Portsmouth Trojans (21-5) (10-2) 2010-2011

[trojandave]

The 2010-2011 season will mark the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Portsmouth Trojans Class AA (Big School) State Championship team.........the only SE District school to ever win a BIG school state title (also did it in 1931).......I believe in any sport.

The Trojans that year won the Greater Ohio League, finished with a record of 22-3, beat Chillicothe 52-51 in the district final and Canton McKinley 46-38 in the regional final.......then the Trojans defeated Elyria in the state semis 54-52 before winning it all with a 50-44 victory over previously unbeaten Urbana (25-0).......6-5 Mike Haley was the state tournament MVP.

Starters on that team were Mike Haley, 6-6 Rudy Shively, 6-5 Dozier Carter, 6-5 Clem Hartley, and 5-10 Dick Spencer.

I plan to present some info on this team to the Boosters for the basketball game program......it would be nice to see this special team honored at some point of the basketball season. For many who lived it, 1961 was a special year in Portsmouth.......for a small town in SE Ohio to bring home the BIG school state championship trophy........I remember seeing pictures of a big celebration at Spartan Stadium honoring the team.

[biggdowgg]

trojandave wrote

1961 was a special year in Portsmouth.......

the year I was born

[trojandave]

biggdowgg: And I was 5 years old living on Poplar Street.

[trojandave]

Got to see the Trojans' new blue road uniforms yesterday........they are very nice!!

Also found out that there are about 6 schools that have been put in Portsmouth's bracket at the KSA event in Florida........there was supposed to be a conference call yesterday finalizing who the Trojans will play in their 3 games.

Of course we are all still waiting on the Andrew Bendolph eligibility issue......I have not heard anything whatsoever contrary to him gaining his eligibility back.......hopefully this will hold true when the OHSAA announces its decision in about 3 weeks.

[wipala]

1960-1961 was very special..I was a freshman at Grant that year and we did not have basketball due to a levy not being passed...went to all the games except finals in Columbus,,could not get tickets...the team really kicked it into high gear when Coach made Carter a starter--a monster on the boards!! The area had PHS, Ashland, Huntington High and Huntington East all when state in 61!! Mike Haley was one of the smoothests shooters you would have ever had the chance to watch, if the 3 pointer were around when he played his average would have been in the high 20's..Hartley was a ball hawk and finally dunked in pre game at our last game at Grant that year!! Spencer and Peanuts Malone were very adapt at getting the ball upcourt and into the hands that needed it...The looses that year were to very good teams and the Trjoans learned from them...Grant Gym rocked!! Also the old County tourney was still being played at Grant,,,Man what a blast!! Rarden, Otway, Webster, Green and soforth.. TrojanDave thanks for bringing up this post,,,hard to realize it has been that long!!
wipalawalt.....

[trojandave]

wipala: Glad I could bring back some great memories for you........it has been 50 years since those Trojans came back down Rt.23 with the BIG school state championship trophy.......but they are not forgotten.......we Trojan alumni should always remember this special team.

I never saw a game in Grant Gym......but I have heard many stories of the Trojans playing in the Greater Ohio League........Middletown, Hamilton, Springfield, and Lima........from 1944-1961 the GOL accounted for 11 BIG school state championships!!.........and every team but Lima won at least 1 state title during that era. Jerry Lucas of Middletown once scored 53 points vs. the Trojans.......still to this day a record for most points by one player vs. PHS.

I can just imagine how noisy Grant Gym was during its heyday because I watched some junior high games there a number of years ago and it was loud even with much smaller crowds........I do remember seeing a picture of a completely packed Grant Gym back in the 50's........and there were students on the stage so I can imagine that with the acoustics of that gym that Portsmouth had quite a home court advantage in those days.

My class of 1975 was the first freshmen class to attend Portsmouth High School......previously all 9th graders were still attending either Grant or McKinley. I went to McKinley and later after I graduated from Ohio University I did some substitute teaching, mostly at Grant.......I had Patrick Tubbs in class quite a bit.

[southernohio13]

50th anniversary for that state championship team. Thats great and the town should celebrate it again.

