2018/19 Portsmouth Trojans

[trojandave]

Although the Trojans chances of winning the sectional are below average, they will be going for the 65th sectional title in school history. The last sectional championship for PHS was in 2017, when they defeated North Adams to advance to Athens. South Point ended the Trojans' season with a 59-42 win in the district semifinal.

Chillicothe has 38 sectional titles, 2nd to Portsmouth in the SE district.

Wheelersburg is favored to win their 20th district title, which ranks 2nd in the SE district to Portsmouth for district championships. The Trojans have 37 district titles. 21 of Portsmouth's 37 district titles came in the BIG school class, either in Class AAA or Class AA when AA was the BIG school class before the OHSAA went to 3 divisions in 1970.

Portsmouth's 15 state appearances (regional titles) ranks 3rd all time in Ohio, topped only by Cleveland Villa Angela St.Joseph with 16, and Canton McKinley is the all time leader with an amazing 28 appearances.

[burgfella69]

Although the Trojans chances of winning the sectional are below average, they will be going for the 65th sectional title in school history. The last sectional championship for PHS was in 2017, when they defeated North Adams to advance to Athens. South Point ended the Trojans' season with a 59-42 win in the district semifinal.

Chillicothe has 38 sectional titles, 2nd to Portsmouth in the SE district.

Wheelersburg is favored to win their 20th district title, which ranks 2nd in the SE district to Portsmouth for district championships. The Trojans have 37 district titles. 21 of Portsmouth's 37 district titles came in the BIG school class, either in Class AAA or Class AA when AA was the BIG school class before the OHSAA went to 3 divisions in 1970.

Portsmouth's 15 state appearances (regional titles) ranks 3rd all time in Ohio, topped only by Cleveland Villa Angela St.Joseph with 16, and Canton McKinley is the all time leader with an amazing 28 appearances.

Gotta respect Portsmouth and their incredible tradition. 4 state championships is something to be proud of, considering most schools in the area do not even have one or two.

[trojandave]

Portsmouth struggled mightily again last night vs. the OVC champion Fairland Dragons in a 60-35 loss. Danny Lattimore led the Trojans with 18 points, but PHS fell behind by double digits midway in the 2nd quarter and couldn't mount any rally. This was the 5th time this season that the Trojans scored 37 points or less in a game. Portsmouth is now 7-14 overall and 3-10 in the OVC.

The Trojans will end the regular season at Ironton on Friday.

[trojandave]

Just giving a glance into next year, the lack of offense that Portsmouth has shown this season could be repeated in 2019-2020. The Trojans lose Danny Lattimore, who along with Matthew Fraulini are the only 2 proven scorers on the team. Without Lattimore, scoring may be as difficult or more so next season. Nobody else has stepped up and given PHS a consistent 3rd scoring option. With Fraulini being the only proven scorer returning, opposing coaches may once again gameplan to minimize Matthew's impact, and right now there is no one who can give us the points that Lattimore provides. So the offensive struggles that have plagued the Trojans this season are likely to continue, and with it a fight to stay out of last place in the OVC, and a 2nd straight losing season.

Portsmouth has had 5 games this season in which they scored 37 points or less. I can't remember a Trojan team that had this many games with so few points.

We have a lot coming back, but as I've told people, it doesn't matter how much we have coming back if they can't put the ball in the basket.

GO TROJANS!!!

[PtownClown]

I think Portsmouth could improve their scoring by doing the little things better....set better screens...come off screens better...move without the ball better...and hopefully Roe and Johnson get more confidence with a season of varsity under their belt...of course they gotta shoot shoot shoot and then shoot some more...I have confidence they will be much better...also in the JV game the other night Chris Duff had a nice game offensively...he has a nice looking stroke...he shows potential...if they put the work in Roe/Johnson/Bryant/Shipp/Fraulini/Duff is a nice nucleus to build off of...I also liked #14 in the JV game...he is athletic...also they need to realize that sometimes a good defense is your best offense...deny those passes on the wing better so you can get more steals and get more fast break points...I think there are several areas other than shooting that they can improve on in terms of scoring...but bottom line you gotta be able to put the ball in the bucket no matter how you look at

Young team...went through some growing pains...but nothing hardwork and maturity can’t overcome

[trojandave]

PtownClown: Another very good post by you.......points are well taken. One statement that you mentioned sums it up......."If they put the work in"......that is the key to next season, and with that statement, we will either sink or swim. The players you mentioned have potential, but having potential is not the same as producing results.

