Way too early Regional Predictions.

[19GHS87]

Don't know much about the other regions, but I'm going with Ridgeview and Graham in Region D.

Graham lost a lot in Bradshaw, Blevins and Meadows, but return a solid line and outstanding core of receivers and talented running backs. The key for Graham will be the QB play, the line-play should be very good again. The 1-2 punch of Tydrez Clements and Jamel Floyd in the run game and a healthy core of linebackers will also be beneficial for the G - men. Graham really missed Zach Blevins at LB late last season and Gage Sawyers at outside linebacker / DE as well. Although Blevins has graduated, Sawyers will return along with Brayden Meadows, Yubrenal Isabelle and Sean Hughes at LB. Omarri Hill should have an outstanding sophomore season on the D - Line, he performed quite well as a freshman. I look for another good run for them.

Ridgeview has to be the favorite in the region considering they return basically their entire team with a very talented QB and receiver in Brandon Beavers. Ridgeview has good size and strength and decent overall speed. I don't know a lot of the names for the Wolfpack, just based on what I saw last season.

The usual culprits will be lurking around in Union and Central, poised to knock off those 2. Virginia High and Tazewell will be no slouches and you can never count out Richlands. Should be a fun season in Region D.

 

[BoKnowsSports]

Appomattox, Radford and Dan River should all be real good. Hard to pick against Appo but Radford may be the favorite this year.

 

[BCKnights]

The Knights will be very talented but young. They will field a core of very talented and athletic freshman and sophomores for the next couple years. Probably the deepest class I've seen here of underclassmen.

 

[toughy299]

If Radford stays healthy they should be really good. I haven't been excited about football in Radford for a while, I can't wait til the first whistle this season.

 

[kwhs95fan]

I can't speak for the rest of Region A, but KW will still be pretty good. Good as last season? No. That team was a generational team. You don't replace Demond Claiborne, Jayveon Robinson and that offensive line and not take a step back. But with that said, the cupboard isn't bare. All Region WR and LB Tre Robinson, who is getting Division 1 looks will be a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball. Kaleb Shelton, who played WR last year, will move into the QB role and he has great speed and is a tough kid. On the O Line, they only return 1 starter, but they have some juniors who won 5 Youth Football championships and went to Nationals in California, ready to step in. At RB, expect Romonta Roane, the brother of Claiborne, to take over lead back roles, but some others could see time as well. Defensively they return all state DT Wylie Johnson and his twin brother Trent, who plays DE. Tre Robinson will lead the LB corp and the secondary has a couple of returning starters. They do play a very tough schedule, just like last year, but that should have them battle tested. Goochland, Essex, Lafayette, IC Norcom, Mechanicsville, Westmoreland and King and Queen are some of the teams on the schedule. I believe in Coach Moore, Coach Hill, Coach Newbill, as well as several new coaches who are now at KW, two of which have previous head coaching experience.

 

[Fairlawncat]

Radford will be really good. The key for us will be the improvement of the lineplay which struggled last year, but they will be very improved. Appo is still the team to beat in C, but we should be very close to Appo like in 2018 and have a coin toss type game with them come playoff time. I don't know about Glenvar or Dan River or Gretna and what they return.

 

[BoKnowsSports]

Radford will be really good. The key for us will be the improvement of the lineplay which struggled last year, but they will be very improved. Appo is still the team to beat in C, but we should be very close to Appo like in 2018 and have a coin toss type game with them come playoff time. I don't know about Glenvar or Dan River or Gretna and what they return.

Martinsville could be very good too. Played Glenvar well last year despite losing 25-7 in week 1 and 38-0 in the playoffs.. They also won their first playoff game in forever.. They were very young after not playing in the Spring. Don’t think they’ll beat Radford or Appo but they may certainly be that 3rd best team in this region if they can get any kind of depth.

 

[AntGZee]

We have a stud at Running back this year and an experienced QB.

 

[BoKnowsSports]

We have a stud at Running back this year and an experienced QB.

I’ve heard big things. One of the areas they’ll be strong in is defense and aggression. Coach Bobby Martin doesn’t play any games. If they were to lose to an Appomattox or Radford, it would be very respectable. If Martinsville had any kind of depth, they could compete with the Appo’s, Graham’s, Union’s, etc with the athletes they have.

 

[hrsepasture1]

We will be good at the skill positions, all depends on what they've got upfront. That's been a problem for awhile, and depth has been a problem, just can't get enough kids to participate.

