What is the longest running, continuously played, (at least once a year), high school football matchup between two Virginia schools?
Same question, Richmond region?
Same question, Richmond region?
Ok Danny Boy...?
- Thread starter DinwiddieProud
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Richmond area has to be somebody like TJ vs John Marshall or Armstrong but because of the combined schools of the 80's when the city schools were consolidated for a period of time, that might negate them.
So I will go with Petersburg vs Hopewell as my shot in the dark guess.
I was thinking that Petersburg may factor in. And I would have to guess that the odds are that it could be Hopewell.
Thomas Dale, Matoaca, and Meadowbrook have been around forever also.
It will be interesting to find out who the state and Richmond teams are.
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Its gotta be like Armstrong vs John Marshal or something in the Richmond area. Pretty confident it is Richmond city schools. Most of the county schools are newer, even the old ones. Statewide, I have no idea.
Its gotta be like Armstrong vs John Marshal or something in the Richmond area. Pretty confident it is Richmond city schools. Most of the county schools are newer, even the old ones. Statewide, I have no idea.
GW Danville and E. C. Glass has 94 meetings and they took a couple of years off (2010 to 2013 ) so 91 consecutive meetings before they started playing again in 2013.
Let me just let this simmer right here......
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What's the premier league lol!? Is that two hand touch?!
I'm not familiar with the history of either school. When did they open? I know for instance John Marshall predates the 1900's but it went by a different name before becoming John Marshall. Thomas Dale wasn't always Thomas Dale, it was known as Chester before becoming Thomas Dale.
Just curious if this 94 meetings is along those same lines where a school existed but not with the names we know now.
I'm hard at work on this DP.... You've given me my quest and I accept it.
GW hasn't always been GW. The whites went to Danville High School and the blacks went to Langston High, which is across the street from GW. GW only counts Danville High's records as their own (though I hear Langston won a lot of championships) so a lot of those meetings would go under the EC Glass/Danville High games.
I smell a set up. "No honey, I didn't get the grass cut. I'm doing something for a friend. His name is DP. You want his cell number?"
That situation is probably true across the state. When the schools existed parallel, it would be impossible to treat their records as one. For example, Petersburg HS and Peabody HS. Both co-existed for a very long time.
I wish that a better effort had been made over the years to preserve the history and records of the schools. Not just athletically, but in all aspects.
A previous Superintendant of Schools in Dinwiddie disposed of about 20 years of historical information about Dinwiddie Schools. Of course, he was from out of state, so that information meant nothing to him.
Sometimes you need outsiders to shake up a "good ole boy" system. But for the most part, you need to have people running the show that are vested. Then dumb things like this are less likely to happen.
That's one of the things I like about our AD. He might have been born in Texas, but nobody, and I mean nobody, is more protective of all things Dinwiddie than he is.
Coach Mills is like that. He guards the legacy of Dinwiddie football as if it was the Holy Grail. I've heard him comment several times how much he wished he had the football information that was in those records that got tossed.
As I'm sure is typical with most teams, once you have been a Dinwiddie Generals football player, you are part of that team for life. The doors at the field house are always open to former players. Because it was never about wins and loses. It was about being part of something special.
Which is why it's so sad that the intimate history of many schools and their records are lost for all time. Because those kids were part of something, too.
This is based on schools that played in the Central Region which is where my knowledge and history lie.
I have all records of games from 1970 to present day and I am now delving into pre-1970 which is an arduous task in itself.
So this is what I have uncovered...
Hopewell and Petersburg have been playing one another annually since 1926! This is the longest current running series in the Richmond Region. Hopewell leads the series 52-40-1 in that time. The series was pretty even from 1926-1969 with Petersburg holding the edge 22-21-1 but since then Petersburg has gone just 18-31 against the Blue Devils.
Thomas Jefferson opened in 1930 but I only have two games from that 1930 season, I'm digging for more but the Vikings and Justices have played every season since 1931 minus the 1979-1985 seasons when they merged with other schools. John Marshall holds the edge in this long series 43-30-6.
Petersburg and Prince George have been battling since 1957 and prior to 1970 the Wave held a 12-1 advantage in the series. Since 1970 the Royals have stolen a few but it still is heavily in the Wave's favor going 32-15 since for an over record in favor of the wave, 44-16!
In 1958 Douglas Freeman was entering their fifth season and Hermitage was going into their eighth. That is when these two schools started battling and they have not stopped. The series was pretty even prior to 1970 with Freeman holding the 6-5-1 edge but since that time Herm has dominated. The two have met 47 times since with Herm winning 35 of the meetings for an overall record of 40-18-1 against the Rebels.
Lee-Davis and Patrick Henry been battling since Patrick Henry opened in 1959... Including playoff games the two have met 61 times! This is the most even series in the region and perhaps state with the series knotted up 30-30-1!
