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Looking back at Week 4 in the BRD

By Jason Jordan | jjordan@dailypress.com

The biggest thing I remember about the Tabb-Smithfield classic was the two teams walking down the traditional hi-five line saying "Good game."

Then I looked up to a see of orange and black crazed fans thunderously chanting, "OVERRATED!"

First, my esteemed colleague Dave Johnson made a good point about this: "Don't fans realize that chanting 'overrated' diminishes their own team??? So Tabb is saying to Smithfield, 'you guys aren't as good as people said.' So basically they're saying that their team isn't that good because they just beat a team that isn't very good. Think about it!"

As Arsenio Hall used to say: "Things that make you say, 'Hmm...."

Anyway, just for kicks, let's explore this... Is Smithfield overrated?

We picked them to win the district this year, and barring some unforeseen flukes over the next six week's that won't be the case.

Wait let me backtrack, let it be known that there is no devised plan to pick against Tabb on a weekly basis. And contrary to popular belief, I don't lay awake at night praying that me not putting the Tigers on HRVarsity videos will somehow stop Corey Legister from being the beast that he is on the field and make Mel Jones slower, so that the Tigers can ultimately lose.

The fact is that we picked Tabb to finish second in a tough district, that was the team we did our first real story on, we've staffed three of their four games and we've picked against them in the Grafton game and the Smithfield game.

Neither was like picking Warhill to beat Phoebus??? So I don't understand the thought that the DP is anti-Tabb... This just in Tabb fans, every school sends me emails saying how we should be ashamed that we don't cover their specific team.

We respect the Tigers as one of the top teams in the district (Hence the preseason #2 pick) and we'll know Friday night if we were wrong.

OK, back to the notion that Smithfield is overrated.

Hmm, it's interesting. The Packers are one false start - down 16-13 on the Lafayette 1-yard line with just over a minute left - from being in the playoff hunt.

I won't mention the Tabb game because they just lost that. BUT if you guys were there you definitely remember Dyrell Roberts' jump pass to Randall Privette, who ran for the touchdown with a little over five minutes left in the game. That would have tied the game at 35, but it got called back because the ref said the Packers had an ineligible receiver down field.

Before I go on, I'll say that even then I don't think Smithfield would've stopped Tabb on the next series and the Tigers would've scored again. I know the Tabb fans are a bit sensitive.

OK, now about that call. It was just bad. There's no two ways about it. I was down there on the sideline and I can tell you that the call was just wrong, point blank, period.

And without putting anyone out there, let's just say I spoke with a VIP at the game that night and that person, with no ties to either program, said the call was a bad one.

I still think Tabb would've won because the Tigers' offensive line was just pushing Smithfield's line backwards on every play. That's something that Lafayette exposed about the Packers too.

At this point, I think Tabb is the clear cut favorite to win Friday. Granted they'll face their toughest defense this season, but I have issues with Poquoson giving Lafayette a close game two weeks ago. No, Garrick Piggott didn't play last week, but even without him the Rams should've put up more than seven points on Jamestown. Have the Eagles finally stepped up that defense??? It still would've been a close game, because let's face it, the Eagles can SCORE!

The rest of the games were predictable.

I will say this though, and remember where you heard it: Watch out for Grafton!

It's weird to think that the Clippers have flown under the proverbial radar, but with all this talk about who's better between Smithfield, Tabb and Lafayette, the Clippers have just been off to the side getting better.

The Clippers have all of the right tools and once they work out some fixable execution problems they are going to be even tougher.

I'll leave you with this bold proclamation: I think Grafton makes it to the postseason.

[Buckeyein_VA]

Yes Tabb fans should not have chanted "overated" they only do that when
Tabb plays Grafton !! I didn't hear them chant, however, another parent said it came from the student section. Maybe Tabb fans are too fanatical...and face it...Tabb has not had a very good football record until last year. Coach Lawson has done a fantastic job rebuilding the team and the fans want the best for the them. I think it helps Tabb when the DP picks against them...it provides motivation. So please change your prediction...pick Lafayette!!

As far as the bad call...you could probably say that about other calls that have been made in any game on any given night. That is part of the game..Tabb lost to Southampton last year due to a bad call. Referees are human and they make mistakes.

