Who's the favorites for 2017?
- Thread starter OCBoy
- Start date
West I'd put
1. Salem
2. Sherando
3. GW Danville
4. Charlottesville
5. JF
East
1. Dinwiddie
1. Lake Taylor
3. Courtland
4. Louisa
5. EV
1. Salem
2. Sherando
3. GW Danville
4. Charlottesville
5. JF
East
1. Dinwiddie
1. Lake Taylor
3. Courtland
4. Louisa
5. EV
I don't know if I'm ready to do the research quite yet on other teams but Salem will be good again next year, will be in the mix. J V team 10-0 two sophomores playing significant minutes on varsity, quite a few juniors who are major contributors on both sides of ball.
Byrd should be pretty strong again next year. I agree with JF... think they will make a strong return.
At this point, I can't see anyone else stepping up and winning the East besides Dinwiddie/LT.
I think JF will be very good next year. They were competitive against some really good teams with a very young team. Salem and Sherando will be the top 2 teams IMO. EC Glass will be good too.
Could Salem actually get to the State Finals four years in a row? Yep, they will have a chance. A lot will depend on the development at qb. Salem will have to replace a very very good one in Noah Beckley
Isn't Dinwiddie losing a ton of play makers?
Pope, Lil Pope, Josiah Williams, Joseph Tyree, Sturdivant are the ones off top I know return. I feel like their offense may be more dynamic with Lil Pope at QB. Witt's a big loss but I think the younger Pope will make that offense real scary with his running ability. RIP defenses against that read option.
Losing a few, but certainly not being decimated. Good seniors are tough to replace, but everybody does every year. We have a strong junior and sophomore class this season, so it's not doom and gloom. Petey Pope may well be the biggest surprise to most next year. He is a big time athlete, like his big brother.
What we will miss, (and it is what affects every team every year), is the loss of strong senior leadership. But again, every team deals with this every year.
Just as a side note, JT's mom sang our National Anthem, Friday past. What a strong, beautiful voice that woman has.
EV will be tough next year. Think they are returning 15 of 22 starters. Strong JV program as they won the district championship again. Will be a challenge moving to Battlefield District where you do not have many easy weeks on the schedule.
I'm going to count my chickens before they hatch and say Sherando has a shot at ending up 10-0 next season. Martinsburg has won 5 of the last 7 AAA state championships in West Virginia, but lately it's been competitive between the two teams, including the 35-28 Martinsburg win this past season. Every other team Martinsburg beat by at least 27, including a 49-7 massacre in the state final game.
I think the Warriors have a chance at them in 2017, and if they can beat the Bulldogs they'll have no trouble with anyone else on the schedule I shouldn't think.
I don't know enough about the East to make a good judgment, but in the West I think Salem, Sherando, Charlottesville, Jefferson Forest, Byrd, and GW Danville will be in the mix, and probably at least one school from LoCo.
I think the Warriors have a chance at them in 2017, and if they can beat the Bulldogs they'll have no trouble with anyone else on the schedule I shouldn't think.
I don't know enough about the East to make a good judgment, but in the West I think Salem, Sherando, Charlottesville, Jefferson Forest, Byrd, and GW Danville will be in the mix, and probably at least one school from LoCo.
I have no clue about most of the west, but I have seen, Salem and Sherando play and they should be very good. William Byrd returns Basham and One Man's Black Knights should be fine. I feel like the same old characters will stand tall in the West. Think GW Danville will make a sound showing next season as well, but just not sure where they will land. Top ten or top five in the west? What you say DSH?
I will give the east a shot (no specific order) and I will disagree with an earlier comment by @Hoos05 about the 2016 season being there best chance. Louisa will be a major threat next season provided they fix a few defensive woes.Traditional powers like Lafayette and Chancellor lose a ton of star power, so I will reserve judgment on them for now.
East: Louisa (that offense), Monacan (Fludd is back), Lake Taylor (always there), Eastern View (numerous returning starters), Dinwiddie (skill players are there), and my surprise team Powhatan who has a sound nucleus back. I realize Courtland was very young and they gained a ton of experience this season, but I believe 2018 will be the year they return to the top five of the class. They will be good just not a threat for the east title.
I will give the east a shot (no specific order) and I will disagree with an earlier comment by @Hoos05 about the 2016 season being there best chance. Louisa will be a major threat next season provided they fix a few defensive woes.Traditional powers like Lafayette and Chancellor lose a ton of star power, so I will reserve judgment on them for now.
East: Louisa (that offense), Monacan (Fludd is back), Lake Taylor (always there), Eastern View (numerous returning starters), Dinwiddie (skill players are there), and my surprise team Powhatan who has a sound nucleus back. I realize Courtland was very young and they gained a ton of experience this season, but I believe 2018 will be the year they return to the top five of the class. They will be good just not a threat for the east title.
Sherando will be back in the mix. This years tough schedule will reap benefits next season. They have some tremendous young players.
Your right Lafayette loses both RB and Grimsley- about 95% of the points scored. But 4 of those 5 offensive lineman, the T/E and Qb are back. Two of the 4 defensive lineman return with one L/B- the rest graduate! Plenty to replace. JV was 8-1 so the hope is to be very good but I don't think at this years level. A guess? 8-2 .
Monacan should be good again next year. Both Syour Fludd and Kraig Bridy are returning who accounted for 50+ TD's this season. Losing a few senior receivers manly Austin Snellings who came out of nowhere this year to have a great season. DeAndre Williams will be a big loss at linebacker / TE / RB. Almost our whole line will be back. We had 16 sophomores on varsity last year and 20 Jr's so we should be in the mix again. Chiefs have a overall lack of size as a team so that is really an Achilles heel but I am not sure you can just fix that. We'll have plenty of athletes though and will put up a lot of points next year again. If we can find one or two premium receivers for Fludd next year lookout.
