Salem would get smashed by Varina. Dont Forget Varina almost came back and beat Freedom, and Salem does not play anyone with the athletes of Freedom. Varina only loss this year was to Freedom 35-27. Also, Varina just played a game Friday against Atlee then turned around and played yesterday against Hermitage and now has to play HSHS on Saturday. That's 3 games in 8 days, i wonder how Salem would fair with that 3 game slate. Varina will definitely be battle tested being they would have played the top 2 teams in Class 6,. Who has Salem played this year to measure how good they really are. I see HSHS winning but it will not be a cake walk because they always play HSHS tough.
Varina vs Hermitage Live Free Feed
- Thread starter BleedingNavy
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Of course, I would love to see Salem make it back to the championship. However, I need to see the balance on offense I saw against Cave Spring a few more times against better competition before I'm a true believer. I definitely think they have all the pieces to make a run, but there is still much that needs to come together before they are the favorite to come out of C and D (maybe it's just bad memories from the O and D lines getting owned against Glass last year). If they are fortunate enough to make it to Lynchburg, I think it takes an almost perfect game ala 2016 to knock off whoever's there from A or B, which I still believe will be Dinwiddie.
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Exactly. Not directing this at @BleedingNavy but I scratch my head at how people can drool over Phoebus playing pop warner teams in front of 30 spectators, Salem beating horrendous Hidden Valley and Cave Spring teams by 40 and say Varina isn’t a factor 😂 I watched King George Friday and it was probably the worst game I’ve paid to see in 3 years. Springs beat Herm by 30 but let’s not act like Herm wasn’t going to get that whipping by Varina in the beginning of the season, which is why they wanted the game last night. I expect Springs fans to talk 💩 but there’s not many teams in VA that can consistently score on that Varina defense.
@Thomasddev, please tell me how many of Freedoms players have signed with SEC schools or Varina for that matter. Does Varina or Freedom have the fastest man in pads? Please tell the truth sir, have you seen this Salem team play? Varina's offensive line is their weak link and their offense is stale as two week old bread. Defensively, the Blue Devils can play with anybody and that's why they can make it to the show. I root for all 804 teams, but I also respect the team who has proven it can win the title against a variety of talent and schemes. Again it's all about matchups and Varina doesn't have the offensive it factor. If they had a running game or the QB was a dual threat I might think differently. I am honest and candid individual. I have the same concerns about the Dinwiddie Generals defense. It's okay to be a homer and it's okay to think positive, but you guys are delusional if you think Varina's offense is scary.
^^You don't want anything to do with Hidden Valley unless you're from Hidden Valley.
Im a HSHS fan but Varina always plays us tough. They can match up with us athletically. Varina weakness this year is their OC.
Varina offense looks scripted instead of taking what the defense gives you.
@BoKnowsSports, you are fully aware of how much I study these teams and know the real deal when I see it. Heck, last year I told everyone up front that I thought Dinwiddie was a year away, because Dalton had never started a varsity game at qb. The reality is every team in b has weaknesses and every team has its strengths. It's all about who you get. I don't believe for a minute Coach Scott can outcoach Coach Mills, but Huguenot's offensive balance and talent would present some challenges for the General defense. Varina and Phoebus, heck I don't want to think about facing their defenses, but again until they prove otherwise their offenses can be defended, because they lack balance. King George is a different beast. Bo you saw them. Whoever, plays them better be able to score and run the ball. They have some concerns on both sides of the ball, but they also have the best receiving corps I have seen in a long time. Key is can the QB get it to them.
Again, I am not knocking anyone. We are splitting hairs with really good teams. In order to analyze things you have to look for the smallest deficits.
Again, I am not knocking anyone. We are splitting hairs with really good teams. In order to analyze things you have to look for the smallest deficits.
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Remember…it was 29-0 last yr! IMHO,the Varina O is even worse this year,and Martin IS a year more mature.
You said it right last night @CountryClubJoesSecretAlias. Varina does not take advantage of their weapons. They remind me of the really good Monacan teams between 2014-2018. A ton of weapons, but instead of sticking with what works and getting guys in space they threw 50-50 deep balls all night long. Did anyone notice the struggles Varina had in the red zone? Vanilla or not you have to score when afforded the opportunity.
