Trojans rejected for League

Old Trojans may find this to be incredible, but it is true.

SOC rejects expansion proposal
by John Stegeman, PDT Sports Editor7 days ago | 523 views | 0 | 2 | | For the fourth time overall and the first time in seven years the Southern Ohio Conference has refused to accept Portsmouth High School into the league.

The SOC chose by silent vote to deny membership to Portsmouth and South Gallia High Schools at a meeting on Thursday at Northwest High School.

Portsmouth which has spent time in several athletic leagues, has never been a part of the league that includes the other 11 high schools in Scioto County, as well as five others.

Portsmouth sought to join the SOC partially in response to costs incurred by traveling to their rivals in the Southeastern Ohio Athletic League which includes schools as far away as Marietta and Warren. Portsmouth is also one of the smaller schools in that conference.

"We're in the SEOAL and we're going to stay there," Portsmouth Athletic Director Joe Albrecht said. "Its a good solid league but we're a very small school in the SEOAL.

"We’re disappointed there's no question," Albrecht added. "We're disappointed for our kids. For us it was an ideal situation, but each school had their own vote."

South Gallia competes as an independent.

SOC Secretary Dave Frantz said the league's decision was based on how expansion would effect the league's members.

"It wasn't really a vote against Portsmouth or against South Gallia," Frantz said. "It was a vote against expansion of the league.

"A committee was formed from various schools within the league which consisted of superintendents, principals and athletic directors, some of which were on the Southeastern Ohio Athletic Board," Frantz added. "We tried to get all schools in the conference, schools with or without football and in the big and small divisions (on the committee)."

Any change in the league would effect all the members. Among the concerns Frantz cited were division alignment, non-conference schedules and the strong state of the SOC as it is.

"With any addition to the league there is a rippledown effect that gives all schools different concerns," Frantz said. "If one school comes in it changes the whole league... As of right now we feel like the league is in a good state. It's a highly competitive league."

Portsmouth and South Gallia needed a 75 percent of the vote to get in meaning that if all 16 SOC schools voted, 12 would have had to vote for acceptance. Because it was a silent vote, Frantz said individual school's votes could not be released. According to the SOC constitution, a request from one school is enough to enact a silent vote and Frantz confirmed that one school did request that.

"Personally, I feel for Portsmouth because I understand the predicament they are in with the travel and how far they have to go," Frantz said. "It wasn't what was best for the league as a whole."

Despite not being admitted to the league in other attempts, Albrecht thought this might have been the year.

"We were very optmistic as this process began...," he said. "We're just like anybody else that's graduating 110 people...That's why I really though we were going to be a good fit.

"I expressed to Dave that we appreciate everything they've done for us," Albrecht added. "In the future if the invitation is there we would accept. When they're ready we'll be waiting for them."

JOHN STEGEMAN can be reached at jstegeman02@hotmail.com