Hopewell and Prince George have also been duking it out since 1959. Hopewell dominated prior to 1970 holding a 9-1-1 advantage and that advantage has increased in the 48 meetings since. The Blue Devils now hold the series lead 43-14-2.
When Colonial Heights and Meadowbrook meet up in 2017 they will be doing so for the 54th time! The two have met every season since 1964, that was one year after Meadowbrook opened in 1963. Meadowbrook holds a 38-15 advantage in this long series.
Also in 1964, Henrico and Lee-Davis began playing one another. This would have been two years after Henrico opened in 1962. The Confederates hold a slight edge in the series 28-24-1 but prior to 1970 it was Henrico with the 4-1-1 edge in the series.
Meadowbrook and Thomas Dale have played 53 times and the Knights have come out on top 39 times! 52 of the meetings came in the regular season while they also met in the playoffs in 1989. Thomas Dale held a 4-1 advantage prior to 1970.
In 1965 Tucker was entering their fourth season when they began playing Douglas Freeman. The Rebels won the first five meetings and since 1970 the Tigers have just 13 wins against the Rebels. Freeman leads this series 38-13-1.
Tucker also began playing Hermitage in 1965 and they too failed to beat Hermitage prior to 1970 and they have not fared much better since that time. Hermitage leads this series 41-11.
Those are the top ten longest continiously running series in the region. The only one of these series I think could come to an end at some point would be Colonial Heights-Meadowbrook. The Monarchs are a Class 5 school and the Colonials a Class 3. With schedules being altered all the time to play schools of similar size, I could see this one changing within the next five years. That's just my opinion however.
My gut feeling was that the Central District would be a factor in the longest matchups. The area has been stable, "school wise", for a long time. I was afraid my thoughts of CD longevity though, were skewed because this is what I have been primarily exposed to for my entire life.
Great work Danny, as always.
BTW, I encourage everyone to try to catch a game at Hopewell's Merner Field. Truly one of those unique, historic high school fields worth the trip.
Great work Danny, as always.
BTW, I encourage everyone to try to catch a game at Hopewell's Merner Field. Truly one of those unique, historic high school fields worth the trip.
I'll add to you challenge, Danny. Which high school field has been in continuous use the longest?
I would assume it will turn out to be one of the inner city Richmond fields. Because of the "merger" years ago, the name of the team playing on that field may have changed, but we accept it as the champion field if that's the case.
Hopewell's Merner Field will be in the running. I think it pre-dates WWII, Pertersburg's Cameron Field is older, but the Wave started playing at the new high school in the late 70's I believe.
Dinwiddie's field dates to 1965, I think. PG is probably about that old. Meadowbrook is also about that old.
Not a Richmond Regional field, but Maury Field in Fredericksburg goes way back.
BTW, Bleeding Navy was at that first Petersburg/Hopewell game. He had just gotten off work from the gunpowder factory in Hopewell that morning.
I would assume it will turn out to be one of the inner city Richmond fields. Because of the "merger" years ago, the name of the team playing on that field may have changed, but we accept it as the champion field if that's the case.
Hopewell's Merner Field will be in the running. I think it pre-dates WWII, Pertersburg's Cameron Field is older, but the Wave started playing at the new high school in the late 70's I believe.
Dinwiddie's field dates to 1965, I think. PG is probably about that old. Meadowbrook is also about that old.
Not a Richmond Regional field, but Maury Field in Fredericksburg goes way back.
BTW, Bleeding Navy was at that first Petersburg/Hopewell game. He had just gotten off work from the gunpowder factory in Hopewell that morning.
DP you have me rolling about Bleeding Navy being at the first Petersburg/Hopewell game but remember that was not the first game... They played previously and then picked it back up in 1926...
As for the fields... It is without a doubt got to be Hopewell or Thomas Jefferson.
Schools that are just as old such as Armstrong, John Marshall and Petersburg play at newer venues, not the same sites as originally.
Hopewell's Merner Field was built in the 1930's as part of the WPA and Thomas Jefferson opened in 1930.
And you picked him up, went to a local dive for supper, and then the game! Haha
I thoroughly enjoy being the object of your humor; however, I need to clarify a few things. It is true, I did attend the game and I did work in the gunpowder factory (That was before child labor laws were enacted), but the only reason I went is because, DP's mule died suddenly and needed someone to transport his date to the game. I had the only fancy carriage and he paid me $1.00 and a pail of oats for my horse to act like his carriage man. His date was an unattractive and demanding individual. She later became famous. Her name was Kate Barker (a.k.a. Ma Barker). Don't remember much about the game, but I did get a chuckle out of DP trying to do the "Charleston". Looked like a wet peacock. Man those were the days.