SEOAL 2010-11

[TheUnchosenOne]

Who has the best chance to win the SEOAL this year?

[TribeManiac10]

Portsmouth should be the favorite

[hardrock21]

Why would Pmouth be considered the favorite? Warren Local returns two of the best basketball players is SE OHIO (Austin Cunningham, Venham). I would consider them the favorite.

[TribeManiac10]

Why would Pmouth be considered the favorite? Warren Local returns two of the best basketball players is SE OHIO (Austin Cunningham, Venham). I would consider them the favorite.

Because out of all the SEOAL teams I have seen play this summer.....including Portsmouth, Logan, Marietta, and Chillicothe....they looked the best. I cannot speak for or against Warren considering I have not seen them play.

[baller3]

Chillicothe will win the seoal imo. They beat a good Trotwood Madison team today and also beat Milford at X. Played TOP notch competition at Xavier this weekend. The teams at this camp were loaded with talent.

[TribeManiac10]

Chillicothe will win the seoal imo. They beat a good Trotwood Madison team today and also beat Milford at X. Played TOP notch competition at Xavier this weekend. The teams at this camp were loaded with talent.

Peebles beat Trotwood Madison fairly easily last season. We have scrimmaged both and Portsmouth clearly looked like the better team. Ragland is a very good player and London has a ton of potential but Bendolph, Evans, Underwood, and McKinley deffinately have the advantage head to head. Maybe the foreign exchange student that was talked about on another thread will come in and make a huge impact but as of right now im giving the 10 point edge to the Trojans.

[TheUnchosenOne]

I'm from Chillicothe and I honestly think portsmouth is more than likely win the SEOAL. I watched them at SSU. Their team look pretty good

[trojandave]

Considering what Chillicothe, Warren, and Portsmouth have coming back, these 3 teams should battle it out for the SEOAL title........the Cavaliers return Malik London, the SEOAL's best defensive player, and Jalen Ragland, who should be scoring around a 17-18 PPG average.....and the Serbian transfer will certainly bolster CHS.......Warren has Grant Venham back for his 4th year of starting, and Austin Cunningham, who gave the Warriors solid play at guard last year........Portsmouth has 3 starters back, Tre Underwood, Dion McKinley, and Wayne Evans, and with Andrew Bendolph coming back from Wheelersburg for his senior season, and the solid play of Lenny Collins at the 3 this summer, with a very capable bench, the Trojans will seriously challenge for the league title.

The rest of the SEOAL features 3 new coaches.........Heath McKinniss at Jackson, Tom Moore at Gallia Academy, and Coach Helber at Logan.........JD Secrist returns at Marietta to coach the Tigers in their final SEOAL season........last year these 4 teams were clearly below Chillicothe, Warren, and Portsmouth in the league standings, and it probably won't change much this year..........but things can happen between now and December and teams can improve and some teams can disappoint........

But at Portsmouth we have been on the bottom of the SEOAL before, so our kids have to come out and PLAY HARD every night in the league.......we haven't won the league yet and this is our 5th season in the SEOAL, so it would be nice to bring home the trophy (but I don't think the SEOAL gives the champion a trophy, do they?)

Portsmouth hasn't won a league title in basketball since they won the OKAC title 5 years in a row from 1987-1991. PHS went independent after the 1993 season and stayed that way until joining the SEOAL in the 2006-2007 season. The Trojans' best finish in the SEOAL was last year with a 10-4 mark, good for a tie for 3rd with Warren.

[datchillicav]

I will say what it seems like I say every year about the SEOAL race. Portsmouth is one of, or the most talented team in the league. I cannot and will not pick them untill they do something with that talent. Portsmouth basketball is quite similar to my Chillicothe football program so I know how frustrating it is but I can't pick Portsmouth. They may very well be the most dangerous team come tourney time do to talent and the division they play in but they will not win the league IMO.

IMO there are 3 scenarios which could happen next year. I will rank them in order of how likely I believe they are to occur. They are all hypothetical so don't hold me to them exactly(unless in 8 months I am proven to be right. Then give me all the credit I deserve.)

MOST LIKELY:
Chillicothe and Warren split the regular season series and each loses one or two other games and battle in a two team race for the title. Portsmouth blows a couple early that they should have won and loses both to Chilli and splits with Warren ending up with 5 league losses. Warren and Chilli are carried by their familiar cast and the foreign exchange transfer is not a big factor for Chilli and turns out to be mostly hype.

2nd MOST LIKELY:
The transfer for Chillicothe is legitimately all he has been said to be. He turns out to be 1st team all SEOAL and SE district and gives Chilli the most intimidating frontline in SEO with 3 D1 prospects all over 6'5'' and they run away with the SEOAL and make a deep postseason run all the way to the regional final and potentially challenge at the State level. Warren is the clear cut 2nd place team and only loses two to Chilli and one against Portsmouth. Portsmouth places 3rd for the reasons stated above but makes a deep postseason run in D3.

LEAST LIKELY(still possible.)
Portsmouth FINALLY plays up to their potential and is the class of SEO. They cruise through the league with 2 losses. One to Warren or Chilli and another in a "trap" game against a lesser team. Warren and Chilli battle for second but Chilli succumbs to some of the same problems that plagued them last year with dumb play and a surplus of turnovers and Warren gets second. Warren and Chilli rematch in the first district game in the Convo and Warren comes out on top. Portsmouth advances all the way to the Schottenstein Center before losing in the final four.

Obviously there could be some mixtures of the three. The coolest would be if Portsmouth realizes their talent and plays like it, Chilli's transfer turns out to be a beast, and Warren plays "Warren Ball" to the best of their ability and we have a "three team race of death". Portsmouth makes the Final Four, Chilli and Warren play in the District championship or regional semis, and the winner also advances to the state as well. The SEOAL has 2 members in the final four and everyone forgets about Zanesville and Ironton leaving the league.

