Salem opponents

[mikesalem]

I don't know the exact order or which week is off, but here are the games:

Scrimmage: Brookville
Benefit: Magna Vista

8/27 vs Martinsburg
Franklin Co
Northside
William Fleming
Blacksburg
Christiansburg
Pulaski
Cave Spring
Hidden Valley
11/5 vs Patrick Henry

I do know Martinsburg & PH are home and they are 1st and last game of the regular season.

 

[bceagle47]

Tuscarora’s Schedule:
North Stafford Scrimmage
Musselman Scrimmage
Riverside
Rockridge
John Champe
Heritage
Briar Woods
Loudoun County
Loudoun Valley
Dominion
Lightridge
Broad Run

 

[southbottomU]

I don't know the exact order or which week is off, but here are the games:

8/27 vs Martinsburg
Franklin Co
Northside
William Fleming
Blacksburg
Christiansburg
Pulaski
Cave Spring
Hidden Valley
11/5 vs Patrick Henry

I do know Martinsburg & PH are home and they are 1st and last game of the regular season.

Martinsburg at home again?

 

[mikesalem]

Martinsburg at home again?

Yes that's my understanding.

 

[Hoofprint]

Martinsburg at home again?

New two year cycle. Probably away next year, right?

 

[mikesalem]

New two year cycle. Probably away next year, right?

Yes I would think so.

 

[1MoreHokie]

That'll be a very ugly opener. Sad that this year's game couldn't happen, think Salem would have taken that one but going to be super fresh on offense, just don't see it working well. Also hate that PH is the end of the season, feels very wrong not to have it be Pulaski.

Dislike re-upping schedules. Home-and-home and move on. Understand Northside will always be there but other three spots should be rotating constantly, never staying the same. Go to NC, TN, maybe MD for one and then pick elsewhere in VA for the other two.

 

[SFUWO 21]

Martinsburg at home again?

Yes

 

[SFUWO 21]

That'll be a very ugly opener. Sad that this year's game couldn't happen, think Salem would have taken that one but going to be super fresh on offense, just don't see it working well. Also hate that PH is the end of the season, feels very wrong not to have it be Pulaski.

Dislike re-upping schedules. Home-and-home and move on. Understand Northside will always be there but other three spots should be rotating constantly, never staying the same. Go to NC, TN, maybe MD for one and then pick elsewhere in VA for the other two.

We can sit back and say yeah. Let's play different teams every 2 yrs. Unfortunately the reality is we can't do that. Martinsburg and Dinwiddie are the only two schools to respond when asked. Most teams don't want to add a tough opponent early in the yr. Several local teams would rather travel and play lower div teams than drive across the valley. Heritage would play but the open weeks have not matched up. A lot goes into scheduling.

 

[SFUWO 21]

That'll be a very ugly opener. Sad that this year's game couldn't happen, think Salem would have taken that one but going to be super fresh on offense, just don't see it working well. Also hate that PH is the end of the season, feels very wrong not to have it be Pulaski.

Dislike re-upping schedules. Home-and-home and move on. Understand Northside will always be there but other three spots should be rotating constantly, never staying the same. Go to NC, TN, maybe MD for one and then pick elsewhere in VA for the other two.

I guess Martinsburg is not starting any new guys either. Should be a great game to start the season.

 

[CountyBoyGeneral]

I guess Martinsburg is not starting any new guys either. Should be a great game to start the season.

Salem will have its kinks as does every team full of 15-18 year olds. Challenging schedule will prepare them for another December run. I see another 15-0/14-1 season on the horizon with the Spartans on top of Class 4 in December.

 

[southbottomU]

We can sit back and say yeah. Let's play different teams every 2 yrs. Unfortunately the reality is we can't do that. Martinsburg and Dinwiddie are the only two schools to respond when asked. Most teams don't want to add a tough opponent early in the yr. Several local teams would rather travel and play lower div teams than drive across the valley. Heritage would play but the open weeks have not matched up. A lot goes into scheduling.

It's truly amazing that Botetourt won't play

 

[CountyBoyGeneral]

It's truly amazing that Botetourt won't play

That’s why they can’t win the big game.

 

[-COUNTRY-CLUB-JOE-]

That'll be a very ugly opener. Sad that this year's game couldn't happen, think Salem would have taken that one but going to be super fresh on offense, just don't see it working well. Also hate that PH is the end of the season, feels very wrong not to have it be Pulaski.

Dislike re-upping schedules. Home-and-home and move on. Understand Northside will always be there but other three spots should be rotating constantly, never staying the same. Go to NC, TN, maybe MD for one and then pick elsewhere in VA for the other two.

Plenty of schools down around Charlotte that will play just about anyone. Catholic v Gonzaga, Mallard Creek v Dutch Fork, Butler v St John's DC. I don't know what impact that has on your power points though..

