Great Article in Messenger: Athens ends SEOAL football ties

buckfan84 · Post by **buckfan84** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 6:28 pm

I have not heard of any TVC schools wanting to leave the league. I have heard of TVC schools upgrading their schedules which will go a long way to improving the programs overall. Wellston being the obvious. They had a monster schedule with VC right behind them. Those two schools will recover and be the better for it.

NY is upgrading their schedule so I don't see the addition of River Valley being a positive for the league. I am not sure why RV didn't join when they had the chance, maybe they had the foresight of high costs of gasoline.

Speaking of gas prices, I think the next team to leave the SEOAL will be Zanesville. THREE HOURS IS TOO LONG A TRIP WEEK IN AND OUT. I like the idea of SOC and SEOAL teams combining, though I haven't heard that anywhere before but that is not really South East Ohio. More Southern and South Central, but it sounds like a nice league. Add Westfall to that mix and you've got a seriously tough league there for football.

readn,writn,&rt243 · Post by **readn,writn,&rt243** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 9:27 pm

I think this is a very good move for Atown. Not everyone in the world is obsessed with football,(although I watch too much according to the mrs.). Some schools, such as Athens, do well in other sports. Although soccer is not easy to watch on tv, you don't see fat players on the field. It won't be long before the Itown mafia calls for a referendum on their decision to join a league that requires a GPS, and a thank of ga$$, to find your way to and from games.

Run Bubba Run · Post by **Run Bubba Run** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 2:01 am

Fort Frye was never in the TVC, NEVER!

NYBuckeye96 · Post by **NYBuckeye96** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 2:38 am

According to articles in the 1970 Athens Messenger, Fort Frye was in the TVC in 1970.

Vinton County, Warren, Federal Hocking, and Belpre were the original members in 1969. In 1970, the TVC expanded by two teams - Nelsonville-York and Fort Frye. Fort Frye left the TVC in 1971.

They would have been voted into the TVC in 1969, because NY played Fort Frye in Week 10 in 1969, and the article made reference to the 1970 NY vs. Fort Frye game being a league game as both schools were joining the TVC in 1970. The 1970 article on the NY Fort Frye game called it a Tri Valley Conference contest. The teams also faced each other in 1971, but there was no reference to it being a league game at that time, so Fort Frye would have left by then.

Army · Post by **Army** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 6:40 am

NYBuckeye96 wrote:Well whoever is added to the TVC OHIO, I think it has to be one of the teams mentioned because after that we would be talking schools too far away from the area. Although another option would be in Washington County......Fort Frye (they were in the TVC for one year in 1970).

I don't think Wellston would leave the TVC to be in a new Ohio River league. That doesn't make much sense. That made me think of something.....I'm currently going through microfilm of the Athens Messenger to chronical the scores to every NY game. I came across an article in a 1971 edition of the Athens Messenger that said the OVC made an offer to Wellston to join the OVC, and Wellston seriously considered it. Right after NY left the SEOAL, Wellston started thinking about leaving as well. They decided to remain in the SEOAL, at least for the time being, and they remained there for another 11 years.

I remember that. I am a Wellston Alum. I think Coach Conger at the time was for it, but some of the old faithful SEOAL Alum could not see Wellston leave a league that was founded in there home-town. I also think the SVC throwed out some words of invitation in 72 too. That's before Londonderry Southeastern-Ross and Huntington Ross had Football Programs. The SVC then was Westfall, Paint Valley, Adena, Piketon, Zane Trace and Unioto.

Many of us old timers in my era, has heard some rumblings about the TVC. There has been talk of the SVAC coming back with the permission of the Gallia County School Super to let South Gallia and River Valley to play in the same league. Wellston and Oak Hill from Jackson County, Southern and Eastern Meigs from Meigs County, Willow Wood Symmes Valley from Lawrence County and Wahama WV from Mason County. One of the longest drives would be to Reedsville Eastern Meigs. Wellston played Eastern a few years when they entered the TVC. Wahama is directly across the river from Pomeroy, Racine Southern Meigs is not that far from Pomeroy where we already play against Meigs, River Valley will be on Rt. 160 at Bidwell, Mercerville is just outside of Gallipolis, Symmes Valley is one heck of a drive on Rt. 141 though. I guess that would be the longest drive for a league game. Oak Hill would be close. So the League would have 2 Gallia County Schools, 2 Meigs County Schools, 2 Jackson County Schools, 1 Lawrence County School and 1 WV school. Many would say wow RV and Wellston would be D4 schools in almost an entire D6 league with the exception of Oak Hill who is D5. Wellston and RV may be D5 this up-coming year, they continue to decline, so that would fit just right for both schools.