[Out of Bounds]

Great post by datchillicav. I like your least likely scenario. Should be some good games in the SEOAL this year. Come on.......Bball season!!

[trojandave]

datchillicav: You make some very good points in your post........your scenarios are all very possible........I do think that Portsmouth will do better than the 10-4 league record last season.......your assessment of the Trojans as an underachieving team is right on.......from what I saw this summer, though, there has been an attitude adjustment on the defensive side of the court.......having Andrew Bendolph come back to PHS has made a huge difference in the chemistry of this team.

[datchillicav]

datchillicav: You make some very good points in your post........your scenarios are all very possible........I do think that Portsmouth will do better than the 10-4 league record last season.......your assessment of the Trojans as an underachieving team is right on.......from what I saw this summer, though, there has been an attitude adjustment on the defensive side of the court.......having Andrew Bendolph come back to PHS has made a huge difference in the chemistry of this team.

I hope you are right about the Trojans this year. It is always good to see them "up" rather than "down". It makes the league better and in turn makes my cavs better. I believe Chillicothe AND Portsmouth both have the POTENTIAL to make a run at the schott this year. In order to do that Chemistry will be the key for both teams. Most Portsmouth Posters have cited that as what held back their Trojans last year and I believe that is what ultimately did in the Cavs as well. Imagine how good the SEOAL would be this upcoming season if Ironton and Zanesville were still in it along with Portsmouth, Chilli, and Warren. That would be the best collection of teams in any SEO league I can ever remember in one given year.

[Warrior C C]

Well good to be back.....Cant say Warriors will win it but until they establish the chemistry needed with the so-called superstars,guess we will have to wait and see.
Same-ole,Same-ole, starts with the lack of getting everyone playing together-9 years running! Cant wait to get started voicing my true opinion to get u warren people crying the blues. Goodluck Coaching staff which is has trickled down to some parents as well it seems, so see ya soon! The moon shines bright at night!(sometimes)

[Dos Equis]

The league will be interesting this year. However, not as interesting as I. The Most Interesting Man in The World!

I once had an awkward moment, just to see what it felt like.

Stay Thirsty My Friends!

[LetsGoPSU]

Now thats completely original. Nice !

[FANOSPORTS]

^^^^^^Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion, but IMO Warren has one of the most consistent, fundamentally sound programs in SE Ohio with a coaching staff anyone would be proud to have. I have never heard anyone from Warren refer to any of their kids as superstars, and I know that mentality isnt preached or acceptable by the coaches. To quote Norman Dale in THE HOOSIERS," Team, Team, Team!"

If your idea of "voicing my true opinion" includes bashing coaches and kids, that wont fly around here! Winning District Championships is not something SEOAL teams have done consistently over the years, and it took newcomers Chillicothe and Zanesville (departed) to show us what it takes to get to the Final Four.

The SEOAL since expansion, hasnt been the same 6-8 teams we've known since Warren and Marietta came into the league in the mid 80s. All four new schools have Final Four tradition with three of them having State Championships on their resumes. It takes more than "chemistry" and "so-called superstars" (your words) to go that far in the one and done tournament.

Prior to expansion, tell me who was the last SEOAL team to make it to the Final Four and when. Does the entire league over history have problems like you claim Warren has (same-ole, same-ole)?

Hey 4ever, if you're talking the newer pre-expansions I think the answer to the above question is the 1970 Waverly Tigers of Coach C.D. Hawhee who lost in a semi-final to Dayton Chaminade 73-55. Is that correct ?

[32, 16, 6]

hey CC, I think your bi-focals are out of adjustment, its super "HEROS" not super"stars". Batman and Robin are Super " HEROs" . Anything else I do to help just give a yell, or push that button on your necklace and say " I've fallen and I can't get up " and HELP will beon the way

[trojandave]

FANOSPORTS: You could be right about Waverly.......I believe they were in the SOC back in the 60's, then joined the SEOAL but I'm not sure what year........I remember that one of the star players on that Tiger team was Denny Thompson. I know that the 1980 Waverly team coached by Gabby Smith made it to the Regional Finals, but lost to Portsmouth 49-48.......not sure if the Tigers were still in the SEOAL at that time.

[biggdowgg]

should be very interesting this season.

not oucking any favorites,but I cant wait to see the Trojans this year,I made it to most our shootouts,and summer league games, and things really look good so far.

Coach Collins,and Coach Rhea sems to have things going in the right direction

[jottings]

Trojandave...Waverly's first year in the SEOAL was 1970-71. Coach Hawhee's Tigers won 44 straight SEOAL games before losing twice to Gallipolis during the 1974-75 season. Thus GAHS saved its all-time 49 straight SEOAL wins set during the 1953,54,55, and 56 seasons, a record that still stands.(7-0, 14-0, 14-0,14-0.)

Had not GAHS beaten Waverly that year, the Tigers would own the league's all-time winning streak because they went 14-0 the following year after going 12-2 in 1974-75.

GAHS come close to beating the Tigers during the 1972-73 season with Jimmy Noe and Gil Price, but Waverly got a player from New Boston after the football season and he led the Tigers to two close wins over the Blue Devils. The former New Boston player went on to play for Ohio State.

Waverly's outstanding player was sophomore John Shoemaker, who went on to play for Miami University.and I think baseball for the LA Dodgers.

During Price and Noe's junior and senior year, GAHS won the SEO District title at Rio Grande in 1973, and played Dayton Jefferson at the University of Dayton Regionals. GAHS led by 10 points at halftime before losing by 10.

I think Waverly dropped out of the SEOAL in 1981 or 1982.