Appalachia, Powell Valley, and Football

I know it is still yet to happen but IF the two schools are combined and the kids play I will actually be excited about football for the first time in 3-4 years. Am I the only one that has thought of this?

Jake Huff
Evan Orr
Josh Chandler
Mekayah Davis
Nathan Baker
Dalton Tackett
Tyler Barker
Austin Stidham
Dakota Jessee
Chase Christian
Tanner Clark
Zack Barker
Shannon Barker

We may not win, we may fight tooth and nail but if these kids play together it may actually help smooth some of this entire mess over. That team has the potential to contend for a regional title in my opinion.

I've obviously left some kids out but thinking off the top of your head it's hard to remember football kids, especially in February. Appalachia folk, wasn't there a very large junior class last year?

Way I hear it St. Paul, Appy and Pound are DONE. And I still wouldn't bank on many of the appy kids going to PV, not many of the athletes anyway

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Originally Posted by Skeletor

Way I hear it St. Paul, Appy and Pound are DONE. And I still wouldn't bank on many of the appy kids going to PV, not many of the athletes anyway

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If they want to play sports they will.

I want to make two points of emphasis really quick.

As a former grad of PV, I am honestly extremely happy over consolidation. I am also extremely happy that when the two schools combine together, meaning PV and Appalachia, the school will actually be renamed something different. I truly believe that if the school board wanted to do something to honor the memory of the schools, build a corridor dedicated to the alumni of both PV and Appalachia together. Put both of their state trophys in one case together. Show the kids the unity of what they can be together. Put a Appy football helmet and a PV football helmet side by sidewith a football helmet of the new team and logo and colors right in the middle of them. The kids should be proud to know that they come from a heritage of champions. That unified they can be so much stronger together.

And two....this is all about our kids educational futures. If PV and Appy can come together and graduate some of our countys best and brightest....they will be able to go out and talk to others about how after decades long rivalry.....two schools came together and showed the rest of the county and the state of Virginia how proud they are to be graduates of ----------------- High School. A school that was formed from the proud heritage and tradition of two of Southwest Virginias most well known institutions.

There will be one main problem to it failing if it does. Those people in Wise County who live in their glory days from 50 and 60 years back and even 20 or 3p years back who talk about how good they were back in the day. Guess what? Those days are gone and you can't do anything to change them. Don't tried to weild your past on the future of your county. Its called being a control freak and having a control problem. It means for all of you who are so proud and know you're so much better being separate entities....you are the most scared of all. You are yellow as bright as the sun in one area. You are so proud to be from either PV or Appy....but yet.... you are afraid of change. And you don't want your kids going to school with each other because all they have ever heard you brainwash them and teach them is "you hate Bulldogs"...."you hate Vikings".

If the people of this county can be proud people to be from Wise County for once in their life. Not from a city in the county...but to be from Wise County itself....and promote this coming together of our kids for their education success.....I truly believe you will see true harmony as well on the athletic field or court. With the right attitude things will only get much better for us all.

PVVIkings2006 took the words straight from my mouth. I tire of hearing "but the Appalachia kids won't get playing time because it's a bigger school." If they keep doing what they are supposed to do for the starting position then they should get it. If they come to Powell Valley next fall, the new coach will be an Appalachia alumnus, Travis Turner. Who knows? Maybe it will be the big break for some of these Appalachia athletes.

If Appy students come to PV, then as a graduate, I welcome them aboard PV.

Parents don't need to be teaching their kids to hate someone just because they go or went to a certain high school.

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Originally Posted by collegetrumpet2010

PVVIkings2006 took the words straight from my mouth. I tire of hearing "but the Appalachia kids won't get playing time because it's a bigger school." If they keep doing what they are supposed to do for the starting position then they should get it. If they come to Powell Valley next fall, the new coach will be an Appalachia alumnus, Travis Turner. Who knows? Maybe it will be the big break for some of these Appalachia athletes.

If Appy students come to PV, then as a graduate, I welcome them aboard PV.

Parents don't need to be teaching their kids to hate someone just because they go or went to a certain high school.

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Son, you seem to forget that P.V. won't exist next year either, it will have a new name as per Dr. Perry's statement.

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Originally Posted by collegetrumpet2010

PVVIkings2006 took the words straight from my mouth. I tire of hearing "but the Appalachia kids won't get playing time because it's a bigger school." If they keep doing what they are supposed to do for the starting position then they should get it. If they come to Powell Valley next fall, the new coach will be an Appalachia alumnus, Travis Turner. Who knows? Maybe it will be the big break for some of these Appalachia athletes.

