What 6-8 teams have a realistic shot at bringing home the gold?
- Thread starter BigWinners
- Start date
Objectively in class 2 I would go with the following 6 in no particular order
Poquoson
Draft
Strasburg (I know they lost to CC but I dont think they would lose a second matchup, just a hunch)
Glenvar
Graham
Union
I think any of these teams have enough diversity on offense to cause their opponent trouble and for the most part they all have very good defenses. To me there are several just outside of that group with those few being CC, Gretna, and potentially a battle tested KW. IMO its a fairly wide-open race with that first group being very similar in a lot of ways which could make for some phenomenal Regional championship games. Good luck to all these teams as we get to the stretch run and prepare for the playoffs.
Poquoson
Draft
Strasburg (I know they lost to CC but I dont think they would lose a second matchup, just a hunch)
Glenvar
Graham
Union
I think any of these teams have enough diversity on offense to cause their opponent trouble and for the most part they all have very good defenses. To me there are several just outside of that group with those few being CC, Gretna, and potentially a battle tested KW. IMO its a fairly wide-open race with that first group being very similar in a lot of ways which could make for some phenomenal Regional championship games. Good luck to all these teams as we get to the stretch run and prepare for the playoffs.
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I'm going to come off as a homer, but Radford has a chance in C. We can beat Glenvar. I'm not saying we will and thought for sure by looking at our first few games and Glenvars first few games, that they were a runaway favorite in C. They are clearly still the favorites, but our youth has improved at a high pace and players have settled into their roles with the loss of Clark and the senior class from last year. We have talent on our team and our lineplay has been the greatest improvement from game one until now. I would not count the Bobcats out. If we are fortunate enough to advance in the playoffs over the likes of Appo and Gretna and get to play Glenvar again, do not be surprised if the game is very close
I favor in this order to win the state title.
1. Union
2. Graham
3. Strasburg
4. Poquoson
I think the winner of the Graham/Union game in that Region will win the state title if I had to pick, but 8 teams actually have a great chance. For example an argument can be made for Clarke and BC and Draft and Glenvar for being not just in the top 4, but the actual top 4. Wide open. Then you have Riverheads and King William which are always more than capable. Wide open
1. Union
2. Graham
3. Strasburg
4. Poquoson
I think the winner of the Graham/Union game in that Region will win the state title if I had to pick, but 8 teams actually have a great chance. For example an argument can be made for Clarke and BC and Draft and Glenvar for being not just in the top 4, but the actual top 4. Wide open. Then you have Riverheads and King William which are always more than capable. Wide open
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Region A: Poqouson/Bruton/Southhampton
Region B: Clarke/Buckingham/Strasburg/Stuarts Draft
Region C: Glenvar/Gretna/Radford
Region D: Graham/Union/Ridgeview/Lebanon
My guess
Region A: Poqouson
Region B: Buckingham
Region C: Glenvar
Region D: Graham
Region B: Clarke/Buckingham/Strasburg/Stuarts Draft
Region C: Glenvar/Gretna/Radford
Region D: Graham/Union/Ridgeview/Lebanon
My guess
Region A: Poqouson
Region B: Buckingham
Region C: Glenvar
Region D: Graham
With the tradition that Riverheads has, I don't think anyone should overlook them, especially if their upcoming bye week allows them to get healthier than they have been the last few weeks. Just think back to last season.....after losing the season opener 8-7 up at Central, did anyone see them going back up there and pounding the Falcons the way they did in the regional final?
I agree, especially with the history they have had the last two decades in the post season. With that being said I do not see the same team, and lets be honest how special was Cook-Cash!!
It's as wide open as I have seen it in many years. I would go with
1. Graham
2. Union
3. Clarke
4. Poqouson
5. Strasburg
6. Stuarts Draft
Any of these teams could win it all. Also just speaking on Region B the playoffs i feel like are going to be crazy. I don't think chalk will be the answer of who wins. Upsets will happen but I feel they are only upsets bc of the rankings not bc of the teams over all talent. But having watched Union play i would say they win it. I have them 2nd bc head to head means something right now in my mind.
1. Graham
2. Union
3. Clarke
4. Poqouson
5. Strasburg
6. Stuarts Draft
Any of these teams could win it all. Also just speaking on Region B the playoffs i feel like are going to be crazy. I don't think chalk will be the answer of who wins. Upsets will happen but I feel they are only upsets bc of the rankings not bc of the teams over all talent. But having watched Union play i would say they win it. I have them 2nd bc head to head means something right now in my mind.
If I had to breakdown each region it would go like this
A-Poquoson as runaway favorites (outside chance of KW hitting stride and putting it together to win a tight regional championship game). Could be in left field but anyone other than Poquoson gets out of this region and Region B winner can make plans to be in Salem. All due respect to the others there but the top side of B have shown they can beat who we all might agree is the second-best team from that region.
