Portsmouth Trojans 2024-25

[BuckeyeBlood]

What happened to the tougher schedule that was set before the 2024 Lisath debacle? I thought everyone was in favor of a tougher non conference schedule so why are we ducking smoke and trying to dumb down the schedule now?
I know I’m only one man, I don’t know about you all, but I’ll be a little disappointed and slightly embarrassed if after removing Ashland, our tougher schedule has East Tartans, Northwest Mohawks and Valley Indians listed.

Northwest just beat the Trojans last year, and Valley typically puts good teams out on the hardwood. Not good examples by you. Would I like to see tougher competition sure, will only make them better. That said first year head coach who’s had the job for a month may not want that just yet. Didn’t see it with Lisath in his first year, was going to be in his second year.

[trojandave]

tinydanzer: Let's give our 1st year HC a chance to prove himself before we pronounce judgement on his schedule. The Trojans will get their share of tests this season, with 14 OVC games. The most important thing right now is to continue the momentum that Coach Lisath started last season. Who we are playing is not the top priority right now. I, too, want the Trojans to play a challenging NC schedule, but upgrading the competition is a futuristic conversation at this time.

[pfloyd]

tinydanzer: Let's give our 1st year HC a chance to prove himself before we pronounce judgement on his schedule. The Trojans will get their share of tests this season, with 14 OVC games. The most important thing right now is to continue the momentum that Coach Lisath started last season. Who we are playing is not the top priority right now. I, too, want the Trojans to play a challenging NC schedule, but upgrading the competition is a futuristic conversation at this time.

trojandave - Did the powers that be keep Chillicothe on the schedule for this season - or do we not know yet - I believe it was a January game at Shawnee State University in one of the "in-season" show cases ...

[PTrojan59]

tinydanzer: Let's give our 1st year HC a chance to prove himself before we pronounce judgement on his schedule. The Trojans will get their share of tests this season, with 14 OVC games. The most important thing right now is to continue the momentum that Coach Lisath started last season. Who we are playing is not the top priority right now. I, too, want the Trojans to play a challenging NC schedule, but upgrading the competition is a futuristic conversation at this time.

trojandave - Did the powers that be keep Chillicothe on the schedule for this season - or do we not know yet - I believe it was a January game at Shawnee State University in one of the "in-season" show cases ...

Saturday January 18th 5pm tip at SSU.

[wipala]

TTT

[trojandave]

November 1st is just a week away.......basketball season is getting close, and I'm excited to see Coach Smith as he begins his career coaching the Trojans.

[portsmouth_98]

Any schedule yet?

[Real Time]

I'm told they still can't find the 1 game they need to complete the schedule. Who would have guessed that a month before the season starts all of the other local teams would have a full schedule.

[retiredref]

My understanding is the Trojans schedule is now full as they will play Fairfield Union in the Battle in the 740 at Shawnee State University on Saturday December 14, 2024 as a result of a team asking for and being granted a release from the event as a result of a potential conflict on that date

[trojandave]

retiredref: Thanks for the info on the schedule update. I'm still waiting for the full schedule. If anybody has it, please post it.

D4 Fairfield Union and D3 Chillicothe......two good non-conference games on the schedule.

[trojandave]

This is the schedule that I picked up at the PHS office:

Sat.Nov.16.......OVC previews; away; no site listed
Mon.Nov.18......H scrimmage......Manchester
Sat.Nov.23.......H scrimmage......Athens
Tues.Nov.26.....H scrimmage.......Northwest


Fri. Nov.29......A Waverly.....foundation game; 7:30

Regular season:
Mon.Dec.9......H South Point
Thur.Dec.12....A Chesapeake
Fri.Dec.13......A Minford
Mon.Dec.16....H Ironton
Tues.Dec.17....A Lawrence Co. KY
Thur.Dec.19....A Coal Grove
Fri.Dec. 20.....@ Ironton Classic vs. Spring Valley 7:30
Fri.Dec.27......A Notre Dame
Mon.Dec.30....H Wheelersburg
Thur.Jan.2......A Rock Hill
Mon.Jan. 6.....A Fairland
Thur.Jan 9......A Gallia Academy
Tues.Jan 14....A South Point
Fri. Jan. 17....H Chesapeake
Sat.Jan.18.....Chillicothe @ Shawnee State 5 PM
Fri.Jan.24......A Ironton
Tues.Jan.28....H Coal Grove
Fri. Jan.31.....H Rock Hill
Tues.Feb. 4....H Fairland
Fri.Feb. 7......A Gallia Academy
Tues.Feb.11...A Peebles

Revised schedule as of 11-13-24. 21 game schedule now, maybe add a game later.

