Not off the Press: Future is bright for SCOL and some March Madness predictions
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
Change in anything in life brings on a vast array of emotions, and this past week's decision by the Board of Directors of the South Central Ohio League was no different.
The change within the league, as Chillicothe and Wilmington High Schools return to the league (hopefully both by the 2013-14 school year), once their commitments to other leagues are fulfilled, while London and Madison-Plains wrap up their tenure with the SCOL.
The Cavaliers of Chillicothe and the Hurricane of Wilmington will be great for the SCOL, and not to downgrade the two departing schools, but having Wilmington back in the SCOL is nothing but great for the overall health of the league.
Also, before I get started, I just want to say job well done by the board of the SCOL for getting this done. If anyone has read my opinions on what the league should do the past few months, they know I care about the overall stability of the league, and I didn't hide my opinions to anyone that asked, whether it be in print or on the radio airwaves.
Again, thanks to the folks in charge of the SCOL for finally bringing Wilmington back into the league where it belongs.
Now back to some thoughts I have on the league as it finishes this year, into next year as a eight-team league with East Clinton arriving, and into even further into the future when the two new "old school" teams arrive.
Some fans of the league or schools in the league are also full of different emotions, ranging from being completely happy over the decision by the SCOL board to being unhappy with the addition of one school or the other for fear of total domination by said schools entering the league, especially in the sports of football and basketball.
My thoughts are I don't see domination in football by either school, and as the league has it now … in the sport of football, the league belongs to Clinton-Massie until someone in the league can stop them, and nobody in league play has stopped them since 2007, and even then the league was a three-way tie for the champonship, including the Falcons, who haven't lost a game in the SCOL since then. Bringing in Wilmington and Chillicothe, along with other schools more than likely seeing brighter days in future seasons, the football outlook could be much stronger for the entire league in future seasons.
As for the other sport people are talking about … boys basketball. Though the schools lately have been productive at the sport, look at some of the talent in the SCOL coming back next season before making assumptions. I still don't see either the Cavs or Hurricane taking over the league one way or the other, when they eventually join the league.
I also made this argument to some as well … So what if Wilmington and Chillicothe are schools that are above average in their athletics … they will bring competition to the league, and that can do nothing but help all the schools in the league when it comes time for the respective postseasons. The SCOL didn't fare so well in boys basketball in their most recent postseason, but in girls basketball, there were at least three teams from the league who reached the district tournament. As for wrestling, the league had over 15 wrestlers make the state tournament.
Competition is good.
My feelings are the league got much better all-around, and when it all finally comes together, the results will show in better games, better crowds, better rivalries and just a better league overall.
It will be exciting.
• More change in the SCOL
Did everyone hear about the Miami Trace Panthers gaining a new head coach in Steve Bartlett? I was told he earned 116 wins at Dayton Carroll. I haven't had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Bartlett, but he's entering what I see as a good situation at Miami Trace where football is not only king, but they are on schedule to have a good returning core group of players for next season. A lot of their players gained that "valuable varsity experience" last season and now know the ropes of football at a high level.
Also, I want to thank former coach Mike Bernard for all his help the past few seasons with post-game interviews, allowing me access to his players for fall football previews and just being a great person to talk football with.
• March Madness Predictions
Here are my March Madness predictions (use at your own risk) …
SOUTH
- 1. Kentucky vs. 16. TBA — The opponent for this game doesn't matter … UK wins big.
- 8. Iowa State vs. 9. Connecticut — I watched UConn in the Big East tournament, liked how they played Syracuse … UConn wins.
- 5. Wichita State vs. 12. VCU — No VCU magic this year … Wichita State wins.
- 4. Indiana vs. 13. New Mexico State — Playing a Big Ten schedule, plus a win agains Kentucky this season is good enough for me … Indiana wins.
- 6. UNLV vs. 11. Colorado — I watched a lot of the Pac-12 tournament, so with that I'm going with the Buffalo … Colorado wins.
- 3. Baylor vs. 14. South Dakota State — The alma mater of RGIII take this one easily … Baylor wins.
- 7. Notre Dame vs. 10. Xavier — Watching XU isn't as fun to watch without Dánte Jackson on the team, but I see the lower-seeded team winning this one … XU wins.
