Sour Grapes Salem post

[CrushBlock]

Salem didn’t win enough to make the playoffs this year. They intentionally choose a hard OOD schedule. That doesn’t leave you many places to run when you have a down year. Salem played two undefeated regular season opponents. One has a great shot to win the AAAA state and the other was a AAAAA school.

They beat a team that also had a 5-5 record. That 5-5 team played multiple small schools OOD. Yet that team gets the playoff nod.

I would like to see a GW vs Salem matchup this year. Despite not cleaning up many smaller mistakes through the course of the year, the Salem squad became physically formidable with a punishing ground attack as the team got healthier and the young mules got more experience. I think GW would have a harder time with that than they will with Blacksburg.

At the end of the day, Salem didn’t get it done this year and lost two winnable games due to playing poorly. Couldn’t get a yard against ec glass to win the game and came out flat at home against an average Franklin county team.

Still had a lot of fun watching the young kids claw their way back this season. All things considered, the kids got better and started playing with confidence. Looking forward to next year.

 

[SFUWO 21]

Salem didn’t win enough to make the playoffs this year. They intentionally choose a hard OOD schedule. That doesn’t leave you many places to run when you have a down year. Salem played two undefeated regular season opponents. One has a great shot to win the AAAA state and the other was a AAAAA school.

They beat a team that also had a 5-5 record. That 5-5 team played multiple small schools OOD. Yet that team gets the playoff nod.

I would like to see a GW vs Salem matchup this year. Despite not cleaning up many smaller mistakes through the course of the year, the Salem squad became physically formidable with a punishing ground attack as the team got healthier and the young mules got more experience. I think GW would have a harder time with that than they will with Blacksburg.

At the end of the day, Salem didn’t get it done this year and lost two winnable games due to playing poorly. Couldn’t get a yard against ec glass to win the game and came out flat at home against an average Franklin county team.

Still had a lot of fun watching the young kids claw their way back this season. All things considered, the kids got better and started playing with confidence. Looking forward to next year.

GW would win big against Salem this yr. Christiansburg put up 36 and lead early in the game. Our best win was by 2 at home vs the team everyone is upset about. A team we beat by 76 just 2 seasons ago. Let's hit the weight room and get ready for next season

 

[CrushBlock]

GW would win big against Salem this yr. Christiansburg put up 36 and lead early in the game. Our best win was by 2 at home vs the team everyone is upset about. A team we beat by 76 just 2 seasons ago. Let's hit the weight room and get ready for next season

You’re right. Like I said, sour grapes. You got to leave no doubt

 

[VolNation85_rivals]

Salem didn’t win enough to make the playoffs this year. They intentionally choose a hard OOD schedule. That doesn’t leave you many places to run when you have a down year. Salem played two undefeated regular season opponents. One has a great shot to win the AAAA state and the other was a AAAAA school.

They beat a team that also had a 5-5 record. That 5-5 team played multiple small schools OOD. Yet that team gets the playoff nod.

I would like to see a GW vs Salem matchup this year. Despite not cleaning up many smaller mistakes through the course of the year, the Salem squad became physically formidable with a punishing ground attack as the team got healthier and the young mules got more experience. I think GW would have a harder time with that than they will with Blacksburg.

At the end of the day, Salem didn’t get it done this year and lost two winnable games due to playing poorly. Couldn’t get a yard against ec glass to win the game and came out flat at home against an average Franklin county team.

Still had a lot of fun watching the young kids claw their way back this season. All things considered, the kids got better and started playing with confidence. Looking forward to next year.

I've been telling people that they better get Salem while they can because they will be right back in the mix for a region championship the next several years. They were extremely young this year and still competed most games.

 

[Uh1966uhpickupsticks]

Defense was a huge problem for Salem this year. They really struggled on the edge/contain. And 2ndary struggled. The Dline was formidable and really good at times.

 

[Virginia HS Football Fan]

When was the last season which Salem did not make the playoffs prior to this one?

 

[CrushBlock]

2003

 

[FTBMULEZx10]

Defense was a huge problem for Salem this year. They really struggled on the edge/contain. And 2ndary struggled. The Dline was formidable and really good at times.

Young guys struggled early but got valuable experience. They lose 1 or 2 players on defense. The majority of players were sophomores starters. They will be back next year.

 

[Caraxes]

Playing a tougher schedule should carry more weight than it does. It's not like college where good G5 teams can't get P4 opponents on the schedule because the bigger schools know they'd get beat. There are plenty of excellent teams in and around VA that always seem to be looking for games, so there's no real excuse not to find the squishiest opponents year in and year out to beat up on.

I didn't see Salem play this year but looking at who they played and the box scores, I would say they would've at least been a threat to anyone in Regions C and D. None of the Winchester area teams are great this year (though Handley really could be if they had their QB), and a so-so Sherando team really should've beaten Region C's #1 team Loudoun County by a couple scores. I have to imagine if Salem played any of the Winchester area teams' schedules that they would easily be in the playoffs and that isn't how it should work.

Doesn't mean much, but I can relate to your sour grapes. I've had more than a few of my own of late. I'm a JMU fan and watching the CFP treating the G5 playoff spot as an AAC write-in is really frustrating. I'm a bit bitter that USF can lose 49-12 at home to an extremely overrated Miami team and still be in contention because they barely snuck by a dreadful Florida team.

 

[G-Men2012]

Salem's issue was defense. Their scoring defense gave up an average for the season of 29.3 points per game which was the worst in the history of the school, to include the pre Coach White years.