It wasn’t because of the offense. Their defense had 3 pick 6s I believe and the offense only scored once. They sputtered all night long Freedom just kept trying to force the issue instead of just playing football and finishing the game
I never said Varina offense was scary and I feel their offense would look alot better if they had a halfway decent OC because their OC is awful. As far as Varina having D-1 players Damari Carter aka D-1 has several D-1 offers and he is only a sophmore and Eric Smith had quite a D'-1 few offers before committing to Liberty. Varina has 2 sophmores on that D Line that im sure will be receiving D-1 offers soon. As far as Freedom having D-1 players i only kmow of the coaches son, the rb, having D-1 offers, im not really familiar with their players. As far as being a homer i dont agree, Im not from 757 and I beleve Maury is one of the best teams in the state, im not from NOVA and I believe Freedom is one of the best in the state. I will agree that i have not seen Salem play this year but i simply asked you in an earlier post who have Salem played this year to help you assume they would beat Varina. I saw Varina go toe to toe with Freedom, who on Salem schedule this year is close to Freedom caliber. IMO Damari Carter would kill Salem defensive backfield.
I dont know about that, after seeing Maury play, i wouldnt say they couldnt have beat Miramar.
Miramar was not mediocre, and that Potomac team was not a slouch team, they would have given Varina a run for their money. Dont forget HSHS originally had Martinsburg(WV), who bear the brakes off of Stonebridge this year on their schedule instead of Potomac but Martinsburg to them off of the schedule.
Nope, they had 2 defensive tds and 2 offense tds but they moved the ball against Freedom well in the 2nd half. Varina problem is the OC, he finally got Damari Carter involved in the offense in the 4th quarter and Freedom couldnt do anything with him.
@Thomasddev, you have made some very valid points and for that I say thanks. Nothing like a good debate. I totally agree with you about Salem's schedule; however, had PH-Roanoke not suffered the injuries they have that would have been a battle. LCA beat them with a pounding running game a D1 type o line, and short/intermediate passes to keep the Spartans guessing.
Salem have two studs in Lewis and Cole. They have verballed to Tennessee and Georgia. Lewis is probably one of if not the fastest HS sprinter in VA and he can replicate it in pads. Don't get me wrong the Varina defense can match up well with Salem, but again their offenses doesn't. Can't win if you don't score. I responded because you said Varina would crush Salem and is just not a fact. Salem can be beat again, but I just haven't seen a team with the offensive firepower and matching lock down defense to sway me yet. If Dinwiddie can improve their pass defense they could create matchup issues for Salem. Good luck to your Springers Saturday. No one loses anything in this game except pride.
Salem have two studs in Lewis and Cole. They have verballed to Tennessee and Georgia. Lewis is probably one of if not the fastest HS sprinter in VA and he can replicate it in pads. Don't get me wrong the Varina defense can match up well with Salem, but again their offenses doesn't. Can't win if you don't score. I responded because you said Varina would crush Salem and is just not a fact. Salem can be beat again, but I just haven't seen a team with the offensive firepower and matching lock down defense to sway me yet. If Dinwiddie can improve their pass defense they could create matchup issues for Salem. Good luck to your Springers Saturday. No one loses anything in this game except pride.
D1 Carter and Eric Smith are just as dangerous as KG’s guys. The playcalling is just garbage. D1 Carter may be one of the better players to come through East End when it’s all said and done. Varina gotta use him the same way they used Fisher in 2021.
I was just kidding when i said Varina would crush Salem, i dont have a dog in that fight and i have not seen Salem play to make an honest assessment of what would happen if they played Varina. A lot football is still left to be played and both teams have a tough journey ahead to get to the championship. Good luck on the rest of yall season.
Miramar I’ll give you, Potomac is probably on Herm or Glen Allen’s level.
FWIW, I’m 804 bias. I believe Herm would beat the “better” teams out west by 2 scores. Hell, I got cursed out for calling out my hometown for putting 79 on the on the worse team in the state after Dinwiddie beat them by 50. Shows you just how good the 804 is. I’m not buying that Phoebus crap until one of those 757 teams beats Varina, Dinwiddie or Springs when it really matters.