- 2. Duke vs. 15. Lehigh — No need to go into any details … Duke wins.
EAST
- 1. Syracuse vs. 16. NC Asheville — This is too easy … Syracuse wins.
- 8. Kansas State vs. 9. Southern Miss — Don't know too much about either team. Mascot test Wildcats or Golden Eagles … Kansas State wins.
- 5. Vanderbilt vs. Harvard — Everyone on the court will be twice as smart as me … upset special … Harvard wins.
- 4. Wisconsin vs. 13. Montana — No even Joe Montana could help the Grizzles in this game … Wisconsin wins.
- 6. Cincinnati vs. 11. Texas — This is a tough one, but opposite in my football beliefs, I'm going with the Big East here … UC wins.
- 3. Florida State vs. 14. St. Bonaventure — Seminoles against the Bonnies. Going with the ACC here … FSU wins.
- 7. Gonzaga vs. 10. West Virginia — Take me home country roads … West Virginia wins.
- 2. Ohio State vs. Loyola (Md.) — Again, this is too easy … OSU wins.
MIDWEST
- 1. North Carolina vs. TBA — Look at above response. No No. 1 team has ever lost to a No. 16 seed … UNC wins.
- 8. Creighton vs. 9. Alabama — I'm not a big fan of teams with a bird mascot in the NCAAs, so with that I say "Roll Tide, Roll." Alabama wins.
- 5. Temple vs. 12. TBA — I'm in the mood for an upset, and going with the mystery team, just 'cause.
- 4. Michigan vs. 13. Ohio — This UM team isn't the Fab Five of 20 years ago, and OU has some local ties with Dánte Jackson being a graduate assistant. Upset special … OU wins.
- 6. San Diego State vs. 11. NC State — Not a big fan of NC State in this one, and "Anchorman" was based in San Diego, which is good enough for me. San Diego State wins.
- 3. Georgetown vs. 14. Belmont — Since the NCAAs are usually full of upsets, I'm going with one here … Belmont wins.
- 7. St. Mary's vs. 10. Purdue — Big Ten and Robbie Hummel will be on grand display here, possibly toasting with a Boilermaker … Purdue wins.
- 2. Kansas vs. 15. Detroit — Going against my previous bird mascot thoughts, and "Bird is the Word," in this one … Kansas wins.
WEST
1. Michigan State vs. 16. Long Island — The Big Ten tournament champions all the way … MSU wins.
8. Memphis vs. 9. St. Louis — This one will come down to the best BBQ sauce, so I'm going all Food Network on this game. Both are similar, but I like mine with some molasses to sweeten things up … Memphis wins.
5. New Mexico vs. 12. Long Beach State — There will be no upset special here … New Mexico wins.
4. Louisville vs. 13. Davidson — Interesting matchup, but I don't see any upset here … Louisville wins.
6. Murray State vs. 11. Colorado State — Again, I don't know much about either of these teams. Go with the closest team here … Murray State wins.
3. Marquette vs. No. 14 TBA — Again, won't matter who they play, Marquette will be in tournament for a while … Marquette wins.
7. Florida vs. 10. Virginia — Too much talent in Gainesville in this one … Florida wins.
2. Missouri vs. 15. Norfolk State — The higher seed team wins this one easily … Missouri wins.
• Updating the OHSAA Basketball Tournaments
The Division II boys tournament has reached the Sweet 16, and in the Athens bracket, the game regional semifinal games are Chillicothe (16-7) vs. St. Clairsville (21-2) and Waverly (18-5) vs. New Philadelphia (17-6). These two game will be on Thursday, March 15 at the Convocation Center.
Just think about this … McClain held the eventual district champion Waverly Tiger team to a 5-5 tie in the first quarter of their sectional final game, plus the score at halftime was 20-15 in favor of Waverly at the half. That has to be good for MHS this offseason as they know they are able to play with the "big boys," so to speak.
In Division IV … the Manchester Greyhounds are still alive, representing the Southern Hills League. Seems like since losing to the Fairfield Lions late in the regular season, the Greyhounds have turned their game up.
