Wheelersburg 60 @ Portsmouth 68... 12-27-08

[trojandave]

First, let me congratulate our TROJANS on a GREAT WIN...........and also to the Wheelersburg Pirates for a great effort........the Burg proved to be a very tough opponent for a very good PHS squad..........

After reading the above posts, it's time to RANT..........

I'M SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE GETTING ON HERE DOWNGRADING THE TROJANS IN SOME WAY.........WE WON THE GAME, PEOPLE!!!.........WE'RE 5-0...IF WE PLAYED STREETBALL OR "ME" BALL, WE WOULDN'T HAVE WON THE GAME!

HERE'S ANOTHER COMPLAINT..........PORTSMOUTH DOESN'T PLAY DEFENSE!! REALLY? WHEELERSBURG WAS 22-57 FROM THE FIELD........WHAT WERE WE SUPPOSED TO DO? SHUT THE BURG OUT?

WE ARE 5-0 AND I SWEAR PEOPLE GET ON HERE AND ACT LIKE WE'RE 0-5........"WE DON'T DO THIS OR WE DON'T DO THAT"...........WE'RE NOT 5-0 FOR NOTHING!!!

THIS IS OUR BEST START SINCE 1999 AND SOME PEOPLE CAN'T SEEM TO APPRECIATE IT!!!.......I DON'T THINK I HAVE EVER SEEN A 5-0 TEAM CRITICIZED SO MUCH..........IF IT WERE ANY OTHER TEAM, THEY WOULD BE PRAISED TO THE HIGH HEAVEN........BUT IT'S THE TROJANS.........ALWAYS A GOOD TARGET FOR CRITCISM FROM THE CYNICS............

WE HAD 3 PLAYERS IN DOUBLE FIGURES LAST NIGHT........4 VS. GALLIA ACADEMY......BUT TO SOME, WE PLAY "ME" BALL........YOU DON'T PUT MULTIPLE PLAYERS IN DOUBLE FIGURES PLAYING "ME" BALL.........BUT OF COURSE IT'S THE TROJANS...........

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2001, PORTSMOUTH BEAT WHEELERSBURG......IT'S A BIG WIN FOR OUR PROGRAM, AND YET THE CYNICS JUST CAN'T RESIST...........THEY HAVE TO RAIN ON OUR PARADE!!!

OUR COACHES AND PLAYERS WORK HARD IN PRACTICE........I KNOW......I HAVE WATCHED A LOT OF PRACTICES........AND THERE IS DISCIPLINE.........WE JUST HAD SOME DISCIPLINE HANDED OUT THIS WEEK TO A COUPLE OF PLAYERS.......EVIDENTLY THERE ARE SOME WHO ARE NOT AWARE OF IT!!!!

I HATE TO THINK WHAT THE CRITICS WILL SAY WHEN WE LOSE..........WHEN WE WIN, THEY CERTAINLY TRY THEIR BEST TO NOT LET THE KIDS FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES!!!

PERSONALLY, I DON'T CARE WHAT ANY OF YOU THINK ABOUT ME.......BUT I AM NOT GOING TO STAND BY AND LET SOME POSTERS DOWNGRADE OUR KIDS WHEN WE ARE HAVING A VERY GOOD SEASON.........WE HAVE WAITED A LONG TIME.............

LET US ENJOY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GO TROJANS!!!

[rockfish]

First, let me congratulate our TROJANS on a GREAT WIN...........and also to the Wheelersburg Pirates for a great effort........the Burg to be a very tough opponent for a very good PHS squad..........

After reading the above posts, it's time to RANT..........

I'M SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE GETTING ON HERE DOWNGRADING THE TROJANS IN SOME WAY.........WE WON THE GAME, PEOPLE!!!.........WE'RE 5-0...IF WE PLAYED STREETBALL OR "ME" BALL, WE WOULDN'T HAVE WON THE GAME!