I agree with you about Grafton..I watched them Sat night and they have improved since Tabb played them. If they do make the playoffs....along with Tabb...I hope Tabb has a chance to beat them again!

[GraftonAlum05]

Grafton sure does have the talent to make it to the post-season, but they have a tough stretch coming up in a few weeks. ( Lafayette and Smithfield back to back) Should be interesting to see how the team responds, they need to buckle down and cut out on the missed assignments and missed tackles. If they can do that, they will do great.

[Lafayette]

You are put off by Poqoson's 18 points against Lafayette? Think about it again, my friend. Poquoson's QB is very quick and a very accurate passer with that Bollinger receiver that no one really knew about until the Lafayette game- the QB's ability and that receiver's talent caught everyone off guard and unprepared. Grafton having seen this still got torched fairly well, though winning the game. Now Poquoson wil surprise no one. That is an advantage to playing a team in the 2nd Half of the season. Even so, it took a 90 yard KO retrun to Lafayette's 5 yard line to get a TD- their only one until 0:00 of the game. On the Jamestown game, it was not only the loss of Piggott's team leading yardage and speed but the way he draws the defense away from te other backs and opens up space for them. His ability and importance is not single dimensional. Of course the fumble on the 1 yard line, Ptachicks pass drop in the open on Jamestown's 25 yard line did not help. These factor's are not concern's against Tabb. The concern is 1. Executing without penalties or turnovers 2. Containing the very talented Tabb running game for 4 Q, not 2 or 3. PS- The Jamestown offense was pretty well sequelched by Lafayette, what happened to their high powered offense everyone was writing about?

[AnotherGraftonDad]

Jason, I wish you wouldn't talk about Grafton in the post season. There's a lot of challenges ahead and first we have to beat a Southampton team looking for blood since we were the team that took them down first last year. I bet that it's going to be a tough game for us and we can't overlook anyone! Coach Montini will continue to look only to Friday. We're not ready to take on the Rams or Packers yet. Of course, as a fan, I'd love to be at Bailey Field Friday night to see if the Tabb oranges start chanting their lovely melody again.

[BRDPLAYER61]

Hello, Hello and Hello to all that missed my insite. Now to the buisness at hand Mr. Jordan i do believe i predicted Tabb to finish 10-0, lafy 9-1, smithy 8-2 n grafton 7-3 n so on and so forth. I know you guys have this because it was publicated in the newspaper and it is probably in the archives. (Believe me i know, i got fussed at for making those statements). So Mr. Jordan, i do believe that my Tabb people have a case to plead. I mean for example, lets go back to this past friday night, all i heard from both branches of the media, DP and Wavy 10 is ohh look at Dyrell, he had 3 tds n 195 yrds. Yall are blowing smoke up his butt, but you barely mention that Tabb won the game, like winning the game became a sidenote to the entire story, its sickening. Im just curious about how long have you been covering the BRD Mr. Jordan because it just seems like that since Smithy has Dyrell YOU just assume that they were going to win the game. When you decide on who is going to win the game do you even look at the team or do you assume since Dyrell is going to VT that he will win the game all by himself. Well I do believe that I could even match up to you and Mr. Burke when it comes to the knowledge of the BRD. Well thats it and thats all!!!!!!!!!

[chief277]

It sure is funny that this article started out by saying it wasn't out to bash Tabb or its fans and then does just that. You pick one play that a penalty was called by everyone in the stands before the flag even flew to complain that Smithfield was robbed. Yes, you say "you don't think it would have stopped Tabb" but you leave everyone with the impression that that is why Smithfield lost.

The DP and it's reporters should be subjective and not lower themselves to the few folks that use these threads to bash everything under the sun.

Face it when all the paper can do is a story on a player that hadn't played all season and laud his past accomplishments that is an injustice to all the players in the district that have sweated their butts off this year once 2 a days started.

Where is the coverage on the guys in the trenches or the spot players that did all that hard work to play for their school? Yet all the DP can do is report about a player that hasn't played a down all season. (Funny I didn't hear his named mentioned much once the game started)

Hopefully the DP will start telling subjective stories each week about that particular games opponents and what the game means to those teams instead of slanted stories towards one team or another. That is what the readers want good sports coverage that is unbiased.