Fairland's starting 5 was younger than Portsmouth's.......1 freshman and 2 sophomores......Chesapeake started mostly sophomores, including Eli Archer......Portsmouth isn't the only "young" team. That freshman for Fairland is a very good player, and that's because he's put in the time.....he can shoot the jumper from anywhere or take his defender off the dribble......will our kids be able to do that next year?

It's one thing to go to all the summer shootouts, team camps, travel ball, etc. But the players who want to excel will go the extra mile......working out by themselves, day after day.......shooting hundreds of shots, dribbling, dribbling, dribbling......repetition, repetition, repetition, hot weather......doesn't matter.

Of course I know what will happen if next season turns out very much like this one.......there will be the Eugene Collins' detractors who will blame him.....but as I told some people at the last home game........Coach Collins cannot put the ball in the basket for them......there's no getting around that fact. He is currently having to coach a team that cannot put the ball in the basket enough to scare most teams.

You cannot win games by an occasional 3 pointer and layups.......and our 7-14 record shows that. Basketball is a scoring sport.....in football, baseball, soccer, and hockey, a team can pitch a shutout......not so in hoops..... defense is important, but you have to be able to score, and the teams that are successful can do just that. It's no surprise that Portsmouth is 0-5 in the games where they scored 37 points or less.

Portsmouth could run the most perfect looking half court offense there is, with 0 turnovers, but can our kids put the ball in the basket?......that's the bottom line......and right now it is quite evident there is a serious deficiency at doing so. A team that cannot shoot jump shots is a team that is doomed to lose more than they win........opposing coaches know that planning against Portsmouth on the defensive end means you don't have to guard the mid range portion of the court......that 10 to 15 foot area of the court. The Trojans this year have probably only made a half dozen mid range shots......mostly by Matthew Fraulini.......and we have played 21 games so far!!

Who next year can we count on besides Fraulini that will be able to average 12-14 PPG consistently? And who will be a 3rd scoring option, maybe in the range of 10-12 PPG? Right now, I don't see anyone stepping up to fill those vital roles.

I wish I could be more optimistic, but I am honestly discouraged by what I feel we will be like next season......another one like this one? I really don't think I'll watch summer ball for the first time in a long time because I can't watch my Trojans struggle to score like they have this season. Maybe by next season this offensive meltdown that we have witnessed will all be in the rear view mirror.......but then again, maybe not.

Portsmouth High School has had many great teams through the years, more than anybody else in the SE district, and all of those teams had a common denominator.......they were very skilled at putting the ball in the basket. I remember watching Coach Collins when he played on the Trojans in 82 and 83......he could shoot (he made a buzzer beater vs. Columbus East to win 62-61), and his teammates could as well. Portsmouth went 20-4 in his junior and senior seasons.......a major reason was that they could score.

As you said, and I'll repeat it again, "If they put in the work"........that will be the key to the 2019-2020 season......If they don't, status quo holds serve. And if it does, Portsmouth basketball could be in danger of falling into an abyss of losing like the years of 2003-2009. We finally did come out of that horrible era and it was Coach Collins who took us to the promised land (State tournament) just 2 years later.

GO TROJANS!!!

[trojandave]

PtownClown: I could talk about other areas that need improvement, but I do believe that the biggest problem facing us for the 2019-2020 season is shooting. When you can score, it doesn't put nearly as much pressure on your defense to create turnovers and score off them.

