Week 1

[Counts]

Just wondering how you guys see week 1 without putting your views on the main board

Here is how I see week 1

Appalachia @ Castlewood - Appy is a better team this year and CW is rebuilding I look for Appy to start this season off with a win (Appy by 14)

Coeburn @ Clintwood - Clintwood may have lost a bit of the edge they have enjoyed in the running game but this could be the best passing team the Wave has had in MANY years which could make drawing up a gameplan to stop the Wave O a nightmare for many teams......Coeburn is one of these teams (Clintwood by 28)

J.I. Burton @ Rye Cove - I have been told by several folks that RC may suprise Burton and while I think that they WILL make a good account of themselfs I just do not see Burton loseing this game (Burton by 21)

J.J. Kelly @ Thomas Walker - You would THINK that a week 1 matchup between 2 teams that were in the playoffs last season would be one of the top games of the week.......NO Kelly should have this one under control early (Kelly by 28)

Pound @ Morgan County, KY - Will the Pound team that shocked Haysi (in a 3 way scrimage) show up or will the Pound team that got took to the wood shed by that same Haysi team (34-0 before starters were pulled in the 3rd) the following week......It is very possable that Pound may be a Jeckell and Hide team this season that with the fact I know nothing about Morgan County I will say (Pound by 7)

Powell Valley @ Lee High - Game of the week? Not sure about that......I know this has been a tight game the last 2 seasons however I think PV is takeing that next step this season and Lee may be going the other way (PV by 21)

Other games....
Ervinton @ Hurley - Hurley if there fans can be belived think this is there best team in 15 years.....Ervinton on the other hand has lost 19 of there last 20 games and I do not see that changeing at this point (Hurley by 35)

Gate City @ Richlands - So long as GC can keep there QB healthy I think they will be a tough date for anyone.......Well anyone but Richlands (Richlands by 21)

George Wythe @ Tazewell - GW looks to be down (Taz by 14)

Graham @ Bluefield - Graham is not the same team they were before Carlocks passing (Bluefield by 28)

Grundy @ Twin Valley - Grundy is better than they have been the last few years but still NOT VERY GOOD....TV will give ervindon a run for the worst team in Region D this season (Grundy by 28)

Holston @ St. Paul - Holston is not a bad team and they could give the good Region D teams a run for there money.....and without there QB I do not think St Paul is a good team (Holston by 28)

Honaker @ Lebanon - Honaker is as bad as I have ever seen them and i am not sure why......Lebanon despit a poor preseason showing is the Div 2 team to beat this season (Lebanon by 42)

John Battle @ Twin Springs - With nothing more than the thought that there new coach may turn things around (Battle by 7)

Marion @ Chilhowie - I hear Marion is down (Chihowie by 14)

Sullivan Central @ Virginia High - I think VHS is the most intreaging team in region D this season and while I DO think they will be hit and miss a bit it shoule be more hit than miss (VHS by 14)

[1inStripes]

Clintwood will have their way with Coeburn.

CW is way down from what I am hearing. Appy looked good last Friday but their competition was terrible. Appy by all they want.

JI Burton should win at the Cove, but it should be the most competitive game in a few years. I would like to see RC try to pound the middle with their big freshman FB to help Vikara get some creases on the outside later in the game.

From the sounds on the reservation it sounds like they should whip TW easily. TW lost their featured players and I see that being a tough replacement for them.

Who knows between Pound and Morgan County.

After working the PV/TN High scrimmage, I am going with Lee High. Upset I guess since Lee didn't score last week and PV scored at will. PV also gave up points at will to VA High though. I have a feeling that Graham may out tote Pinkston for Coomers first win.

Hurley returns a lot, and Ervinton is still lacking football players. Hurley by alot.

Interesting matchup between GC/Richlands. Gotta give the Tornado the edge playing at Ernie Hicks, but I think it could be a really good game. Lots of eyes watching those Johnson kids that transferred from Big Creek.

Tazewell/GW seems like its always close. GW looked pretty good from what I heard last Friday. I will still take Taz with a proven coach to start the season.