[BuckeyeBlood]

This is the schedule that I picked up at the PHS office:

Sat.Nov.16.......OVC previews; away; no site listed
Mon.Nov.18......H scrimmage......Manchester
Sat.Nov.23.......H scrimmage......Athens
Tues.Nov.26.....H scrimmage.......Northwest

Regular season:
Fri. Nov.29......A Waverly
Mon.Dec.9......H South Point
Thur.Dec.12....A Chesapeake
Fri.Dec.13......A Minford
Sat.Dec.14.....Fairfield Union @ Shawnee State
Mon.Dec.16....H Ironton
Tues.Dec.17....A Lawrence Co. KY
Thur.Dec.19....A Coal Grove
Fri.Dec.27......A Notre Dame
Mon.Dec.30....H Wheelersburg
Thur.Jan.2......A Rock Hill
Mon.Jan. 6.....A Fairland
Thur.Jan 9......A Gallia Academy
Tues.Jan 14....A South Point
Fri. Jan. 17....H Chesapeake
Sat.Jan.19.....Chillicothe @ Shawnee State 5 PM
Fri.Jan.24......A Ironton
Tues.Jan.28....H Coal Grove
Fri. Jan.31.....H Rock Hill
Tues.Feb. 4....H Fairland
Fri.Feb. 7......A Gallia Academy
Tues.Feb.11...A Peebles

The schedule in the PHS Office only has 1 Rock Hill game listed, so I got the other RH game off the OVC schedule thread by TSYS. The Fairfield Union game was added to the schedule above based on info by retiredref. Those 2 additions make a full 22 game schedule.

Only 1 home non conference game (not counting SSU) for the Trojans kind of sucks. I like watching some non OVC teams come into Trojan Arena. Not the most challenging schedule I’ve ever seen, but it’s what I expected first year coach. Looking forward to the season getting underway.

[biggdowgg]

BuckeyebBlood
I'm different,I kinda like going to different venues in the non conference games that we don't get to see on a regular. But understand what you're saying.



On the other post someone made about why a schedule wasn't completed earlier, well coach Smith was hired much later then other new coaches,I'm sure that help the process up.

Trojandave and I talked about how this hired should have already taken place well before it did, no matter who they was going to hire.

I got one am excited to see coach Smith get the chance,he very much deserves it

[BandWagon]

What’s everyone’s predictions on the schedule I know its hard to tell having a new team and coach

[trojandave]

Bandwagon: This may seem somewhat bipolar in my prediction, but here is what I think for Coach Smith's 1st season:

Based on the JV team's record the past 2 years (6-32), if that group were to produce the starting 5, I would say probably no more than 5 or 6 wins........but then comes along these 3 transfers (Connie Thomas, Dayquan Woods, and Logan Allen), which completely changes the dynamic of the team. All 3 have the inside track to start, and each fills a critical position......Thomas at PG, Woods at the 2 (along with Malachi Loper), and Allen at the 3 or 4 (Wing). Add in 6-5 Luke Stine at the 5, and that's a completely different looking starting 5 than what was projected before the transfers. SR Jayden Brewer will be a big help at G, and I have him as the 1st sub. Transfer Tyreke Lewis could also help out at G. 6-5 Olynshay McKinley gives the Trojans depth at the 5. Dee Parker and Leland Scurlock will add to PHS's deep bench. Also keep an eye on CreShawn Dukes, who is a sophomore who has a ton of talent.

While the roster looks much more formidable with the transfers, there is the uncertainty as to how Coach Smith's 1st season will play out. What I have posted is not necessarily how he may look at the roster, and his coaching style has to be taken into consideration as to the team's success. From what I saw during the summer, though, he seems to favor pushing the ball up the court, and an aggressive defense which utilizes our athleticism.

Additional note: Manny Thomas, Connie's brother, transferred in and should be a big help to our 8th grade team, which should be the overwhelming favorite to win the OVC.

All that said, with the transfers, I'm going with 15-7. If the transfers hadn't come, 5-17. I really believe that there could be up to a 10 win difference.

[trojandave]

Trojans are looking to go for back to back winning seasons for the 1st time since 2017 (17-8), and 2018 (16-8). PHS also looks to advance out of the sectional 2 years in a row, with last season being the 1st sectional title since 2017, and the 65th in school history.

Portsmouth's all time record going into the 2024-25 season stands at 1,532 wins, 854 losses. Almost 700 games above .500, pretty amazing for almost 100 years and with the competition that PHS has played down through the years.

Malachi Loper is poised to join the 1,000 point club, as he has scored 930 points thus far. Most recent additions to the 1,000 club include DeAndre Berry, Phil Whitehead, Kenny Sanderlin, and Andrew Bendolph. Berry and Whitehead scored all their points at PHS.

[BandWagon]

I was thinking 18-4 for the Trojans

[trojandave]

Bandwagon: I hope you're more right than I am.......I8-4 will be tough to do since the OVC is very competitive most years, and then you have the non-conference schedule with only 1 home NC game.

I would be thrilled with 18-4, but I will say with confidence that those transfers will make a huge difference in the record. One transfer that I edited above is CreShawn Dukes, who is a sophomore and has a world of talent.

[danicalifornia]

As an outsider who only saw the Trojans a handful of times last year and what they were graduating vs what’s coming back, plus watching ND/Burg play…if you think this team wins more games than they won all of last season, after the off-season of madness that they had, I want some of your positivity in my life.

After that offseason, even with the transfers, I’d think anything over .500 would be a great step forward for the Trojans. It sounds like the middle school has some nice talent, so having a year of just being solid would be good especially with how some of the last few years have been.

We’ll see them on November 29th at Waverly and I hope I’m wrong.

[TruthOpinion]

I don’t know much about the talent level as much as Trojan Dave, but my guess is the transfers are not going to make a 10 game swing. My limited knowledge is the OVC from top to bottom is stronger than the level the transfers have been used to playing to make those kind of gains.

I don’t see the Trojans having the scoring to replace the guys who graduated last year.

Regardless, good luck to the Trojans and Coach Smith.