Chilly leaving SEOAL??

[Blue_nd_Gray]

Gahs4ever: your so quick to point out how GA is so elite yet we won 3bball games in league last year!
The entire league could see this coming and it has been discussed. I think we were so arrogant we think our name and records of the past would keep us safe. Yet every time i go to jackson , logan, chilli, marietta and ironton i hear how all thier fans hate the GA fans and the arrogance. So if we dont get in a league and us along with jackson and ports will be left standing alone. We geographically are in the least enviable position. We have almost no options. I dont see the OVC letting us in we are 2 times the size of most of those schools. TVC is the same situation except for VC and Athens. We should have listened and acted more like adults!

[Blue_nd_Gray]

I see portsmouth joining the OVC perfect fit!

[Blue_nd_Gray]

Ok, bored so I thought I’d do some research, below you will find PHS’s away games and times to get to them for the last 2 years as well as for the 2004, and 2003 seasons, according to yahoo maps. It is pretty clear that the travel in the SEOAL isn’t much different for the Trojans.


2010
West 4 min 2 miles
Burg 18 min 9 miles
Chillicothe 59 min 44 miles
Marietta 2 hours 33 min 131 miles
Gallia 1 hour 37min 77 miles
5hours 31min 263 miles, one way, 526 total trip

2009
Since when is it 77 miles to gallipolis from portsmouth? I drive it regularly its 47 miles down 140 a shade over an hour lol
South Point 45 min 38 miles
Chillicothe 59 min 44 miles
Ironton 36 min 28 miles
Marietta 2 hours 33 min 131 miles
Western Brown 1 hour 22 min 67 miles
6 hours 15 min 308 total miles one way, 616 total trip

This is an average of 5 hours 53 min over a 2 year span or an average of 1 hour 10 min per trip and an average of 574 miles a year. Remember this it will be important later.



2004
West 4 min
Nelsonville York 1hour 54 min
Washington Court House 1 hour 28 min
Burg 18 min
Minford 26 min

4hours 10 min

2003
Chesapeake 52 min
Chillicothe 59 min
Ironton 36 min
Gallia Academy 1 hour 31 min
Columbus St. Charles 1hour 52 min

5 hours 50 min

This averages to 5 hours of travel to games a year, and means with 5 away games our average trip was 1 hour away.

So the SEOAL makes us average 10 minutes farther a game. Pretty clear that travel has never been a problem for Portsmouth in the SEOAL as it is just what we’re used to. I’ll gladly trade those 10 extra minutes for a chance to compete for a title, and for our boys to have a chance to play for league honors.

However let’s take a look at what the travel would be if we got in the SOC.

Burg 18 min
Valley 14 min
West 4 min
Minford 26 min
Northwest 15 min
Waverly 36 min

Assuming our schedule would look like this

Gallia 1 hour 31 min 77 miles
West 4min 2 miles
Burg 18 min 9 miles
Valley 14 min 10 miles
Northwest 15 min 11 miles
Minford 26 min 13 miles
Waverly 36 min 37 miles
Ironton 36 min 28 miles
Chillicothe 59 min 44 miles
Jackson 52 min 38 miles
Total 269 miles one way, 538 round trip and an average of 269 miles a year

5 hour 51 min if we played nothing but away games, or a little over 35 min a trip.
Now let’s think we are going to play 5 games home and 5 games away, so our average for 2 years would be 2 hours and 56 min cutting almost 3 hours off of our travel, for the year.


According to the American School Bus Council (yeah that’s a real thing) a school bus averages 7 miles to the gallon. At near 4 dollars a gallon cost for football travel would average $1076, playing in the SOC. Opposed to the 574 miles or almost double the travel in the SEOAL, resulting in $2296 in travel cost just for football. Now think basketball is probably more than that, and we have boys and girls, as you play everyone twice so you travel to every team in the league each year, baseball and softball also probably the same, along with volleyball. PHS doesn’t travel to many far track meets, and golf doesn’t take busses, and I don’t know if we take busses for tennis or not so they are a wash but with just these sports figured in we spend around (I used the football numbers for this as I think they would be on the low end with only 5 away games) $13776 in travel expenses a year in the SEOAL. In the SOC it would total $6456 a difference of $7464 a year extra spent on travel. Then think about the increased revenue large gates we would get with games against Minford, and Valley, on top of the great crowds we see from Burg and West already. Assume one of those games each year brings in 5000 people at $5 a person, making a $25000 gate, opposed to a $10000 gate brought in by a Warren or Logan game with 2000 people in attendance. An extra $15000 would be a nice boost to any athletic budget. Total that with the money saved from travel, and were at $22464.