If Appy students come to PV, then as a graduate, I welcome them aboard PV.

Parents don't need to be teaching their kids to hate someone just because they go or went to a certain high school.

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I have no doubt that the kids from Pound will get a fair shot at spots when they come. Coaches like B.I. want to win and could care less whether the kid lives on Lake Street or Bold Camp. The kids are put in a tough spot,and it is up to all to make the best of a rough situation. I,as will some other parents will be urging the kids from Wise to welcome these kids from Pound in with open arms.

Collegetrumpet.....thank you....and also collegetrumpet.....do you see what I mean? No where ...not once did I say that Appalachia would be coming to PV to become Vikings. I said when the students graduate from ----------------- High School......MEANING. I don't have a clue what the name of the new high school will be...........they should be proud to be graduates of this new school....NOT PV.

The only kids who think they will be graduating from PV if they go to the new named school will be those yellow bellied people whose kids go there (whether they are PV kids or Appy kids). Whose parents are telling them behind closed doors......."hey...you are really going to PV always remember that".....or "hey.....do you realize you will be going to what used to be PV?"

Its a gosh dang building made of stupid brick for christs sake......what makes a school is the POSITiVE and ENTHUSIASTIC hope inside the building which will be our KIDS! Its two TOWNS becoming ONE force together! When everyone takes off your stupid natural tunnel glasses and get all the stupidity out of your sense brains.....only then will you realize exactly how great this can be. Until then Wise County NEVER be what you want it to be. LEE CO is just now starting to figure it out. Let's not be like them and wait 22 years before our kids realize......"hey...you know what? This is a pretty cool thing....all of s coming together like this."

The one word that can bring Wise County to its humble knees and break the egos of all the political in their egotistical mind big wigs......CHANGE.


Before our country became strong....they said let's be together...but stay as 13 separate entities.......that was called the articles of confederation and it failed miserably. If Britain had the resources to attack us then....they would have and won handily. Because everyone would be fighting for their own state instead of ONE nation! Juntil we consolidate for our kids..... we will NOT be as strong as we can be for our kids.

The facts are the facts! Don't read what you want to read or hear what you want to hear. Take off the tunnel vision sized glasses and open up your dense brains and realize that Wise County kids are the most important thing here.......don't have the Al Bundy mentality....being the loser who "scored four touchdowns ina game vs. Pound one year. Who gives a -----) I want to think about my kid who graduates from so and so school and becomes a pharmacist and had a great career as whatever kiind of athlete he wanted to be. Heck we might gain a swimming pool and have a swim team come from this. Think of all the opportunities.....its limitless. You have to dream a lil bit.

I like what was said before. If they shut down the small schools or if they build new ones, I think they need to reflect the history of the former schools. Have a few display cases in the front lobby with old jerseys, helmets, etc...

What to do with some of the former great athletes will be interesting. do you forget them? recognize just the top few?

Why everyone gets so caught up in acting like they are going to be forgotten is beyond me......everyone asking..... you talk about people forgetting athletes from the schools like they need some sort of special attention for the rest of their lives. The past is over....kaput. There is nothing you can do to change the past. No one will forget the past....I have heard all kinds of stories of the stonega stallion yet when I walk in appalachia high school....I don't see pictures lining the walls of their great individual athletes.....instead I see pictures of great teams....and that's great too. Use a little give and take here.... while students will be going to the old PV high school....take all the pictures of the teams and athletes from Appalachia and PV and put them all in the Appalachia HS building and make it like a community museum/center for the new "community" of students to be able to go through and visit. They gym at Appalachia can be used as a place for the boys and girls to play and the place can become useful for the community. There are so many things you can do....you just have to use some creativity.

noone has mentioned some of these kids coming to norton? how would that affect nortons sports??

It probably wouldnt do much the first year, but raise their numbers. Unless the kids changed residents, they wouldn't be legal for a year.

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Originally Posted by 1inStripes

... Unless the kids changed residents...

