FAQ's

Who are you, helper?

I'm not John, TC, Preacher Dave OR Lloyd.

I'm Elliot, a DJ and former sports reporter from Grundy who started my radio career way waaaaaay back in Jr. high. I spent the majority of my on-air 'daze' at Grundy's 97MJD and manned the studios on many a Friday night. We had a marvelous set-up where I could listen to 3-5 games at a time, and I was a part of the infamous "Pizza Bowl", where we became one of the first radio stations in the country to broadcast a high school football game on a 'video-tape-delay' basis. I've also worked at WNRG, WGTH and WYRV.

In the Fall of 2004, I was lucky enough to get fired by the new management in Grundy. A few days later I went back to work for their competitor in Richlands, WGTH, and the Blues have gone 38-3 since.

Why SW Va. football?

Why not ??? It's where some of the best football in the state is played. Some former locals you might have heard of include :
Ahmad Bradshaw : Graham, Marshall, NY Giants - RB, 2007-
Jeff King : Pulaski, VPI, Carolina - TE, 2006-
Justin Hamilton : Clintwood, UVA, Cleveland - DB, 2006-
Heath Miller : Honaker, UVA, Pittsburgh - TE, 2005- 
Julius Jones : Powell Valley, Notre Dame, Dallas - RB, 2004- 
Shayne Graham : Pulaski, VPI, Buffalo/Carolina/Cincinnati - P, 2001-
Thomas Jones : Powell Valley, UVA, Arizona/Tampa Bay/Chicago/NY Jets - RB, 2000-
Ronde Barber : Cave Spring, UVA, Tampa Bay - CB, 1997-

Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber : Cave Spring, UVA, NY Giants - HB, 1997-2006
   3d NFL player ever to rack up 10,000 yards rushing AND 5,000 receiving

Mike Compton : Richlands, WVU, Detroit/New England/Jacksonville - C/G, 1993-2004

Gary Clark : Pulaski, JMU, Washington/Phoenix/Arizona/Miami - WR, 1985-95

Carroll Dale : JJ Kelly, VPI, L.A. Rams/Green Bay/Minnesota - WR, 1960-73

"Bullet" Bill Dudley : Graham, UVA, Pitt/Det/Wash - RB/HB/TB/DB/PK,  1942, '45-'53
   UVA's first All-American (1941), B-29 pilot, & NFL Hall-of-Famer (1966)

William Beattie "Big Chief" Feathers : Bristol (VA) HS - U. Tenn. -
                       Chicago/Brooklyn/Green Bay - HB, 1934-'40
   NFL's 1st 1,000 yard rusher (in his ROOKIE season - 1934), averaging either
   8.4 or 9.9 yards per carry (a record that will probably never be broken) thanks 
   to the blocking of Bronco Nagurski.  Also coached Brian Piccolo at Wake Forest.


   We've also had a couple of guys who gave up football for baseball in college - 

Pitcher Billy Wagner from Tannersville (Tazewell High), who set NCAA single-season
   records for most strikeouts per 9 innings (19.1) and fewest hits per 9 innings 
   (1.58) while at Ferrum in 1992.  He was switched from a starter to releiver 
   when he made the "official" jump to the majors in 1996 (in 1995, he made his 
   MLB debut, retiring the only batter he faced).  Astros/Phillies/Mets (1995-). 

Reliever Mike Williams : Giles, Va. Tech, Royals/Pirates/Astros/Philles, 1992-2003 


How are Va's teams grouped ?

Virginia is divided into 3 Groups of about 100 schools each, with AAA being the largest. About 10% of the schools, with the approval of the VHSL and their district, play ABOVE the Group they are supposed to be in.

Each Group is divided into 4 Regions. Each Region has 3 or 4 Districts. Each District has between 3 and 10 schools (long story, but basically because of the varying and shifting school-age population in the state).

Football playing schools (as of 2007) :

    Group A           Group AA            Group AAA

 Region A   20     Region I    24       Eastern     39
 Region B   25     Region II   23       Central     32
 Region C   23     Region III  20       Northern    30
 Region D   22     Region I    18       Northwest   28
            --                 --                  ---
            90                 85                  129

For football (and basketball, starting with 2007), within the Region , the schools are split in half by enrollment figures into 2 divisions ... AAA has Divisions 6 & 5, AA has Divisions 4 & 3, A has Div. 2 & 1 (the even-numbered divisions are for the higher enrollments).


Who makes the playoffs ?

Four teams from each Division in each Region. All District champions make the playoffs, then wild-card teams are added (based on their point ratings) to fill the brackets.

In 2007, the VHSL "opened up" the playoff field so each Region could allow more than 4 teams to qualify. In Group AAA, the Northern & Eastern Regions go to 8 teams in each Division. In Group AA, Region III is going to a 6-team field.


How are the power ratings calculated?

The VHSL uses a fairly complicated, 3-tiered system : you get points for who you play, how many wins they have and how many wins you have.

The new formula, which goes into effect in 2007, goes like this :
First, you earn 4 points if your opponent is from Group A, 8 if AA and 12 if AAA. Next, you get 1 point for every win your opponent has. Finally, you get 12 points for a win, PLUS an extra point for every win by your opponent.

(Example 1 : you beat a 5-5 Group A team, so you get 4 + 5 + 12 + 5, or 26 points.
Example 2 : you lose to a 5-5 Group AA team, so you get 8 + 5, or 13 points.
On my ratings page, I combine the "points for who you play" and "how many wins you have" into a catagory called "Gimme" points.

Does EVERY game count?

No. The VHSL does not recognize games against private schools in their official standings or ratings. Games against out-of-state public schools DO count. The VHSL gets enrollment numbers for those schools before the start of the season, plugs that number into the Va. system, and determines what Group it would be in if they were a Va. school.

Notes about "bonus point" games - All of our neighboring states currently allow private and public schools to compete "together"; Va. is the odd man out. Therefore, if Unaka beats King's Academy, a Va. team that plays Unaka would NOT get a bonus point for that game. ALSO, North Carolina schools usually play 11 games, with 1 of them an "endowment" game (similar to our "benefit game"). That game may or may not be the first game on their schedule, and it does NOT count.