Valley-Portsmouth sign contact for 2012-2013

[Crab's Brother]

Sounds like a good deal for both schools. Two year contract that will be the opener in both seasons.

[ohbuckeye2]

Here's the storey from the paper, sounds like another step closer to the SOC, maybe.........

http://portsmouth-dailytimes.com/bookmark/11154283

[ohbuckeye2]

What Team will they be dropping to pick up Valley? Should make for a BIG gate and a heck of a game.

[Mad-Dogg]

that could be a interesting two year series. i just hope that it will continue after the 2013 season with portsmouth getting voted in to join the soc

[ohbuckeye2]

I could be wrong but I believe Portsmouth opened with one of the OVC teams, South Point?

Sounds like a good move then.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

These are Portsmouth past openers as I remember them. These teams include 2 state championship years from Clear Creek, some very good Chesapeake teams, and D2 Wilmington. Just saying the Trojans have been historically tough the season opener against some fairly decent opponents.
2011 Wilmington
2010 Wilmington
2009 South Point
2008 South Point
2007 Chesapeake
2006 Chesapeake
2005 Chesapeake
2004 Chesapeake
2003 Chesapeake
2002 Chesapeake
2001 Chesapeake
2000 Amanda Clear Creek
1999 Amanda Clear Creek

[CharlieHustle]

They should nickname these openers "Battle of the Turf!"

[CharlieHustle]

These are Portsmouth past openers as I remember them. These teams include 2 state championship years from Clear Creek, some very good Chesapeake teams, and D2 Wilmington. Just saying the Trojans have been historically tough the season opener against some fairly decent opponents.
2011 Wilmington
2010 Wilmington
2009 South Point
2008 South Point
2007 Chesapeake
2006 Chesapeake
2005 Chesapeake
2004 Chesapeake
2003 Chesapeake
2002 Chesapeake
2001 Chesapeake
2000 Amanda Clear Creek
1999 Amanda Clear Creek

I thought Portsmouth opened up with West at home 2 years ago? (inaugral game of the stadium).

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

That was the first home game for the Trojans that year, not the first game of the season.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

Never going to happen but it would be fun to see them play this, and Burg vs. Ironton in the same place. Play the games on Saturday, as a double header with the home team hosting the late game. Rotate the site between the 4 schools, and split the gate. This would be better if Burg and Ironton had turf fields, but I think it’s still doable. It would make for huge crowds and a great way to kick off the season.

[ohbuckeye2]

Never going to happen but it would be fun to see them play this, and Burg vs. Ironton in the same place. Play the games on Saturday, as a double header with the home team hosting the late game. Rotate the site between the 4 schools, and split the gate. This would be better if Burg and Ironton had turf fields, but I think it’s still doable. It would make for huge crowds and a great way to kick off the season.

That's sounds like a great idea.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

Okay, as far as this game helping PHS get into the SOC, I don’t see it. With the addition of Valley, PHS will have played all the SOC 2 schools with the exception of Northwest, within the last 15 seasons, and scrimmaged Northwest this past season.

Against SOC teams PHS is
Valley only preview games but PHS has won the vast majority of them, although valley has pick some victories up recently. I don’t put much stock into it though as this game has always been little more than a glorified practice.
9-3 against Waverly
7-0 against Minford
Winning record vs. West not sure on the totals, West has been cutting into the Trojans lead as of late, and the series has become much closer and more competitive.
Losing record to the Burg, Only SOC school that has a long running competitive series with the Trojans.

Unless Valley can be more competitive then Waverly and Minford have historically been verse the Trojans, this will not help with our SOC chances. PHS is nowhere near what we once were so this could be a very competitive series as the West series now is. PHS in the SOC 10 years ago would have been a 2 team race with Wheelersburg, but now all schools are much more equal, as Burg isn’t what they once were either.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

