North Adams vs Portsmouth

[EasternDspy]

Louden,Jimison,and Unger are all really good players.North Adams is the real deal this year.That being said upstes always seem to happen in the southeast.Just last year Ironton was the 9 seed and up # 1 South Point.

[ohbuckeye2]

WOW.......North Adams Varsity team is made up of 8 Seniors and 2 Juniors. They must have alot of Juniors playing JV.

[trojandave]

Portsmouth will be gunning for its 59th sectional championship......and its first since 2004........that year, the Trojans beat South Point who had defeated Portsmouth 70-39 in the regular season........then PHS upset 16-4 Albany Alexander 59-57 to advance to play Piketon at the Convo........the Redstreaks beat Portsmouth 64-56, coming back in the 4th quarter to end the Trojans' season at 9-14.

[trojandave]

Last night's win vs. Minford marked the 70th time since 1916 that Portsmouth has won at least 10 games, and the first time the Trojans have reached double digits since 2002........may not seem like much to celebrate to some, but the way we have struggled since that 2002 season, it was good to see us end that dubious mark.......

The last time Portsmouth beat an undefeated team in the tournament was in 1980......when the Trojans defeated 26-0 Willard in the Class AA state semifinals........

There have been 3 other times Portsmouth beat an undefeated team in tournament play........in 1963, Portsmouth beat undefeated Marietta in the district 64-53......the Trojans beat 25-0 Urbana 50-44 to win the BIG school state championship in 1961......and PHS ended Chillicothe's perfect season of 1951 with a 52-51 win in the district championship...........

[rooster]

It sounds like the Trojans are hungry for this win and that's what it takes! North Adams is a very strong team so this will be a really tough matchup! One of the best in the tourney.

[eaglefan1]

I will take Portsmouth in an upset, in overtime.

[boomer633]

As a North Adams fan this game worries me some especially with Portsmouth's big guy. I think North Adams will win though because Kraig Unger is capable of taking over a game and not allowing NA to lose.

[Focused]

Last night's win vs. Minford marked the 70th time since 1916 that Portsmouth has won at least 10 games, and the first time the Trojans have reached double digits since 2002........may not seem like much to celebrate to some, but the way we have struggled since that 2002 season, it was good to see us end that dubious mark.......

The last time Portsmouth beat an undefeated team in the tournament was in 1980......when the Trojans defeated 26-0 Willard in the Class AA state semifinals........

There have been 3 other times Portsmouth beat an undefeated team in tournament play........in 1963, Portsmouth beat undefeated Marietta in the district 64-53......the Trojans beat 25-0 Urbana 50-44 to win the BIG school state championship in 1961......and PHS ended Chillicothe's perfect season of 1951 with a 52-51 win in the district championship...........

Some interesting stuff, trojandave....
Best of luck to Coach Shoemaker and the Portsmouth Trojans..

[frank-n-beans]

Sorry Dave, I've seen 'em play and they aren't that good. P-town's season ends against NA. Subotici needs to be lured back to Portsmouth. That's their only hope.

[beaverlover]

North Adams should have no doubt that they are the team to beat in the district!

It's their tournament to lose...

Reverse psychology??

[Hitchbone64]

North Adams should have no doubt that they are the team to beat in the district!

It's their tournament to lose...

tobias,

I love your Lou Holtz way of pumping up the other team!!! North Adams annually is as tough as they get. From this SEOAL foe, I believe P-Town can get it done, if indeed they play defense. If NA does indeed press this game could get up in the 70's real quick. I like P-Town guard play, but if Trojandave says the NA guards are one of the top tandems the Trojans will see this year, then they must be impressive.

I would love to see this matchup on Friday. To bad Waverly and Greenfield McClain will be matching up about the same time. I am rooting for the Trojans and if they play defense, this will be one of the toughest #9 seeds to ever play a #1 seed. North Adams must be scratching their head. Trojans only lose 1 or 2 outside of conference and I think the kids will compete on Friday.

[hbk2016]

Portsmouth has talent, but seem to be out of control. The coach doesn't seem to have any discipline or control over this team.

[biggdowgg]

I agree with Tobias, you can look at N . A , record,you dont win 20 games in a season, and not be a great team,, I dont care what league you play in.

we are definatly huge , huge under dogs in this game.

Nortyh Adams is expected to make a very long tourney run, with the talent and coaching they have, not to mention all the experience and leadership they have playing.

lets just hope to see a great game, and hope the trojans can keep it close enough, to maybe pull off a huge upset in the last minutes...

as always,,,GO TROJANS!!

[biggdowgg]

as far as displine,, who ever doesnt think there is any, is not real close to the program,,or they would know of some of the punishment that has been handed out in the second half of the season,,not to mention a few players that are not even on the team now, that was in the beginning.

[trojandave]

frank n' beans: The Suboticki era is long over at Portsmouth........it's been 18 years since he left.........and we went to the regionals 3 times in the next 10 years after his departure........the last 7 years is where we have really fallen down.........

This year's Trojans have been an underachieving team........talented, yes.......inconsistent, yes..........puzzling, yes..........capable of pulling off an upset on Friday, yes...........

One interesting statistic.........PHS is 7-1 outside the SEOAL and 3-10 in league play..........3 of the SEOAL losses were by 3 points or less, and another was in OT to Ironton. I don't think there's any coincidence that Portsmouth's record was so different between non-conference and conference opponents........the SEOAL was a very tough league week to week...........

[trojandave]

A #9 seed with a losing record playing a #1 seed with a perfect 20-0 mark........it is interesting to see this game get so much attention............

Hitchbone64 is 100% right.......we must bring DEFENSE to Waverly on Friday.......if we don't, we have ZERO chance of winning.

[rooster]

:-)

[rooster]

A #9 seed with a losing record playing a #1 seed with a perfect 20-0 mark........it is interesting to see this game get so much attention............

Hitchbone64 is 100% right.......we must bring DEFENSE to Waverly on Friday.......if we don't, we have ZERO chance of winning.

Trojandave,

I think that the biggest challenge for Portsmouth will be sealing the deal at the end. Other good teams have gave them all they could handle and been up at different points in the game but it seems like NA kicks it in high gear in the last leg of the race (vs Peebles, Fairfield and Eastern which went into OT). This is definitely a tourney game that shouldn't be missed. I'm sure Dave Young is not taking for granted that his team will emmerge winners, he knows he's got a fight on his hands and his team needs to bring their A game. Rest assured they will...

Good luck to both teams!!

[trojandave]

Rooster: Good points about sealing the deal at the end.........it's something Portsmouth hasn't done particularly well this season.......3 losses by 3 points or less and another loss in OT..........but I guess it sounds cliche to say that if you're close at the end, you have a chance to win.........that's what we hope for Friday night.

[J-Bird]

I watched Portsmouth play Minford and they showed they had an excellent team when hitting on all cylinders. I think their gonna run into a buzzsaw though when they play NA. Portsmouth has talent, but how often does a team from the southeastern area come around with as much talent as NA has and height. Their shortest player in their starting lineup is 6'2'', I believe is what someone posted earlier. With 6'4'', 6'4'', 6'2'', 6'4'' and 6'5'' It will take a monumental effort by Portsmouth. I'll take NA by 12.