The loneliest season is almost over (LOL we had a semi long topic on 7-8 year old softball things were bleak to say the least)
And a rehash of preseason football thoughts are more fun than 90% of spring sports topics
LPD
Appy - This is the season that this team truly becomes Auston's team and not the team that Turner left for Auston.
(Strong Points - Leedy, Appy always has a back that is money in a situation you need 3 yards with or without a line blocking and in Leedy that is exactly what Appy has without a doubt the best short yardage back in the district, add in the Appy work ethic and you will see Appy win game just buy outlasting the other team in a game of field position)
(Weak Points - Appy is never blesed with a great deal of speed and even though they have shown that can be overcome it is still a weak point, Losses on the LOS will have to be addressed for Appys grind it out offence to be effective)
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Burton - They have been exactly what you work to build you program into (3 straight trips to the State Championship game how many other teams have done that?)
(Strong points - Speed, Speed Speed at the skill positions they are probably the fastest skill positions in SWVA, And experience heck this years seniors have played in 12 playoff games in the last 3 years regardless of the situation they will have been there and done that before and should be tough to rattle)
(Weak points - The line as several folks have pointed out Burton having speed is NOT new but having a good/great line to go alone with that speed has been a new wrinkle and graduation hit that position hard, Depth is there other weak point a key injury can hurt ANY team but a Key injury to a small school can end up shaking up the entire lineup with shifting players around to fill that position)
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Clintwood - They were a very young team that came on strong after a bumpy start to the season and should be poised to make a run at a district title
(Strong Points - Lots of solid players that got a ton of experience playing last season Clintwood should be able field a team on both O and D that have at least some starting time under there belt, Overall they should be a much stronger team than last season)
(Weak points - DL is a question mark with the loss of CJ while there are several kids that saw a lot of PT last season at that position there are few that can do what he could at that position)
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Pound - I do not know what to expect from Pound IMHO they were looking at a tough season BEFORE several of there players skipped town and there coach hung it up.
(Strong points - Coaching, Crabtree is still a young coach so I am still not 100% sure what to expect from him but he took a Ervinton team that were cellar dwellers in the Cumberland and won a piece of the district championship in his 3rd year there Crabtree is a great motivator and should be able to get the most from his players but may need 2 or 3 years to get the job done at pound)
(Weak points - The LPD is not the Cumberland and it will be much tougher to make Pound a LPD contender than it was to make Ervinton a CD champ, Pound lost a lot of talented kids to graduation and transfers add to that the fact that Wise Co SB did not hire Crabtree until AFTER schools was over for the summer the Pound coaches may not know what to expect from there team until the first day of practice)
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PV - look to be loaded and now that some of there off season problems are behind them I look for them to make a Legit run at a 9th state championship
(Strong points - should be there skill players and there spread O that tend to ware down other teams that have DBs that go both ways)
(Weak Points - Off field issues that have seemed to have popped up over the last few years that can become a distraction if they follow the team into the season and there O that lacks a TRUE power game which could be a problem in bad weather or in a tight game)
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Wise - This could BI's make or break season if Wise does not finish the year at least at .500 I look for the wheels of change to start rolling
(Strong points - Wise is running a simple system that tends to get a lot out of the kids in the system add to that the fact that Wise have picked up some of the better players from Pound and you have what could be the LPD dark-horse this season)
(Weak points - The system that Wise is running will need to be expanded to give them a shot in games in which there opponent gets out to an early lead)
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