Gallia Academy 08-09

[Futurebkstar]

Oz is considered one of the best coaches ever in the state. I would jump to the opportunity to play for a coach like OZ. I wish I transferred there in the early 1990's.

[jottings]

Nice reply, 4-Ever.

I know several kids who did not play their senior year "to prove a point" but later wished they had.

It hasn't been announced yet, but during the 2009 boys state basketball tournament at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus on Saturday, March 28 (during the Division II state finals) Coach Osborne will be presented the coveted Paul Walker award.

The Paul Walker award is presented annually in honor of the late Paul Walker, longtime coach of Middletown High School. Walker was a charter member of the first hall of fame induction in 1987.

It will be Osborne's second state award. In 2003, he was recipient of the OHSAA's Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity (SEI) Award.

Osborne, who came to Gallipolis in 1969-70, has spent his entire career at GAHS as a teacher and coach and community leader.

Besides basketball, he has coached the Blue Devils baseball and tennis teams, and helped coach the Blue Devils track team to the SEOAL title in 1970. He also assisted the golf team in a state tournament match a few years ago.

[frosty]

Gallipolis will be fine this year. They lost some talent from last year that was in the program for 3-4 years but they should bounce back and make another convo run.

[GAHS7462]

Gallia Academy will be fine this year no matter who plays!!!!!!!

[blaze275]

It does not matter how deep his bench is he will only play 6 or 7 kids.I have watched him for years. I do like the way his teams play defense. As for other coaches records he has been at one school longer than all those other coaches you talked about. But i think Carl Wolfe took 2 teams to the state .I am not surehow far gahs has got.

[91blue14]

oz is definitely a defensive intense coach

loves his job and takes pride in what he does.

he is even a finer gentlemen nice to talk to, gives good advice, and is a great mentor.

his offensive style and limited bench playing is not popular but he has been here about 40 yrs thats says alot and should speak volumes

[blaze275]

Point well taken!

[popcorn phil]

Carl Wolfe took Southern to the state semis in 1980 and the state championship game in 1982.

[GAHS7462]

It does not matter how deep his bench is he will only play 6 or 7 kids.I have watched him for years. I do like the way his teams play defense. As for other coaches records he has been at one school longer than all those other coaches you talked about. But i think Carl Wolfe took 2 teams to the state .I am not surehow far gahs has got.

Oz coached team went to the regionals in Dayton in the 1972-73 season.
It was the Jimmy Noe,Gil Price lead team. Thats as far as he's been.

[theassassin]

also made it to regionals just a few years ago and lost to beechcroft

[oldschoolblue]

I have been part of the argument whether Oz should run or not but sometimes we dont have a team that can run with the chillicothes and zanesvilles. I have often wondered would it make people happier to have a loss of 90-80 or 55-45. I played for coach Oz and I learned more from him than just basketball. I would like to see us play more players but wouldnt everybody. I have no idea yet who is going out for the teams but whoever they are you can bet that they will become better men as well as better players. I hear that Greg Atkins is coaching the freshmen if this is true i can tell you that they will get better each practice and game, he is an excellent coach and an even better person.

[GalliaGrad78]

I have been part of the argument whether Oz should run or not but sometimes we dont have a team that can run with the chillicothes and zanesvilles. I have often wondered would it make people happier to have a loss of 90-80 or 55-45. I played for coach Oz and I learned more from him than just basketball. I would like to see us play more players but wouldnt everybody. I have no idea yet who is going out for the teams but whoever they are you can bet that they will become better men as well as better players. I hear that Greg Atkins is coaching the freshmen if this is true i can tell you that they will get better each practice and game, he is an excellent coach and an even better person.

Well said.

[WitnessProtection]

I've known Oz for about 14 years and have found him to be a good man. He cares for the kids and tries to instill discipline and teach them respect.
He's made a lifetime commitment to this community, which not too many coaches have done. I'm sure he could have moved on to other schools or even the college level, but he chose to stay in Gallipolis and put down roots and make a difference. Kudos to him for that.
Like his style of play or not, you have to respect what he has accomplished and the impact that he has made on young people in our area.
Just sayin' ...

[GalliaGrad78]

also made it to regionals just a few years ago and lost to beechcroft

A game they should have won. I like OZ, but if he had used the bench in that game they would have advanced. The boys had no legs left at the end. Bose was a beast in that game, but he never left the floor. A lot of folks blamed him for missing the foul shots late in the game, but the Devils would not have been in it had it not been for him. If I remember correctly, the only bench player to see the floor that night was the 6th man Anthony Dey, who by the way was a very fine player in his own right.
Beechcroft was subbing 2 and 3 at a time, and had a boy that went on to play at Ohio State, I think.

[BLUEDEVILFAN6]

OZ HAS HINTED THAT WITH THE DEEPER BENCH WE WILL BE PLAYING MORE PLAYERS AND RUNNING MORE THAN IN THE PAST. THIS HAS THE TEAM MORE UPBEAT AND ANXIOUS TO GET IT GOING.... TIME WILL TELL, AND I AM HOPEFUL THIS SQUAD WILL SURPRISE A FEW FOLKS. ADDITIONALLY I FEEL TMOORE WILL TAKE THE TALENTED SOPHOMORES NOT AT THE VARSITY LEVEL AND GROOM THEM FOR WHAT SHOULD PROOVE TO BE TWO MORE GOOD YEARS AT THE NEW GYM NEXT YEAR AND THE YEAR AFTER. I AM OPTIMISTIC FOR BLUE DEVIL BASKETBALL OVER THE NEXT THREE SEASONS!!!
GO BLUE !!

[GalliaGrad78]

I have high hopes for the boys this year as well. Good Luck Blue!

[blaze275]

HA HA ,Oz will play the same way he has for years.

[91blue14]

do you blame him, its kept him around this long

[blaze275]

Dont mean nothin bad bout oz,he plays ball control ,good defense and keeps the game close and thats what most small high schools do. What the heck is run and gun?

[GAHS7462]

Oz went deeper on his bench last year than I can ever remember him going, and you have to remember that before the season he lost starters Shawn Thompson and Jeff Golden, and then lost senior Cole Jones to a broken leg, and STILL went 8-9 deep. Have you forgotten that numbers became so critical that we had freshmen Ethan Moore and Jared Golden getting substantial playing time on varsity, and later on Nate Gordon among others? I kept the book and I remember well.

It's funny how perception becomes reality in people's minds sometimes. I'd love to have a dollar for everytime we got a rebound and the first words out of Oz's mouth was an encouraging "let's go!"

Several things about this year's team....we have athletes all the way to the end of the bench but we have no size to speak of, and to this point we have no consistent outside shooting, which plagued us last year as well. It should be a fun team to watch, and whereas last year we expected 11 seniors to be playing and many elected not to come out, this year we have at least 18 vying for a spot on the team. Competition for playing time can only be a good thing IMO!

Friday scrimmage at Rio Grande beginning at 6 pm, and then the cancer benefit game at Oak Hill on Tuesday the 25th. Girls game at 6 with boys game to follow.

No size!!!! He better run!!!!!!!!!!! What ever he does I'll be there when I can!!!!!