Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

trojandave
SEOPS
Posts: 5041
Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2004 11:41 pm
Location: Portsmouth HS--15 State Appearances in Boys Basketball--4th All Time in Ohio

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by trojandave »

Two come to my mind........the Portsmouth Trojans play in Trojan Arena, while the Ironton Fighting Tigers play in the Conley Center. Greenup Co. KY plays in the Greenhouse, but I don't know if it's called that anymore. Waverly plays in Downtown Gym. Ironton's, Greenup's, and Waverly's all seat around 3,000.


CuckooNest
Freshman Team
Posts: 157
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2023 6:36 am

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by CuckooNest »

Minford has taken to the ‘The Nest’. They desperately need more seating as they’re missing out on a better home court advantage. Also, they usually spill over into a section on the visitors side and that’s eventually going to lead to an issue in a heated game, imo.

I don’t know the cost or engineering that it would take, but bleachers on the mezzanine like other schools would be a huge improvement.


ZTPMM88
Freshman Team
Posts: 141
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2021 9:57 pm

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by ZTPMM88 »

GrumpyPundit wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2025 9:54 am I think Alexander calls their gym The Alley. Zane Trace is The Pit, I think. Not 100% sure on either.
Zane Trace old gym was called "The Pit" not sure if the current one that opened in the early 2000s is also called "The Pit". I do know the current gym doesn't come close to providing the home court advantage as the old Pit did. It would get defeaning loud inside the PIT, especially during some of those good Kellough coached seasons from the late 80s and 90s. Honestly not a big fan of the current gym as far as the layout. Unless you have "reserved seats" the home fans either have to sit upstairs far away from the action, or on the visitors side if you want to be close to the court. If I had to rate the best and worst gyms in the SE district, unfortunately ZT's would be in the "worst" category. Just my personal opinion. Sure do miss those games in the old "PIT" though....


petesweaty
All Conference
Posts: 978
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 10:37 pm

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by petesweaty »

ZTPMM88 wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2025 6:35 am
GrumpyPundit wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2025 9:54 am I think Alexander calls their gym The Alley. Zane Trace is The Pit, I think. Not 100% sure on either.
Zane Trace old gym was called "The Pit" not sure if the current one that opened in the early 2000s is also called "The Pit". I do know the current gym doesn't come close to providing the home court advantage as the old Pit did. It would get defeaning loud inside the PIT, especially during some of those good Kellough coached seasons from the late 80s and 90s. Honestly not a big fan of the current gym as far as the layout. Unless you have "reserved seats" the home fans either have to sit upstairs far away from the action, or on the visitors side if you want to be close to the court. If I had to rate the best and worst gyms in the SE district, unfortunately ZT's would be in the "worst" category. Just my personal opinion. Sure do miss those games in the old "PIT" though....
The "The Pit" is still used. It would take a Cat 5 hurricane to blow that thing down. :lol:


Jason Vorhees
S
Posts: 1666
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 6:45 pm

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by Jason Vorhees »

I honestly miss a lot of the older gyms for basketball. Each one of them had character and were unique in their own right. Places like New Boston (with the step on the floor), or Oak Hill, Jackson, and Wellston being up on stage in an auditorium, Wheelersburg’s and River Valley’s being absolute sweat houses, and even some of the older gyms in Lawrence County. At Kitts Hill, you couldn’t shoot a proper layup unless you wanted your legs burned from the potbelly stove underneath one of the baskets. It’s not that the new gyms are bad or poorly constructed but all of them look and feel similar nowadays.


Bozo
S
Posts: 1769
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:01 pm

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by Bozo »

Tough places when I played or coached basketball.

Old South Webster gym
Old New Boston gym
Portsmouith East
Old Wheelersburg gym
Oak Hill (on the stage)


The Ghost of Swanker
SEOPS H
Posts: 7094
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2020 9:25 pm

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by The Ghost of Swanker »

CuckooNest wrote: Wed Feb 12, 2025 3:41 pm Minford has taken to the ‘The Nest’. They desperately need more seating as they’re missing out on a better home court advantage. Also, they usually spill over into a section on the visitors side and that’s eventually going to lead to an issue in a heated game, imo.

