There were sooo many good teams in 4a. Best football in the state was played in 4a last year. It won’t be like that again for a while. Can you imagine if Lake Taylor wasn’t down last year??? WOW!
The best teams
- Thread starter freeatlast2013
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I know it's early, but it doesn't seem to be the same as last year. Last summer we all pretty much had the same top ten list, just in varying orders. That doesn't appear to be the case for this upcoming season.
Oh sure, we can all name the usual suspects that are there every year. Beyond that, I just don't see the standout short list of teams that we all KNOW will be there in December.
Having said this, I wonder who will be the new kids on the block this season? Which teams will be in the mix that we ordinarily dismiss as good, but just middle of the road teams. Which of these will be the "where did they come from" teams?
BTW, only about five months before two-a-day's start!
Blacksburg would have a better argument for being number 2 if they had not lost to LB. All teams mentioned were very close. Salem able to separate themselves at end of the year because of coaching and Ramsey
I understandwhat your saying but for years in 4A the best 2 teams always met in the semifinals. In the late 2000 the Salem Amherst game was the best 2 teams only way you could honestly get the best 2 teams in championship game would be to play 1 vs 4 2 vs 3 in semi.
I hear you. But there is no perfect answer. You know how it would go, the year they tried your formula, the best two teams would be 1 & 4!
Was Salem the best team last year? Ask ten people and get 10 different answers. The bottom line is, they did what was necessary, when it was necessary, and they earned the Championship trophy.
The greatest thing amount high school football is that every year is a fresh start, unlike any other level of football. You might say, huh? Pros go get the players they want. College gets the players they want. High schools get whomever happens to live in their school district. Heck, even rec leagues have various methods of dividing up the talent.
High school ball is like the old short track auto racing saying, "you run what you brung!"
Salem was not the best team in the state the first 8 games. But they were the best team in the state the last six.
According to CalPreps:
1. Salem
2. Louisa
3. Dinwiddie
4. Blacksburg
5. Lafayette
6. King's Fork
7. Eastern View
8. Sherando
9. GW Danville
10. EC Glass
11. Monacan
12. Deep Creek
http://calpreps.com/2017/ratings/Virginia_division.htm#4A
According to VHSL-Reference:
1. Salem
2. Louisa
3. Dinwiddie
4. Blacksburg
5. Monacan
6. Lafayette
7. King's Fork
8. Sherando
9. Eastern View
10. Deep Creek
11. Millbrook
12. Amherst
13. EC Glass
http://www.vhsl-reference.com/ratingsmainpage_gy.cfm?GY=2017&DIVISION=4
I lean towards the VHSL-Reference's top 10, but I'd shuffle the last few a little bit.
1. Salem
2. Louisa
3. Dinwiddie
4. Blacksburg
5. Lafayette
6. King's Fork
7. Eastern View
8. Sherando
9. GW Danville
10. EC Glass
11. Monacan
12. Deep Creek
http://calpreps.com/2017/ratings/Virginia_division.htm#4A
According to VHSL-Reference:
1. Salem
2. Louisa
3. Dinwiddie
4. Blacksburg
5. Monacan
6. Lafayette
7. King's Fork
8. Sherando
9. Eastern View
10. Deep Creek
11. Millbrook
12. Amherst
13. EC Glass
http://www.vhsl-reference.com/ratingsmainpage_gy.cfm?GY=2017&DIVISION=4
I lean towards the VHSL-Reference's top 10, but I'd shuffle the last few a little bit.
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It doesn’t matter when you are the best team in the state, until your last game. Who cares? Salem deserves to be the best, on to next year .
The top 10 was so strong even EV and Deep Creek holding the 9 & 10 spot we’re still Legitimate title contenders. Still can’t get over how deep the field was last year.
I agree with @hamspear. Lets start talking about who has what for this upcoming season.
@mbonape1, I agree with you totally about how sound Class 4 was last season; however, there may be more parity this season throughout Class 4.
