Is the SEOAL a dead horse?

[IRONMENFAN]

Is it over or is there a chance to realign the league.

[noreply66]

talks are going on-----that is all I'm saying

[IRONMENFAN]

In my opinion this would be a great league.

1. Jackson
2. Ironton
3. Wheelersburg
4. Gallia
5. Athens
6. Logan

[jottings]

Don't believe Athens will ever come back to the SEOAL. Neither will Ironton. The Burg will never leave its league.

[A-Town Big Dog]

Don't believe Athens will ever come back to the SEOAL. Neither will Ironton. The Burg will never leave its league.

When it comes to Athens, I wouldn't say never now that the league has contracted back to basically what it was before we left and we play most SEOAL teams in many sports anyway. I'm not suggesting that they will move, only that the it wouldn't totally surprise me if they'd seriously consider it at the least.

[loganlocos]

The SEOAL has been here before.

As long as Jackson, Gallipolis, and Logan are willing to fight for the league it will stick around. And I don't see where else those three have to go.

Always hearing rumors of a couple former members possibly coming back. One more team and the SEOAL is back on very stable ground.

[1987chieftains]

LOGAN
JACKSON
GALLIA
ATHENS
NELSONVILLE
VINTON CO.

[noreply66]

Schools can join league for other than football. Look at Warren they have been down in football more than 75% of the years they have been in the league but do great in other sports.

[NYBuckeye96]

Something to consider as well is that starting next year, there will now be 7 divisions in football. The added division will create 32 more football playoff spots than exist today. Keep in mind that the playoffs have expanded greatly over the past 30 years. What this would mean for the SEOAL is that smaller schools could potentially consider the SEOAL a viable option.

For example, NY will be in Division 6 next year under the 7 divison format. If NY were in the SEOAL, it's safe to say that very few D 6 schools would be playing many schools that are as large as the SEOAL schools. This means NY could rack up some high numbers in D1 points. NY could go 6-4 and probably still qualify for the playoffs if the schedule is right. It also would mean NY would be battle-ready for the playoffs.

I'm not saying it would ever happen, but it is definately a different way to look at things. The trade off would be fewer league championships in football. Would that be a tradeoff NY would take? There has always been such a big emphasis placed on league championships at NY in the past.

I don't think NY would leave the TVC, at least not without Athens and Alexander along for the ride.

[Daniel Larusso]

I'd still like to see an SEOAL/TVC Ohio merger. Cut ties with the TVC Hocking, and create a 12 team conference with close divisional crossover games aplenty. You could have a big school division, and a small school division that compete for separate league titles with the exceptions of wrestling, track, cross country, and golf. For those sports the league could host a meet consisting of all 12 schools competing for one league title. The only other suggestion I would make would be to possibly switch Vinton County and Nelsonville from their respective divisions for football only. Alexander would obviously replace Vinton County in the Buckeye division for soccer. They are the only TVC Ohio school other than Athens that fields a soccer team.

SEOAL Buckeye
Logan 478
Warren 356
Athens 297
Jackson 295
Vinton County 271 (football only in the Ohio division)
Gallia Academy 258

SEOAL Ohio
Meigs 209
River Valley 190
Wellston 188
Alexander 171
Nelsonville York 151 (football only in the Buckeye division)
Belpre 145




As far as Ironton and Portsmouth go, they should be in either the SOC or OVC. Then again to hear most Ironton fans talk on this board, it sounds like they are happy with the status quo. Portsmouth on the other hand I think would be elated if the SOC offered them a spot.

[fortdawg]

2 things. One I object to labeling the new league SEOAL---I'd prefer TVC. I wouldn't change a thing but of all I've seen purposed this one makes the most sense. The only problem I see is that I would wager a large amount that Belpre wouldn't enter your Ohio Division under any circumstance. I guess that was 3 things but.....

[ACCBiggz]

The SEOAL death discussions have been happening for awhile. Last year I wrote an entry about what I'd like to see happen, and still would.

link to full post: https://accbiggz.wordpress.com/2011/11/ ... gh-school/

The Southeastern Ohio Athletic League (SEOAL) was founded in 1925 with eight members: Athens, Gallia Academy, Ironton, Jackson, Logan, Nelsonville, Portsmouth and Wellston. Naturally, over the years teams came and left. I only heard tales of Wellston playing in the SEOAL from my father as they were in the Tri-Valley Conference by the time I was old enough to remember anything and I always loved the thought of Wellston competing against these schools in a league setting. That’s not to downplay the TVC but Jackson are our rivals and Ironton and Portsmouth are two of the most important and historical schools in our area.