[trojandave]

A strange twist of events for the Trojans' schedule of games in Florida........the 3 games had been scheduled, but a couple of the schools wanted to be rescheduled to NOT play Portsmouth due to what the Trojans had coming back this year and based on their record last season.......so right now Portsmouth is being bracketed with some other teams, so it should be finalized in the next few days as to who the Trojans will play in Orlando.

[smurray]

So they are afraid of the Trojans?

[southernohio13]

smurray, I'm excited Portsmouth will have a good team but i truely doubt anyone is afraid of them. Are you going south trojandave and are they playing in the disney wide world of sports complex?

[wipala]

wipala: Glad I could bring back some great memories for you........it has been 50 years since those Trojans came back down Rt.23 with the BIG school state championship trophy.......but they are not forgotten.......we Trojan alumni should always remember this special team.

I never saw a game in Grant Gym......but I have heard many stories of the Trojans playing in the Greater Ohio League........Middletown, Hamilton, Springfield, and Lima........from 1944-1961 the GOL accounted for 11 BIG school state championships!!.........and every team but Lima won at least 1 state title during that era. Jerry Lucas of Middletown once scored 53 points vs. the Trojans.......still to this day a record for most points by one player vs. PHS.

I can just imagine how noisy Grant Gym was during its heyday because I watched some junior high games there a number of years ago and it was loud even with much smaller crowds........I do remember seeing a picture of a completely packed Grant Gym back in the 50's........and there were students on the stage so I can imagine that with the acoustics of that gym that Portsmouth had quite a home court advantage in those days.

My class of 1975 was the first freshmen class to attend Portsmouth High School......previously all 9th graders were still attending either Grant or McKinley. I went to McKinley and later after I graduated from Ohio University I did some substitute teaching, mostly at Grant.......I had Patrick Tubbs in class quite a bit.

One of the sidelights of the 61 championship team was that they were all seniors except for Billy Parker, who was quite good but hurt his leg during football his senior year..the 61-62 year went on to have a 1-17 year,,,we upset Chilli of all teams and lost in the Sectional to Northwest. Coach said our team was building character that year..the next year we got Larry Hisle and the rest is history...even during what was my soph. year we still had realy good crowds at Grant...Thanks again for all the posts you all put out for us Trojans that are not abel to be there
wipalawalt

[southernohio13]

Anytime you win a state championship you are and will always be considered Special! There haven't been many teams around southern ohio that can say that.

[LetsGoPSU]

Four banners hanging in the Trojans gym. I feel it is privilege to have witnessed two of those State Championships in my lifetime. If I could live long enough to see just one State Title on the football field, I could die with a huge smile on my face

[Jeff Lisath]

50th anniversary for that state championship team. Thats great and the town should celebrate it again.

Agreed...My Dad use to tell me about this team and I did a lot of research and found out how awesome they were, my pick as the All-Time greatest. I hope they will be recognized this season...and if I don't have a game that night...I will be there. I have a big poster size picture of this team in my office. (Haley, Hartley, Shively, Carter, Malone, Spencer, Nagel, Robinson, Fuller, Burgess and Asst. Coach Harry Weinbrecht, Head Coach George Heller, Larry Bailey and Bob Anderson were the Managers). Lost to Middletown, Hamilton Garfield, and Kentucky State Champion Ashland Paul Blazer...(also beat Middletown and Garfield that year to win the G.O.L.)

TOURNAMENT TRAIL:

Sectional:
PHS 70 Northwest 55
PHS 78 Minford 47

District:
PHS 82 Sheridan 46
PHS 52 Chillicothe 51

Regional:
PHS 61 Cambridge 38
PHS 46 Canton McKinley 38

State:
PHS 54 Elyria 52
PHS 50 Urbana 44

*The biggest line-up in Portmouth High School basketball history.
* Six went on to play college basketball

[trojandave]

Jeff: The debate could go on and on about the greatest Portsmouth team ever.......from many of the people that I have talked to over the years who watched the 1961 state champion Trojans, and have watched a lot of great PHS teams since then, they have told me that the 61 team was the best of the best.........the 1978 and 1988 teams were in the minds of many younger people because that's what they grew up with, so many of them don't relate to the 61 team and what it accomplished........I still hear stories of the ending of the district title game vs. Chillicothe, how the Trojans scored with just seconds remaining to advance to the regional.......then to beat powerhouse Canton McKinley in the regional final, and undefeated Urbana with star player Gale Evans........just to win the GOL was a feat to be very proud of........at that point in history the GOL was the toughest league in the state and had the hardware to back it up.