HERE'S ANOTHER COMPLAINT..........PORTSMOUTH DOESN'T PLAY DEFENSE!! REALLY? WHEELERSBURG WAS 22-57 FROM THE FIELD........WHAT WERE WE SUPPOSED TO DO? SHUT THE BURG OUT?

WE ARE 5-0 AND I SWEAR PEOPLE GET ON HERE AND ACT LIKE WE'RE 0-5........"WE DON'T DO THIS OR WE DON'T DO THAT"...........WE'RE NOT 5-0 FOR NOTHING!!!

trojandave,

Portsmouth is 5-0 but I think you would have to admitt that they are lucky to be 5-0. They should have lost to Gallia and Wheelersburg.
I personally think they are a good solid team but way over hyped at this point in the season.

[trojandave]

WE ARE NOT LUCKY TO BE 5-0.......DID YOU GO TO THE GALLIA OR WHEELERSBURG GAMES? AND IF YOU DID......HOW WE'RE WE SO LUCKY? DID WE MAKE A HALFCOURT SHOT AT THE BUZZER TO WIN?

HOW ABOUT GIVING GALLIA ACADEMY AND WHEELERSBURG SOME CREDIT FOR BEING GOOD TEAMS.......IT'S NOT LIKE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO JUST WALK OUT ON THE FLOOR AND WIN!!!

WE DESERVED TO WIN BOTH OF THOSE GAMES.......YOU'RE JUST ANOTHER POSTER WHO CAN'T SEEM TO GIVE OUR KIDS CREDIT FOR ANYTHING!!!

[rockfish]

I do give Gallia and Wheelersburg credit for being a good teams. They were unfortunate not to win the ball games they more or less gave the games to Portsmouth . Portsmouth had everything bounce their way and they came out with a victory.
Portsmouth is a good solid team but it is to early in the season to be calling them world beaters.

[trojandave]

WHO IS CALLING THEM WORLD BEATERS, ROCKFISH?......NOT ME.......I FELT GOING INTO THE SEASON THAT WE WOULD HAVE A GOOD TEAM, AND WE DO......THERE'S NO DENYING THAT............

THE ONLY THING THAT I HAVE SAID BEFORE THE SEASON WAS THAT IF THE TROJANS PUT IT ALL TOGETHER, THEY COULD CONTEND FOR THE FINAL 4 AND THE STATE TITLE..........DID I RUIN SOMEONE'S DAY BY SAYING THAT?

WE HAVE BEEN BEATEN DOWN LONG ENOUGH AT PORTSMOUTH......IT'S TIME TO START THINKING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION AND THESE KIDS HAVE GIVEN US SOME REASON TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT OUR TROJANS!!!

[ncballers]

I dont think manitoudan is seeing the same game as everyone else,horne makes some very nice passes and sees the floor better than most,and has a great feel for the game and plays very good D,but most important does what the coaches ask of him,have not seen a player with those skills in a long time,go trojans!

[biggdowgg]

the coaches know what they are doing, and so do the kids, or we would not be sitting at 5 and 0 right now, like I said above, most Trojan fans knew, you do not go to gallia,and blow out a gallia team coached by the great OZ,and you dont blow out any burg team coached by Barrick, our kids,and coachjes deserve credit for that, not just for being 5 and 0, but 5 and 0 against at least good teams, with 3 great coaches, including Burg, Galllia,and Greenfield.


like posted above, 2 games in a row, we have had 3 kids in double figures,with a lot of other players scoring points.


lucky to be 5 and 0?

I treally dont understand some of these comments, but I do undertsand, I am having a LOT OF FUN, watching this team this year,and I will enjoy it the rest of the year

[ManitouDan]

trojan Dave --give the caps lock a break (please) It was a good win for the trojans -- my point is they could beat 90% of the teams on the schedule just by showing up, because their talent is that high . Those young men are really really good. But A Williams was froze out the 1st 3 quarters while the trojans fired away from 3 point land. Against good competetion you only get so many bad possesions that end in bad shots . With the difference in talent , size and experience should that game last night been tied at 45 in the 4th ?? My point was to try to get the team to listen to their coaches --not do their own thing. I thought on more than just a couple possesions last night the O was 1 on 1 . Or wing up a 3. A certain city councilman was about to have stroke hollering about the same things I've mentioned. I want the trojans to really go far , so I hope my criticism was constructive. maybe I should be quiet and just let the chips fall.

