SEOAL 2008-2009

[warrnwarriorfan]

Well, the SEOAL ended up producing the DII state champs this year. Congrats to Chilli once more. Overall in league play there wasn't a whole lot of parity this year as there were two teams head and shoulders above the rest (for those of you living under a rock those two teams were Chillicothe and Zanesville). Seems that there should be a lot more parity in the league next season with the likes of Hitchens, Chambers, Aaronholt and Harris graduating. So, what does everyone think? Who will be the teams to beat next year in the SEOAL and why?

[trojandave]

The Portsmouth Trojans have their top 6 players back......from a team that improved from 4-18 to 9-12........our guard tandem of All-Ohio Honorable Mention 5-10 SO Andrew Bendolph and All-District Honorable Mention 6-0 JR Forrest Johnson should really be solid with a full year of varsity experience. All-District 6-7 SR Nate Cadogen will man the middle for the Trojans, and he collected a good number of double doubles last season. Corey Allison, Anthony Williams, and Jacob Stevens all return and will battle for 2 starting spots, with each player having starting experience. Portsmouth should be able to go 7-8 deep next season, and 6-5 SR Zack Link should get some very good minutes on the front line.

The Trojans will be improved, but how much will be determined by one thing.........DEFENSE!! PHS at times last season didn't do a good job on the stop side, and if they do, we could be looking at a possible 14-16 win season. If they don't improve considerably on defense, then a winning season is still realistic, but probably right at 11-9.

Portsmouth should be very good offensively, as good as anybody in the SEOAL.......they won 9 games this year, averaging 65 points a game. That figure should go up quite a bit in 2008-2009. But they allowed around 67 points a game, and that mark needs to go down. You can't rely on just trying to outscore your opponent each night.......

If you look at what made Chillicothe and Zanesville so far above the rest in the SEOAL last year, it was their DEFENSE!! Yes, they could score, but they set the tone for every game by getting stops!! Portsmouth needs to do the same..............

And if they do, the Trojans could have easily their best season since 2002, which would also be their first winning season since that year.

Portsmouth should be a serious contender for the SEOAL crown in 2008-2009.

[trojandave]

As far as the overall SEOAL race, I think that the league will be much more balanced than it was last year.......Chillicothe and Zanesville will still be good, but both clubs lost some very good players......CHS loses Hitchens, Chambers, and Beverly, while ZHS loses Aronhalt, both Harris's, and Centers. Both teams are going to find themselves in many more competitive games this time around.

Portsmouth returns more starters than anybody else, with 5, and Logan returns 3, but after that I don't think anybody else returns more than 2. But some schools had good JV squads, which will bolster their varsity roster in 2008-2009. And of course there's always the annual TRANSFER rumors that could change a team's fate.

The SEOAL will not be a two team horse race like it has been for the last 2 years, with Chillicothe and Zanesville demolishing everyone else in their path.

[trojandave]

It will be interesting to see just how far the SEOAL can advance in the tournament next year. Chillicothe has set the bar as high as it can go.........D2 State Champions!!

[warrnwarriorfan]

I agree, Portsmouth will be tough.

Warren has Hebb as its only returning starter. It was pretty unusual this year in that having seven seniors didn't allow a ton of minutes for anyone else.

If everyone plays next season the seniors for Warren will be Hebb, Brown, Hoon & Anderson.

There will be a relatively strong group of Juniors and Sophomores that will need to step-up including: Fivecoait, Wolfe, Ellenwood, Venham, Cunningham & Hilverding.

Warren's JV has been pretty competitive the last couple years, but you never know who the other teams had playing up. For example, at Logan Angle has never played JV and Mays was on the varsity all year this year. I look for them to be very tough for the next couple years.

It will be very interesting so see how things come together for everyone.

Who are the returners for the other teams?

[trojandave]

warrenwarrior: Here is what I know of what starters are returning.........

Logan: Patrick Angle, Zack Adams, Mason Mays
Zanesville: Joe Prati
Chillicothe: Caleb Knights, Seth Dawes
Jackson: Morgan Dobbins
Ironton: Dustin Green, Lucas Morris
Gallia Academy and Marietta both have 2 starters back I think

[ohbuckeye2]

Ironton plays so many different guys that it doesn't really matter who starts.

Irontons returning players that played substantial minutes this past season will be.......

Jonathan Schweickart.....6'2"
Tim Kochendoerfer........6'2"
Lukas Morris...............6'0"
Dustin Green...............6'2"
Erin Edens..................6'1"
Robby Webb................6'4"
Cody Taylor.................6'4"

Throw in the JV and some of the Freshmen from this past season
and we should be in pretty good shape.

[TrojanXplosion]

I would say the favorite is Portsmouth. I mean, look at all the great talent that is returning. The guards at times can shoot lights out from behind the arc. They have a good big man down in the post. So, I would say that it is realistic to see Portsmouth winning about 17 games next year. The defense, like Trojan Dave said, will have to make a HUGE improvement from the past season. If they do, I see them being a force in the SEOAL and the D III tournament.