Over the past couple of years there has been increasing talk that the SEOAL is on the brink of folding and going away forever. Ironton and Portsmouth returned to the SEOAL in 2006 along with Chillicothe and Zanesville to bolster the league and give them two divisions. I was not a strong supporter of Zanesville being included because of where they are geographically located. Athens left for the TVC after the 2007 season, Zanesville left after the 2008 season and Ironton returned to independent status after the 2009 season leaving the league with six schools.

First and foremost I believe all leagues should have no more than eight members. That gives you seven weeks of league play and three open dates to schedule other schools. I believe that’s the optimal set-up, especially for our region.

I am sorry to say TVC but you are about to be raided. I would invite Athens, Nelsonville-York, Vinton County and Wellston. Why?

By inviting these four you are adding history, solid athletic teams and a sense of balance in travel. Besides Portsmouth, all teams are within 40 minutes (by my calculations) of one another. All but Vinton County are founding members as well. It also keeps scheduling similar to what it is now.

What about competitive balance? Jackson would immediately be seen as the power, as they are now, but they would get stiff challenges from consistent programs like Nelsonville-York and Athens. Also, outside of Nelsonville-York, all schools would fall within DIII and DIV. One any given year any school can compete with the others as we have seen in the last decade. And, as I mentioned above, you still have three open dates to fill. That would allow Portsmouth to continue its storied rivalry with Ironton and other schools could follow suit with past rivalries or area schools.

At the time I wrote this there were talks of Logan and Warren leaving (and there still may be those talks) so that's why they aren't included. But the general idea of what I want to happen is there.

If one of those two stayed I would invite Wellston over Vinton County, and if both stayed obviously only invite Athens & NY.

[Daniel Larusso]

2 things. One I object to labeling the new league SEOAL---I'd prefer TVC. I wouldn't change a thing but of all I've seen purposed this one makes the most sense. The only problem I see is that I would wager a large amount that Belpre wouldn't enter your Ohio Division under any circumstance. I guess that was 3 things but.....

SEOAL is the oldest non city league in the state. We can't just let something like that go up in smoke.

[A-Town Big Dog]

Athens will not come back to the SEOAL, why would they after being embarrased on a weekly bases? It is true the SEOAL is down from what it was but Athens would still bring up the rear year in and year out. They are better off in the weak TVC where they can halfway compete.

Ironton will not be back either after running away from the SEOAL not once but twice.

Vinton County is not dumb enough to jumpinto the SEOAL. They can't even come close to being respectable in the weak TVC.

Really? Last year we beat Gallia, Warren, and Chillicothe and lost to Jackson and this season we beat Warren and Jackson and lost to Gallia, hardly would be bringing up the rear. The only schools from the SEOAL we haven't played or beaten the last two years are Logan and Portsmouth and no rational thinking person would think that either would have beaten Athens either year.

[noreply66]

Athens has brought their sports program back up and would be near the top in most sports if back in the SEOAL.
Nelsonville over all could compete in the SEOAL too.
Logan will come back but I just don't see them being as strong has they were at one time.
The SEOAL needs to try and build on an eight team league. They should try to bring back Athens, Marietta and Nelsonville York. This would have Portsmouth as the long drive. How hard would it be or what would be wrong with having Warren, Marietta games against Portsmouth starting earlier?

[Dundas]

I think the SEOAL will go after Athens first and then either Waverly or Marietta. NY would be a great fit for football and wrestling, but beyond that, they would struggle. I also think the SEOAL will send an invite to VC, but I don't think it will be entertained. VC tried to join the SEOAL back in the 60s and was shot down, thus the creation of the TVC.. which is where VC will remain.

[trojandave]

I would appreciate Portsmouth being treated as a member of the SEOAL until something happens otherwise..........according to some on here, it sounds like they would prefer Portsmouth being dropped from the league. We won the 2011-2012 SEOAL in boys basketball, also boys and girls tennis. In addition, Portsmouth proudly represented the SEOAL in back to back Final 4's in boys basketball in 2011 and 2012. Ali Miller of PHS also currently has qualified for the state in girls' tennis 3 years in a row, while Trevor Violette advanced to the state in boys' tennis last year.

Portsmouth will never be admitted to the SOC.......yet this topic seems to never go away.

[boilermaker]

Sad ,,,but Dead as Muhammad !