 

[CountyBoyGeneral]

Plenty of schools down around Charlotte that will play just about anyone. Catholic v Gonzaga, Mallard Creek v Dutch Fork, Butler v St John's DC. I don't know what impact that has on your power points though..

I’d like to see a Catholic/Salem game, been saying that since I saw Elijah Hood play for them back in 2013.

 

[numb3rs]

Martinsburg will be tough, but I don't see why they should be a massive favorite against Salem. If nothing else, Salem could be sharper having had less than 4 months since their last game.

On scheduling, I wonder if Riverheads or Appomattox would be up for the challenge.

 

[mikesalem]

Martinsburg will be tough, but I don't see why they should be a massive favorite against Salem. If nothing else, Salem could be sharper having had less than 4 months since their last game.

On scheduling, I wonder if Riverheads or Appomattox would be up for the challenge.

Appomattox regularly plays Seminole teams pretty competitively, so I would say they would be considered. They're also in the Roa/Lyn footprint so that would help. My opinion is if Salem could find a good 5/6 challenger, they would be more inclined to play up rather than down.

 

[SFUWO 21]

Appomattox regularly plays Seminole teams pretty competitively, so I would say they would be considered. They're also in the Roa/Lyn footprint so that would help. My opinion is if Salem could find a good 5/6 challenger, they would be more inclined to play up rather than d

Martinsburg will be tough, but I don't see why they should be a massive favorite against Salem. If nothing else, Salem could be sharper having had less than 4 months since their last game.

On scheduling, I wonder if Riverheads or Appomattox would be up for the challenge.

Salem would play them if there was no other options. I don't think they have ever played a team that was more than one classification down.

 

[SFUWO 21]

I don't know the exact order or which week is off, but here are the games:

Scrimmage: Brookville
Benefit: Magna Vista

8/27 vs Martinsburg
Franklin Co
Northside
William Fleming
Blacksburg
Christiansburg
Pulaski
Cave Spring
Hidden Valley
11/5 vs Patrick Henry

I do know Martinsburg & PH are home and they are 1st and last game of the regular season.

Martinsburg is also playing Highland Springs on Sep 17

 

[1MoreHokie]

Martinsburg will be tough, but I don't see why they should be a massive favorite against Salem. If nothing else, Salem could be sharper having had less than 4 months since their last game.

On scheduling, I wonder if Riverheads or Appomattox would be up for the challenge.

Salem doesn't play A (D1/D2) teams essentially ever. I'm not even sure the last time it's happened, maybe in the 80s or something or at earliest in the 90s. They had some games against Graham in the late 80s/early 90s but I think the G-Men were a AA-sized school back then.

Certainly some quality small programs lurking within a casual bus drive for Salem but I don't think you'll ever see it happen. Plus with points being what they are now it makes it an even tougher call as an AD.

 

[BigWinners]

Salem doesn't play A (D1/D2) teams essentially ever. I'm not even sure the last time it's happened, maybe in the 80s or something or at earliest in the 90s. They had some games against Graham in the late 80s/early 90s but I think the G-Men were a AA-sized school back then.

Certainly some quality small programs lurking within a casual bus drive for Salem but I don't think you'll ever see it happen. Plus with points being what they are now it makes it an even tougher call as an AD.

Wouldnt Salem get equivalent points even playing down?. Salem beating 9-1 Appo would give them 4A points. Be the same as beating a 9-1 4A team? I know that's the case playing down one division, I assume it holds true playing down two.

 

[mikesalem]

Wouldnt Salem get equivalent points even playing down?. Salem beating 9-1 Appo would give them 4A points. Be the same as beating a 9-1 4A team? I know that's the case playing down one division, I assume it holds true playing down two.

Yes that's correct. No points disadvantage anymore. This changed several years ago for mixed Class Districts, now it applies to anyone playing down.

 

[BigWinners]

Yes that's correct. No points disadvantage anymore. This changed several years ago for mixed Class Districts, now it applies to anyone playing down.

I knew it counted the same playing a team one classification down, wasn't sure about two. Thanks for confirming.

How would Appomattox stack up to the mid tier 4A teams? They're a well oiled machine that has produced quite a bit of collegiate talent, not as much as the top 4A schools obv but enough to make them competitive with at least half of 4A I would think.

 

[Fairlawncat]

Salem doesn't play A (D1/D2) teams essentially ever. I'm not even sure the last time it's happened, maybe in the 80s or something or at earliest in the 90s. They had some games against Graham in the late 80s/early 90s but I think the G-Men were a AA-sized school back then.

Certainly some quality small programs lurking within a casual bus drive for Salem but I don't think you'll ever see it happen. Plus with points being what they are now it makes it an even tougher call as an AD.

