with Pulaski(6) and Fleming(5) with Suggs. At the AA level Salem, Pulaski and the other teams you mention were all relevant in the past as well. With the new R&R most of those teams are now 3A and below and relevant. So far no one from 4A North has been a threat to the 4A South. You can point to those ratings as you would like but, in the first two years results on the field beg the question whether a team from the North would even be top 3 or 4 in the South.

 

[southbottomU]

don't understand your response-----my post had nothing to do with Sherando and made no mention of past or future games between Salem and Sherando------kind of weird.