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The SOC needs to expand with it's success over the last five years. They need to invite Portsmouth, Ironton, and Piketon in. Those three additions doesn't create much travel.
The new conference look could be:
SOC I Division III Burg, Ironton, Portsmouth, Piketon, Valley, Minford, West, Division II Waverly, Northwest
SOC II Division IV OH, SW, East, Green, ND, NB, SV, Western, Eastern, Clay

It didn't surprise me that Portsmouth got rejected........and it looks like it will be quite a while before PHS applies again........it's been 7 years since PHS last got rejected by the SOC........

It is my firm belief that Portsmouth will NEVER get accepted into the SOC......and I will stand by that statement until proven otherwise..........I believe it is the 4th time that we have been rejected, so there is a very strong history to base my statement on.

According to the report in the Daily Times, PHS will stay in the SEOAL........I'm glad that we are willing to go on and accept the challenges that the SEOAL will offer......it has been difficult for our kids to compete on a consistent basis, but we need not feel sorry for ourselves.........let's just get better!!

GO TROJANS!! GO SEOAL!!

Portsmouth is the same size as most SOC2 schools and is centrally located. They would be a perfect fit. It's crazy that they got rejected.

I agree Watcher. Most of the SOC teams end up playing Portsmouth anyway as a non-conference game. Not adding them does not make a whole lot of sense.

With Oak Hill and Webster winning State (against NE Ohio Putnam County League Teams), and Burg making their recent runs, adding Portsmouth and Ironton's tradition as well as the recent success of Coach Lisath and Piketon would make the SOC one of the best conferences in the state.

Southeastern Ohio Basketball has made it's mark. IMO, the SOC should have capitalized on their recent success and made themselves stronger.

I think having SG on the ballot as well kept them from getting in. I don't believe the smaller schools want to travel to SG.

Portsmouth would have got in if certian favors had been done. Until certian officials start playing ball ,Portsmouth will be stuck in the SEOAL.

Piketon will not be going into the SOC anytime soon.

I believe all the smaller schools that have football have already scheduled South Gallia.

i was sorry to see portsmouth not getting into the soc. i thought they had a good chance this time. the challenge of the seaol schedule and travel could be a detriment to the sports program development. i do agree with an earlier post that ironton chould be in the soc, but portsmouth should be.

I hate to sound negative...but who cares if Porsmouth didn't get in other than the P-town fans? What has Portsmouth done since the 80's? They are no longer a power (even though this year they were undefeated against SOC schools). I don't see how they would have made the league stronger than it already is unless you are living in the past. Presently, Portsmouth has not been much in basketball.


The SOC would have been stupid to let South Gallia in! In a time when funding is low and budget/staff cuts are high in education, why add to the expense for athletics?????

Anyhow, best of luck to Portsmouth and South Gallia.

This was more of a football decision than anything else.

Sigh

who votes on this does anyone know. IMHO I think it is stupid that they soc don't let portsmouth in I mean they do play some of the soc 2 teams in both football and basketball anyway. I hope they do eventually get voted into the soc

I'm happy to see them staying in the SEOAL--Go Trojans

This really makes me sad. I really had hoped that this would be the time where PHS would make it in. I want to believe that the schools who voted them in just did it because they felt as if they couldn't compete year in and year out. I want to believe that. However I think that there is more to it than that and I think that is incredibly sad. PHS has great kids...I see it first hand when I go there or they come to the Burg. I think the schools who did not vote them in really need to take a look at themselves and ask why they didn't want to do this. All this could do is strengthen the SOC and county and make an already competitive conference even better. It's the SOC's loss and the SEOAL's gain that PHS didn't make it in.

sportsfan_1959 wrote:I believe all the smaller schools that have football have already scheduled South Gallia.

You are correct.
South Gallia football team played Notre Dame, Green, Oak Hill, Sciotoville Community and Symmes Valley in 2008.
Also play SOC schools in boys and girls basketball.