I don’t know the cost or engineering that it would take, but bleachers on the mezzanine like other schools would be a huge improvement.
Won’t ever happen. They’ll be back to half capacity after this season anyway. They don’t have another super group coming through that I’m aware of.


SW’s #2 fan
GoAt 10
JV Team
Posts: 348
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 5:59 pm

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by GoAt 10 »

Swanker is right. Minford always has great community support but the fanbase will shrink when M.M. And B.K graduate.

Look for Minford to name the court after Myles Montgomery some day. Kid has earned that right and not only excels on the floor but just an outstanding young man off the floor as well.

Webster could have had a super team with a few Minford guys but I think AAU basketball was more than enough “ER” for them to handle in a year.


CuckooNest
Freshman Team
Posts: 157
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2023 6:36 am

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by CuckooNest »

You may be right but I hope not.

Fortunately it’s been a while since they were way down, but seems like even during down years the home side fills up quick. It just wasn’t big enough from the start, imo.


ZTPMM88
Freshman Team
Posts: 141
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2021 9:57 pm

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by ZTPMM88 »

Unioto really could use a new gym with a much larger capacity than what the current one holds. Unioto has excellent support from the community and the school has grown so much over the years as far as enrollment. Actually has outgrown the SVC. Would be a better fit in the FAC but that would give FAC an odd # of teams


danicalifornia
SEOPS HOF
Posts: 11047
Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2006 4:09 pm
Location: Chillicothe

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by danicalifornia »

ZTPMM88 wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2025 12:33 pm Unioto really could use a new gym with a much larger capacity than what the current one holds. Unioto has excellent support from the community and the school has grown so much over the years as far as enrollment. Actually has outgrown the SVC. Would be a better fit in the FAC but that would give FAC an odd # of teams
Unioto also has the extra land to do it. The problem was trying to sneak it on the May ballot in 2017, then never even considering it again.

The growth has actually stalled a little in recent years, with the boys numbers being the lowest they’ve been in about 15 years in the high school. But, the stalled numbers are still larger than the rest of the area besides Chillicothe.


GrumpyPundit
Freshman Team
Posts: 142
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2022 12:23 am

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by GrumpyPundit »

ZTPMM88 wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2025 12:33 pm Unioto really could use a new gym with a much larger capacity than what the current one holds. Unioto has excellent support from the community and the school has grown so much over the years as far as enrollment. Actually has outgrown the SVC. Would be a better fit in the FAC but that would give FAC an odd # of teams
Unioto and Waverly to the FAC makes that league really shine. And yes, I think Unioto has outgrown its gym.


Honey Caadwell
Waterboy
Posts: 44
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2023 9:19 am

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by Honey Caadwell »

avalanche wrote: Wed Feb 12, 2025 12:13 pm
meatswinger wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2025 7:14 pm
avalanche wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2025 7:53 pm


Is there a better resume than Norms at Chesapeake and Oak Hill? I seriously doubt any coach in the area can make the claim that they coached a program to 500+ wins at one school, and a state championship at the other.
Yeah that Oak Hill team was pretty good. Were any of the players actually from Oak Hill? I know Nerm was a he11 of a recruiter back in the day. Probably his best aspect as a coach. Does he still recruit as well?
Chesapeake was an open district, so I don't think it was difficult for anyone who wanted to leave and go to Chesapeake. Curious who he recruited? The only player I am aware of that wasn't from Chesapeake in my years was Aaron Gossett, who was from CG. Am I missing who left their original school to play at Chesapeake?
Wer’nt nobody could recruit like my man. In his heyday at Reedsville he had players from four different schools playing for him. Who else can say that? He’s the best.