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So much easier than I think people are realizing this is done yearly by 1 or 2 kids all over the state.. if say, 10 kids from 2 different schools approached JJ Kelly or PV (or whatever they are gonna be called next year) or even J.I. Burton and looked to make a transfer swap and residence change, its as simple as 1, 2, 3.... If they don't CHOOSE to go to what is Currently PV or JJ Kelly they can very easily go anywhere else they want. Wait and see. :2thumbsup:

thats what i was thinking also, if they leave after school ends what is the rule for sitting out is it a year? or will it be shorter where the schools will be null and void?i always thought they had to have like 15 practices or something like that

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Originally Posted by shwalker32

thats what i was thinking also, if they leave after school ends what is the rule for sitting out is it a year? or will it be shorter where the schools will be null and void?i always thought they had to have like 15 practices or something like that

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Without a move they by rule have to sit out 365 days.

That being said it is not that hard to fudge the truth.... However if they are ever caught the VHSL would probably deal with the offending school in much the same way they handled Palakies(sp?) rules violations

plus, according to the coalfield, Norton is still watching and waiting for something to come along to consolidate with the county. With that there would be no transfers to Norton to worry about.

Why wouldn't they have to worry about transfers? Waiting or not waiting, there would still be transfers. Hopefully they wise up and join, only when there are new schools though.

They might as well take the transfer rule out of the VHSL, it's not been enforced properly in over a decade, if ever.

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Originally Posted by Skeletor

So much easier than I think people are realizing this is done yearly by 1 or 2 kids all over the state.. if say, 10 kids from 2 different schools approached JJ Kelly or PV (or whatever they are gonna be called next year) or even J.I. Burton and looked to make a transfer swap and residence change, its as simple as 1, 2, 3.... If they don't CHOOSE to go to what is Currently PV or JJ Kelly they can very easily go anywhere else they want. Wait and see. :2thumbsup:

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It is done very easily. I know that, but that doesnt make it right, and doesn't mean someone else might not turn them in over it.

Would the rules even apply though with the schools closing?

It should as long as they stay inside the county. I see a bigger issue if they try to go outside the county, ie Lee High, Rye Cove, JI Burton, Castlewood, Clintwood....etc.

VHSL handbook states when a school is closed there is two options, the students are free to enroll where ever they want and be eligible then or they go to the school or schools there district list where they can go.
I was told by one Appy athelete's parent who I went to school with that his son got a letter saying they can go to PV or Lee that's it. Since he live's in Keokee with his grandparents he said he is leaving the choice to his son, but has option to move in with him if he comes to Norton.

Nope.
Nope
Nope.

If it's in there, what's the rule number, section, etc.?

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Originally Posted by R13

Why wouldn't they have to worry about transfers? Waiting or not waiting, there would still be transfers. Hopefully they wise up and join, only when there are new schools though.

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if there is no J.I. Burton to transfer to, then we don't have to worry about the transfers. I know they might build a new school for Wise-Pound-Norton and it would take a year so unless a kid moves he will not be able to play sports then JIB would be shut down and moved to the new school, If Wise Co comes up with something Norton likes. that is a big IF though and I hope not.

As it stands with the current plan, there will be Burton and they will have transfers...so I guess you're talking about possible plans, they're not involved right now in the current proposal, unfortunately have been too picky and not been involved as they should have been this whole time for that matter. Under the other plan, it's a school for JJK, Pound would remain open and renovated I'm pretty sure. And you hope not what?

I'd just hate to see the city join in on this fiasco. if there will be no new schools built then what is the benefit? Norton has kept their school in better shape than the county. if they just do renovations how much benefit will there be? If new a school is built, then that kind of changes things a bit and brings in a whole new set of points to look at.

Consolidation isn't a fiasco, there's a select group of people/board members who have made the conversation embarrassing though, but consolidation at its core is very sensible. I'd love to see Burton join this, it's in no better shape than most of the county schools, it would benefit drastically from this. New science labs would be great - there is ONE, more that ONE computer lab in the entire school, better art room than the horrible side room in the basement - that includes the special education room too. A tiny band room, a older than dirt library with a small selection of current books etc., most bathrooms don't have doors on the stalls or have poorly added ones etc. etc. I just graduated from there a couple of years ago, that school sure isn't in any kind of good shape. People think that when they attend basketball games and see a nice gym, that the whole school must be just fine, truth is the school is falling apart like all the rest.

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Originally Posted by 1inStripes

... and doesn't mean someone else might not turn them in over it.

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not sure what someone could turn a school in over... Everything is 100% legit, and its just one of those things. Telling a kid you can go to PV or Lee High and nowhere else isn't 100% True. If kids got family or a friend that goes to JJK and he wants to go to JJK.. He can go to JJK or JIB or anywhere else he wants... Just approach the Principal or Coaches and inquire what needs to be done.

