OVC & SOC Merge Talk

[pmow3]

I’m just asking you to look at the schools and the results and tell me it wouldn’t be a good match. If Minford wants in with the bigger schools then fine.
But these schools need to at least discuss it and come to an agreement to help all schools

[RBH23]

There have been rumors that Ironton has an incredible advantage on their staff with getting kids to transfer there. I’m not stating anything that hasn’t been said on here for 4 years.
Burg has an amazing program. Their intrigue comes from a different avenue or direction. But it is still something that I believe goes on.
Congratulations to both schools.

But go find your own teams to play is what I would say if I were the others in these 2 counties. There isn’t enough talent in Scioto and Lawrence to level out the smaller schools to Ironton or burg.
Plus they get a few guys from these schools. What do you want these schools to do?

You bring up talent. Has Burg really had a football talent advantage over the other SOC schools? Minford had a kid start at Notre Dame, West a kid at Michigan State. Burg hasn’t had a kid play football at that level since Ed Miller in the 1950’s!

The numbers don’t validate your claim. Scholarships to play football at the next level don’t validate your claim about talent. Even the CB number doesn’t hold up considering that Burg dominated the SOC in the 1990’s with closed borders (their CB would have been zero).

Burg simply dominates now because they have more boys come out for football compared to the other SOC schools, even though Burg has just slightly more actual boys (and far less than Waverly). If Minford, West, and Northwest had more boys participate, this would dramatically change the SOC.

[MTSWNGRVSG]

Just speculation but what if this would happen: Coal Grove, Rock Hill, and Chesapeak leave OVC; Oak Hill, Northwest, and Valley leave SOC II. They form a new 6 school conference where all can compete. What good does it do Ironton to play Chesapeak? What good does it do for Oak Hill and Wheelersburg to play, none.

Just speculation because I have no inside knowledge!,,

[pmow3]

It would do no good. You are right. And those 6 would be a great and competitive conference. In my opinion.

[RBH23]

Just speculation but what if this would happen: Coal Grove, Rock Hill, and Chesapeak leave OVC; Oak Hill, Northwest, and Valley leave SOC II. They form a new 6 school conference where all can compete. What good does it do Ironton to play Chesapeak? What good does it do for Oak Hill and Wheelersburg to play, none.

Just speculation because I have no inside knowledge!,,

In football, I agree that Oak Hill and Valley are at huge disadvantages due to numbers. They don’t have enough boys to meaningfully impact their football participation rates.

That’s a different problem than Northwest, West, and Minford. Their issue is low turnout for football, where Burg has a much higher turnout rate.

[pmow3]

Good for Burg RBH. You are right. But this isn’t a new situation. You can go back 30 years and take the schools mentioned
Oak hill, NW, Valley, cG, RH, and Chesapeake and see it’s a competitive group. Maybe Minford doesn’t fit in that group.

Then you can take the other (High turnout-successful) schools and they would be very competitive too.

That’s where I wish the argument would end. Just make the (high turnout) successful schools deal with each other. And the other schools should put together a competitive balance for themselves.

I think some of this problem you are seeing in my words are Big schools - little schools. So let’s call it competitive balance.

Who fits with who.


I can’t imagine how hard this would be to make happen. But I still think it needs to.

[RBH23]

Good for Burg RBH. You are right. But this isn’t a new situation. You can go back 30 years and take the schools mentioned and see it’s a competitive group.

Then you can take the other (High turnout-successful) schools and they would be very competitive too.

That’s where I wish the argument would end. Just make the (high turnout) successful schools deal with each other. And the other schools should put together a competitive balance for themselves.

I think some of this problem you are seeing in my words are Big schools - little schools. So let’s call it competitive balance.

Who fits with who.

Divide schools based on “good” and “bad” instead of numbers?

What good would it do West, Minford, and Northwest to play a bunch of D6 schools only to turnaround and play Burg and Ironton in the D5 playoffs? Or should the entire playoff system be revamped so that “good” and “bad” schools are lumped together just to make it “fair”?

Also, what if Minford gets a really popular coach and their participation numbers jump up to Burg’s, resulting in Minford steamrolling the D6 schools who simply do not have the numbers? Do they now get bumped to the “good” conference?