And making a judgement about Horn after only seeing him once was maybe too harsh , but last night he was looking shot 1st. MD

[rockfish]

trojandave,

I wish your TROJANS well. I am just going to reserve judgement on this team until they play Chillicothe and Ironton. The other teams they have played are good as well.Win or lose these two games it will tell a lot about them. It is just so unfair to put so much pressure on these kids and coaches this early in the season.The final 4 is a long way away yet.
Give then time to grow together and mature as a team.They could be a great team by seasons end.

[TrojanBuff]

No one is being negative about PHS.

Everyone see's the talent the Trojans have and they know PHS can play better (and PHS must play better in order for Trojan Dave's prediction to come true). Beating Burg is big but many Trojan fans want bigger and better things.

I think constructive criticism only means that people care about this team and want them to do well. Nothing more, nothing less.

PHS should beg for constructive criticism so they can improve. The more constructive criticism PHS receives and the more PHS is open to this criticism, the better PHS will get. No one should ever be satisfied with where he or she is at in life. Everyone should be open to criticism so they can improve to do bigger and better things. So far, IMO, everyone on here is offering PHS constructive criticism. Embrace it and work hard!

Is this the best PHS team we have seen in some time….maybe…probably. Is this a state caliber team…only if they are open to constructive criticism and work hard to improve on their weaknesses…then and only then will they be. Never be satisfied with where you are right now!!

[moose]

It's always exciting when a team is able to win against Wheelersburg, and that is a compliment to a very good program that the Pirates have. For the first time in a few years, the Trojans are among the very best of DIII teams in southern Ohio. Every team has problems but those will be worked out by a good coaching staff.

And there is always room for another good team in southern Ohio, and I am happy for the Trojans this season. The kids deserve a lot of credit for the success, and can handle the pains that come with success. But Trojandave has always been supportive of all the teams in this area even when his Portsmouth squad was struggling. Let's return the favor this year.

Good luck to the Trojans. Hope you win them all except maybe the Chesapeake game.

[Rhiannon]

It amazes me how people like Trojan Dave get so upset over critisism. This site is designed for people to post their opinions. If you want to read nothing but positive remarks about your team then go to the schools website.

I read all the post and I didn't see anyone dis the trojans. I have seen many teams get a lead and then go into showboat mode. All I can say to TD is when the Trojans let a team come back on them and lose the game, you'll be the first one on here crying about it. So if you can't stand reading critisism, you probably should log on to this site. Also, like someone else said, drop the all caps. It only proves our point about your post.

Claygrad you are wrong on that one.....TrojanDave is a true fan of Portsmouth as is Ozzie and Biggdowgg....My husband and I have gotten to know them from this site and they are true fans and they don't even have a kid playing....Heck even Ozzie and Biggdowgg wore Ironton shirts at the Convo one year in support of the Tigers and my husband and I wore Trojan shirts they gave us to one of their basketball games as well....Trojan Dave is just upset that the Trojans are 5-0 and people act like they were lucky to win those games...who cares how they won...they won...

You won't see Dave on here crying when they lose....he will be on here congratulating that team and offering words of encouragement to the Trojans.....The Trojans deserve positive remarks...they are 5-0 and have worked hard in the off season and it shows....I am happy for Dave, Ozzie, and Biggdowgg.....these guys travel and watch the Trojans when sometimes the players own parents are not able to make it.....

Keep winning Trojans until you play the Tigers.....

[The Riepo Man]

I was at the game and I must say these to teams looked really good...Ptowns 3pt shooting was just rediculous and IMO that is what won them the game besides the height thing(though their height didnt help that much). Stegman was by far the best player out on that court and portsmouth knew it...that is why our perimeter shooting increased in the second half when the trojans collapsed upon Stegman.

