Four years ago the general opinion on this board was that football west of Charlottesville was inferior. The feeling was that west of Charlottesville was slow and athletically challenged compared to the east. There were numerous statements that it would be a long long long time before a western team would win it. Especially because of the reallignment. Now Salem comes into the Championship game with two losses playing an undefeated Louisa team and the general feeling by many is that Salem is the favorite. Wow, how times have changed.
Wow how things have changed on this board
- Thread starter southbottomU
- Start date
I agree Danville. It's just interesting how things have changed
Well so did Blacksburg last year, however the discussion the last four years dealt with 4a exclusively.
Yep was thinking samething few weeks ago supposedly D4 would regret team being made to play in there classification instead of being able to play up. An tidewater was gonna dominate an the W would never win again.
This is the fourth time this matter has been discussed this season alone and even with the current posters acknowledging the fact that SALEM has obviously represented Class 4 well it keeps coming up. Most of if not all of the crowing came from Phoebus (not class 4) and former posters.
For the sake of discussion I will oblige you Southbottom. Since realignment 3 teams (welcome to the party Louisa) have represented the "east". Two teams (Sherando and Salem) have represented the West. Currently the West has two titles and the East two.
Counting the regular season and comparing the state finalist Salem is 2-2, Sherando is 1-2, Lake Taylor is 1-1, Dinwiddie is 2-1 and Louisa is 1-1 against the old west finalist. West 3-4, East 4-3 not a bit of difference. 2 titles each.
Personally, I dont see where the "West" has really shown a damn thing except no one in the old west can beat Salem. I didnt start following preps until the end of of the 2013 season, but I surely remember people acknowledging Salem being able to compete anywhere in the state and they have proven it. I am not saying there are not other good teams in the old west, so do not read into things. Class 4 is probably the most contested division in Virginia and there are sounds teams throughout.
In closing, I do want to give Louisa its props. They ran a through a gauntlet in the region and semis. Go Lions and go Region B! See guys there is no East and West, just regions. Maybe the VHSL can help us answer this question by swapping the semis one day. If you c and d guys want to see this tell your ad's. The a and b teams want it.
For the sake of discussion I will oblige you Southbottom. Since realignment 3 teams (welcome to the party Louisa) have represented the "east". Two teams (Sherando and Salem) have represented the West. Currently the West has two titles and the East two.
Counting the regular season and comparing the state finalist Salem is 2-2, Sherando is 1-2, Lake Taylor is 1-1, Dinwiddie is 2-1 and Louisa is 1-1 against the old west finalist. West 3-4, East 4-3 not a bit of difference. 2 titles each.
Personally, I dont see where the "West" has really shown a damn thing except no one in the old west can beat Salem. I didnt start following preps until the end of of the 2013 season, but I surely remember people acknowledging Salem being able to compete anywhere in the state and they have proven it. I am not saying there are not other good teams in the old west, so do not read into things. Class 4 is probably the most contested division in Virginia and there are sounds teams throughout.
In closing, I do want to give Louisa its props. They ran a through a gauntlet in the region and semis. Go Lions and go Region B! See guys there is no East and West, just regions. Maybe the VHSL can help us answer this question by swapping the semis one day. If you c and d guys want to see this tell your ad's. The a and b teams want it.
It was brought up because many posters consider Salem the favorite in this years State game even though Salem has two losses and Louisa is undefeated. This is a big change from a few years ago when Salem was given no chance by many posters, against any of the elite eastern schools. I just find it interesting that at least for Salem the tune has changed. Louisa is very good and may handle Salem easily, but the pregame chatter sure has changed from a few years ago. I look for Sherando and GW Danville to be very good next year in regions c and d they may be good enough to win it all
I do not recall the debate being that the West would NEVER win but, that it would take 4 or 5 years for them to adjust. Salem got it done in 3 years, slightly ahead of schedule. GW will most likely be be only a playoff pretender until they actually learn to play defense. A task made more difficult by the new and revising practice rules and plans coupled with the fact that it is now going on close to two decades since they last fielded the semblance of a fundamentally sound and dominant defense. The length of any GW playoff run up to this point more often than not coincides with home field advantage and a state semifinal berth is less common than a solar eclipse.
Take the top 8 teams from A&B vs the top 8 from C&D and see how that works out for ya.
Louisa vs Salem
Lafayette vs Sherando
Dinwiddie vs Blacksburg
Kings Fork vs Liberty
Monacan vs Glass
Deep Creek vs Millbrook
Eastern View vs GW Danville
Smithfield vs Dominion
I think Region A&B win every game 2-8 and we will see what happens tomm for the top spot.
Louisa vs Salem
Lafayette vs Sherando
Dinwiddie vs Blacksburg
Kings Fork vs Liberty
Monacan vs Glass
Deep Creek vs Millbrook
Eastern View vs GW Danville
Smithfield vs Dominion
I think Region A&B win every game 2-8 and we will see what happens tomm for the top spot.
Not disagreeing as I dont know enough about the teams, but what happens if you change the matchups? Would that change the outcomes? Not meaning just best vs worse, but more so could that change the outcomes?
Outside of Salem & Blacksburg, I don’t think any of the other C & D teams could find a win unless they drew Smithfield and even that could potentially be problematic. Just my opinion though
The East does look stronger top to bottom, but 4 undefeated and good teams helps that. Only other team that looked impressive on here is GW and Sherando (minus the Salem game)
C&D are better at the bottom but not at the top.
The scary thing about the East is it is not out of the realm of possibility that there would be 6 Undefeateds next year.
Louisa and EV probably will be
Dinwiddie and Monacan have a chAnce
Lafayette and LT will probably be undefeated.