My man grows maters big as a bulls balls
HMilliken02
Waterboy
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Feb 16, 2025 12:59 am

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by HMilliken02 »

Quite a few gyms have nicknames

Piketon is "The Oven"

Westfall is "The Dome"

Oak Hill is sometimes called "The Nuthouse"

Waverly has the "Downtown Gym", where the boys team plays

I've heard people call Wellston's gym "The Derrow Dome" in honor of the late coach Jim Derrow, but I think that is more of an unofficial title

Nelsonville York has the "Ben Wagner Gymnasium"

Jackson (my alma mater) never did have a nickname for their gym. However, the student section was affectionately known as "The Furnace"

Portsmouth West has "The Rock"

Just some I could think of. There are way more!


avalanche
Varsity
Posts: 426
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 9:04 am

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by avalanche »

Honey Caadwell wrote: Sat Feb 15, 2025 12:43 pm
avalanche wrote: Wed Feb 12, 2025 12:13 pm
meatswinger wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2025 7:14 pm

Yeah that Oak Hill team was pretty good. Were any of the players actually from Oak Hill? I know Nerm was a he11 of a recruiter back in the day. Probably his best aspect as a coach. Does he still recruit as well?
Chesapeake was an open district, so I don't think it was difficult for anyone who wanted to leave and go to Chesapeake. Curious who he recruited? The only player I am aware of that wasn't from Chesapeake in my years was Aaron Gossett, who was from CG. Am I missing who left their original school to play at Chesapeake?
Wer’nt nobody could recruit like my man. In his heyday at Reedsville he had players from four different schools playing for him. Who else can say that? He’s the best.
I'm not sure what this means? Norm never coached at Reedsville to my knowledge.


Honey Caadwell
Waterboy
Posts: 44
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2023 9:19 am

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by Honey Caadwell »

avalanche wrote: Sun Feb 16, 2025 9:52 am
Honey Caadwell wrote: Sat Feb 15, 2025 12:43 pm
avalanche wrote: Wed Feb 12, 2025 12:13 pm

Chesapeake was an open district, so I don't think it was difficult for anyone who wanted to leave and go to Chesapeake. Curious who he recruited? The only player I am aware of that wasn't from Chesapeake in my years was Aaron Gossett, who was from CG. Am I missing who left their original school to play at Chesapeake?
Wer’nt nobody could recruit like my man. In his heyday at Reedsville he had players from four different schools playing for him. Who else can say that? He’s the best.
I'm not sure what this means? Norm never coached at Reedsville to my knowledge.
Who is Norm?


My man grows maters big as a bulls balls
WonderNova
Freshman Team
Posts: 240
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2020 12:21 pm

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by WonderNova »

Almost forgot...the current Eastern Brown gym is officially called, with signage, Kiser Court after retired coach Richard Kiser. Here is the article that tells the story:
https://www.newsdemocrat.com/2017/11/09 ... ser-court/


Warrior1990
Waterboy
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2024 12:45 pm

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by Warrior1990 »

WonderNova wrote: Sun Feb 16, 2025 5:39 pm Almost forgot...the current Eastern Brown gym is officially called, with signage, Kiser Court after retired coach Richard Kiser. Here is the article that tells the story:
https://www.newsdemocrat.com/2017/11/09 ... ser-court/
It’s actually now painted on the court.


Dundas
SEOPS
Posts: 5621
Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2009 8:11 pm
Location: McArthur

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by Dundas »

Vinton County has a local name for the gym called Valhalla. It doesn’t have an official name although I think Coach Combs Court has a nice ring to it.


2023 Football Pick’em Regular season and Playoff Champion.
Ironman92
SEOPS Hippo
Posts: 31226
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 11:04 am

Re: Names of high school courts/gymnasiums

Post by Ironman92 »

GrumpyPundit wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2025 11:45 pm
ZTPMM88 wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2025 12:33 pm Unioto really could use a new gym with a much larger capacity than what the current one holds. Unioto has excellent support from the community and the school has grown so much over the years as far as enrollment. Actually has outgrown the SVC. Would be a better fit in the FAC but that would give FAC an odd # of teams
Unioto and Waverly to the FAC makes that league really shine. And yes, I think Unioto has outgrown its gym.
I’ll pay your parking at Jackson the next 10 years if Unioto joins the FAC


Post Reply

Return to “Boys Basketball”