That’s ridicules when you break it down that way. However I got an idea, if we truly want into the SOC, lets offer them some of this money we would be saving. Lets sweeten the pot , after all I don’t know of many schools that couldn’t use some extra cash. A deal where we offer a gate revenue sharing program for our home SOC games for we will say 6 years I think might be what would make some of these schools consider letting us in.
Below I put what I assume attendance numbers would be for these games.

Burg 5000
West 5000
Minford 5000
Valley 4000
Waverly 2000 until their program rebounds
Northwest 1000
Totaling 22,000, consider only 3 home games a year resulting in a 11,000 average and $55,000 in revenue per year, and $330000 over 6 years. My suggestion would be to offer them 20% for games resulting in $11,000 a year, and $66,000 over 6 years. Base it on percentage so if we have better gates they get more money , and if gates are worse we don’t lose our shirt. At 20 percent we are still well within the money we are saving not having to travel, we could even possibly go as high as 40% resulting in $22,000 a year and $132,000 total. With 16 schools in the SOC it results in $4,125- $8,250 per school depending on the percentage of the gate sharing. Or it could be divided differently to benefit certain schools more that have traditionally voted against PHS. I have heard that traditionally the smaller schools either vote no, or withstand from voting which is essentially a no vote, because they will not see any benefits from PHS joining because since they would not play them they would not even get an opportunity at a large gate the other schools would.

If you only take the SOC 1 schools, and most likely Northwest because it is understandable why they would vote no, and South Webster as they would not see any benefit from Portsmouth joining either since they don’t play football they would not see larger gates. Divided between those 10 teams the totals for the revenue sharing increase to $6,600-$13,200. This turns out to be a package that would be near impossible for these teams to turn down.

Hate to say this about high school athletics, but it has to have money to operate to, and we all know money talks.

Just think if we were to partner with Ironton or Jackson and present this deal to the SOC, double the money then and let Northwest move down to assure their vote, I think we would have to get in.

I’m happy in the SEOAL, but the SOC makes sense especially if we lose Chilli and Logan. This is a rational way to approach the SOC, that I really think they would consider, it would be hard not to.

[bengalfan76]

It's 2011 it is time for the soc to get over it's bias and let Portsmouh in the league. I have said for years the OVC and SOC should combine and add Ironton and Portsmouth and go to 3 divisions. There are many rivalries there and it would cover more sports than just Football.

[noreply66]

Nothing against Ironton--but I just can't see any league taking them in

[hornetnut]

I think that it is very possible that in the future Ironton may get into the OVC. I have also heard that the OVC is interested in GAHS as a new member. With the loss of River Valley and with the history that GAHS has with many of the OVC schools I think that would be a great fit. This too would be wishful thinking but it sure would be nice for the OVC to get Symmes Valley and Oak Hill back to go along with Gallia and Ironton and try to move toward a two division platform with Ironton, Gallia, Fairland, Rock Hill and South Point in large division with Coal Grove, Chesapeake, Oak Hill and Symmes in smaller division.

[footballfan]

I think that it is very possible that in the future Ironton may get into the OVC. I have also heard that the OVC is interested in GAHS as a new member. With the loss of River Valley and with the history that GAHS has with many of the OVC schools I think that would be a great fit. This too would be wishful thinking but it sure would be nice for the OVC to get Symmes Valley and Oak Hill back to go along with Gallia and Ironton and try to move toward a two division platform with Ironton, Gallia, Fairland, Rock Hill and South Point in large division with Coal Grove, Chesapeake, Oak Hill and Symmes in smaller division.

Ironton getting in the OVC is not going to happen any time soon....8-10 years maybe but there is a LOT of bad blood running between a few teams in the OVC and Ironton. Symmes Valley is happy with where they are...they will never even think of coming back to the OVC regardless of how their fanbase feels. Oak Hill is a possibility...they are growing and many in the OVC are shrinking...if they move up to D4 in the next few years it very well could happen since a D4 team in SOC I will never see the playoffs. I have also heard the Gallia rumors...if Logan and Chilli bolt the SEOAL then Gallia will be searching for a new league. The OVC is looking to replace RV. If the OVC adds teams it will either be 1 or 3 teams to make an even number of teams...I don't see them breaking to a two division format either.

[LucasJackson]

I would like to see the OVC invite Portsmouth, Ironton, Jackson and Gallia Academy to join the OVC in all sports but football. That would allow those four schools to play each other in football during the last 3 weeks of the season. That would allow some or all of the schools to play some of the other OVC teams in a non conference game earlier in the season. it would also allow Gallia and Jackson to play Logan and a few other old rivals earlier in the season. Maybe in a few years, the league would invite them in for football as well.

In basketball this would be a great conference and there would be great baseball battles too.

