WARREN vs ATHENS

[Dundas]

This game has NOTHING to do with bragging rights between LEAGUES, regardless of who wins. It is a matchup of two fine teams and two excellent coaches. It is impossible to compare scores against common opponents to decide who wins because every game is about matchups first and foremost.

I could go back and dig up scores between common opponents like Logan, Jackson, GAHS, etc and it still wouldnt be relevant.

Having gotten that off my chest, if I had to pick an IMO favorite I would go with Warren. They are a typical Maddox team; very athletic, skilled in every facit, and very unselfish. I will say the same things are also true of Athens, but I honestly believe Warren just does it better.

Attempting to name scores is likewise foolish because of the "on any given night" scenario, and I wouldnt be at all surprised if Athens got the W. I'm just saying if I was a betting man (and Im not), I would go with the Warriors. As is the case with any tightly contested game, rebounding and turnovers will probably be the deciding factor.

So your telling me that if Warren beats Athens this Friday, there will be no posters on here that say how bad the TVC is..and point out the fact that the TVC Champion cannot even hang with the 3rd best team in the Seoal. ??? I think they will!! They have been doing it all year long! lol

[popcorn phil]

Warren will win this matchup. Not to ruffle feathers but i do believe Athens is a little overrated. I can see this one being a double digit margin. I hope i am wrong but i just cant see Athens handling a quaility opponent unlike any they have faced this year. (please dont get on here and compare Eastern and Vinton Co. to Warren)

[Dundas]

Warren will win this matchup. Not to ruffle feathers but i do believe Athens is a little overrated. I can see this one being a double digit margin. I hope i am wrong but i just cant see Athens handling a quaility opponent unlike any they have faced this year. (please dont get on here and compare Eastern and Vinton Co. to Warren)

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT GAHS....THIS IS THE MAIN REASON I HOPE ATHENS DESTROYS WARREN....VC hasnt lost to Warren in years...Both teams looked to be evenly matched in the scrimmage..(Neither dominated, or had certain players donminate) SO for yoiu to say 'Dont compare VC to Warren'...please dont be so ignorant. What are you going to say if Athens beats Warren? Make up some excuse i suppose? Please dont get on here and post idiotic statements.

[Tyler_Durden]

(please dont get on here and compare Eastern and Vinton Co. to Warren)

i would actually like to see eastern and warren play. i think eastern could handle just about any team in southeastern ohio this year, regardless of division.

[hardrock21]

Its starting to heat up and get good..ha...GO SEOAL

[popcorn phil]

I knew the VC people would go nuts. Warren is much better than VC right now (no contest). I am sorry you base your opinion on a foundation game. Meigs and eastern were fairly close in their foundation game too so i guess those two teams are pretty even. Tyler, you had better stay in your Div. 4 little world because there are 8-10 teams in southeast ohio that would drill eastern.

[Tyler_Durden]

8-10. okay, name them.

[trojandave]

Good luck Warren........make it happen for the SEOAL!!

[Orange and Brown]

If Athens wins this one there will be all kinds of excuses about how Warren just couldn't get it going or the Ref's cheated, or we will all hear how Athens got lucky and they couldn't do it twice!!!

Neither of these teams are worried about there respective leagues. Do you really think Warren or Athens is sitting around thinking about how they gotta win for there league? I always root for TVC schools come tourny time and I will continue to do so, but don't make this a TVC Vs. SEOAL thing.

The same Idiots who have been bashing Athens and it's kids for a couple of years will find a reason to do so no matter what Athens does.

I say Athens wins this one in a close one.

[Dundas]

Your right O&B...Athens could win the state and still wouldnt be any good, just because they are in the TVC. I am not in any way basing my opinion on the foundation game..Just saying that neither team looked dominate. VC is 14-5 with losses all 5 losses by a combined total of19 points..NO ONE has dominated VC this season in any way shape or form and to say Warren is better than VC 'no contest' is idiotic. VC has heard all the talk of being inferior to Warren before..How did that work for the Warriors? I believe it was a 70-65 Sectional Championship win for the Vikings. A 14-7 VC beat the 19-4 SEOAL Champion Warren Warriors back in 04-05...Maybe your still angry over the fact Warren hasnt gotten past the Vikings over the last few years..thus the original comment twords VC. None of this had to happen had you kept your ignorant comments to yourself. There is no way to say Warren is better than VC unless they play and decide it on the court. I am mearly defending my alma mater...This is about Athens and Warren...lets keep it that way.

[mhs95_06]

Warren doesn't shoot very well inside, but they get a lot of points there due to saturation and getting so many inside shots. A lot of the outcome will depend on how tightly the officials call the Warren inside physicality.

[popcorn phil]

8-10 teams who would beat Eastern:

(1) Logan Elm(this would be ugly)

(2) Ironton(also double digits)

(3) Oak Hill(you would struggle to score 40)

(4) Chillicothe(their athleticism would overwhelm you)

(5) Chesapeake(no contest)

(6) Waverly(too big, too athletic)

(7) Washington Court House (not close)

(8) Peebles (undefeated and play a much tougher schedule)

(9) Warren(they are just better than eastern)

(10)Zane Trace

[hardrock21]

Athens lineup? anybody have it?