[noreply66]

I think Portsmouth has a great chance to win the league next year, if they can just play under control every game.They were good this year but for some reason they just were not into every game.

[Karma]

Trojan Dave -

Did one of Portsmouth's starting guards transfer to East?

Heard so the other day.

[Tartanblue]

If this is true than East just got alot more dangerous in the SOC and even deeper for next year.

[Dshanton3]

i've been telling trojandave all year that next year is portsmouths year! but Chilli will still be aweful tough next year.

Mike Turner
Caleb Knights
Seth Dawes
Ron Smith
Jordan Benson

is a pretty good starting 5. nationally ranked incoming freshman Malik London will also contribute i would expect.

[chillout]

Not dissing Mike Turner, as he is a young kid, but if the Cavs have to rely on him next year starting it could be a long year. IMO

[trojandave]

DeShanton3: I look for your Cavaliers to be good, with 4 of the top 7 coming back. The key I think is the point guard position.....whether it be Turner or someone else, it is critical to any basketball team to have good play out of your point guard.

How much playing time do you think Malik London will get on the varsity? Do you think he will split time between JV/Varsity or just play varsity? I haven't watched him play but have heard about him......what are the strengths of his game?

I expect to see you and Hitchbone64 at next year's Chillicothe--Portsmouth game with a STATE CHAMPION t-shirt on.

[ZvilleBlueDevil]

I know the Devil's lost a bunchhhhhhhhhhh but they will challenge agin next season and congrat's to Logan as being named player of the year in D1 by coaches good thing's happen to good people....

As for next season i know some kid's are already started Prati went to Italy with AAU team Cbiz and is pounding the weight room and should be to be a force to deal with and Brandon Mill's top sub will be a 3 point shooter to deal with as pg goe's i believe Marcus Goin's will take over that spot very quick and aggressive top jv player. As the other 2 spot's it's up 4 grab's and yes we do have another HARRIS moving up to varsity Alan who will be a 6'3 or taller junior and probably a few more junior's moving up next season..

[warriiorfan]

Warren will be dangerous.

Hebb is real athletic, and proven on the varsity level...
team success will depend on his and other seniors' leadership during the off-season!?!

[gymratt]

I am going to go against the consensus and say that Chilli and Zanesville will once again be the two best in the SEOAL. It will not two teams destroying the rest as it was the last two years as Portsmouth will be in the running but IMO will not pull ahead, only equal to the level of, CHS and the ville.

IMO
1.Chilli
2.Zanes
3.Portsmouth
4.Ironton

Will the DOC and North-South format still exist next year with Athens leaving? If so I understand that Ironton, being from the south, would not technically be able to finish 4th, but IMO will be the 4th best team. These are my power rankings not my standings.

[trojandave]

From my understanding after Zanesville leaves the SEOAL after this coming year, the Day of Champions will be eliminated, and everybody will play everybody home and away. I like it better that way. I would hope at the same time that the divisions will be eliminated. I like the SEOAL with no divisions.......in reality a team could go undefeated under the current format all the way to the Day of Champions, and then lose the league championship on the basis of 1 game. Similar to what happened to Chillicothe this year.......they lost the league title on the Day of Champions after having beat the Blue Devils at Zanesville. But because ZHS won the Day of Champions game, they were crowned league champions.

gymratt: You could very well be correct in your predictions. One thing Portsmouth has to prove is that they can compete with Chillicothe and Zanesville. So far in the first 2 years they haven't, but I sincerely believe that if PHS becomes more defensive minded, they can get their first wins over them in league play. But even an improved Portsmouth team won't roll through the SEOAL like the way CHS and ZHS did the first 2 seasons.

[Hitchbone64]

trojandave,

How is the league handling the departure of Athens. I thought they were gone after this year. IMO the Day of Champions should have been buried when it started. Great idea but no substance around it.

As for the league next year, it will definitely be more balanced, but I think the winning programs keep winning (just maybe not as often). Portsmouth is the wildcard as they will be explosive on offense. trojandave, is correct in that P-town has to buy into the defensive theory. D does win championships (as proved by the Cavs this year at the State).

As for Chilly, the comment about Mike Turner at guard is probably off base. No one is going to replace a Anthony Hitchens, but we have a potential All-Ohio guard in Caleb Knights. Mike Turner played excellent defense and did exactly what Coach K. wanted done with the ball. The key is the committment over the spring and summer. He comes from good stock. He is Humpty's first cousin and he is a very good athlete. He just needs to learn to be a basketball player. He will be just a junior and by mid-season I expect him to be playing well. He has the confidence, he just needs the minutes. I can see him setting up Dawes, Knights and Benson all day long.

GO CAVS!!! 2008 STATE CHAMPS!!!

[biggdowgg]

If this is true than East just got alot more dangerous in the SOC and even deeper for next year.

even deeper next year?

didnt you lose a boat load this year?