 

[BoKnowsSports]

We will be good at the skill positions, all depends on what they've got upfront. That's been a problem for awhile, and depth has been a problem, just can't get enough kids to participate.

It was a big problem in Danville too. GW had an average of 35 players on its team the past 5 years but they’ve been having 115 come out this spring/summer. It’s crazy to think that two powers like Martinsville and GW have the small numbers that they do these days. The cities of Danville and Martinsville is loaded with all kinds of talent, just have to get the kids out there. Martinsville has the right man to do it. Coach Bobby Martin is a legend. Any idea of who the next hoops coach will be?

 

[hrsepasture1]

They've had interviews and we've heard rumors but nothing concrete yet. Whoever gets it will have a little talent next year, but we'll have to see what we got left after the transfer portal closes.

 

[mikeyth]

Don't know much about the other regions, but I'm going with Ridgeview and Graham in Region D.

Graham lost a lot in Bradshaw, Blevins and Meadows, but return a solid line and outstanding core of receivers and talented running backs. The key for Graham will be the QB play, the line-play should be very good again. The 1-2 punch of Tydrez Clements and Jamel Floyd in the run game and a healthy core of linebackers will also be beneficial for the G - men. Graham really missed Zach Blevins at LB late last season and Gage Sawyers at outside linebacker / DE as well. Although Blevins has graduated, Sawyers will return along with Brayden Meadows, Yubrenal Isabelle and Sean Hughes at LB. Omarri Hill should have an outstanding sophomore season on the D - Line, he performed quite well as a freshman. I look for another good run for them.

Ridgeview has to be the favorite in the region considering they return basically their entire team with a very talented QB and receiver in Brandon Beavers. Ridgeview has good size and strength and decent overall speed. I don't know a lot of the names for the Wolfpack, just based on what I saw last season.

The usual culprits will be lurking around in Union and Central, poised to knock off those 2. Virginia High and Tazewell will be no slouches and you can never count out Richlands. Should be a fun season in Region D.

As to graham, didn't they lose all but 1 wr, lost stud QB and probably their best defensive player as well! lost 3 of the 4 db's and you guy are putting alot of stock in the floyd kid who moved 4 times in 4 years. ill ask you about him at end of season. not gonna be what you think. Bradshaw and big meadows cant be replaced. they take a step back this year.

 

[Fairlawncat]

Got a couple friends from Graham and Bluefield. They tell me Graham even with the loss of Bradshaw and Meadows, the GMen are actually going to be better than last year. Guys are usually spot on about the Beavers and G-Men. Graham has bucket loads of talent all through it's junior high and JV. I just don't see them taking a step back

 

[eh31]

Got a couple friends from Graham and Bluefield. They tell me Graham even with the loss of Bradshaw and Meadows, the GMen are actually going to be better than last year. Guys are usually spot on about the Beavers and G-Men. Graham has bucket loads of talent all through it's junior high and JV. I just don't see them taking a step back

Not saying they won’t be good but I don’t see how you lose two players who will see playing time at an ACC school as true freshmen & another player who ended up being the region offensive & defensive POTY and be better.

Graham also did lose their backup quarterback this summer as he moved to TN. Not sure how much that will hurt them but when Meadows (QB) got hurt in the first game of the year the backup (Blevins) led them to the state championship game.

graham does have a very athletic freshman class coming in and their 8th grade class will have Tony Palmer’s son & Ahmad Bradshaw’s son in the backfield so there won’t be any steep drop off anytime soon.

 

[Fairlawncat]

EH31, I'm told Graham's lineplay is going to be very special and deep even with Meadows gone. A couple tell me the hogs up front gonna be very good

 

[19GHS87]

Graham's Lineplay will be very strong for sure. Better than last season? More depth probably and the returners have been hitting the weight room hard and look like grown men.

Their 3rd string QB from last year did move, but Graham has a couple of capable backups that are a little more mobile.

I think the transfer of Jamel Floyd from Bluefield to Graham will help their cause and give them a 1-2 punch with Clements and Floyd out of the backfield and both are very capable receivers. Graham has 3 or 4 other receivers that should contribute as well, Braden Watkins, Blake Graham, Gage Sawyers and TE Aiden Wallace will all be productive at receiver.

The linebackers will be outstanding, despite losing Blevins. Sophomore Yubrenal Isabelle (son of former NFL and NFL Europe player) looks to be very promising.

I look for sophomore Chris Edwards to make an impact on the field as well, at RB / Receiver. Very athletic and strong looking kid.

The Cupboard is far from bare in Bluefield, VA. Graham seems to just re-load the past few years.