[fan00]

The two time defending AA VA football champions, Amherst Lancers, lost their coach today. Scott Abell announced he will join the Washington and Lee football staff. Although Amherst will still be loaded with athletes I wonder how this will affect their team.

http://virginiapreps.rivals.com/showmsg ... 79&style=1

[bigsmooth]

wow! bring back mickey crouch!

[thesportscritic]

[BJWilliams]

I must say Im surprised by this as well. I remember covering Amherst for Friday Football back a couple years ago and coach Abell was a stand up guy who was easily one of the best HS coaches in the area.

[Cider Jim]

No offense, but is going from a state high school championship head coaching job to a DIII asst. coaching job considered a promotion?

[fan00]

That's a legitimate question. I don't know anything about Washington and Lee...but, I do know that Abel will not even be head coaching there?! It does seem a bit surprising! I have heard rumors (only) that some of their JV players, including the quarterback for next year, were dismissed from school this year and will have to serve a 365 day expulsion. If its true, could that have influenced his decision?

[blwall1416]

I remember covering Amherst for Friday Football back a couple years ago...

Then can you tell the tv station to change the way they do that show!?

They can get a copy of "Football Friday" from WRAL in Raleigh...that's how you do a high school football show...a lot of excitement...some local HS bands to play some before each commercial break...it's awesome!!

What they do here is boring as all.

[matshark]

That's a legitimate question. I don't know anything about Washington and Lee...but, I do know that Abel will not even be head coaching there?! It does seem a bit surprising! I have heard rumors (only) that some of their JV players, including the quarterback for next year, were dismissed from school this year and will have to serve a 365 day expulsion. If its true, could that have influenced his decision?

dont you mean, influenced his 'decision'?

come on, like a high profile coach like that is going to just up and 'resign' because some players were suspended?!? to go to a non-head coaching job for a D-3 school?!? my investigative reporter story-radar is going bananas over here.

If it were to go to a D1-AA program I could believe it. but D-3?!? Some of his kids from last year are going to Tech, and he's going to take a job with a college team that his HS teams could probably beat? yeah... RIGHT!

[flamesbball84]

he will probably be making a lot more money now. W&L pays buttloads of money to assistants, even assistants for like Tennis...

[bigsmooth]

football friday on WRAL is horrible!! those bands during the show are completely stupid IMO. i will take friday football extra anyday of the week. also W&L is an up and coming program....i guess abell figures he has won back to back titles so what else does he have to accomplish

[flamesbball84]

football friday on WRAL is horrible!! those bands during the show are completely stupid IMO. i will take friday football extra anyday of the week. also W&L is an up and coming program....i guess abell figures he has won back to back titles so what else does he have to accomplish

W&L has a long history of football success.

[blwall1416]

football friday on WRAL is horrible!! those bands during the show are completely stupid IMO.

No way!! It brings the essence of school spirit to the show. Helps tie-in local communities to the local TV station. For most of those kids, its the only 15 minutes of fame they'll get.

And Tom Suiter....you can't beat Tom "Let's go to the video tape" Suiter.

The show here has no emotion...no excitement...it's like they have a competition to see who can read the scores in the most monotone voice.

[bigsmooth]

if you are talking about WEST'S show yes. but WDBJ??? total excitement and they do the bands while showing scores, and not having goofball cheerleaders doing their thing. both shows have been in existence for about the same amoutn of years anyway.

[Fumblerooskies]

WDBJ has perhaps the best Friday highlight show I've ever seen...Mike Stevens is awesome at it.

[blwall1416]

if you are talking about WEST'S show yes. but WDBJ??? total excitement and they do the bands while showing scores, and not having goofball cheerleaders doing their thing. both shows have been in existence for about the same amoutn of years anyway.

You are correct. I have never seen WDBJ's broadcast...just the other station's broadcast & figured in no way did I want to subject myself to anything like that.

But c'mon....what's wrong with giving the band & cheerleaders a few minutes in the spotlight...??

[bigsmooth]

watch FFE...you will like it. dont get me wrong i like tom suiter, but i can do without the cheerleaders. and especially if they host a team that lost.....looks horrible

[Fumblerooskies]

Back on topic.

Scott is a member of the church I attend and that is a family of successful coaches. His brother, Percy, is the Head Baseball Coach at LC, and Scott's nephew Shawn is the Asst Baseball Coach (along with former Flame Billy Daniel) at Longwood.

[BJWilliams]

I remember covering Amherst for Friday Football back a couple years ago...

Then can you tell the tv station to change the way they do that show!?

They can get a copy of "Football Friday" from WRAL in Raleigh...that's how you do a high school football show...a lot of excitement...some local HS bands to play some before each commercial break...it's awesome!!

What they do here is boring as all.

I probably should have been more specific. I covered Amherst for Friday Football Kickoff (I think that one was GMTM's brainchild) for 90.9 FM. It would be fun to cover high school football for TV though

[Purple Haize]

he will probably be making a lot more money now. W&L pays buttloads of money to assistants, even assistants for like Tennis...

Did you have someone specific in mind with that comment?

[flamesbball84]

he will probably be making a lot more money now. W&L pays buttloads of money to assistants, even assistants for like Tennis...

Did you have someone specific in mind with that comment?

no, i was just stating a simple fact. W&L pays tons of money to assistant coaches.

[Cider Jim]

According to the local fishwrap, Abell will stay in Amherst and commute to Lexington, where he will serve as W&L's offensive coordinator and install the triple option.

Scott Abell, who coached Amherst’s football team to back-to-back Group AA, Division 4, state championships in 2006 and 2007, announced his resignation Wednesday to take the offensive coordinator post at Washington & Lee University...

“It was a very difficult decision, a decision that my family and I prayed over for some time,” Abell said. “Amherst County has been great for us (but) this is a great opportunity for me and for my family. It was really an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

He plans to commute to Lexington for the time being. “It was a big bonus in that I don’t have to uproot my family,” he said...

Abell intends to install the same triple-option attack that he employed with Amherst, and is now run at Navy, in Lexington.

http://www.newsadvance.com/lna/sports/h ... _lee/3163/

[matshark]

ok, offensive co-ordinator makes sense, esp. if they are throwing him a big paycheck. ill be surprised if VMI doesn't take a run at him in a few years.

[Cider Jim]

My thoughts exactly, Sharky: Abell pays his dues at D3 W&L and then cashes in big time across the street as the head coach at VMI.

[matshark]

TY Jim... score two for the COMS guys