B-Draft slightly ahead of Strasburg and CC. Buckinghams schedule is my only holdback, they won their three hardest games early in the season by a combined 104 -28 so they should definitely be considered. My concern is that if you arent tested down the stretch with more challenging opponents, sometimes there is a false lull, and you could get caught by surprise by a team that has had to grind out wins. Riverheads and Fort could make some noise if they get healthy, but I see them as behind the other group from this region regardless of health.
C-Glenvar has checked all the boxes this year including their game with C3 Alleghany where in the loss they played a decent game. Gretna and Radford have potential, but I would bet heavy for Glenvar to represent this region. Of course this is also the region that has had some pretty different scores in rematches, so you just never know. And lurking just below the surface is the mystique that is Appo and their tradition.
D-Graham has to be the favorite but Union has enough to win if they can limit penalties and execute on offense. Not to tarnish the G-men but their penalty issue needs to be in the past by the time the region semis and finals come around or they could get upset. I like Union overall and think top to bottom they are the better team but Graham has a mental edge on them that they must overcome to get it done. Ridgeview is the enigma here because there is talent there but in bigger games it seems they do not show up like you would expect.
I did not leave out other teams that have rightfully had very good seasons as a slight to them, but I do feel pedigree and overall legacy does play a part in current success. As it stands to me there are legitimately 7 teams that could hoist the trophy in Salem. I would say region D and B have the most depth but Glenvar and Poquoson may benefit from those regions bludgeoning each other to get to the state semis. Either way they dont play on paper so in the end the best team should stand on the top step of the podium as the state champion.
A-Poquoson as runaway favorites (outside chance of KW hitting stride and putting it together to win a tight regional championship game). Could be in left field but anyone other than Poquoson gets out of this region and Region B winner can make plans to be in Salem. All due respect to the others there but the top side of B have shown they can beat who we all might agree is the second-best team from that region.
B-Draft slightly ahead of Strasburg and CC. Buckinghams schedule is my only holdback, they won their three hardest games early in the season by a combined 104 -28 so they should definitely be considered. My concern is that if you arent tested down the stretch with more challenging opponents, sometimes there is a false lull, and you could get caught by surprise by a team that has had to grind out wins. Riverheads and Fort could make some noise if they get healthy, but I see them as behind the other group from this region regardless of health.
C-Glenvar has checked all the boxes this year including their game with C3 Alleghany where in the loss they played a decent game. Gretna and Radford have potential, but I would bet heavy for Glenvar to represent this region. Of course this is also the region that has had some pretty different scores in rematches, so you just never know. And lurking just below the surface is the mystique that is Appo and their tradition.
D-Graham has to be the favorite but Union has enough to win if they can limit penalties and execute on offense. Not to tarnish the G-men but their penalty issue needs to be in the past by the time the region semis and finals come around or they could get upset. I like Union overall and think top to bottom they are the better team but Graham has a mental edge on them that they must overcome to get it done. Ridgeview is the enigma here because there is talent there but in bigger games it seems they do not show up like you would expect.
I did not leave out other teams that have rightfully had very good seasons as a slight to them, but I do feel pedigree and overall legacy does play a part in current success. As it stands to me there are legitimately 7 teams that could hoist the trophy in Salem. I would say region D and B have the most depth but Glenvar and Poquoson may benefit from those regions bludgeoning each other to get to the state semis. Either way they dont play on paper so in the end the best team should stand on the top step of the podium as the state champion.
I don't necessarily disagree with you but Calpreps does. Calpreps is Not God and gets it wrong plenty of times, but Calpreps would shock you a bit.
Southampton 41, King William 22
Bruton 27, King William 14
Poquoson 35, King William 10
Poquoson 35, Southampton 28
Poquoson 27, Bruton 14
I like KW and respect their program and always have. I'm not sold KW is the 2nd Best team in Region A. They are far more Popular than Southampton and Bruton to Region B, C, and D fans and these fans know far more about them, but I'm not 100 percent sold they automatically are the 2nd best team in Region A. With that written I respect KW enough to know that it's no surprise if they were to come out of Region A, but again Southampton and Bruton are good football teams too, just unpopular and few know little about them. Glance at Southampton on video and the speed and size is alarming.
I will say that I somewhat agree and is why I added the little paragraph at the end. Performance over time indicates culture which can sometimes overcome the computer models that look at scores and does thousands of comparisons that we as humans just overlook at times. But I will just throw it out there that while these teams have a great chance, if there is a game in region A and KW is involved, they are likely going to be in it and have a punchers chance of winning.
Union is 7-3. Sky is falling completely. Not so fast my friend. A 7-3 Union will beat Graham in the region and win the semi game, and then play for the stste championship.