I wish they would remove the transfer rule all together. As I said earlier, it is not enforced so why not just let kids go wherever they want? The way it stands now you have some coaches abusing the system to win and others thinking it's wrong to get transfers which leaves the coach, team, the school, and the community handcuffed.

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Originally Posted by Skeletor

not sure what someone could turn a school in over... Everything is 100% legit, and its just one of those things. Telling a kid you can go to PV or Lee High and nowhere else isn't 100% True. If kids got family or a friend that goes to JJK and he wants to go to JJK.. He can go to JJK or JIB or anywhere else he wants... Just approach the Principal or Coaches and inquire what needs to be done.

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By rule, what needs to be done is a change of address.

so the change of address makes you eligible immediately but if you just transfer its a year wait, correct?

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Originally Posted by Biggin

so the change of address makes you eligible immediately but if you just transfer its a year wait, correct?

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That is correct

VHSL, according to the online handbook "Rule 28-6-2 Exceptions number 9 covers exactly what I was told. The school board designates where the student attends. here is the link, http://www.vhsl.org/files/pub-handbo...egulations.pdf

I'm going on memory from what I was told by a person that was at the meeting, Ken Tilly told Region D schools when Swede Mullins and Gene Rowland showed up at the Region meeting and told them then these 3 schools are closing after this school year, that when a school closes if the system says they got to PV or Wise that is where they have to go to be immediatly eligible, if they transfer to another school then they have to wait the 365 days unless they physically move. If they don't designate a school I don't see anywhere that says they can't go to any school and be immediate eligible.

But, by saying that Appy and PV are combining, Kelly and Pound combining, and St. Paul and Coeburn combining, aren't they saying that those schools are the designated places to go? By virtue of them saying that Appalachia is closing and they are moving the students to P.V.(or whatever they name the school) then is that not designating a school? I would think so.

Don't get me wrong, I think that the kids should be able to go to any school they wish, afterall, the parents pay the taxes to keep the schools running. But I would also think that if this rule is not strictly adhered to in the case of the county consolidating, then that could and would bring a huge hearache to the Norton school system if these kids are allowed to play.

Especially considering Burton is a different school system.

That rule legally hadn't the legs to stand on if one kid decides to sue over where they can go to and be eligible for sports. Well everyone in the Norton system is welcoming any students with open arms. Talked with a couple of admins and board members about this and there won't be a big funding issue because schools are funded based on ADM in march or april, then if there is an increase in students in the fall after 15 day enrollment additional funding comes from the state.
Class wise they have already discussed a plan like what Perry said teachers would do in these 3 combined schools, teachers won't have a homeroom but 2-3 teachers share a classroom, palnning period is spent in teachers lounge.
There lokking at optimisim with this as a planned upgrade of science labs, if there is a sustained increase in students there is on the drawing board an expansion of classrooms that would be added in the back lot of the school between the gym and the old seventh grade wing.

Nobody is saying they can't go to school there, just that unless they physically move inside Norton's boundaries, then they can't play sports for 365 days. P.O. boxes are not acceptable.

Remember, sports and other extra-cirricular activities are not rights. A lawsuit would do nothing but waste said parents money.

Of course the schools could let players play that are not eligible and just forfeit said games at end of season though.

Here's 28-6-2 (9)... it's a bit wordy, so read thru it once, then go back and read just the last 7 words by themselves ...

In the case of a school reorganization or consolidation which results in the discontinuance of one or more high schools in which students had been or would be eligible under this rule, these students become eligible in the school designated by the school board to receive pupils from the discontinued school at the time set for the reorganization or consolidation and
only in the high school so designated.

Key word here is 3rd from the last... it's singular, not plural.

Even IF Tilley said it, I think someone could challenge and win... he may have said it's okay, but it's black-and-white in the rulebook that multiple schools aren't okay.

The part about designating Lee is interesting. I know WV flat-out does not allow a kid to be eligible in a neighboring county in this situation. Guess this is a way to appease those PARENTS who don't their kid to be a (whatever).

I'm also intrigued about what Lee Co. thinks about this. Do they not have a say if Wise Co. says a Keokee kid is eligible there?

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Originally Posted by centennialdawg

Nobody is saying they can't go to school there, just that unless they physically move inside Norton's boundaries, then they can't play sports for 365 days. P.O. boxes are not acceptable.

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Again... this is merely paper work and a hand shake and a nod from parents they want their kid to play (wherever) is in question... very minor easy fix to this...