I dont think Ptown played alot of "me" ball but the dunk show during pregame was a bit much and pretty stupid IMO. Maybe if they had a chance to show off those hops during the game I might have a different opinion but my pirates kept their speed pretty much in check. You dont have 3-4 guys in 2x figures by hogging the ball.

Future looks really bright for both teams...I believe the BURGs looks a little brighter though but dont judge me by that...Whitley and Ward looked really good from beyond the 3pt line and stegman just tore it up...with everyone returning next year I look for my Pirates to keep doing what they do.

Ohhh...can't wait for a rematch come playoff time

[PirateFan_2010]

i just have a few comments on the game. Our coach (Barrick) is one of the best around. Portsmouth's players showed little if any class. Burg lost this game because of weak defense in the first quarter, allowing 27 points. If not for that first quarter, i think they would have won.

[Burg_Grad_77]

First off let me say that I wish the Trojans the best of luck this season and hope they can go all the way to the Final 4 and bring home the title. Biggdowgg and Oz both will tell you that I follow all the area teams and hope they all do well except when they play the Pirates.

As for the "me, me, me" statement I made, I didn't see very many assists on those baskets the Trojans top 3 scorers were taking. #33 Bendolph got the bulk of his points by bringing the ball up the court and either launching a 3 ptr or breaking down his defender and taking it to the basket. He is a good ball player, but he seems to want make the show about him. His dancing around at the free throw line instead of concentrating on his shot cost him by stepping over the line and then he had to make a point to show the official he was behind the line the next time by pointing to his feet about 6 or 7 times. Uncalled for, just step up and make your free throws like you've been there before.

Williams got the bulk of hs points on put backs and drives to the basket for a bucket and free throw and all on his own. No assists. I believe Hornes baskets were pretty much the same.

I'm curious as to just how many assists the Trojans had.

As for the Pirates only having one in double figures. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of that this season since he is the only one lots of varsity experience from last years team. Portsmouth had no answer for him in the first half and had to collapse 2 or 3 guys on him in the second half to hold him to 9 points and he's only a soph.

[trojandave]

I stand by my what I said in my "ALL CAPS" post.......but I have no hard feelings against anyone........but I didn't like some of the comments that I thought were over the line.

I have no problem with constructive criticism such as.........."the Trojans need to box out better, or "the Trojans need to work on their free throw shooting".......comments like that are helpful and in the long run will benefit Portsmouth.

But the "me, me, me", "streetball", "cocky" and comments like those are not constructive criticisms........rather, they are more personal and hurtful to the players and coaches.......it makes the players look selfish and makes the coaches look like they are not in control of their team.......and that is not the case in either instance.

Burg Grad77: I have met you and like you........but as far as assists, Andrew Bendolph by himself was averaging 7 assists per game going into the Burg game. I don't know how many assists we had, but a basket to me is a basket. I don't need to see my team make 8 passes before each basket......I just want to see the ball go through the hoop........some games we will have a lot of assists......some games we won't.......it's the nature of the game and who you are playing.............if we didn't have a fair number of assists we wouldn't be 5-0...........

And you know this, Burg Grad, I have time and again posted on this website about the Wheelersburg athletic program........that it is the best in all the SE District.......and for us to beat the Pirates is a HUGE win for our program............it's only the second time this entire decade that we have beaten the Pirates.........so being 5-0 with a win over Wheelersburg is certainly exciting for Trojan fans.

claygrad: Obviously, you don't know me or my loyalty to the Trojans, or you don't know how I have given credit tirelessly to all the teams that have beaten my Trojans through the years.......Wheelersburg, Ironton, Chillicothe, etc.

We are 5-0 and yet we have gotten more criticism than the teams we have defeated..........that doesn't seem fair to me at all..............

I have no hard feelings against anyone but I didn't like some of the comments posted on this topic.........everybody is entitled to their opinion but that doesn't mean I won't offer a strong rebuttal on it.