PHA and Midlothian had first year coaches. Hugenout is on the rise. Smithfield, KF, & DC are back on track and Heritage NN is improving. Courtland is also much improved. 4a East is going to rival the 5a scene soon
The scary thing about the East is it is not out of the realm of possibility that there would be 6 Undefeateds next year.
Louisa and EV probably will be
Dinwiddie and Monacan have a chAnce
Lafayette and LT will probably be undefeated.
PHA and Midlothian had first year coaches. Hugenout is on the rise. Smithfield, KF, & DC are back on track and Heritage NN is improving. Courtland is also much improved. 4a East is going to rival the 5a scene soon
No kidding, I posted on another thread but I made the post a few years ago how far the east was ahead now it is how far behind everyone else is behind Salem. 3 straight titles and 4 straight trips to the big game.
I wouldn’t say the east is behind them as Dinwiddie holds a victory over the champions...when it comes playoff time Salem executes and gets better each week. Other teams may have faired better representing the east but Louisa was riding a wave all year and wouldn’t be denied. Salem broke the resilience with the 4th down stop and Ramsey slammed the door on the big run. Game over that’s all she wrote, Salem adds another ring and page into the illustrious history
I understand that but Salem just wins they are the best coached team in 4a hands down. They will be back in it again next year most likely.
There was about 3 minutes to go at that time right? Credit Salem and defense for the stop, I didn't see anything where it could have been called a bad spot, but we are what a few inches from having a different conversation. Not saying Salem wouldn't have won, I think had Louisa scored and taken the lead, Salem still would have scored and won, but it wasn't a 21 point win anywhere except the scoreboard. That being said, had Louisa scored there, and taken a lead they probably win by 2 or 7, and then wouldn't be saying someone else may have represented better.
Louisa deserves a lot of credit for their season, and after being in a 14-0 hole after 3 minutes to making it an intriguing game.
That’s an odd first post after beating a team with a coach that is terminally ill. But if you want to rub everyone’s noses in it then I guess that is your choice.
I don’t take anything away from Louisa, however their offense is predicated on the single wing as was Staunton River and Riverheads, if you run the ball and control the clock you win. As another poster said IF Louisa would’ve established the run they would’ve controlled the game. Louisa could’ve scored and hypothetically lets say they did now it becomes what if Salem does and if Louisa has the ball with a minute and down on the scoreboard what happens? I commend the lions on their immaculent season, that program and team is one of the most resilient groups I’ve seen theyve overcame a lot and made it to where they did because they refused to lose. I believe x’s and o’s Salem had the advantage all along not because of who they are but rather what they run. Dinwiddie lost to Louisa but bested Salem at Salem, so playbooks and philosophy in my mind played into Spartan favor. Louisa has great players but similarly to 06 when they lost to Amherst, being more one dimensional hurt them because when forced to do what you don’t normally do they were on the wrong side. In today’s game the TD/int ratio favored Salem - 2/0 vs 0/4.
She wasn't rubbing anyone's nose in it. She was pointing out that your post had one glaring fallacy. Nothing directed towards Louisa
Not my first post been on here for a while so.. I said nothing about rubbing it in a nose into a terminally ill coach. Just pointing out the fact some people still think 4 east is the best. Not once not twice but 3 times. Watch what you post, it can come back to bite ya.
I dont believe he was saying that the East would win title, just that the teams lined up like that the East teams overall would beat the west teams. Whether that is true or not, I dont know, but i didn't see it as a shot at Salem.
I also don't think she was taking a shot at anyone.
Will have to agree, the best coach that is the reason for their success. Same coach for years. His team peaks at the right time and they have discipline
I believe Dinwiddie could’ve beat Salem in a rematch, I believe EV would’ve given Salem hell if not won so I’m in the boat the east has some teams that were great but didn’t get by each other to get their one chance. Salem has won when it counted but yearly there isn’t leaps and bounds between the top at the east and Salem. The Point has been established Salem is the anomaly they are the class of the west.
Don’t see where he posted anything that would lead you to make a dumb/arrogant post like that. But what can you expect
Don’t see where he posted anything that would lead you to make a dumb/arrogant post like that. But what can you expect
I'm going to take up for her, and not saying @mbonape1 was wrong either. He matched the top 8 east vs top 8 west and said East would win games 2-8, and the top 2 play this weekend, we will see who comes out on top or something to that effect
Don’t see where he posted anything that would lead you to make a dumb/arrogant post like that. But what can you expect
From mbonape1:
Take the top 8 teams from A&B vs the top 8 from C&D and see how that works out for ya.
Louisa vs Salem
Lafayette vs Sherando
Dinwiddie vs Blacksburg
Kings Fork vs Liberty
Monacan vs Glass
Deep Creek vs Millbrook
Eastern View vs GW Danville
Smithfield vs Dominion
I think Region A&B win every game 2-8 and we will see what happens tomm for the top spot.
Don’t see where he posted anything that would lead you to make a dumb/arrogant post like that. But what can you expect
C&D are better at the bottom but not at the top.
I don't believe they would have beaten Salem in a rematch. Salem improved far more than Dinwiddie did throughout the year. Look at the Blacksburg game 1 vs game 2 for a point of reference. I also don't think EV would not have matched up well with Salem or Blacksburg.
Louisa beat undefeated Monacan, undefeated Dinwiddie, and beat the team with the best defense in 4a (Lafayette)...That’s your opinion, mine is the two best teams played tonight. Congrats to Salem on the big win. People aren’t giving Louisa the credit they deserve.
He could very well be right, but the point is he did post something, therefore no reason for the rude comment to her about dumb/arrogant post
That was the main reason I joined this board in 2005. Even back then, Louisa got disrespected on here when there weren't many, if any, Louisa fans on here to defend them. Then of course in 2006, Salem/Amherst was the real title game according to posters here. It's simply not going to change.