An hour into the day

1 AM. Will be getting in a vehicle in 5 hours and hitting the road. Would love to sleep but kind of wonder if I will. Too nervous, too excited, too worried, too thrilled, it goes from one emotion to another and back again.

Everything I allow myself to think we can or will win, I fear that we can't or won't. It's a battle of wanting to be optimistic but not wanting to be overly confident or anything.

I know we're coached well, and prepared and that's all you can do. I'm sure they know that they are as well, and think they will win.

Hopefully a good long drought for the LPD ends and a longer drought for Clintwood ends.

If not, there will be tears of disappointment, lots of upset people, but at the end, a lot of pride still will be held. By the players, by the fans, by the community. Hopefully its a parade with a State Championship attached. If not, then its still a parade with a bunch of great players who battled, strived and tried to their best, and fell a bit short. Lessons are learned one way the other, you learn about hard work and dedication or you learn that someone is a bit better or that those mistakes you didn't work on as much as you should have, came back to bite you.

Go Big Green.

You're winners no matter what, but lets hope the mission is classified as complete success.

I wish i was going

Heading out the door in a few to watch the Green Wave bring this badboy back home




By Spencer Campbell
Sports Writer / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: December 5, 2008

Clintwood coach Rick Mullins got a surprise last Saturday after his team's 41-21 win against Holston in the state semifinals.

He learned that his team would play Franklin, not William Campbell, for the Virginia High School League Group A, Division 1 championship.

"William Campbell all year long has been the top of the class in Division 1,"? Mullins said in his post-game remarks. "[Franklin] must be a heck of a team to beat William Campbell."?

Four days of Franklin film study proved Mullins' contention correct.

"They are a big, big team,"? Mullins said on Wednesday. "They might have a little more size than us, but I think we have a bit more speed."?

When the Greenwave plays Franklin at noon today in Salem, Va., spectators will be treated to yet another installment of the age-old gridiron debate: Size or speed?

If this were the SEC Championship, the Greenwave would be cast as the Florida Gators: combining serious star power with lethal speed.

On offense, Clintwood is keyed by senior running back Chris Robinson, who has rushed for 1,698 yards and 27 touchdowns through the state semifinals.

However, the Greenwave attack is augmented by quarterback Heath Counts' ability to deliver the football to a stable of athletic wide receivers. Through the Holston game, the senior has passed for 1,235 yards and 18 touchdowns, with only three interceptions.

As gaudy as those numbers might be, this Clintwood squad reached the title game because of its defense. The speedy Greenwave held opponents to 11.5 points per game.

The Clintwood instigator on that side of the ball is Alec Osborne, an outside linebacker who also returns kicks. Using a collection of stunts put in by defensive coordinator Kent
Grant, Osborne collected 28 tackles for loss and eight sacks during the regular season.

"We've got a lot of team speed,"? Mullins said, "and that makes us pretty darn tough on defense. We'll see if it's enough to get around [Franklin's] big offensive line."?

That would make Franklin the equivalent of Alabama: a collection of unsung athletes molded around a gigantic offensive line.

Franklin powered its way through the regular season at 8-2, but didn't even win its own district after losing to 32-6 to Tri-Rivers champ Sussex.

Utilizing the Power-I formation, the Broncos rarely throw the ball. Quarterback Donzell Shearin has attempted only 49 passes, completing 22 for 693 yards and seven touchdowns.

Franklin might not pass much, but when the defense is lulled to sleep and the safeties begin creeping toward the line, the Broncos like to slip in deep, game-changing pass patterns.

Derrick Thompson's 70-yard, third-quarter touchdown catch from Shearin provided the winning margin in Franklin's 22-21 upset of William Campbell last Saturday.

Most of the time, however, Franklin is content to mash the defense with a straight-ahead running game crafted out of the I-formation, combined with some single-wing plays.

This type of offense appears destined to produce 1,000-yard backs, something Franklin is conspicuously short on. The Bronco's leading runner is Isaiah Hudson, who has 968 yards on 146 carries.

"We're humble,"? Franklin coach Darren Parker said this week. "We never talk about [individuals] in the paper. It's always the team. Everyone has a job to do, and if they do it 100 percent, we'll be fine."?

It's appropriate then that the strength of this team ? both on offense and defense ? is the line. The hulking frames of Justin Everett, Lacurt Boone, Daquan Frazier, Lamon Davenport and Deandre McNeil combine to produce a unit that averages 252 pounds per man.

That's about 30 pounds heavier than the Clintwood line. As Mullins said earlier, all the speed in the world will do the Greenwave defense no good if it wrecks itself on the rocks of Franklin.

"It feels great to be playing well right now,"? said Parker, whose team has avenged both of its regular season losses during the playoffs. "The kids know the system, and the kids are peaking right now.

"It's going to be physical game between two rush offenses."?

It's right there that Mullins feels he has an opportunity. The Clintwood coach makes no bones about the Bronco defense ? it's going to be very difficult to crack.

But in the Bronco offense he's seen a crack in the dam, a spot of dark ice.

What is this flaw, this opening for the Clintwood defense? Nice try.

"I think I'll hold on to that for now,"? Mullins said.
[email protected]|(276) 645-2543

Rock,you are feeling the same way that I did back a few months ago. I was at my Mom's in Hillsville,tossing,turning,trying not to wake the kids,but I was so excited about the day coming at Radford. It all went away when I woke up the next morning. I was grinning from ear to ear,because unlike some other days at Radford,I just had the feeling that today was our day. I told my eldest as we got in the car "Let's go watch our Indians win another state title". As we got to the Dedmon Center,I remember looking at Garrett Amburgey's dad,and he had the same smile as he said "This is our day friend". Even when we were down 9-5,and the folks from Essex were saying "This one's over",I could see the fire in Matt and Dev's,and J-Will's,and the rest of the TRIBE's eyes,and I knew a rally was coming.

There's no better sports thrill at any level than seeing that state title hoisted and honking the horns back to the house. I have seen many of my sports teams-college,Pro..etc win championships,but none are any more exciting than VHSL state championship day. Fists in the air,no voice left,hugs,and tears. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Like our baseballers,I fully expect the Wave footballers to be in a dogfight today,a war to see who's [richard] is bigger than who's so to speak (as my good friend and co-worker from C-Wood said). Like I felt a few months ago,I feel today. This is your time Green Wave. This is what you have worked your asses of for. This is unfinished business. I got my K hat on with my LPD PRIDE on the back,and it's time to head out the door. A heavyweight fight is coming-ring the bell biotches! Go Big Green!

I hope you guys bring the gold back home today. It's been a long time coming. My wife had surgery Monday and is home resting, or I would be heading up myself. Again good luck and have safe trip.

Tidal wave coming in this afternoon.

Good Luck-Clintwood!
GO GREEN WAVE!