[trojandave]

I feel for Matthew Fraulini, because he has had to work really hard for the points he's scored. In so many games he has been shadowed all over the court, yet he still is averaging 17 PPG. The other night vs. Fairland, he did a really good job rebounding, and I've seen him in many games making some good defensive plays.

He is on course by next year to be another member of the 1,000 point club at Portsmouth, to go along with being the highest single game scorer in PHS history with 46 points. I just hope that next year he gets a little more scoring support from the rest of the players. If he does, he most likely will join another exclusive Trojan club......those that have averaged 20 PPG for a season.

I hope that he has a hot hand in the tourney, because if he does, the Trojans will have a much better chance to win.

[PtownClown]

Totally agree, seems like a great kid too

[Moses Guthrie]

Without a doubt scoring has been few and far between throughout the year, but what bothers me the most is the defense, or lack there of.
I've witnessed time after time an uncontested shot after only one or two passes, or an easy layup because the opposing offense has moved the Trojans' zone after enough passes to allow it..
Instead of playing strong man up D, this team falls back into a zone time and again. A zone can be effective if you can take away passing lanes and continue to CONTEST SHOTS, however opposing offenses continually get wide open looks.
Many of the Trojans offensive possessions are short lived, resulting in a quick shot attempt or a turnover, leading to transition the other way. There is a certain lack of discipline this team exhibits. Athletically the Trojans have been able to match up with most teams on their schedule, but the undisciplined play has resulted in a sub par season in Trojan land..

[trojandave]

Moses Guthrie: Your post is very accurate; the lack of defense has been quite apparent in many games; I too have seen way too many uncontested layups and poor closeouts on 3 pointers. You bring up a good point about the athleticism of the Trojans. I believe like you that we can match up with every team on our schedule; but it's Coach Collins decision as to what defense to employ. I personally wish we would play more man to man; we just never seem to be a good zone team; teams still get too many open looks on 3 pointers, and still make their way to the basket time and again.

We are 7-15 not just because of a struggling offense; the defensive lapses and turnovers have certainly contributed to our downfall.

The lack of scoring is alarming, though, since we actually have regressed from early in the season: just in the last month, the Trojans have been beaten by at least 29 points 4 times; Coal Grove 64-33; Chesapeake 60-31; Fairland 60-35 (all home games); and vs. Ironton 69-24 (starters only played 1 quarter though). 6 times this season Portsmouth has scored 37 points or less.

From what I can surmise from watching every varsity and JV game, I don't see anyone on the entire varsity/JV roster right now that can EVEN COME CLOSE next year to replacing the points that Danny Lattimore has given us. Matthew Fraulini could have even a more difficult time next year, with even less scoring help than this season. Much can happen between now and next season, but it really looks gloomy for the 2019-2020 season.

[trojandave]

This Trojan team is in undesirable company in regards to the history of Portsmouth basketball. Only 8 other Trojan teams have lost at least 15 games in a season. The 1946, 1958, 1962, 1993, 1996, 2005, 2006, and 2007 teams all lost at least 15 games, and that is dating back to 1913. The all time record for most losses in a season is held by the 2007 Trojans, who lost 18 games. They ended with a 4-18 mark, and ironically one of the 4 wins was an OT win over Warren at home.

[trojandave]

Portsmouth started sectional tournament play with a thrilling 47-46 win over Portsmouth West. After a fast 5-0 start by the Trojans, West controlled the game throughout, but a number of missed FT's in the 4th quarter kept the Trojans in the game, and at the buzzer, MyQuel McKinley made a short jumper to win it for PHS. McKinley led PHS with 16 points, while Danny Lattimore had 13, and Matthew Fraulini had 11.

Coach Collins defensive plan won the game for PHS. The offensively challenged Trojans hung around, creating stops and turnovers with 95% man to man defense. Even though the Senators were in the double bonus early, Coach Collins stayed with his game plan.

Very happy to see a great kid like MyQuel make the game winning basket. Very proud of all the Trojans for keeping the fight all the way despite the offensive struggles.