I see @BoKnowsSports missed my inside joke. Disappointing 😂
Varina defense did not look bad. They had a couple breakdowns in the secondary, but Hermitage QB wasn't able to make'em pay. That is something to keep an eye on Saturday because that could be costly against a HS. Three games in eight days is nuts. I don't about that..
I kinda lean towards having a really solid defense, though, over an explosive offense if I had to pick. Playbooks on offense have gotten really diverse with the schemes that allow you to use athletic skill players. High caliber defense isn't nearly as common. Harder to obtain imo. Of course, there's some talent on the offensive side on a couple of these teams that push things more to the extreme. Which should make it interesting.
I kinda lean towards having a really solid defense, though, over an explosive offense if I had to pick. Playbooks on offense have gotten really diverse with the schemes that allow you to use athletic skill players. High caliber defense isn't nearly as common. Harder to obtain imo. Of course, there's some talent on the offensive side on a couple of these teams that push things more to the extreme. Which should make it interesting.
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Varina’s best comparison is West Charlotte or Creek. They have a boat load of talent, but you wouldn’t know what they had unless you do your research. I couldn’t tell you one player on Creek’s team except for Black. Hell I’m in the Varina community, have followed them since 2017 and didn’t know what they were going to have until game 1. It surprised the hell out of me when they had their 3 better players transfer out after Covid and they ended up winning the state championship. Their top recruit (Carlo Thompson who’s at UVA now) didn’t even play much in the playoffs due to injury and they still won it all. What’s crazy, talent wise, they are way better than the 2021 team. As @BleedingNavy has eluded to, the lines did not dominate the other night. I think they may actually be better this year than they were in 2021. Very very unorthodox program man.
But to my point, it’s not rocket science or a huge mystery. If the passing game isn’t working, let #22 Cosby run the football. I call him a Kroger brand DeAngelo Ramsey. He’s 6’2 225 and has 4.5 40 speed. They don’t win Tuesday or Glen Allen without him. Get #3 Gilpin the ball. They brought him in at wildcat and he took it down to the red zone to set up D1’s score. Eric Smith and Jordan Edwards should get at least 4-5 bubbles/slants a piece. Let D1 run some wildcat and exploit those 1on1 matchups he gets. You don’t have to go for the long ball on every play. They have to open that offense up. Too many legit playmakers to only be scoring 2-3 TDs a game.
I'm with you. I know people are saying the coaching staff for Varina kept it simple on purpose because they didn't want to shoe to much for the HS game but that's crazy to think. Especially when there is so much on the line. No coaching staff is going to risk losing a game just to try and save some plays for another game. At least no good coaching staff would. Also, who cares is HS coaches and players were at the game. These schools and kids have been playing each other for years plus they exchange game film so they know what each other does and doesn't do. I think the Herm game was indicative of who Varina really is.
He had so many wide open guys & was just chucking it as far as he could instead of putting it on em. That’s one thing I saw that Varina has to clean up before Saturday because Martin isn’t gonna miss those throws.
I’m with you until that last sentence. You’ve been in the business and around some really good teams for a while. Heck you work with high schoolers.
How would your kids factor playing 96 hours after homecoming, on a Tuesday night right before you play your biggest rival? I really want you to answer this. You know that you can’t base how a team looks off of 1 game.
I think thats the thing.. We don’t know who Varina really is. Because I’ve seen Varina 4x, I’d say the Freedom and GA games are similar to who Varina is. Have the talent compete with the best but just get in their own way. Varina’s defense held GA to two big plays all night and dominated them in all aspects, just couldn’t score. They had 11 sacks on them and GA would go 8-2/9-1 with Salem’s or Glass’s schedule. They did the same to Hanover and Indian River who have been very competitive with Oscar Smith and King’s Fork and even beat Nansmond River. Herm is who I thought they were and almost beat Varina on Tuesday. They have no real gameplan and just took what the defense gave them. They did the same to Oscar Smith and tried it on HS and FAILED MISERABLY. Yes, the offensive scheme is trash for Varina, but this is a very good team otherwise.