After getting back on top can Louisa keep it rolling? With the loss of their top stars can Salem, Blacksburg, Dinwiddie, Lafayette and Monacan be able to stay in the mix? Is LT and Courtland set to make another run? Will perennial powers EV and Sherando with some sound returning players and very good qbs make the long run? And yes, DSH will GW Danville and Amherst find a defense to go with their explosive offense?
Even with the loss of a some good players I look for Glass, Deep Creek, and Kings Fork to be major players.
Let start the debate!
@mbonape1, I agree with you totally about how sound Class 4 was last season; however, there may be more parity this season throughout Class 4.
After getting back on top can Louisa keep it rolling? With the loss of their top stars can Salem, Blacksburg, Dinwiddie, Lafayette and Monacan be able to stay in the mix? Is LT and Courtland set to make another run? Will perennial powers EV and Sherando with some sound returning players and very good qbs make the long run? And yes, DSH will GW Danville and Amherst find a defense to go with their explosive offense?
Even with the loss of a some good players I look for Glass, Deep Creek, and Kings Fork to be major players.
Let start the debate!
Well, without a comprehensive examination and evaluation, Sherando looks like they may be my top team. Hammy has told us a lot about the team in the last year. Lots of talent that starts with Entsminger, their future all state QB.
I wonder if the Black Knights are poised to take that next step up, and become a legit championship contender.
It's about time for LT to be scary again.
More later, some of us have gainful employment and can't sit home all day and count their money, like Bleeding Navy.
Sherando has to be the favorite in Region C at the very least.
Region D - Salem again... how could it not be.
Region B - Dinwiddie with Kymon Pope returning under center. EV will more than likely be undefeated again.
Region A - is the question mark. Lafayette will be undefeated again in the reg season but how will LT, Heritage NN, DC, KF etc look next year. DC might be my preseason favorite in group A. @ForksUp how is KF looking for next year?
Region D - Salem again... how could it not be.
Region B - Dinwiddie with Kymon Pope returning under center. EV will more than likely be undefeated again.
Region A - is the question mark. Lafayette will be undefeated again in the reg season but how will LT, Heritage NN, DC, KF etc look next year. DC might be my preseason favorite in group A. @ForksUp how is KF looking for next year?
Here is a sad fact. Denbigh scored either 6 or 13, all season last year. Never anywhere close to being competitive. And they lose 1/2 their roster to graduation. Serious problems down their.
I’m interested to know what Lafayette will look like. They have continuously been there every year in the past few years. They run silent all the time.
If Salem plays for a 4th straight State title it will have to do it without any proven playmakers.
Thats a good question. They lost their starting qb, two defensive studs in Erwin and Burden plus some interior lineman. 18 seniors lost out if 38 on the roster.
They are always good and well coached. Will not count them out. Smithfield lost a ton of talent, so the Rams should go unbeaten in the district again.
I don’t doubt it. They’ve done it before. They bring back a good portion of those linemen and bring back their QB. 9-1/8-2 regular season (depends on how Amherst and B.B. looks, Widdie on the road early). Could go 10-0...My dark horse for D will be Glass. They have a defense and capable playmakers. The rest of the teams in D are a huge question mark.
What about "Oneman's" boys this year?
Will King George have enough coming back to be a factor again?
Over in Class 3, what will James Monroe have this year?
Last year's unknown that went the wrong way late, Patrick Henry, Ashland. Will they be improved?
Mentioned previously, EV will be a nightmare matchup come post season.
Will King George have enough coming back to be a factor again?
Over in Class 3, what will James Monroe have this year?
Last year's unknown that went the wrong way late, Patrick Henry, Ashland. Will they be improved?
Mentioned previously, EV will be a nightmare matchup come post season.