Also if River Valley leaves the OVC that leaves the OVC with 5 teams again, and could throw out an invitation once more? Wellston has had a history of playing Rock Hill and South Point from the 80's to the present and Coal Grove in the 50-thru-60's. Wellston has a history of scrimmaging Chesapeake and Fairland over the years too.

Your right, who knows what will happen inside the SEOAL, SVC, OVC, TVC in the next 5 years?

I do know Jackson has no prayer of receiving an invitation in the TVC Ohio.

Run Bubba Run · Post by **Run Bubba Run** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 8:19 am

Buckeye96,

I too saw the references to Fort Frye being a TVC member in the Messenger, but it was all due to a reporters misguided information. Check out the standings in the Messenger and the references to TVC records during that year. You will notice that no further reference is given to FF being a TVC member.

Just mistaken identity by a well-meaning but misinformed reporter. Again, Fort Frye was never a member of the TVC. Check it out.

NYBuckeye96 · Post by **NYBuckeye96** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 4:48 pm

It takes a long time to research this stuff on microfilm, but it's kind of fun! I have read some pretty interesting articles! When I scan the microfilm, I always get distracted and read something totally unrelated to what I'm doing. I need to concentrate soley on this project first and get it completed and then later on read the other stuff.

I'm actually getting pretty good using the machine to read the articles. I have learned how to time the scans forward to the following weeks Sunday paper pretty well. What slows me down are the games that might have been played on a Saturday and were reported in Mondays paper. But even then, it doesn't take that much extra time to find what I need.

I already have 14 of the 41 NY season scores researched. I'm recording final scores and if the game was home or away.

Run Bubba Run · Post by **Run Bubba Run** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 1:08 pm

Buckeye96,

In regards to the microfilm and geting distracted, I've been there and done that too. Staying focused is the greatest hurdle.

Iwas at OU last Thu and Fri for about 5-6 hours each day and got a lot done but still have the problem of reading something interesting that catches my eye.

Have you researched the Greyhounds from back in the 20's yet? If not, get ready for some really bizarre stuff. I remember trying to find a game score for a Nelsonville vs. Portsmouth and finally located it on the Nelsonville page in the Messenger and read something like the following. "The team journeyed by rail to Portsmouth over the weekend for a football game. All had a great time even though the boys lost the game." That's it! NO SCORE, no nothing! I think I finally found a score for the game in the Portsmouth paper at the Ohio Historical in Columbus.

Back in those days, you would find the info on Logan, Pomeroy, Middleport, and Nelsonville on each community's page in the Messenger. Generally, the Athens games were the only HS games covered on the sports page. I do have game scores and dates for all the SEOAL games that Nelsonville played starting in 1925. I'd be more than happy to share any of my stuff with you for sure.

NYBuckeye96 · Post by **NYBuckeye96** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 4:41 pm

Run Bubba Run wrote:
Have you researched the Greyhounds from back in the 20's yet? If not, get ready for some really bizarre stuff. I remember trying to find a game score for a Nelsonville vs. Portsmouth and finally located it on the Nelsonville page in the Messenger and read something like the following. "The team journeyed by rail to Portsmouth over the weekend for a football game. All had a great time even though the boys lost the game." That's it! NO SCORE, no nothing! I think I finally found a score for the game in the Portsmouth paper at the Ohio Historical in Columbus.

HAHA! Man, I was afraid something like that would happen with those old games! Newspapers were odd back then! I can see it now, I have all the games posted on a website and under 1925 you will find things like:

Nelsonville 6 Athens 12
Nelsonville All had a great time in a loss to Portsmouth
Nelsonville train was late in a win over New Boston

:lol:

I have not researched anything on the Greyhounds at this point. I wanted to document the Buckeyes first, so I am doing all games since 1967. However, I have a long term goal of documenting the Greyhounds, so any info. you or anyone else may have is greatly appreciated.