Best High School Program in Southeast Ohio

[trojandave]

League of the decade: SOC II......Oak Hill, South Webster win state championships, while Wheelersburg advances to the state in 2006 and 2007.

[trojandave]

sparky: A lot of the information I have posted came from the district tournament program or the state tournament program. I got regular season records from different sources.

The rankings I made are based as much on facts as possible, but obviously there's going to be some subjectivity on my part because there are certain things I consider more important than others. For example, winning a state championship does not automatically put a team in the top 10. The rankings are based on the whole body of work throughout the decade.

[JIMMY THE GREEK]

Jimmy the Greek: I am not changing my original top 10 which means Piketon stays at #8.......but it is a little more murky from that #8 spot on down......I do think North Adams is a very solid #7.[/quote]


No argument here....I think you've done an excellent job with your research. Just tickled to see my Streaks in the top ten.

[Bozo]

There were a couple other small school programs that had very good success in the 80's and 90's.

Eastern Pike had a great run when Don Cantrell and Greg Slone coached there in the 80's and early 90's.

Also, Rick Hopkins had a great run for awhile at Portsmouth East.

[Black Panther]

As far as programs go you cant beat Wheelersburg.Not only in boys basketball,but all sports.They all are always competitive and most times playing for the championship.Not too many other schools can say that...

[Black Panther]

There were a couple other small school programs that had very good success in the 80's and 90's.

Eastern Pike had a great run when Don Cantrell and Greg Slone coached there in the 80's and early 90's.

Also, Rick Hopkins had a great run for awhile at Portsmouth East.

My Cousin Mark Cochenhour played for those early to mid eighties Eastern teams under Cantrell.What teams they had...

[Peake]

I think Ironton could say something to that (wheelersburg). State titles in football and a runner-up in basketball.

[trojandave]

In comparing Ironton and Wheelersburg, both athletic programs are the top 2 all-time in winning consistently and achievements.........Ironton, though, is the all time leader in state championships for any school in the SE District......IHS has 2 state titles in football (1979, 1989), 1 in baseball (1972), 3 in golf (1995, 1996, 1997), and several individuals......Jimmy Morris in the high jump, for one.......have won state titles in track for the Fighting Tigers. WHS has state titles in football (1989) and baseball (1996), and I know that Bernard Tilley won the state title in the mile back in the early 70's.

Although boys basketball has yet to bring home a state title to Wheelersburg......I have always felt that this was the Burg's best sport. The Pirates have been to the Final Four 6 times, and were runnerup twice. Ironton has been to the state in basketball twice, being a semifinalist in 1994 and runnerup in 2005.

Portsmouth has won the most state titles for any one sport in the SE District......4 in boys basketball.......and PHS is the only SE District school to have won the BIG school state title in a team sport.......doing it twice in 1931 and 1961.

[trojandave]

I remember the great teams that Don Cantrell had at Beaver Eastern.......they were a powerhouse for the decade of the 80's.......and one of their biggest rivals at that time was Peebles, coached by Art Myers.......the Indians and Eagles met several times in the district tournament, and I recall one game in particular at Chillicothe High School in which I watched the two teams play looking through the railing of the upper section......I didn't even have a seat, and was on my knees..........that's how big the crowd was.

Cochenour was a fabulous player for Eastern, while the Indians had the Justice twins......Brett and Brian. I would think that current player Blake is a relative to them.

Portsmouth East had a tremendous team in 1995.....led by Chris Boggs and Mike Craft......probably one of the strongest SOC I teams in the last 25 years.........unfortunately the Tartans lost to Delphos St. John's in the regional final at the Fairgrounds Coliseum. East had a 7 point lead with just a minute to play and couldn't hold it, losing in OT.

[Ironman92]

Blake is Brett's kid.

[Poo Bear]

Can VC get just a small drop of love for the way their program has come alive the last ten years??...Not even a lil love??