Finally, this does not resolve the other sports where these “bad” schools are very good. Now they are playing down in competition just to satisfy the football competitive balance.

At one time, there were only three divisions and only two teams per region made the playoffs; only 24 total teams made the playoffs each year. Many of Burg’s best teams never played a playoff game because of how hard it was to make it. Such is life…

But now, in our world of “everyone gets a trophy”, there are 7 divisions with 16 teams per region making the playoffs; 448 teams!!! And yet here we are still talking about how unfair the system is.

[pmow3]

I’m not trying to get trophies for everyone. I’ll be honest. Im hoping that (in my favorite schools sake) that they don’t have to limp in to the playoffs because we have 25 kids playing against 50 or 60 or in burgs case 80.

Since all these schools are making the playoffs anyway, they don’t have to play the hardest schedule anymore. Times have changed.
I feel like a competitive conference would prepare these teams as well as anything. And in Valley’s case, they would’nt be completely destroyed in week 11 from playing rosters 2x their size.

No hell no. I don’t want participation trophies. I just wish it was a level playing field.

What you say is a good argument tho. If a school such as Minford got an outstanding coach that brought them up into a better level, you could have the same thing.
I have to give you that one.

I just want to see something change.
I think it can help these schools with 25 man rosters such as Valley.
Or Oak hill.
That’s all

[pmow3]

Let me ask you this.

What’s wrong with changing it up?
Why do certain schools fan bases go against this idea all the time?

I think it’s because they like being able to schedule 3-4 games where they basically have the week off for their kids.

While smaller roster schools have to play both ways all night to remain in a game. So if I’m Burg, West, Waverly, or Ironton or even Gallia for that matter, I don’t want anything to change.
I want 3-4 games that I can rest my guys and play younger guys.

[FIDO]

Let me ask you this.

What’s wrong with changing it up?
Why do certain schools fan bases go against this idea all the time?

I think it’s because they like being able to schedule 3-4 games where they basically have the week off for their kids.

While smaller roster schools have to play both ways all night to remain in a game. So if I’m Burg, West, Waverly, or Ironton or even Gallia for that matter, I don’t want anything to change.
I want 3-4 games that I can rest my guys and play younger guys.

They have the best of both worlds. Not only does their schedule soften before the playoffs, but they are able to rest the walking wounded. They have fresher legs for the playoff push. They wouldn't be able to do that if they had to play a competitive 10 game schedule like those schools you've mentioned do. It is past time for a major realignment in the area. Find 6 or 8 teams and create a new league. Good luck to those teams having to schedule up each week.

[pmow3]

Yes Fido. …..!!!

[VetteMan]

Let me ask you this.

What’s wrong with changing it up?
Why do certain schools fan bases go against this idea all the time?

I think it’s because they like being able to schedule 3-4 games where they basically have the week off for their kids.

While smaller roster schools have to play both ways all night to remain in a game. So if I’m Burg, West, Waverly, or Ironton or even Gallia for that matter, I don’t want anything to change.
I want 3-4 games that I can rest my guys and play younger guys.

They have the best of both worlds. Not only does their schedule soften before the playoffs, but they are able to rest the walking wounded. They have fresher legs for the playoff push. They wouldn't be able to do that if they had to play a competitive 10 game schedule like those schools you've mentioned do. It is past time for a major realignment in the area. Find 6 or 8 teams and create a new league. Good luck to those teams having to schedule up each week.

If I'm being honest, I'll have to agree with both of you. Have you ever thought of how it must be not only for the players of these smaller schools, but for their parents and supporters to have to see their players get manhandled each and every week? Something needs and should be done about this.

[KCol]

I'll put it this way -- there is a LOT of restructuring that should happen in all sports in Scioto County from top to bottom. Personally, I see a lot of issues where Scioto County and Lawrence County self-harm themselves in terms of growing sports within the county.

From the leagues and their structures, to how stats are recorded and posted, to how referees, radio personnel and sportswriters are paid -- it could all improve greatly. This would all help the kids in a much greater light in a way that facility upgrades can't -- because they can only do so much -- but the 12 communities won't get on the same page for whatever reason.

