OVC 2009

[fuzzhead]

I am only pointing out that fuzzhead's statements about the wins by Chesapeake were nothing special are inaccurate.

Never said that what Chesapeake did wasn't special. There wasn't a consistently good team besides Chesapeake in the OVC, though. South Point is the only team besides Peake that went from 1998 to 2002 and had a winning record, as I showed.

Chesapeake has lost to Amanda twice (both state title teams), Wheelersburg (state-semi), and Licking Valley (state-semi). Those are pretty good teams if you ask me. Along the way they have beat teams like Monroe Central, Johnstown Monroe, and Stubenville Catholic Central.

As I said, Chesapeake's playoff record is nearly as good as CGs, if not even.

The OVC was not horrible in 1998. Coal Grove was 7-3 if I remember correctly, and the loss to Chesapeake kept them out of the playoffs.

In 2000 South Point was pretty good (6-4), and the following year (2001) they were very good at (7-3). Rock Hill was also very good the in 2002 and 03. Fairland was also very good in 2003. Chesapeake, Fairland, and Rock Hill went to the playoffs that year.

Again, you're picking and choosing seasons. I'm talking about the whole OVC from 98 to either 2002 or 2004 (Lucas was back in 04 and Coal Grove got back on the right track. Chris Smith was QB for SP and they were on the way back up as well).
2003 was a good year, but all of those teams got knocked out of the playoffs in Round 1 if I remember right, and I know at least Fairland got hammered.

[avalanche]

Ok, I follow.

I do think the OVC now is not very good. Agree or disagree?

[fuzzhead]

I agree. First of all, OVC teams are terrible outside the conference. Secondly, there really isn't that big rivalry game that decides the OVC every year. Back in the 80s, it seems like the winner of the CG/FHS game was pretty much the OVC champ. Back in the 60s and some of the 70s, CG and SP was a big rivalry with championship implacations. This decade hasn't had something like that consistently.
Here's what I said on another thread about the OVC:

C'mon people...get real...and learn some self respect!!!!!!!! Play some competition and then if you win four games maybe you have done something....

I agree 100%. But OVC fans are happy to wallow in the mire of mediocrity and as they say - if you set your goals low, you can never be disappointed.

[avalanche]

I see what you are saying.

[OVCfan32]

I def think we had a team that coulda done some real damage in 04 season. . . . . and just fumbled the crap out of a 1st round playoff game. . .
the ovc will pick up soon. . new stadiums. . . new schools.. . .south point and cg and rock hill all with newer stuff. . . . same with fairland. . facilities are next.. . . chesapeakes hopefully will follow as will poor river valley

[fuzzhead]

River Valley is in desperate need of pretty much new everything. How on earth did they let the place fall into such ruin? Not trying offend anyone, but geesh. . .

[sandman]

What you see at RV is a bungled attempt at consolidaton that began around 1974. The county was united under a county board which began to redistribute tax monies that were heavily concentrated in the old Kyger Creek district because of the presence of two power plants. Originally the newly formed district attempted to maintain four high schools, Kyger Creek, North Gallia, Southwestern and Hannan Trace. All were good schools independently and had strengths in various areas. In the 90's they could no longer afford that arrangement and put all of the students in the Kyger Creek facility and renamed it River Valley. A few years later they reopened Hannan Trace as South Gallia.

The RV facility was constructed in 1957 and for a long time was completely state-of-the-art. Over the past 10 - 15 years it was basically maintained at a sustenance level while waiting for a new, more centrally located school. This went on for many years and the communities would not vote the levies and because of the power plants, state participation was practically non-existant.

Under the recent funding formulas that resulted in the construction of new schools in SE Ohio, three of the old schools would have had new facilities with very little local participation. KC would have been the only exclusion. It has taken 35 years for the event to even begin to heal in the communities and the results have been obvious. Now they appear to be turning the corner and hopefully things will begin to get better.

The moral of the story for the rest of the OVC, do your best not to let it happen to you in similar fashion! If it someday becomes unavoidable, make sure that there is alot of planning, community support, agreement and funding in place. These sound like impossible requirements but the last post testifies to the results if they are not met.

[buckeyeshots]

To be honest, I think River Valley has a better football facility than BOTH Chesapeake and Fairland. Argue that if you wish, but I have played on them all and Those two are just AWFUL!

[tony181stewart]

To be honest, I think River Valley has a better football facility than BOTH Chesapeake and Fairland. Argue that if you wish, but I have played on them all and Those two are just AWFUL!

agreed

[MTSWNGRVSG]

Good post sandman.

The football stadium could be a show place but now it would take a lot of money and with the school moving so there is no point to do that. I wish RV well in building the new stadium!

[Raiderball]

River Valley is in desperate need of pretty much new everything. How on earth did they let the place fall into such ruin? Not trying offend anyone, but geesh. . .

Good question Fuzz. Sandman has good knowledge of and explained the situation well.

