Portsmouth/So. Gallia want to Join SOC

[Futurebkstar]

South Gallia plays a full SOC 1 football schedule already!!

[ManitouDan]

Let them In !!!!

[TrojanBuff]

Let US in. The SOC is where WE want to be!

[drrabbit]

The county swim meet will be no more. And Portsmouth will have to restart soccer.

I like the latter but will miss the former.

[crab_apple4]

I'm not sure Portsmouth can compete in the SOC.

[mustang77]

Jackson needs to apply to the Tri-Valley Conference Ohio Division. Look at the following divisions -great matchups every night, and very little travel.

Ohio Division
Alexander
Athens
Jackson
Meigs
Nelsonville-York
Vinton County
Wellston

Hocking Division
Belpre
Eastern Meigs
Federal Hocking
Miller
Southern
Trimble
Waterford

This setup has very good balance and interesting matchups each night. The travel and attendance would be really good.

Play only the schools in your division - but can cross over if you choose. Play them as non-league.

[madpolecat]

JAX is just fine in the SEOAL... be a bit silly to talk about leaving a conference because you do poorly in basketball...

[NYBuckeye96]

Something else that was lost was that for two years in football, Jackson and Logan did not play each other, whereas before they played every season going back to the 1920's. So that consistent record of playing every year was broken.

It will be interesting to see if things settle down in the SEOAL or if more teams bolt.

[ManitouDan]

The competetion for PHS is great in the SEOAL but the travel and lack of interest in some of the matchups is enough to move to a more local league , where the matchups are much looked foward to. PHS VS logan,marietta, warren, even GAHS just doesn'st stoke the local interest as much as PHS Vs w-burg ,west ports, SW, Valley, etc etc IMO MD

[NYBuckeye96]

That's a good point ManitouDan. Look no further than what has happened at Athens since joining the TVC OHIO. There is an excitement in all Athens sports that I really haven't seen at Athens since I was a little kid.

And when those local rivalries are being played with league implications on the line......that only intensifies the rivalry that already exists.

[trojandave]

Gahs4ever: I understand your frustration with teams leaving the SEOAL......I can speak for myself and say that I wish Portsmouth would stay in the SEOAL.......I travel to the road games and enjoy the trip.........the competition that the SEOAL can provide is better than the SOC........just this year, Portsmouth is 3-0 vs. the SOC and 2-6 vs. the SEOAL in boys basketball........

But........when it has been brought up about why Gallia Academy should schedule teams outside of SE Ohio to get some tougher opponents, you have used the same reason that Portsmouth is using to leave.......travel and gate.........

I think you once stated that you didn't understand why GAHS would go to Grove City for a basketball game.......or why would Gallia Academy give up Point Pleasant in football.......there won't be fans going to Columbus for the Grove City game, but the gate for the PP football game puts big money in the GAHS pockets.

You can't call Portsmouth out for wanting bigger gates and less travel when you have endorsed the same for Gallia Academy High School.....

But......I do agree with you on one point.......maybe Portsmouth should have said no in the first place, given that the circumstances of travel and gate were known when the expansion was first proposed. I think PHS's perspective might have been just to join a league, any league, to stop being an independent and all the scheduling nightmares that go with it.......with the thought that someday the SOC would be more willing to add Portsmouth as a member.

I hope to stay in the SEOAL.......but if we don't, I will follow and support my Trojans wherever they go........and I want to keep GAHS on the schedule......in all sports.......I want to continue seeing your smiling face, one of the really good people that I have met along the SEOPS trail.

[ManitouDan]

FWIW -- the competetion is so good in the SEOAL I don't see Portsmouth winning any league titles with any constitency at all. In any sport . Lots of bigger schools to battle in the SEOAL Vs Soc. . I think the local schools will provide plenty of competetion in all sports. Really is there any sport portsmouth would have been dominate in , in the past few years if they were SOC members ? Again I see the SOC as a far better fit.

Do you think it would mean more to any athelet at PHS to win a SEOAL title VS an SOC ? I don't think so , maybe I'm wrong.

[Portsmouth98]

I would be happy either way honestly. The SEOAL has better competition, better media coverage, nicer stadiums for the most part and it's neat to visit other communities a few times a year. On the other hand, it's hard to pass up a league where your long trip is 25 miles up a 4 lane highway to Waverly. The other thing the SOC would add would be the ability to banter with league foes without logging onto a computer. All that said though, I can't imagine we will get in. West and Wheelersburg have been playing keep away with the football title for 35 years and I doubt the other teams want another team to fight with when those programs are down.

[Tartanblue]

The county swim meet will be no more. And Portsmouth will have to restart soccer.

I like the latter but will miss the former.

Portsmouth wouldn't have to start soccer again...if that was the case then alot of teams couldn't be in the SOC...shoot one of them dont even have baseball

[falconater]

All soc II football teams have boys soccer. portsmouth would have to restart their boys soccer progam.

[Portsmouth98]

Nobody really wanted to play soccer when we had it. We already had number issues with a coed team, fielding an all boys or girls team would be very difficult.

[Tartanblue]

they wouldn't HAVE to field a soccer team....and if they use that as a reason to vote no then that is a crock and the schools who vote no should be asked to leave the SOC....if u want a team to take portsmouths place put new boston there then

[falconater]

who in the socII does not have a soccer team, and why should Portsmouth not have a team?

[trojandave]

I was told by a very reliable source within the Portsmouth City Schools that PHS would not have to field a soccer team........if we do get admitted, we may start one on our own anyway.

[trojandave]

Although the competition in the SEOAL is better, there's one thing that cannot be denied about Portsmouth being admitted to the SOC........the gates that would be generated by having the Trojans in the SOC would be a cash cow for all involved......and in financially challenged Scioto County, it would be a wise decision by the powers of the SOC to admit Portsmouth.

I don't think PHS would dominate any sport......just look at our record vs. the SOC in various sports......nothing special.......we're still trying hard to get our athletic program in better shape......the Trojans would be very competitive, though.......and I know from the 2 home games vs. Minford and Northwest this year, the visitors brought a lot of fans.......and a lot of dollar bills to go along with it.

I just don't see any valid reason why Portsmouth.....and South Gallia for that matter.....should be voted down.........from a financial and competitive standpoint, I think it's a win-win for the SOC.