I know what you’re saying Fido, I wasn’t really talking about when PHS was much bigger than the other schools. I know as far back as 97, and probably before then PHS was a D4 school,( with the exception of 2000 when we were D3, however I believe Burg and Minford were D4 then and I assume Northwest was probably D3 as well, and Waverly still bounces between D3 and D4.)
My point is that PHS has been in a comparable size to the SOC for over a decade. Waverly has been larger then PHS for some time, West is normally a D4 with PHS, as is Northwest.
Waverly 253
Portsmouth 204
Northwest 192
West 180
Minford 169
Valley 152
Burg 150
PHS is within range of the enrollments of the other schools, and I would even assume that if the new divisional proposal passes that PHS’s athletic count would drop more than most of the SOC schools brining them even closer to the middle. Wheelersburg binging the smallest school, yet they have the most success, should prove that enrollment shouldn’t be the issue.
I have always assumed that even though the top half of the league can compete with PHS in football, it isn’t equal across the board. Example would be West Basketball, even though they are equals on the football field most years I have to assume wipes up on the Senators in bball. Basically what I’m saying is that although PHS isn’t going to run away with titles in everything if they were admitted into the SOC, most years they would be near the top in all sports. The SOCs recent success should help with that, but old memories are hard to forget. Valley knocked PHS out in bball last year, and SW beat them this year, but again with the exception of Burg the SOC has had little success against PHS.
Additionally I believe that PHS cutting soccer has hurt our chances. PHS was never very good at soccer, and I would expect that to stay the same, although I understand why the SOC schools would want us to add it again before allowing us in.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

I think it's chicken crap not allowing Portsmouth in the league. I agree...they're as equal to the rest of the county teams as they will ever be. I don't know who the chickens are that keep blocking their admission but Portsmouth could only enhance the league in both competition and gates!

Truthfully I do to, but trying to be nice about it. :122245

[LetsGoPSU]

Love seeing Darren vs Curt! Hope the series is competitive because the gates should be huge.Best part for me, Valley seems to live feed thier games over the net and I wont need to drive 5 hours to catch it. Portsmouth in the SOC.......Hope so, but how many times will they need to apply? 1000? 100? 10? 1? who knows
Its a perfect fit now, lets see it

[wipala]

As John Wayne used to say lets play Cowboys and Indians,,,,now he could say "Lets play Trojans and Indians"!
Good to see, now get Minford back on the schedule...
wipalawalt

[eccedomusscientiae]

I commend both schools for this contract. I especially commend Portsmouth. With Valley, West, Burg and Ironton, that is a great way to offset the bad gates from the SEOAL. If Portsmouth could play all four of those schools and have two of them at home every year, that would be good revenue. i also believe all of those schools provide solid competion.
I think it wouold be a wise move to play this game on Saturday. Folks could take in the Ironton/Burg game on one night and then drive to Portsmouth/Valley game the next night.

[Indian till death]

YAY! I've been preaching for this to happen for YEARS!!! :122245 :122245 :122245 :122245 :122245

[Bleeding Red]

I think it's chicken crap not allowing Portsmouth in the league. I agree...they're as equal to the rest of the county teams as they will ever be. I don't know who the chickens are that keep blocking their admission but Portsmouth could only enhance the league in both competition and gates!

I agree also. I think when the powers at be vote on this, their balloting results should be revealed. These are not private schools, it is public. And it should be public knowledge, just like a school board meeting is. I think the public should be allowed to attend a conference meeting, and then let them vote. That way the ones wanting to keep PHS out of the conference would be known by all.

Move Northwest to SOC I where they can be more competitive, and move PHS into SOC II.

There have been 2-3 teams in the SOC II making the playoffs each year. If PHS beats them, they gain.

If the SOC II schools beat PHS, they gain because they arent going to have less than 5-5 years and they are in a bigger division.

Plus add to it the bigger gates.

I dont see how this isnt a win/win for everyone in the conference.

[Bleeding Red]

Plus add to it that with the Valley game added to PHS's schedule, they will play 3 of the 4 competitive SOC II schools on their schedule. Waverly wont be down for long, and eliminating Northwest to the SOC I makes a GREAT conference and great football games every Friday (or Saturday) night.

Look at some of the northern Ohio leagues that consist of D4,D5 and D6 schools. Ada, Coldwater, Maria Stein Local......these teams make the playoffs at 5-5 and 6-4 and WIN their first round or so because they played a heck of a schedule. The SOC II could deliver the same results with 3-4 teams a year making the playoffs.