GA, Herm, & Varina played each other relatively the same. All games were 1 score struggle fest. GA will end up 8-2 but their one glaring loss was a game where they were completely outmatched (Dale) other than that their schedule has been ehhh. GA is not scrubs but they aren’t that good either. Herm should be so much better I wish they didn’t run Bedwell outta there smh their staff is terrible. Varina gets in there own way a lot but for the past 2 years it’s been the same exact achilles’ heel in games with Simialr talent they absolutely struggle on offense. They struggled in ‘21 as well but Fisher wasn’t letting them lose. They don’t have a guy that caliber on the roster yet however next year, I believe Carter will be that guy.
Varina has played the EXACT same style every game! They played the same style against Indian River, Freedom, Glennallen, and Hermitage. What she saw at Hermitage is exactly who they are. The quarterback does not fit the offense! He’s a pocket passer in a read-option offense and no one is respecting him to pull it and run because he’s big but not very fast. The OLine is big but slow so he has to depend on their athletic ability to actually go get the ball rather than him get them the ball. I can’t even count how many times he overthrew receivers when he was on the move,outside the pocket, especially to his running back out of the backfield, as an outlet.
Hermitage actually moved the ball decently down the field using short passes, but could not stay conservative and got greedy. That’s getting them behind the sticks on stupid holding penalties when their offensive line could not block Varina’s defensive line long enough to get the ball down field. Hermitage drove the field twice to get both of the field goals.
The Highland, Springs offenses line and defensive line will be far better than anything. Varina has seen since freedom and they did not fair Well vs Freedom.
I was thinking the exact same thing, Fisher almost single handedly won every one of those playoff games in ‘21.
I get what you are saying. It is an odd situation for Varina but I just didn't see enough from their offense to say they have a chance to win the region.
🤣 man i can’t wait for that state semi matchup at Darling! 🤣
Easily one of the most off statements I’ve read on these boards. Wtf does Varina beating Kings Fork 2-3 years ago and Dinwiddie beating Warwick last year have to do with Phoebus?
If it was one game, I would agree that it could be fatigue, and going through the motions, but this has been happening all year. Honestly, it reminds me of the Highland Springs team in 2021 that had all the talent in the world, but could not find the proper chemistry. I can’t judge Salem or King George, but I have seen Dinwiddie and Varina. I would love to see how Varina deals with the quarterback from Dinwiddie,and I know Salem has an outstanding linebacker that’s going to Georgia, but I just don’t know enough about those teams compared to what I know about Phoebus. quite honestly, Phoebus reminds me of Varina this year. Both have an average offense with big massive offensive lines, but both have an athletic fast defenses. Phoebus is just better coached!
The only game we have to compare is HS vs Hermitage and Varina vs Hermitage... Varina was very fortunate to have gotten the W on Tuesday night, HS played Hermitage Friday night and was up 29-0 at half time and 36-0 in the 3rd qtr. with a running clock when HS pulled it's starters. Herm managed a td in the 4th qtr. against our backups to keep from being shut out! Compare a 36-6 HS win vs a 7-6 squeaker by VHS... the comparison is pretty clear!
Bro football and basketball. Check the history. 804 owns the 757 in the playoffs since Bird and HS started their runs.
Phoebus is pretty much a mirror image of Varina! As I just put in a post, both of you have below average to average offenses, but outstanding defenses. Phoebus starts a freshman quarterback that hasn’t really seen a good team all year. The Varina quarterback doesn’t fit their system, and that has caused their offense to struggle all year. Varina will have faced two of the best teams in the state by the time the playoffs starts, but I can’t say the same about Phoebus. That could be a 8-7 or 7-6 type game if they face. We will definitely know more about Phoebus after they face Warwick Saturday.
I am very familiar with Salem as I used to coach in their region for more than a decade. They also have a RB that is committed to Tennessee and another LB that has several D1 offers. But what Salem is mostly known for is great OL/DL play, controlling the clock, and not turning the ball over. That is how they have won their past state championships. This year's team isn't as dominate up front but they are better than most teams in Class 4.
I've had a Salem-Phoebus state championship game since last spring and I still think that will be the matchup in Class 4.
