SEOAL

[Stone Cold]

I was in the TVC expansion thread where the topic is warren local wanting to get into the league and i just couldn't help but to ask myself what in the world is going on? How much more perfect of a league can you get besides Gallipolis, Jackson, Logan, Warren, Athens. You really need one more school(Marietta)but whatever. So I thought that I would ask the masses, why is the SEOAL gone????

[Raider6309]

One group wanted the seoal to be local teams, the other group wanted bigger schools in a huge area

[93Bulldog]

Adding Zanesville, chillicothe, ironton & Portsmouth killed the SEOAL.

[NYBuckeye96]

Not splitting into divisions in the late 60s is what killed the SEOAL. Had the SEOAL split into divisions and added the teams that went on to start the TVC, the SEOAL would be alive today. Most strong conferences have divisions. Some have more than 2.

The SEOAL simply wanted to replace departing schools with new schools for too many years. This did two things ----- first, it spread the league out too far geographically, as many departing teams were at the geographic core of the SEOAL and their replacements were on the far outskirts. Second, it allowed for departing schools to join other conferences which helped create easy geographic landing spots for future SEOAL teams that left the league.

Had the SEOAL added the founding members of the TVC in the late 1960s after that mass wave of consolidations and split into divisions based on school size, the SEOAL would be alive today. It could have grown further by adding an even smaller division that could have consisted of the schools now in the TVC Hocking. The geographic core of the SEOAL teams were essentially surrounded by TVC schools. By allowing the TVC to be created in its own backyard, the TVC eventually consumed enough SEOAL schools to the point that the SEOAL couldn't exist on its own any more.

[doubleplay643]

Have you ever wanted to do something but were waiting for an excuse ("reason") besides the real reason to do it so you had some "cover".

[93Bulldog]

No. But I was dating a girl once, then broke up with her because a better one asked me out.

[enigmaax]

No. But I was dating a girl once, then broke up with her because a better one asked me out.

And by "better" you mean "easier"?

[93Bulldog]

No, she lived next door. I got sick of driving 50 miles to see the old one. Lol

[Blackjack]

No, she lived next door. I got sick of driving 50 miles to see the old one. Lol

Now that's funny.........

Fess up, who is responsible for inviting Zanesville, Chillicothe, Ironton, and Portsmouth into the league ???

[Stone Cold]

So Athens bailed b/c of the new teams that were added and travel?

[Raider6309]

So Athens bailed b/c of the new teams that were added and travel?

Athens did not want to expand. Athens only voted yes so they weren't black balled by the other 8 schools. The vote to expand happen August 2004, Athens voted to leave August 2006. When Athens left in 2008, gas went from $2 to $4 instantly. So George Bush killed the SEOAL

"We expressed some concerns when the SEOAL expansion was first discussed. If you vote no and the new teams still get in, they could be upset with you. Our concerns weren’t against the teams themselves,” Meek added

I'm sure that meeting in 2004 was R rated between Athens and Logan

[93Bulldog]

The school board was presented with an option that would cut their travel budget in half, but also increase revenue by playing teams within a reasonable distance. Time was also a huge factor. Sending 7 & 8th graders to portsmouth & ironton on weekdays was ludicrous. Athletes from 7-12 are home & in bed before 10 even on away trips. This years football team for nine weeks didnt travel anymore than 30 min for a game & spent most of the season right here in athens county.

[noreply66]

The SEOAL should not have added all four teams at once. At one time it had Portsmouth and Ironton, so the league should have added these two teams first and waited a few years and then see if Chillicothe wanted in then Zanesville later. With the size of the two cities of Chillicothe and Zanesville it should have scared the few smaller school right off the bat. These two have more than one school making C and Z smaller at the time. Out of the ten schools C & Z might be the only two that came from what you call cities other could be called towns. At one time Marietta, Ironton, Chillicothe and Zanesville were hugh. I think of the four schools Z and C had other schools built that took students away from the main city. Marietta and Ironton might have been reduced because of jobs. If the SEOAL had stayed together it would be a well known league for teams in sports play offs. SEO has no D1 school and it might not be too long until no D2. You could say Logan, Jackson, Warren and Marietta and Chillicothe are no longer in SEO. So does that just leave Athens? I only see more D2 if schools close and it makes bigger ones. Just came to me Portsmouth is a city too that has more than one school now. Portsmouth has WHAT? four schools in the same league or is it more.

[trojandave]

The city of Portsmouth has 3 high schools within the corporation limits........Portsmouth HS, Portsmouth Notre Dame, and Sciotoville East or Portsmouth East as it is sometimes called. Portsmouth Clay HS is just off Rt.23 north of Rosemount and is not affiliated with the Portsmouth City Schools. Portsmouth West HS is located on Rt.52 just west of West Portsmouth, hence the OHSAA name of West Portsmouth Portsmouth West. It is not affiliated with the Portsmouth City Schools.

It can be confusing for some, to have that many schools designated with "Portsmouth". Portsmouth HS is not nearly as big as one might think, even with the city's population of 20,226(2010 census). 3 high schools and open enrollment has really cut into Portsmouth HS's numbers. Chillicothe HS has twice the enrollment of Portsmouth HS, with 335 boys to PHS's 162, yet Chillicothe's 2010 census population was just under 22,000. Chillicothe has just one high school, with Bishop Flaget closing many years ago.

[traf1]

So Athens bailed b/c of the new teams that were added and travel?

Athens did not want to expand. Athens only voted yes so they weren't black balled by the other 8 schools. The vote to expand happen August 2004, Athens voted to leave August 2006. When Athens left in 2008, gas went from $2 to $4 instantly. So George Bush killed the SEOAL

"We expressed some concerns when the SEOAL expansion was first discussed. If you vote no and the new teams still get in, they could be upset with you. Our concerns weren’t against the teams themselves,” Meek added

I'm sure that meeting in 2004 was R rated between Athens and Logan

That's why they dropped the closest team outside of Athens county, Logan, to far away?

[bman]

Beating a dead horse.

[Raider6309]

So when is the SEOAL's funeral?

[Orange and Brown]

So when is the SEOAL's funeral?

It asked to be cremated with no services. If you would like to make a contribution, please send games to both Logan and Warren.........

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

Adding Zanesville, chillicothe, ironton & Portsmouth killed the SEOAL.

I don't agree. remember back when this all happened. gas was nearing 5.00 a gallon. that was thee main factor. that and the league was just too widespread geographically. ironton and Portsmouth were by far the smallest 2 schools participating. but you had teams spread from Portsmouth to Zanesville. and week night games for other sports had kids getting home at 1/2 am on school nights. it was nobodies fault. there are no big suburban cities in southern ohio, and the league had to be so spread to get enough quality teams to participate. it was just plain bad luck, and I miss it. I loved the SEOAL back in the mid 70's when I played. and sad to see her gone. but it's why leagues like the ovc and soc are alive because of travel and convenience. but they don't prepare you for deep playoff runs like before.---- with wheelersburg being the exception now. but we saw what happened with coldwater.
we all just need to realize it was a grand ole gal, but she is gone now.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

No, she lived next door. I got sick of driving 50 miles to see the old one. Lol

at's awesome.