Manchester will play on March 13 at Waverly High School, facing Beaver Eastern.
For those interested, the Division II girls basketball Final Four is Millersburg West Holmes vs. Lima Bath and Shaker Heights vs. Bellbrook with those games taking place on March 16 at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus.
The Division III Final Four is Smithville vs. Cols. Africentric and Findlay Liberty-Benton vs. Anna.
The Division IV Final Four is Arlington vs. Mansfield St. Peters and Berlin Hiland vs. New Madison Tri-Village.
• Quote of the Week
"Gaining Chillicothe and Wilmington to the SCOL is great for the league. For the welfare of the league, they are going to be great for the SCOL. I also want to wish Madison-Plains and London the best in the future. Without those two schools, we wouldn't have been able to re-form the SCOL." — Jim "Chief" Winner, SCOL Commissioner.
• (A second) Quote of the Week
"Going into my senior year of high school, I had every intention of wrestling in college, but then I just started breaking and almost gave up the sport. Then I came to Wabash, and the fire was kind of re-lit under me again. I'm so glad it did. I've enjoyed every minute of competing here at Wabash. Everything I've been involved with, including the chance to compete on the national stage and earn two All-American titles, has meant the world to me." — Greg Rhoads, HHS graduate and Wabash senior wrestler after gaining All-American status for the second straight year. (Quote courtesy of www.wabash.edu).
• Stat of the Week
Greg Rhoads finishes with 148 victories at the collegiate level, second-place all-time at Wabash.
• (A second) Stat of the Week
Wilmington and Chillicothe, both charter members of the SCOL, were admitted membership into the storied league, with a Wilmington vote of 6-0 and a Chillicothe vote of 6-0.
• One last item of business
I pretty much won't be much use to anyone when Thursday arrives … with every NCAA game on TV again this year, I'm pumped about the next few months of sports with March Madness, NASCAR, The Masters, the conclusion of the high school basketball tournaments, Opening Day and the NFL Draft. It is a great time to be a sports fan.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow Stephen on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.[[In-content Ad]]
The change within the league, as Chillicothe and Wilmington High Schools return to the league (hopefully both by the 2013-14 school year), once their commitments to other leagues are fulfilled, while London and Madison-Plains wrap up their tenure with the SCOL.
The Cavaliers of Chillicothe and the Hurricane of Wilmington will be great for the SCOL, and not to downgrade the two departing schools, but having Wilmington back in the SCOL is nothing but great for the overall health of the league.
Also, before I get started, I just want to say job well done by the board of the SCOL for getting this done. If anyone has read my opinions on what the league should do the past few months, they know I care about the overall stability of the league, and I didn't hide my opinions to anyone that asked, whether it be in print or on the radio airwaves.
Again, thanks to the folks in charge of the SCOL for finally bringing Wilmington back into the league where it belongs.
Now back to some thoughts I have on the league as it finishes this year, into next year as a eight-team league with East Clinton arriving, and into even further into the future when the two new "old school" teams arrive.
Some fans of the league or schools in the league are also full of different emotions, ranging from being completely happy over the decision by the SCOL board to being unhappy with the addition of one school or the other for fear of total domination by said schools entering the league, especially in the sports of football and basketball.
My thoughts are I don't see domination in football by either school, and as the league has it now … in the sport of football, the league belongs to Clinton-Massie until someone in the league can stop them, and nobody in league play has stopped them since 2007, and even then the league was a three-way tie for the champonship, including the Falcons, who haven't lost a game in the SCOL since then. Bringing in Wilmington and Chillicothe, along with other schools more than likely seeing brighter days in future seasons, the football outlook could be much stronger for the entire league in future seasons.
As for the other sport people are talking about … boys basketball. Though the schools lately have been productive at the sport, look at some of the talent in the SCOL coming back next season before making assumptions. I still don't see either the Cavs or Hurricane taking over the league one way or the other, when they eventually join the league.
I also made this argument to some as well … So what if Wilmington and Chillicothe are schools that are above average in their athletics … they will bring competition to the league, and that can do nothing but help all the schools in the league when it comes time for the respective postseasons. The SCOL didn't fare so well in boys basketball in their most recent postseason, but in girls basketball, there were at least three teams from the league who reached the district tournament. As for wrestling, the league had over 15 wrestlers make the state tournament.