[drrabbit]

Valley, New Boston and Wheelersburg had trips to the state tournaments in the 30s (Valley), 40s (Wheelersburg), 50s (NB), and 60s (NB). And there were probably others too. The tournaments were set up a little differently back then.

Wheelersburg opened their season with the Waterloo Wonders both years after the Wonders won their state titles. Waterloo won the games of course but it was a good way to start the seasons.

[trojandave]

Viking96: I don't know if you've read the entire thread, but I posted my top 10 of the 2000's earlier.......and I have Vinton County at #9 for the decade........they have won consistently with Matt Combs at the helm, have won multiple TVC titles and won a district title 2 years ago. I think their resume of the 2000's warranted a top 10 ranking, but it is murky from #8 Piketon on down........there were a number of schools that I left out of the top 10, namely Reedsville Eastern, Whiteoak, Oak Hill, South Webster, and Eastern Brown........all these teams made it to the state/or won the state during the decade, but none won consistently and all had lean periods before or after their run of success. But there could be an argument for any of them to be the top 10.

[trojandave]

drrabbit: You are correct about how the tournament was set up many years ago. The state tournament before the early 40's was a Sweet Sixteen state.......similar to what Kentucky still does today. The OHSAA switched to a regional format for the 16 teams remaining, and started a Final 4 state tournament.

Regardless, the state tournament program lists any state appearance before the early 40's as an official state appearance.......even though teams may have been ousted in the first round of the Sweet 16. Portsmouth has several appearances which were credited as state appearances but the Trojans were eliminated in the first round.

According to the 2009 state tournament program, Wheelersburg is credited with having made 6 state tournament appearances. 1982, 1984, 1989, 1995, 2006, and 2007 are the Burg's official trips to the state. The 1940's reference is not listed in the program. Not sure as to why that would not be credited as a state appearance.

[trojandave]

I looked in the state tournament program yesterday and it lists Lucasville......not Lucasville Valley.......as having made state tournament appearances in 1936 and 1937. Obviously it is the same school, but it must have only had the name Lucasville.

New Boston made state appearances in 1938 and 1960.......but the 40's appearance by Wheelersburg that drrabbit mentioned is not listed. If the reference was to the late 40's, by that time the OHSAA had changed to a regional format for the Sweet Sixteen.

[drrabbit]

In the 1930's Lucasville was usually listed with just the town name and sometimes referred to by the initials LHS.

[JIMMY THE GREEK]

Piketon picked #5 in Div.III by www.prepspotlight.com "Ohio 2009-2010 Crystalball State Rankings"

1. Cleveland Central Catholic
2. Findlay Liberty Benton
3. Sugarcreek Garaway
4. Cincinnati North College Hill
5. (tie) Cincinnati Shroeder
5. (tie) Piketon

The Streaks finished last season AP #8.

[bvmv4life]

trojandave you have done my Cavaliers some justice so I dont have anything to post! Thanks from Chillicothe!

[BIG POPPA]

Viking96: I don't know if you've read the entire thread, but I posted my top 10 of the 2000's earlier.......and I have Vinton County at #9 for the decade........they have won consistently with Matt Combs at the helm, have won multiple TVC titles and won a district title 2 years ago. I think their resume of the 2000's warranted a top 10 ranking, but it is murky from #8 Piketon on down........there were a number of schools that I left out of the top 10, namely Reedsville Eastern, Whiteoak, Oak Hill, South Webster, and Eastern Brown........all these teams made it to the state/or won the state during the decade, but none won consistently and all had lean periods before or after their run of success. But there could be an argument for any of them to be the top 10.

South Webster had a run a few years in a row a trip to districts in 2003 and district championships in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. they made it to the final 4 in 2004 and won state in 2006 so i think as far as teams of the decade they have an argument for top ten. other than this decade they havent won consistently and since the year after the state championship they havent had much to brag about either. As far as all time i think portsmouth is the tops

[pbuck]

Top 3 for me in no particuular order
Wheelersburg
Chesapeake
North Adams