I think Danville will be good. They had a lot of freshmen and sophomores playing this year. BN for me it's hard to question their talent, but I do question their focus every year. They get to play JF, Amherst and LCA next season so we'll get to see if they're for real early. They return 9 on defense and 10 on offense and most will be juniors next year. The schedule will be the hardest since they played Varina, Reidsville and Amherst back in the mid-late 2000s. Do they have the talent to be considered a top 5 team? Yes sir they do. But having talent and wanting it are 2 different things. A lot of work to do this off-season for the Danville boys my friend.
Heritage will be good, they get almost everyone back
Thanks DSH. I know you were young and just didnt know how much the lads matured this year. As usual thanks for being honest.
@mbonape1, sand bagging lol. You guys are going to be sick. Love your humble attitude. I just hope we can avoid you guys nect season until it matters. Our side of the bracket was brutal. Louisa, Monacan, Dinwiddie, young Courtland team and cross over with LT. I am greatful to be where we are and healthy. You and Hoos05 should be able to talk smack all season long.
Yes ma'am they will be good. I'm looking for them, Glass, Amherst and JF to lead the Seminole next year.
Yeah we got served a severe piece of humble pie a few weeks back. So if we are talking about being in the conversation I think we will do that. But if we talking about potentially "wearing the belt" I need to hold off on those type of statements. That pie didn't taste too good by the way!
You know something? We need to recommend Coach Henderson for a job at a nice 5a or 6a school somewhere. I'm tired of having to worry about his team every year.
Actually, I love it that we have the potential to match up with him each year. Seeing him and Coach Mills standing at mid-field talking after the game this year, when almost everybody had gone, was almost like a scene from a movie.
Things will get interesting with the new playoff format with the region matchups so it definitely will be interesting
Amherst had a good JV and with the QB back Amherst should be fine maybe not the speed. I really do think we had the team this year to win state but it just didn't happen
DP.... How about Dinwiddie just join the west?? I mean hell your already scheduling them for REGULAR SEASON games lol. Might as well add a few more
LOL. What we needed to do was be smart like Amherst and schedule a FL team! And I would have settled for a team down in Myrtle Beach. Heck, I would even go along with something along the OBX. Look out beach, here I come in my European Speedo! (I know ClarkeFan, more brain bleach!)
Truthfully, the stars have lined up pretty good for the Salem matchup next season. As if Salem needed any reason to bolster their home crowd, whatever happens this Saturday guarantees an added dimension to the game next September.
Incidentally, keeping with the original topic, I'll mention Smithfield. "gwb16" can better explain why the wheels came off in the playoffs for them, but they were, and will be a decent team. They are one of our OOD games next year, so both of us will get a challenge early in the season.
BTW, our other OOD opponent will be Denbigh.
Another potential top team next year is newcomer to 4a, Patrick Henry of Ashland. They are moving down from 5a. I don't know what kind of talent they are losing to graduation, but they have been much improved in recent years. PH was a perennial powerhouse during the Coach Long era. (He retired a few years back). Many of our regular 4a forum members may not know much about them, but don't discount them when you put together your list of potential playoff teams for next season.
Truthfully, the stars have lined up pretty good for the Salem matchup next season. As if Salem needed any reason to bolster their home crowd, whatever happens this Saturday guarantees an added dimension to the game next September.
Incidentally, keeping with the original topic, I'll mention Smithfield. "gwb16" can better explain why the wheels came off in the playoffs for them, but they were, and will be a decent team. They are one of our OOD games next year, so both of us will get a challenge early in the season.
BTW, our other OOD opponent will be Denbigh.
Another potential top team next year is newcomer to 4a, Patrick Henry of Ashland. They are moving down from 5a. I don't know what kind of talent they are losing to graduation, but they have been much improved in recent years. PH was a perennial powerhouse during the Coach Long era. (He retired a few years back). Many of our regular 4a forum members may not know much about them, but don't discount them when you put together your list of potential playoff teams for next season.
Hunter Hart is a kid I've been following for the past 2 years and they have big lines with nice skill guys. They should be a top 4-5 seed in the East. They will be battletested as they play with HS, Lee Davis, Hanover, Varina, etc.
Last edited:
They should end up with darn good power points. That is a potent schedule.
PH is one of those teams I've always wished Louisa would take a crack at playing. They're right down the road from Mineral, could turn into a decent rivalry.
You are right Hoos. Louisa plays PH in every other sport. Could be a very nice rivalry for you guys. I hope we add them as well in two years.
PH Ashland will at the very least be a decent ball club in 4A year in and year out. With PH Ashland / Dinwiddie / Hanover / Monacan the richmond region will be tough. Believe it or not I really think you will see a re-emergence of Huguenot in a few years. They have that brand new school and state of the art staduim and there JV team was pretty good. Plus if you are a kid living in South Richmond that is any good at football where else are you going to? George Wythe? I think you find a way to get to Hug. Don't let the Falcons get rolling again bc if they do look out. Not sure how many of you remember the 90's HS football in the Central Region but they were a power. Don't think for a second there aren't a lot of good athletes who will come out of the wood-works should they get a little momentum.
I'm curious as to why you think Sherando and JF will be one of the top 5 teams in the west next year? JF was 2-8 this year and Sherando was 5-5 and neither made the playoffs this year.
Glass will probably be pretty darn good too. They have 10 starters back on both sides of the ball from a 6-4 team this year.
Sherando was 16 points away from being 9-1 and is returning nearly every crucial starter.
I agree Shruikan. Saw them play this year and they have some offensive talent. Hamspear, also made a sound point regarding the need to shore up the defense. The Warriors will be a factor next season
