Region A

DinwiddieProud

All-American
Dec 9, 2013
9,446
7,883
93
As far as I know, the 4 Regions in Class 1 have NOT officially decided to send 8 teams to the playoffs. I have no information on which to base this, but an 8 team per region seems like a logical choice.

Assuming this will be the format, pick the 8 teams that YOU think will be playoff bound after 10 regular season games. I know that this can be a little tough, since only about 1/3 of the teams have released their full schedules.

Pick your teams in order of #1 to #8. And keep this in mind when you rank your teams, VHSL points!
A 6-4 team could well be ranked #2 or #3 because of points.

And, pick one, and only one #9 wildcard team that you think could very well make the playoffs if the stars line up.

This list is in alphabetical order, and comes from the VHSL website.

REGION A, 17 Schools

COLONIAL BEACH
CHARLES CITY
CHINCOTEAGUE
ESSEX
FRANKLIN
KING & QUEEN
LANCASTER
MATHEWS
MIDDLESEX
NORTHAMPTON
NORTHUMBERLAND
RAPPAHANNOCK
SURRY
SUSSEX
WASHINGTON & LEE
WEST POINT
WINDSOR
 
Last edited:

DinwiddieProud

All-American
Dec 9, 2013
9,446
7,883
93
I don't think it will affect anyone's selections, but I believe that Chincoteague is ineligible for the playoffs because they don't play a district schedule?
 

kwhs95fan

All-Conference
Oct 17, 2006
7,428
3,477
113
Yeah they are ineligible. Honestly not sure why though as they are just as good as the other teams over there and while not a powerhouse they are still better than a lot of schools in Division 1
 

DinwiddieProud

All-American
Dec 9, 2013
9,446
7,883
93
Yeah they are ineligible. Honestly not sure why though as they are just as good as the other teams over there and while not a powerhouse they are still better than a lot of schools in Division 1

I think it has more to do with their location way up next to MD, than anything else. Just so darn cost prohibitive for them to travel all of the way down the shore, and then across the CBBT, and then a lot further to find a suitable opponent. Going north is a little easier, but they still have a long trip back down south to get to appropriate level opponents in the Northern Neck area.

Speaking of Chincoteague, a good friend of mine took his wife and daughter up there this past weekend. He was supposed to stop at Stingrays in Capeville and bring me some malted milk balls and pecan turtles. Did he? Heck no. That buzzard is no better than Bleeding Navy. Navy was supposed to pick up some Route 11 Chips for me during his frequent trips through Surry Courthouse. Have I seen any chips. Again, heck no.

I need new friends.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kwhs95fan

HighestPoint

Junior
Oct 10, 2016
284
220
0
I think it has more to do with their location way up next to MD, than anything else. Just so darn cost prohibitive for them to travel all of the way down the shore, and then across the CBBT, and then a lot further to find a suitable opponent. Going north is a little easier, but they still have a long trip back down south to get to appropriate level opponents in the Northern Neck area.

Speaking of Chincoteague, a good friend of mine took his wife and daughter up there this past weekend. He was supposed to stop at Stingrays in Capeville and bring me some malted milk balls and pecan turtles. Did he? Heck no. That buzzard is no better than Bleeding Navy. Navy was supposed to pick up some Route 11 Chips for me during his frequent trips through Surry Courthouse. Have I seen any chips. Again, heck no.

I need new friends.

Chincoteague would only have to pick up their two other district games to be eligible.
Their district is only 4 teams, they already play Northampton and won the past two years. They scrimmage Arcadia and don't play Nandua. They do play all 3 in every other sport though.
Drop the two homeschools that they blow out by 40 and add Arcadia and Nandua. I'm sure both would be competitive games, they beat Northampton and they were competitive against both.
Even if they lose, they get into the playoffs at 6-4. They don't have to play anyone else down across the bay even though they did already (Portsmouth Christian, Norfolk Academy, King and Queen, Colonial Beach).
Not sure what it is, I bet there is something deeper than travel that is keeping them from playing out of the district.
 

DinwiddieProud

All-American
Dec 9, 2013
9,446
7,883
93
Good info. I didn't realize all of that. You have to wonder why they chose to give up any chance at post season football, for no obvious reason. Past bad blood between administrations would be my first guess.
 

stubbie46

Redshirt
Oct 9, 2012
55
29
0
It's my understanding Chincoteague was not eligible due to not playing a full VHSL schedule (or enough VHSL games). A few years ago, they had a team that could have made the playoffs, but lacked enough VHSL games to qualify. I also believe they are changing that. They have been playing some teams in the Tidewater District and I know they are on West Point's schedule this year. Rappahannock County is another team that did not fill a full VHSL schedule.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DinwiddieProud

