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.