Those games with Graham in the late 80's and early 90's were games in which Salem was Div 4 and Graham was Div 3 back then. Back then, you still had 6 levels of play. The games with Graham were after 1986. The 6 levels were.....
Single A, Division 1 and 2
Double A, Division 3 and 4
Triple A, Division 5 and 6.

It's the same now as 1A through 6A, just called something a bit different. Graham today is 2A or playing at the second level out of 6 levels. When they played Salem, Graham was Div 3, playing at the third level out of 6 levels of play and only 1 level down from Salem at that time, who of course was Div 4 back then, or to be technical, AA, Div 4.

 

[tommythecpa]

Non district schedules are very difficult for D 4,5, and 6 west of Richmond due to location. Many principals will not let AD's schedule long distance or out of state. Salem's schedule looks fine.

 

[mikesalem]

I knew it counted the same playing a team one classification down, wasn't sure about two. Thanks for confirming.

How would Appomattox stack up to the mid tier 4A teams? They're a well oiled machine that has produced quite a bit of collegiate talent, not as much as the top 4A schools obv but enough to make them competitive with at least half of 4A I would think.

Appomattox would do fine against mid level C4 teams. They'd win most of those games. Upper echelon teams in C3 or C4 would be a tougher challenge.

 

[-COUNTRY-CLUB-JOE-]

Non district schedules are very difficult for D 4,5, and 6 west of Richmond due to location. Many principals will not let AD's schedule long distance or out of state. Salem's schedule looks fine.

Why not?

 

[1MoreHokie]

Why not?

I believe the naughty "F" word.

Fiscal.

 

[numb3rs]

Another place Salem could look is at C5/C6 schools in the Fredericksburg area. They seem willing/forced to travel to play games. For example, North Stafford has played PH, Fleming, and Halifax in recent seasons.

 

[-COUNTRY-CLUB-JOE-]

I believe the naughty "F" word.

Fiscal.

I find that difficult to believe. But I guess it depends on the school. For a poorly attended game, I would agree.

 

[WP02alum]

Transportation costs are real. Visiting teams don’t frequently share the gate unless there’s a creative situation going on with the two schools. What do you not believe?

 

[tommythecpa]

I believe the naughty "F" word.

Fiscal.

Fiscal and class time missed.

 

[tommythecpa]

Pulaski and GW would buy games from DC schools for a fixed fee.

 

[2up2downNole]

I find that difficult to believe. But I guess it depends on the school. For a poorly attended game, I would agree.

A lot of schools in the valley have a cap of 60 miles they can travel for a non district game and they can't leave the state. Anything over 60 they have to be granted permission from the school board.

 

[-COUNTRY-CLUB-JOE-]

Transportation costs are real. Visiting teams don’t frequently share the gate unless there’s a creative situation going on with the two schools. What do you not believe?

I'd imagine playing someone out of state would be a creative situation. Sell at least 2,000 tickets at $8/$10 a pop. Add in banner ads or whatever else ADs comes up with...The math isn't that difficult.

 

[WP02alum]

I'd imagine playing someone out of state would be a creative situation. Sell at least 2,000 tickets at $8/$10 a pop. Add in banner ads or whatever else ADs comes up with...The math isn't that difficult.

Right, but as evidenced above, there are plenty of schools that are limited in their travel to a much larger degree than “no out of state games”. There aren’t many athletic directors willing to spend all their work hours fundraising for football travel costs. I’m not arguing that longer distance travel is crazy. (I don’t think it is at all.) I’m arguing that those are real hurdles many coaches face, not something made up out of thin air.

 

[-COUNTRY-CLUB-JOE-]

Right, but as evidenced above, there are plenty of schools that are limited in their travel to a much larger degree than “no out of state games”. There aren’t many athletic directors willing to spend all their work hours fundraising for football travel costs. I’m not arguing that longer distance travel is crazy. (I don’t think it is at all.) I’m arguing that those are real hurdles many coaches face, not something made up out of thin air.

That's why I said it depends on the school. Of course there are hurdles; No one said there wasn't.

 

[WP02alum]

Ok

 

[-COUNTRY-CLUB-JOE-]

Yeah, if I remember correctly, Salem sold skyboxes a number of years ago, to help with costs. They have a booster club. Probably at least a few thousand fans show up to games on average, right? Hard to believe it not making sense fiscally, especially when you're not that far from TN, NC, MD.

I know the Creek vs Dutch Fork was a big deal down in NC a couple years ago.

BUT, maybe there are other reasons for it not making sense. They'd have to replace another game on their schedule and like you said - it looks fine. And Salem is probably one of the few where it might make sense.

 

[mikesalem]

Ultimately what you want in a schedule is to play a balanced slate of opponents that gets you prepared for the competition of the playoffs and brings fans to the gate. This schedule certainly looks capable of accomplishing those 2 goals.