Riverheads 65 Altavista 7 Final

[trutiger16]

You hit the nail on the head!! IMO its all coaching!! There is no individuals they play as a team and if you dont buy into that philosophy you dont play or your not on the team. I remember several years ago the starting middle linebacker was goofing off in practice he was dismissed from the team. Coach Casto told him he could come back the following year he did and was an all state linebacker that year. Seldom are they the most athletic team on the field but they are always the most disciplined. Thats the Casto way and that philosophy has worked the last 20 years. They also have a very good defensive coordinator in Ray Norcross hes been there since before Casto came there. Coach Casto is very demanding when it comes to execution and the results speak for themselves.

Please dont take this the wrong way but i need ask . Why wasnt a title at 2a level achieved with this staff , im sure some will turn this into a controversial question but i believe its a fair one to ask so please enlighten me ?

 

[Gladiatorfencepatrol]

Please dont take this the wrong way but i need ask . Why wasnt a title at 2a level achieved with this staff , im sure some will turn this into a controversial question but i believe its a fair one to ask so please enlighten me ?

Thats a fair question. The 4 years they were 2A they were 47-5. Although they never won the championship those 4 years they were competitive. Keep in mind they were the smallest school in 2A so they were competing with teams with far more talent and depth. 2011 lost to Gretna 28-14 in the 3rd rd. 2012 lost to Wilson in the 3rd rd on a failed 2 pt conversion. 2013 lost to Giles 28-7 in the semi-finals. 2014 lost to King William in the 2nd rd 35-34 on a missed extra point. They more than held there own at the 2A level making some deep playoff runs. They were physically overmatched against Gretna and Giles and both went on to win the championship there respective years. They were only in 2A for four years so thats not really a fair comparison because they have been 1A since Castos arrival in 1996 with the exception of those 4 years. Only 5 losses in 4 years at the 2A level I think theyre are a lot of 2A teams that would be proud of that record.

 

[Baseball215]

Thats a fair question. The 4 years they were 2A they were 47-5. Although they never won the championship those 4 years they were competitive. Keep in mind they were the smallest school in 2A so they were competing with teams with far more talent and depth. 2011 lost to Gretna 28-14 in the 3rd rd. 2012 lost to Wilson in the 3rd rd on a failed 2 pt conversion. 2013 lost to Giles 28-7 in the semi-finals. 2014 lost to King William in the 2nd rd 35-34 on a missed extra point. They more than held there own at the 2A level making some deep playoff runs. They were physically overmatched against Gretna and Giles and both went on to win the championship there respective years. They were only in 2A for four years so thats not really a fair comparison because they have been 1A since Castos arrival in 1996 with the exception of those 4 years. Only 5 losses in 4 years at the 2A level I think theyre are a lot of 2A teams that would be proud of that record.

Well said still looks like pretty good coaching to me

 

[Mr. Heisenberg_rivals]

Please dont take this the wrong way but i need ask . Why wasnt a title at 2a level achieved with this staff , im sure some will turn this into a controversial question but i believe its a fair one to ask so please enlighten me ?

Enrollment & better competition. They were a small 2A school, combined with the fact that the teams at the top of 2A are typically better than the teams at the top of 1A. They were still in the same district when they were 1A and 2A, so their regular season numbers have remained constant over the years with them being a top 2 team in the district each year, but the playoff wins and losses are where the differences lie. Casto and crew have a fantastic coaching staff, hardworking & coachable kids, combined with a supportive community, and I enjoy seeing them beat up on the bigger schools more times than not when they play, but as the playoff records show, it was harder for them to win in the playoffs in 2A than it is in 1A.

As for why they've been so successful in their return to 1A, you could use the same factors, enrollment and competition. They are one of the bigger 1A schools and the competition isn't quite as good in 1A on a consistent basis. I think lower enrollment has more of a impact in the lower classes than the upper, but I don't have any data to back that up, just my opinion.