PHS will have to up its game if they want to beat #1 seed Adena. It's been a while since the Trojans have pulled off a significant upset when being a decided underdog.

GO TROJANS!!

[VetteMan]

There odds just improved to be able to win a Sec Championship after there win last night. I know scoring the ball has seemed to have been there main problem throughout the year, but if I remember correctly, didn't the Trojans give up around 9 threes in the Reg season game against PW ? That win last night hopefully has given them a renewed confidence, and that they will come out and play one heck of a game against Adena.

[trojandave]

VetteMan: You're right about the first game between West and the Trojans.......the Senators did hit a lot of 3's in that game (8 or 9), with Jesse Johnson scoring 22, mostly on 3's. This past Monday the Trojans did a better job of guarding the perimeter, and it gave us a much better chance to win the game. Still, watching Portsmouth on the offensive end of the court is not a pretty sight, as it seems like the Trojans never get an easy basket or that many open looks while trying to not turn the ball over.

Portsmouth can beat Adena ONLY if they up their game at both ends. Haven't seen the Warriors play, but I trust that Coach Collins will come up with a sound defensive game plan to keep the Trojans in the game. I don't expect anything much different offensively than what I've seen in 23 games thus far.......I just hope we can minimize turnovers and make a few more shots......that always gives us a better chance to win.

This is the first time since maybe 2009 that the Trojans have been a big sectional underdog.......that year, North Adams came into the sectional undefeated and Portsmouth was under .500 for the regular season. Portsmouth battled the Green Devils to overtime, where NA won 77-75. Craig Unger dropped in 40 for the Green Devils. North Adams eventually lost in the regionals.

[trojandave]

Coach Eugene Collins will be back for the 2019-2020 season, which will mark his 11th at PHS. It would tie him in longevity with Red Hopkins, who coached the Trojans from 1926-1936. Hopkins compiled a record of 168-58, with 5 state appearances, 1 state championship, and 1 state runnerup. Collins has a record so far that is very close to Hopkins. He currently is 163-79, with 2 state appearances, finishing state runnerup in 2012. 6 more wins by Collins will put him in 2nd place all time for winningest Trojan coaches. George Heller (1952-1968) is not only the all time wins leader at PHS with 224 (224-137), but has the longest tenure at Portsmouth with 17 years.

Portsmouth has had 8 coaches that have taken a Trojan team to the state. They are Gail Vanoorsdall (1925), Red Hopkins (1926, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1934), Paul Jenkins (1939), Peg Ellcesser (1941), George Heller (1961), Dick Hopkins (1978,1980), Joe Suboticki (1988, 1990), and Eugene Collins (2011, 2012). Heller played on the 1939 Trojans.

The banners in PHS gym (hanging opposite the home team/visiting team seats) only list 11 state appearances by the Trojans, when in fact the number of state appearances is officially 15. The Trojans made the state tournament in 1925, 1926, 1927, and 1929, but those are not listed on the banner indicating state(Final 4) appearances. All state appearances by PHS were not necessarily Final 4 appearances. In the early days of the OHSAA state tournament, which started in 1923, the format was either an Elite 8 or Sweet 16 setup. The Trojans made the Elite 8 in 1925(losing to Springfield) and 1926(losing to Zanesville), and the Final 4 in 1927 and 1929 (both years losing to Dover). Portsmouth was eliminated in the first round of the Sweet 16 state tournament in 1939 and 1941.

I have lobbied for 1 banner with all the state appearances listed, but efforts so far have been unsuccessful. The banners on the southwest wall of the gym (red and blue banners, next to the student section), those listing district, regional, and state appearances are all out of date.

[wipala]

The banner listing all the appearance to state would be an awesome site for visiting teams to see,
let alone the intimidating factor.
Why would the school not want to have one hanging.
Keep up the fight!