Courtland is the hot ticket in the Fredie burg area as they were picked as the team to watch out for next year. This selection is soley based on re turning talent and the team overall potential. The Cougars and EV will either be 9-1 or 10-0 with the game at Courtland being the game of the year and deciding factor for the Fredericksburg. With the loss of Hunter, #1 reciever, top LB and top O-lineman they will be hard pressed to be as dominate as ladt yrar. However with thier soft schedule, depending on Courtland game they will be 9-1 or run the table. As far ad JM, they are on a backwards track and will be down, but thier division is very week, so should get into playoffs. If the Courtland offense plays up to thier potential and a young but very big and talented D-line plays to thier exoected potential then the Cougars are going to be one tough nut to crack.
Thanks for the feedback courtland cougar. So based on your prediction you believe Courtland will beat Louisa?
The offense is going to be very exciting next year, if they will finally get the QB involved they will have a 4 headed monster instead of the traditional 3 headed version. The QB is the x factor, fasted kid on the team and fastest player in the area or region, just explosive breakaway speed. See Orange scrimmage film from last year. Played alot of young kids, most of JV team played up last year. Will have strong offensive and defensive lines, just going to hsve an all around solid team with loaded all Senior backfield .
You saying you guys gonna beat Eastern View too?
ill believe it when it comes from someone that isn't a Courtland fan
41-7 to Louisa and 55-13 to Eastern View with all starters out by halftime for EV
Considering Courtland had 20+ seniors on their roster, you would think they wouldn't jump up too much this coming year. Not to say that they couldn't....it only takes a couple key positions to improve upon to make a difference. I still think they'll have their hands full with EV.
East west north and south set aside , the two best teams in 4A north of Richmond, Charlottesville ,and Lexington are going to be EV and Sherando in my opinion. But there is always a few surprises , that’s why the games are played.
Can’t count out Woodgrove either..... they were young last year. They should be back in the mix.
With only 6 teams from the North making the playoffs it doesn't take much to miss out. Woodgrove went 6-4 & missed the playoffs. They have a pretty tough schedule with 5A Massaponax, Broad Run, & Tuscarora. They also have games with Dominion, Heritage LC, & Loudoun Co that were all 7-3 reg season last year. Heritage missed the playoffs at 7-3 last year so the North is a big challenge.
Well the north I described is the more than the upper half of the whole state.....six teams it may be .. but two or three of those will be reckoned with
Lots of many-headed monsters going around each year. I never really see them but maybe it's a Loch Ness thing where if you squint really hard at the veer it appears that way.
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I agree Southy.. Salem's success will depend who steps up to be consistent playmakers to make a run this year. While the mules should be strong on both sides of the line, Gladden will need a few more capable receivers than just Close to make some catches and provide a deep threat so to speak. Some good rbs moving up from JV but not sure they will have a pounding, grind it out runner like Owen, Ramsey or Hale. Those dudes were a tough out!
Losing Craft is a big deal as we probably wont see that caliber of a kicker coming up in a while I speculate. So resorting back to pooch KOs and just making the PATS will be the norm I'm afraid. Word has it that a kid that Craft kicks with in some camps is transferring with his family(he will be an incoming junior) to the area and Salem is high on the school district list...so we'll see..
It would be awesome to go for it 4 yrs straight and will be exciting to watch! It wont get here soon enough for me..!
There are 3 or 4 rising Soph that could step up as Varsity WR's. They have Close, Pellant, Ferris, Reid, and Haupt that are upperclassmen WR. At RB they'll have Richardson, Newby, Persinger, Wood, Sutphin, and Ramsey. (I'm sure I left someone out, no offense intended) I feel like guys will step up and make a difference, we'll have to wait and see who it will be.
You Salem guys crack me up! Everyone knows, Mags has the pipeline all the way down to Rec league. Been said before, until someone knocks them off....
Sometimes the pipeline just doesn't produce quality. It always produces good numbers and tough kids, but kids that are game changers are hard to come by
What do you guys think about a depleted Seminole district? Lost of talent is being lost up top with Glass, Heritage, and Amherst. How do you guys see 5-5/4-6 teams like JF and LCA doing? I say two sleepers with talent coming back to possibly make a deep playoff run.