DinwiddieProud

All-American
Dec 9, 2013
9,446
7,883
93
REGION A, 17 Schools



SUSSEX CENTRAL
ESSEX
FRANKLIN
SURRY
COLONIAL BEACH
LANCASTER
NORTHAMPTON
WASHINGTON & LEE

#9West Point
 

Essex Trojan1

Senior
May 17, 2009
4,401
996
0
WP02alum...I'm not sure what Fulks is up to. kwhs95fan will more on that. DinwiddieProud... Yes Fulks resigned back in December as head coach of Essex to be with family and to pursue other things. As for the AD job....from what I understand, back in 2015 the powers that be moved Fulks over to the middle school to teach and gave the AD job to someone else that taught at the high school. She had the job for 1 year and gave it up. Once she resigned, in came Todd Jones in 2016 as AD. Once Fulks resigned, Jones was named head coach. So now Jones is the AD and Coach at Essex.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DinwiddieProud

DinwiddieProud

All-American
Dec 9, 2013
9,446
7,883
93
WP02alum...I'm not sure what Fulks is up to. kwhs95fan will more on that. DinwiddieProud... Yes Fulks resigned back in December as head coach of Essex to be with family and to pursue other things. As for the AD job....from what I understand, back in 2015 the powers that be moved Fulks over to the middle school to teach and gave the AD job to someone else that taught at the high school. She had the job for 1 year and gave it up. Once she resigned, in came Todd Jones in 2016 as AD. Once Fulks resigned, Jones was named head coach. So now Jones is the AD and Coach at Essex.
Hummmm! Sounds a little too convoluted to be "just one of those things". Your thoughts?
 

kwhs95fan

All-Conference
Oct 17, 2006
7,428
3,477
113
Good old boys network. To some it didn't matter what Fulks did because as soon as Jones came back to the area, the powers that be wanted him back on the sidelines. Essex in my opinion didn't realize how lucky they were to have Fulks not only on the sideline but in the community. He was loved and respected by those kids and went out of his way to help them not only on the field but in a lot of things off the field that many didn't see.
 

HighestPoint

Junior
Oct 10, 2016
284
220
0
Did Northumberland ever hire a coach/AD. I know that was posted some time back. Not far from Essex. Fulks could jump in as the AD and HC with a nice group of athletes.
And would get to go play Essex every year
 
  • Like
Reactions: DinwiddieProud
Oct 23, 2010
116
22
0
I'd say a lot of things worked against Fulks that were not necessarily under his control. He never regained the supporters who abandoned ship after the 2012 state football fiasco. We'll all find out if the change is productive.
 

WP02alum

All-Conference
Nov 22, 2009
2,071
1,547
73
I'd say a lot of things worked against Fulks that were not necessarily under his control. He never regained the supporters who abandoned ship after the 2012 state football fiasco. We'll all find out if the change is productive.

Weird. Didn't Fulks react to the situation decisively & with integrity by suspending those boys for the championship game? Please tell me these "supporters" weren't angry at his decision to suspend. Man, that's an awful reflection on the Essex community if so...
 
Aug 1, 2002
1,191
326
0
Totally inaccurate post WP02alum. Misbehavior prior to game and during game. Several Fans got turned off by the misbehavior during the game. One player got kicked off the team at halftime, that's how bad things were.
 

WP02alum

All-Conference
Nov 22, 2009
2,071
1,547
73
My bad. I thought this was in reference to that night before the title game where kids were drinking or whatever. I got my years mixed up I think.
 

DinwiddieProud

All-American
Dec 9, 2013
9,446
7,883
93
Was their a lack of discipline and accountability over the years under Coach Fulks?

Even the best coaches have an occasional year where a couple of bad apples crop up. But, it's beginning to sound like there was a pattern. Am I correct, of am I miss-interpreting?
 

TrojanFan22560

Freshman
Sep 4, 2016
140
90
0
Was their a lack of discipline and accountability over the years under Coach Fulks?

Even the best coaches have an occasional year where a couple of bad apples crop up. But, it's beginning to sound like there was a pattern. Am I correct, of am I miss-interpreting?

This is just my guess but coming from West Point to Essex Coach Fulks had a different type of student-athlete to coach. He probably didn't have to do much disciplining at West Point and when he came to Essex he wasn't running as tight a ship as he could/should have been. After the first couple years things tightened up (this is just an outsiders view looking in). This is one area where I thought Coach Jones excelled in while he was at Essex before and I hope he continues his old ways.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DinwiddieProud

WP02alum

All-Conference
Nov 22, 2009
2,071
1,547
73
As a WP grad, I didn't want to say that, but I was thinking it. Very easily could see him coming in & not realizing just how much differently he had to shape structure & discipline to meet the needs of the students.