With Portsmouth in the OVC, maybe future expansion could include Portsmouth West?

[trojandave]

Excellent post, Trojan FB Alum........and you are very correct, PHS survived quite well as an independent (11 years), so we are not scared of becoming that again.........and we made it to the Final 4 in football in 2000, and regional finals in 2001........as an independent.

Being in a league makes scheduling easier, and allows kids to compete for league titles.......as a Trojan alumnus, I like Portsmouth being in the SEOAL but I now realize that our days in the league may be numbered.........if the SEOAL does indeed dissolve, Trojan athletics will continue, we will still field competitive teams, and I know that at least 5 schools, Wheelersburg, West, Ironton, Jackson, and Gallia Academy will most likely be on the schedule for a long time in football.

I had high hopes for the SEOAL when we joined, but unfortunately it looks like our marriage to the league won't last much longer, unless some unforseen circumstance can save it.

Whatever the outcome, we will survive........league member or independent.

[Bleeding Red]

Excellent post, Trojan FB Alum........and you are very correct, PHS survived quite well as an independent (11 years), so we are not scared of becoming that again.........and we made it to the Final 4 in football in 2000, and regional finals in 2001........as an independent.

Being in a league makes scheduling easier, and allows kids to compete for league titles.......as a Trojan alumnus, I like Portsmouth being in the SEOAL but I now realize that our days in the league may be numbered.........if the SEOAL does indeed dissolve, Trojan athletics will continue, we will still field competitive teams, and I know that at least 5 schools, Wheelersburg, West, Ironton, Jackson, and Gallia Academy will most likely be on the schedule for a long time in football.

I had high hopes for the SEOAL when we joined, but unfortunately it looks like our marriage to the league won't last much longer, unless some unforseen circumstance can save it.

Whatever the outcome, we will survive........league member or independent.

Just curious, but how often can a team submit their request to join a conference? I know PHS tried to join the SOC II not too long ago, how often can they apply? Yearly? Every so many years?

From the reports I have read on here, there seems to be alot of talk of Chilli and Logan moving out of the league. After losing Ironton and those 2, I could see PHS going independent and killing off the SEOAL altogether. I would like to think that PHS would then resubmit their request to join the SOC II and would like to see the SOC II voters let them in.

[Pol pot]

Portsmouth West is not leaving the SOC, stupid comment!

Portsmouth should have been a bit more humble all those years they were the big school.

Jackson will never join the OVC and drive down 93 every week.

[Bleeding Red]

Portsmouth West is not leaving the SOC, stupid comment!

Portsmouth should have been a bit more humble all those years they were the big school.

Jackson will never join the OVC and drive down 93 every week.

Where did I say anything about "Portsmouth West"????

[footballfan]

Dino made the comment and I agree that West would never leave the SOC for the OVC. Jackson should look north if the SEOAL folds. Portsmouth seems like a perfect fit for the SOC, maybe 2-3 years from they they may be in...who knows.

[GalliaGrad78]

Logan? Kinda understand.

Chilly? Only long trip is Warren, so that reasoning doesn't wash out.

[MTSWNGRVSG]

SEOAL was the best thing to happen to Chilly in a long time.

[trojandave]

If Chillicothe leaves, I still want them on the Portsmouth schedule for football, basketball, and baseball.........the Cavaliers are one of our oldest rivals and should yearly be on our schedule.

[bman]

It's sad that a league with as much history and prestigue as the SEOAL might not be around in two more years, but it is a sign of the economic times and the way our state and country are struggling. The MSL is also a historic league and has been around since the 1940s. The MSL-Buckeye has been together for over two decades now and has great travel (longest drive from Circleville is 35-38 minutes to Fairfield Union), gates, rivalries and has had numerous teams win state championships, play for state championships or get to the Final Four, but it won't be the same division in two more years due to the growth of some schools while others have remained stagant. I guess all things change.

[cavaliertrue]

chillicothe will not be welcomed back into the occ that im sure. the msl i can see it happening if the l.v.l does return. its a shame i fought so hard to get us into this league i have no ideal what will happen now that garin veris is in charge hopefully goods things are still to come new bleachers" higher ones" new field etc garin has the pull and friends to make it happen so in away im excited but also a little weary if we do decide to move i hope it works out, as for logan tho they shouldnt go into the occ considering they dont field as many players as the big boys do exp one year we fielded 65 boys and played grove city they fielded over a hundred are boys played both ways theres had subs for when they got winded but we will see in 2013 good luck to all seoal teams

[G.W.A.]

I like the thought of gallia and jackson in the tvc and have 3 divisions. There is too many in the hocking right now.

[noreply66]

I hope the SEOAL can get some more schools to come in.

I have done too much on SEOAL track to leave--lol