I do hope at some point this coming season that this great team is honored in a special way.

[trojandave]

smurray and southernohio13: Considering that the Trojans last year had their first winning season in 8 years, I doubt that scares anyone away.......I'm just reporting what I heard about the scheduling changes.......there is info provided on all the teams about school size, what players are returning, size of the players, schedule they play, etc........for some reason a couple of schools asked to be rescheduled........I don't know how else to interpret it.

Lord willing, I am planning on going to Florida and have already cleared it with my employer.......there could be as many as a half dozen people that will be going down, so our kids will have some Trojan fans rooting them on.

As far as I know, the games will be played at Disneyworld.......and I believe some of the games will be played at the Milkhouse, which has been seen on ESPN.

[pfloyd]

Trojandave - you have a PM to answer ...

[wipala]

50th anniversary for that state championship team. Thats great and the town should celebrate it again.

Agreed...My Dad use to tell me about this team and I did a lot of research and found out how awesome they were, my pick as the All-Time greatest. I hope they will be recognized this season...and if I don't have a game that night...I will be there. I have a big poster size picture of this team in my office. (Haley, Hartley, Shively, Carter, Malone, Spencer, Nagel, Robinson, Fuller, Burgess and Asst. Coach Harry Weinbrecht, Head Coach George Heller, Larry Bailey and Bob Anderson were the Managers). Lost to Middletown, Hamilton Garfield, and Kentucky State Champion Ashland Paul Blazer...(also beat Middletown and Garfield that year to win the G.O.L.)

TOURNAMENT TRAIL:

Sectional:
PHS 70 Northwest 55
PHS 78 Minford 47

District:
PHS 82 Sheridan 46
PHS 52 Chillicothe 51

Regional:
PHS 61 Cambridge 38
PHS 46 Canton McKinley 38

State:
PHS 54 Elyria 52
PHS 50 Urbana 44

*The biggest line-up in Portmouth High School basketball history.
* Six went on to play college basketball

Jeff,
Thanks for the info,,,remember all so well that season. The strange part of it was the 3 losses, all were not close,,,except maybe the Garfield game,,Middletown beat us pretty good but we buried them by 16 in our return match,,the Garfield games were both under 10 points and tuff to the end..Ashland just buried us,,the final was only by 13 but the game was never in doubt...in 1961 Ashland was still basically an all white school and IMO our team got some really strange call against us that night as we had an intergated team...Ashland was an awesome team but I would have loved to PHS play them in Ohio that year...the neat part about this team was that the prior year we were 15-6 and you could tell then that 60-61 was going to be special, just did not know how special...wipala walt....btw, who was the PHS player that went to Northren Arizona to play basketball?

[TrojanHorse]

I was lucky enough to have three older sisters who were in high school at the time of the '61 championship. They "dragged" their little brother to St. John's Arena to see the finals game. I actually have the ticket stub to seat 1 row 1!

Those who remember the great games at Grant Gym should not have any problem naming some of the great players who played against the Trojans including one of my favorites: Middletown's #13.

What a thrill it would be 50 years later to attend another Trojans state championship game!

[Jeff Lisath]

Jeff,
Thanks for the info,,,remember all so well that season. The strange part of it was the 3 losses, all were not close,,,except maybe the Garfield game,,Middletown beat us pretty good but we buried them by 16 in our return match,,the Garfield games were both under 10 points and tuff to the end..Ashland just buried us,,the final was only by 13 but the game was never in doubt...in 1961 Ashland was still basically an all white school and IMO our team got some really strange call against us that night as we had an intergated team...Ashland was an awesome team but I would have loved to PHS play them in Ohio that year...the neat part about this team was that the prior year we were 15-6 and you could tell then that 60-61 was going to be special, just did not know how special...wipala walt....btw, who was the PHS player that went to Northren Arizona to play basketball?[/quote]


Walt Mannon???