[trojandave]

The Trojans' loss last night to Adena ended the decade of 2010-2019. Here's how Portsmouth fared for these 10 years:

2010-2019: Overall record: 163-80.......Coach Eugene Collins record: 163-80

Year by year record:

2010: 12-7
2011: 21-5
2012: 24-3 (tied the 1990 team for 2nd best record in school history)
2013: 10-13
2014: 19-5
2015: 20-7
2016: 16-8
2017: 17-8
2018: 16-8
2019: 8-16......this record is the 4th time in school history that a Trojan team has lost at least 16 games in a season (2007, 2006, 1962, 2019)



League championships (either co-champions or outright)

SEOAL Champions......2012, 2014
OVC Champions.........2015

Tournament record:

5 sectional titles.......2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017
3 district titles.........2011, 2012, 2015
1 regional runnerup...2015 (lost to Columbus Eastmoor Academy 49-45 in regional championship)
Final 4 Appearances: 2011 (lost to Cleveland Central Catholic 58-47 in D3 semifinal)
2012 (beat Ottawa-Glandorf 74-66 in D3 state semifinal; last SE school to win a state tournament game
State Runnerup: 2012 (lost to Cincinnati Summit Country Day 53-37 in D3 state championship)

Portsmouth was the only school in the SE district to advance to at least 3 regional finals this decade.

Coaching Awards:

Coach Eugene Collins......SEOAL Coach of the Year......2011, 2012
Division 3 State Coach of the Year.......2012
OVC Coach of the Year........2015
2 regional titles/ Final 4 appearances.....2011, 2012
1 state runnerup.......2012 (last SE district school to win a game in the state tournament)

1,000 point scorers:

Dion McKinley......1,096 (2012)
Wayne Evans.......1,096 (2012)
Kendall Reynolds..1,341 (2017)
Kyre Allison........1,688 (2016)......all time leading scorer in PHS history

Players who averaged at least 20 PPG for a season:

Tory Horne......25.7 (2010)....high game: 34 vs. Chillicothe (2010)
Kyre Allison....21.4 (2016)....high game: 33 vs. Chillicothe (2016)
Jayllen Carter..20.4 (2013)....high game: 44 vs. Jackson (2013)
Wayne Evans...20.3 (2011)....high game: 39 vs. Marietta (2011)

Individual single game scoring:

Matthew Fraulini......46 points vs. Rock Hill (2019).....all time PHS record
Jayllen Carter..........44 points vs. Jackson (2013)
Dion McKinley...........42 points vs. Logan (2012)

The decade of 2010-2019 was the 2nd winningest decade in school history, topped only by the 1980's (197-50)

Coach Eugene Collins is only 6 wins away from becoming the 2nd winningest coach in PHS history.......Red Hopkins went 168-58 from 1926-1936.

[trojandave]

Portsmouth ends the decade with an all time record of 1,458--783. Going into this past season, the Trojans were the 8th winningest program in Ohio all time, and the #1 winningest program in the SE district.

[trojandave]

Looking ahead to the 2019-2020 season, I think the #1 priority for the Trojans to return to respectability should be finding players who can score. Right now, Matthew Fraulini is the only proven scorer returning, and with Danny Lattimore graduating, there is absolutely no one who can fill his void scoring wise. Lattimore scored double digit points in most games, with several games over 20. Portsmouth is going to need 3 players who can counted on to consistently score 10-15 points. If you can't score or at least be a threat to score, then to me your minutes should be limited. 4 on 5 or 3 on 5 is not the recipe for a productive offense.

The development of scorers in the off season is going to make or break Portsmouth next season. If things remain status quo, then a repeat of this past season is a very real possibility. We have a lot coming back, losing only 2 starters, but if the returnees can't score, we won't win very many games and will be looking up in the OVC standings. Ironton, Gallia Academy, Coal Grove lose most of their starting lineups, so there will be an opportunity to move up in the conference, but can the Trojans take advantage of it?

Portsmouth should field another athletic team again, with very good quickness, and the ability to play some suffocating man to man defense which they showed in the sectional, but you have to score to win basketball games. Right now, there is a dearth of that in Trojanland.

GO TROJANS!!!