The answer, and the only answer, is for Scioto County county and its 12 high school sports communities and Lawrence County and its 9 high school sports communities to get on the same page in regards to a solution that fits everybody. Unfortunately, the ideals of one community could be totally different than the one that's across the county, the one that is 5 or 10 minutes away, or the one that's even right next to them, and none of the communities are willing to budge for solutions that help everybody as they are too concerned about what helps and hurts their specific community instead of sacrificing for the greater good.

When it's game time, whether it's one game a week such as football or two to three a week in the additional sports, there isn't a county in this country that puts more heart, more passion into the game than Scioto County schools on game day. I truly believe that.

Example: I saw Post 23 take on one of the best travel ball teams in North America -- the Canadian Baseball Club -- and play them to a one-run game just four years ago. Eight of the nine starters were from Scioto County and the other was from Greenup County whose parents were born and raised in Scioto, they were going up against a pitcher that was committed to Mississippi State and ended up as a high round draft pick and is playing in the minors right now, and they played right with CBC for seven innings and gave them all they wanted. Like I said, I'll put the heart of those kids up against anybody's.

However, it's the needed things that need to get done in between those game days from a clerical standpoint that is the issue. These things would greatly help everybody and can be a win-win for everybody, but it's a miracle if more than two or three communities in the county are on the same page regarding any one issue.

[ohbuckeye2]

I just read in the Herald Dispatch that a vote was held to merge with the SOC, the vote was 4-4 therefore no merger will be happening.

Schools for - Ironton, Rock Hill, Chesapeake, Coal Grove

Schools against - Gallia Academy, Portsmouth, Fairland, South Point

[Sonny Weaver]

I just read in the Herald Dispatch that a vote was held to merge with the SOC, the vote was 4-4 therefore no merger will be happening.

Schools for - Ironton, Rock Hill, Chesapeake, Coal Grove

Schools against - Gallia Academy, Portsmouth, Fairland, South Point

https://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/ ... 0f945.html

[RollCoal]

I’m not surprised. It would’ve made sense for all of those involved. Except for Gallia. That would have made travel worse for them.

[RBH23]

Let me ask you this.

What’s wrong with changing it up?
Why do certain schools fan bases go against this idea all the time?

I think it’s because they like being able to schedule 3-4 games where they basically have the week off for their kids.

While smaller roster schools have to play both ways all night to remain in a game. So if I’m Burg, West, Waverly, or Ironton or even Gallia for that matter, I don’t want anything to change.
I want 3-4 games that I can rest my guys and play younger guys.

Why?

First, there are other sports than just football! Minford-Burg, have had some great games against each other in baseball, soccer, basketball, etc. Would be sad to see those rivalries go.

Second, taking Minford, this year was the first time in a number of years Burg has truly dominated. Last year, Burg had to make a 4th quarter comeback to beat them. Despite the lopsided w/l record, many games have been very close.

Third, it’s not a talent gap between Minford and Burg. It’s not a number of boys gap. It’s simply a participation gap. Even a slight bump in this number for Minford and Burg would have lost a few of these recent games.

What the OVC is experiencing with Ironton is completely different than what the D5 schools in the SOC experience with Burg. The SOC 2 simply needs to go back to being all D5 schools and Waverly. Valley and OH should be moved to SOC 1 for football.

[RBH23]

I just read in the Herald Dispatch that a vote was held to merge with the SOC, the vote was 4-4 therefore no merger will be happening.

Schools for - Ironton, Rock Hill, Chesapeake, Coal Grove

Schools against - Gallia Academy, Portsmouth, Fairland, South Point

https://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/ ... 0f945.html

But was the SOC onboard for this? The article doesn’t clarify that.

[TigerBob]

The idea that Wheelersburg doesn’t routinely have more talent than Minford is comical. Come on.

[Paulcrew]

why not just be honest and say this “recruiting” crap only refers to football. All OVC schools have had starters in other sports that have come through open enrollment. Funny that coal grove seems to be driving this train and they have actually had more starters in sports that have come from ironton than their kids going to ironton. it’s all a load of crap. mostly coming from coaches that don’t want to work as hard as other coaches