Whether facilities are 50 yrs or 2 yrs you have to take care of what you have. IMO that has not happened in the past
5-6 yrs and it shows. I shake my head at some things that happen at RV. Sad, really sad. I'll just leave it at that.

[fuzzhead]

The RV facility was constructed in 1957 and for a long time was completely state-of-the-art. Over the past 10 - 15 years it was basically maintained at a sustenance level while waiting for a new, more centrally located school. This went on for many years and the communities would not vote the levies and because of the power plants, state participation was practically non-existant.

Good post sandman - lots of info. Now I've heard horror stories about the effects of the power plant up there. I know that Rock Hill's new facilities are pretty much compliaments of Duke Energy. One would think that River Valley could've been able to work out some sort of deal with AEP to pay for new facilities so that kids wouldn't have to be around that toxic filth that pollutes the air up in Cheshire.

To be honest, I think River Valley has a better football facility than BOTH Chesapeake and Fairland. Argue that if you wish, but I have played on them all and Those two are just AWFUL!

I agree that it's a close shave between the three. The restroom situations at all three are shameful (I'll give the edge to Peake since they have more than two or three urinals, even though you have to get a hand stamp to use them in the school). But River Valley doesn't have a functional track and its gym looks like someone tossed a grenade inside and stepped away. The school as a whole looks like something out of a Freddie Kruger nightmare and even the cross country course makes one scratch their head (and they're the only school I know of that charges admission to a XC meet).
Now Chesapeake's field is just as bad - both look like craters and both are complete sink holes when it rains. Fairland's facilities are bad, too - but I think as far as football facilities go, Chesapeake and RV are at the bottom.

[Buckeye2]

To be honest, I think River Valley has a better football facility than BOTH Chesapeake and Fairland. Argue that if you wish, but I have played on them all and Those two are just AWFUL!

This is 100% true!!

[greenandwhiteboy]

im tired of people whining about the facilities and the fields who cares football is football no matter where its played. when ur in the heat of the game the players are not thinking of the field they are just thinking of their teams goal. you people whine like little girls this matter has been brought up many of times and you all giving your two cents isnt gonna change a darn thing

[avalanche]

The teams who have the best facilities and equiptment are for the most part the most successful programs. Kids want to lift in weight rooms where they have the best equiptment and do not have to worry about getting some sort of infection from some old building.

I would also think that kids are more likely to play given they have facilities that are conducive to good safety. I have seen the RV field, and you could easily turn an ankle or blow out a knee because of the poor field conditions. Same goes for the old south point field and Chesapeake's now.

When school systems spend money on athletics and provide good and safe equiptment for their athletes, that means that they are commited to the success of the athletic programs.

Lets not forget we are talking southern ohio football. You want to take a trip around Cincinnati and look at the really great facilities, then you will understand my comments.

[greenandwhiteboy]

kids now days have been sheltered way too much.. listening to old men talk about there playing days they never had all this fancy crap now days they didnt need that stuff cause they were taught to be tough and thats whats wrong with today society its all messed up cause people think everyone is made of glass and people have too much sensitive emotions and over protective attitudes . our society and country has gone down hill.

[earp]

Good post GreenandWhiteBoy!You are right,Kids have way too much nowadays and dont have to earn anything for the most part!Good to see there are some kids out there that really get it!

[fuzzhead]

Hey now, I'm not saying that it matters whatsoever. I've said on here before and I'll say again that I was 100% against the switch from grass to turf at CG; personally, I think it was all about keeping up with the neighbors. But I do like the fact that there are more than two urinals in the bathroom and I don't have to go inside the school to use the bathroom. I also think the visiting fans appreciate the sizable, non-wooden visiting bleachers. Its also probably nice not to have a highway directly above where you're sitting.

[2trap_4ever]

Hey now, I'm not saying that it matters whatsoever. I've said on here before and I'll say again that I was 100% against the switch from grass to turf at CG; personally, I think it was all about keeping up with the neighbors. But I do like the fact that there are more than two urinals in the bathroom and I don't have to go inside the school to use the bathroom. I also think the visiting fans appreciate the sizable, non-wooden visiting bleachers. Its also probably nice not to have a highway directly above where you're sitting.

I hated the turf at first as well, but I also hated when they took the hump out of the middle of the field, there was nothing like having a team in the end zone(score board side) and only being able to see the punters head.
I have since grown use to the turf I just hope our coaching staff realizes soon that turf makes fast teams faster which was shown to be true our first two years with turf and does what they can to make our team better prepared for speed teams that play us at home.

[fuzzhead]

The other thing is that I've been told by lots of people from the "glory days" that Coal Grove is traditionally a 'bad weather' team - that they played better in the mud and rain. It would make sense because of their style of offense (and defense, too, for that matter). But with turf, they almost certainly have lost that advantage (refer to the Fairland game this past year).

The turf is nice, no doubt about it though.