Grundy just outnumbers TV. TV just doesn't have enough football players. They have some people with potential, but Crigger has to teach them fundamentals way too late in the game.

SP has some athletic kids split out, but Holston should roll to open the season.

Honaker is back to the building blocks like they were the year after Miller graduated. Lebanon big.

John Battle and Twin Springs should be a competitive game to get the season started. TS's line will need some work I believe, and will give JSB the nod in this one.

Marion and Chilhowie both lost a lot of key players off of last years team. Neither should be close to the teams they put on the field the year before. Edge Chilhowie since they are playing at home.

Sullivan Central got started last week against North. Moved the ball a little at the end. This could be a high scoring game if VA High plays D like last week. I will take Central since they have the first game jitters out of the way.

[UTVols2]

I can't remember but I think I saw somewhere that Vikara might not play due to a death in the family. Not for sure if accurate or not, but could have a big affect on the RC's play. Also the field conditions are not going to be working in Burton's favor so this one could be closer than most would think. Burton still has some timing issues with the QB and field conditions could make that worse so we will see. Hopefully Burton comes out on top!!!!

[1inStripes]

What field condition issues?

Yeah, Vikara had a death in the family. If he's out, RC has very little chance of keeping it competitive I am afraid.

[Ironlung]

I've never seen the kid play and this is in no way a slam, but he doesn't look like a player in the paper. He looks like a little kid.

[UTVols2]

From the forecast that I have seen 80% chance of rain all day tomorrow and then 60% tomorrow night so seems like the field could be a little slippery. And that does not bode well for the jet.......Guess Ward and Malik Miles will get quite a few carries up the gut. Plus a wet and slippery ball is not the exact way you want to break in your qb's....

[Ironlung]

From the forecast that I have seen 80% chance of rain all day tomorrow and then 60% tomorrow night so seems like the field could be a little slippery.

Counts will be thanking me tomorrow night for all of my hard work last week to keep him dry. BTW Counts, I bought some zip ties.

[1inStripes]

I have not seen him in person, but have seen him on film a few times. Vikara plays with a chip on his shoulder/attitude. It got him in trouble 2 years ago getting booted off the team. Glen R. Phillips looked like a little kid too, so did Jason Peterson who played at RC with me, but Vikara is similar to them. Small package (although Vikara has beefed up this summer) but pretty dynamic and isnt afraid to come up and hit somebody.


As for the field, RCs shouldnt be in too bad of shape. They have bermuda on it since the last time JIB visited so its not the mudhole it used to be. They generally don't have a drainage issue unless its just a continous downpour. The rain here at the house last night won't affect the field too much.

[UTVols2]

As for the field, RCs shouldnt be in too bad of shape. They have bermuda on it since the last time JIB visited so its not the mudhole it used to be. They generally don't have a drainage issue unless its just a continous downpour. The rain here at the house last night won't affect the field too much.

Good to hear stripes, good to hear.... I didn't know you all got Bermuda......also I hope you don't think I was just trashing Rye Coves field.....I was just kinda thinking out loud in general when Burton plays in the rain, normally sloppy fields don't do well with the jet because of the 1 hard cut the backs have to make.

Now Appy's field on the other hand...... I still crack up at a couple of years ago when they didn't cut the grass for about 3 weeks kinda like Notre Dame did to USC when USC squeeked out a W by Bush pushing Leinhart in the endzone. I swear I lost a couple of players in the height of the grass......Who knew Appy could grow grass down there

[1inStripes]

Oh I know man. The folks out there have put a lot of time and effort into improving the facilities. They have built a new locker room and weight room beside the stadium, and last summer disced the old field and sprigged it with bermuda. It has a few rough spots where it didn't smooth down extremely well, but it is much improved. My last two years of HS and a few after that, it wasn't much different than Appys. It would be a complete dust bowl in September/October.

I think I worked the game you are talking about, because the grass was seeded out in places where it hadn't been cut in so long. You are right though, it was the most grass I had seen on an Appy field before.

Have a safe trip over to the Cove. If I wasn't heading up 81 I would invite you over to the house before hand.