[Spartan]

Good Luck Bulldogs. Two good teams, should be a great contest. The winner gets to move on, and the loser is finished, but will have nothing to be ashamed of. Lots of others out there would trade places with both teams.

[hardrock21]

What I think is impressive about this Warren team is that they have turned around and beat 2 very good teams (Portsmouth, Chilly) that had previously beaten them. This shows me they aren't intimidated easily and believe they can beat anyone, this makes them very very dangerous. Warren is playing it's best ball of the season right now and I couldn't come at a better time. I'm not undermining Athens wins against good opponents, Warren has just played some #### good teams (Ironton, Chilly, Portsmouth, Maysville) week in and week out and I believe their schedule has them better prepared for a game of this magnitude.

[The Wizard]

Your right O&B...Athens could win the state and still wouldnt be any good, just because they are in the TVC. I am not in any way basing my opinion on the foundation game..Just saying that neither team looked dominate. VC is 14-5 with losses all 5 losses by a combined total of19 points..NO ONE has dominated VC this season in any way shape or form and to say Warren is better than VC 'no contest' is idiotic. VC has heard all the talk of being inferior to Warren before..How did that work for the Warriors? I believe it was a 70-65 Sectional Championship win for the Vikings. A 14-7 VC beat the 19-4 SEOAL Champion Warren Warriors back in 04-05...Maybe your still angry over the fact Warren hasnt gotten past the Vikings over the last few years..thus the original comment twords VC. None of this had to happen had you kept your ignorant comments to yourself. There is no way to say Warren is better than VC unless they play and decide it on the court. I am mearly defending my alma mater...This is about Athens and Warren...lets keep it that way.

Exactly when was the last time VC played Warren?? Was it the sectional final game a couple of years ago 06/07?? You said VC dominated them recently, even in that game Warren let a late lead slip away. VC benefitted the last few years by avoiding Logan Elm and Chilli which Warren didn't but like they say "you can hide forever". Fact is your best VC team could not have won the SEOAL that year.

[AxGrinder]

No matter what happens, Athens has had a great year. No one can take that away from them. It really doesn't matter what league you are in, if you go 19-1 or 19-2 on a season you have had a great season, whether you are D1, D2, D3, D4, D100. I think this game will in no way be a blow out and yes it could go both ways. I'm of course holding out for the Bulldogs. I think they have learned this entire year what to do to win. That won't be any different on Friday. Coach Skinner has done a great job keeping this team focused, patient and determined to come out of every game with a win. I do hope if Athens wins, the nay sayers will give some sort of credit to Athens. But I won't expect it.

Should be a great game, worth the price of admission. Go DOGS!

[93Bulldog]

ATHENS STARTING LINE-UP FOR MOST GAMES:

PG - Collin Pfaff 5-foot-9 senior (4 year varsity player, averages 12-14 pts per game)
SG - Cori Butcher 6-foot senior (Was Athens leading scorer for much of the season - but it may be frank now)
SF - Dean Maffin 6-foot Junior (3-point shooter who seems to be getting better each week)
PF - Frank Valentour 6-foot-3 senior (Possible TVC-Ohio player of the year, averages almost a double-double every game)
C - Joe Stanley - 6-foot-3 senior (Smart, tough and does everything a coach wanct out of the ceneter position)

________________________________________________

IF YOU WANT INFORMATION ON ATHENS OR ANY OTHER TEAM IN THE TVC (RECORDS, SCHEDULES/RESULTS, TEAM PICTURES, ETC..ETC...) JUST VISIT http://trivalleyconference.com/

The straight link to Athens team page is .... http://trivalleyconference.com/Athens.html

[javon white]

If Warren dislikes and disrespects the TVC so much as evidenced by most posters knocking the league, Athens, Meigs Eastern and VC, then why did they again try to join it not too long ago? Maybe comments from guys like Popcorn Phil and The Wizard leave a bad impression on voting ADs' and administrators' minds when it came time to say yea or nay to their rejoining. They can continue to bash and make long bus trips costing the taxpayers more money to drive to Chillicothe, Jackson, Logan, Gallipolis and Portsmouth if they want, I guess that is a choice they made and if that is their choice, I respect it. However, economics may force Warren to change leagues again sometime in the future. Derogatory comments about another team or teams (that may control your fate someday) and about another league certainly do not help in any way, shape or form help to keep your future options open about joining that league in the future should you be forced to do so.

I personally think that Athens did the right thing for their students, school and taxpayers by leaving the SEOAL as pointed out by Mister B on another thread. Say what you want, they looked out for their students and the taxpayers of their district in making that decision.

[Orange and Brown]

8-10 teams who would beat Eastern:

(1) Logan Elm(this would be ugly)

(2) Ironton(also double digits)

(3) Oak Hill(you would struggle to score 40)

(4) Chillicothe(their athleticism would overwhelm you)

(5) Chesapeake(no contest)

(6) Waverly(too big, too athletic)

(7) Washington Court House (not close)

(8) Peebles (undefeated and play a much tougher schedule)

(9) Warren(they are just better than eastern)

(10)Zane Trace

Who Cares!!!!!!
This isn't about Eastern!