Any thoughts about this game? This will be a first time meeting I guess between Gretna and a Richmond city school. I hear TJ is number one in their region.
Thomas Jefferson V Gretna
- Thread starter colonel 72
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I like the matchup. The unfamiliarity will be like a post-regional playoff game. They seem to be pretty even, with Teejay possibly having an edge. As has been mentioned elsewhere, they will need to be disciplined to win. Having "played up" for so long they probably lack the big game experience that a program like Gretna has. It should be an exciting and high scoring affair. I'd put the over/under at 70.
Need Gretna to win for the points for us. GO HAWKS............ did I just say that?????
If Radford wasn't playing Glenvar (huge game) I would travel and see this one. This just sounds like a very neat matchup and it really is hard to tell anything about it because there just isn't much relation to the schools, no common opponents that I'm aware of. It could be a 1 point game or a 21 point game in favor of either school. There just isn't much to go on and in my opinion, no way to tell.
Any sociologist on this board?? Talk about culture shock. Tee Jay is nestled in Richmond (population 230k, add another 29k for VCU students about 5 minutes up East Broad St from Tee Jay)... They will be heading to Gretna VA (population 1,200). Gretna practices on farmland while you can see Tee Jay practicing during rush hour traffic from West Broad St during the week. Tee Jays kids come from all over the city of Richmond (square mileage is not very big for a “big city”) while Gretna kids come from at least a 50 mile radius (Campbell County line near Brookneal to Penhook-Franklin County like to Java-Halifax line).. Pretty sweet.
We traveled from Appomattox to colonial heights, do what you have to do to get 10 games.
I don’t know much about TJ but I just don’t see it from Gretna guys ! They just didn’t show me much when Appo was in town , have to say I was disappointed in there showing , should be a good game between them and DR . But do need them to win for points I guess ! Hard to say that also .
With the exception of Radford and Appomattox I would not exactly call Gretna's schedule tough by any means. TJ has played a weak schedule - 3A CH (1 win over winless Meadowbrook), 3A Armstrong (1 win over winless PV-Sterling), 2A Greensville Co (5-2), 5A Glen Allen (4-3), 2A JM (4-3, just dropped from 3A like TJ) and 4A Caroline (1-6).
Gretna 2A Brunswick (3-4 Windsor, PV- S Hill and Charles City) 3A Tunstall (winless), 1A WC (3-4), 2A Nelson (4-4) and 1A Altavista (3-4). Neither team is exactly playing a "tough" schedule here. TJ does have 5A Tucker, one win and undefeated 5A Deep Run left after Gretna, Deep Run coach is former TJ coach who started the turn around with facilities at TJ. Gretna finishes with 2A Dan River and 2A Chatham, both having better seasons than most thought before the season began, but not sure either can play with Gretna, DR more so than Chatham, IMO
Matchups make fights so who ever can impose their will and run effectively will win. I have no clue what offense either are comfortable with but in late October through early December RPO is the way to go. Run Power Often...…. Gretna's two loses have been by a combined 15 points to two State title contenders from Region C in Appomattox and Radford. I wont say TJ cant beat them but I don't think they will, at least not this year.
Weather could possibly be a factor if we get rain close to game time. If it doesn't rain we may get boosters to make a donation to fire dept so they will soak field prior to game. We will claim widely scattered showers.
Now that would be a total reversal of the times for Gretna. I still remember when Gretna boosters had a helicopter come in and hover over the field to help dry it out so that the Hawks could use their speed and air it out. Times have a'changed.
LOL. You are correct. People got mad because rumor was that school paid for chopper to dry field. It was a Gretna alum who had a small chopper and he actually hovered over the field for a time to dry it for the game. He did it free of charge. Students really had a blast watching it go up and down the field for about twenty minutes or so. We wanted the dry turf then because of speed and spread. Now we favor a wet field. Times change.
They lost to Amelia in overtime... they could easily be 7-0. Their schedule is what it is. They dropped district opponents to pickup teams of similar size because getting beat up on a weekly basis by teams double in size was doing no one any good. Their schedule is somewhat balanced... they are playing schools nearby but similar in size like an Armstrong and Colonial Heights but they are playing others that are not so close.
Do not sell them short, they have a quality quarterback in Jaylen Tyler and former QB Jaylen Jones is now at receiver... they make quite the tandem. Shamar Graham is a beast, a monster on the field and one of the best young men as far as work ethic and personality I've met in my years covering the region. Shackoy Fearon is no joke on defense.
Our last state championship in 2011. For the season we ran 81% of the time and passed 19%.
In 2011 we also won by defense and didn't score the points we once did. We beat Giles with a pick six and defensive fumble recover and run. If not we would have lost. We beat Riverheads the very next week in another low scoring game mostly because of a 60 TD pass to dip and one to Bennett. We squeaked win out against Amelia and the big play that won state championship in another low scoring game was the defensive strip and return to one yard line that put us ahead and defense held them out for win. We know who was calling plays then as we had our lowest average points per game in decade. Defense won that championship. Now in 2007 when we averaged 50 a game and only giving up 7 a game in the playoffs was when we threw the ball more. Lol but I know where that statement 81% to 19% comes from. Had them exact words ,word for word, told to me twice so I know exactly where that comes from.
most confident critics are generally those who know the least about the matter criticized.” Ulysses S. Grant,
Great win for TJ. TJ has to have a good team because they beat a very good team tonight.
Very solid win for Thomas Jefferson on the road at that. I was wrong and I’m not too proud to admit it.
Gretna turned the ball over twice with fumbles. Also had a muffed punt recovered by TJ on the 10 yard line. Its hard to beat anybody turning the ball over 3 times to 0.....
HR6 I will say this, if you wanna see a team pass go to Amelia. They line up 5 wide most of the game and throw it. The QB ain't bad either.
Thomas Jefferson wins nail-biter against Gretna
https://www.wsls.com/sports/1st-and-10/thomas-jefferson-wins-nail-biter-against-gretna?__vfz=medium=sharebar&fbclid=IwAR17jdxtKtnJ_dEkMxOQ36VjFVqSZrR7oX9JRB_fSHQ8sIrWm1n9UQkG2LY
https://www.wsls.com/sports/1st-and-10/thomas-jefferson-wins-nail-biter-against-gretna?__vfz=medium=sharebar&fbclid=IwAR17jdxtKtnJ_dEkMxOQ36VjFVqSZrR7oX9JRB_fSHQ8sIrWm1n9UQkG2LY
I know comparing scores is tricky, but TJ losing to Amelia and TJ beating Gretna close. You have all of that, then you look at how bad Buckingham beat Amelia. I think it says alot about how good Buckingham is. Also in Region A, I haven't seen them, but by looking at scores and schedule, I'm not so sure Poqouoson will not contend for that region, and that TJ may not be a slam dunk to win it.