Competition is good.
My feelings are the league got much better all-around, and when it all finally comes together, the results will show in better games, better crowds, better rivalries and just a better league overall.
It will be exciting.
• More change in the SCOL
Did everyone hear about the Miami Trace Panthers gaining a new head coach in Steve Bartlett? I was told he earned 116 wins at Dayton Carroll. I haven't had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Bartlett, but he's entering what I see as a good situation at Miami Trace where football is not only king, but they are on schedule to have a good returning core group of players for next season. A lot of their players gained that "valuable varsity experience" last season and now know the ropes of football at a high level.
Also, I want to thank former coach Mike Bernard for all his help the past few seasons with post-game interviews, allowing me access to his players for fall football previews and just being a great person to talk football with.
• March Madness Predictions
Here are my March Madness predictions (use at your own risk) …
SOUTH
- 1. Kentucky vs. 16. TBA — The opponent for this game doesn't matter … UK wins big.
- 8. Iowa State vs. 9. Connecticut — I watched UConn in the Big East tournament, liked how they played Syracuse … UConn wins.
- 5. Wichita State vs. 12. VCU — No VCU magic this year … Wichita State wins.
- 4. Indiana vs. 13. New Mexico State — Playing a Big Ten schedule, plus a win agains Kentucky this season is good enough for me … Indiana wins.
- 6. UNLV vs. 11. Colorado — I watched a lot of the Pac-12 tournament, so with that I'm going with the Buffalo … Colorado wins.
- 3. Baylor vs. 14. South Dakota State — The alma mater of RGIII take this one easily … Baylor wins.
- 7. Notre Dame vs. 10. Xavier — Watching XU isn't as fun to watch without Dánte Jackson on the team, but I see the lower-seeded team winning this one … XU wins.
- 2. Duke vs. 15. Lehigh — No need to go into any details … Duke wins.
EAST
- 1. Syracuse vs. 16. NC Asheville — This is too easy … Syracuse wins.
- 8. Kansas State vs. 9. Southern Miss — Don't know too much about either team. Mascot test Wildcats or Golden Eagles … Kansas State wins.
- 5. Vanderbilt vs. Harvard — Everyone on the court will be twice as smart as me … upset special … Harvard wins.
- 4. Wisconsin vs. 13. Montana — No even Joe Montana could help the Grizzles in this game … Wisconsin wins.
- 6. Cincinnati vs. 11. Texas — This is a tough one, but opposite in my football beliefs, I'm going with the Big East here … UC wins.
- 3. Florida State vs. 14. St. Bonaventure — Seminoles against the Bonnies. Going with the ACC here … FSU wins.
- 7. Gonzaga vs. 10. West Virginia — Take me home country roads … West Virginia wins.
- 2. Ohio State vs. Loyola (Md.) — Again, this is too easy … OSU wins.
MIDWEST
- 1. North Carolina vs. TBA — Look at above response. No No. 1 team has ever lost to a No. 16 seed … UNC wins.
- 8. Creighton vs. 9. Alabama — I'm not a big fan of teams with a bird mascot in the NCAAs, so with that I say "Roll Tide, Roll." Alabama wins.
- 5. Temple vs. 12. TBA — I'm in the mood for an upset, and going with the mystery team, just 'cause.
- 4. Michigan vs. 13. Ohio — This UM team isn't the Fab Five of 20 years ago, and OU has some local ties with Dánte Jackson being a graduate assistant. Upset special … OU wins.
- 6. San Diego State vs. 11. NC State — Not a big fan of NC State in this one, and "Anchorman" was based in San Diego, which is good enough for me. San Diego State wins.
- 3. Georgetown vs. 14. Belmont — Since the NCAAs are usually full of upsets, I'm going with one here … Belmont wins.
- 7. St. Mary's vs. 10. Purdue — Big Ten and Robbie Hummel will be on grand display here, possibly toasting with a Boilermaker … Purdue wins.
- 2. Kansas vs. 15. Detroit — Going against my previous bird mascot thoughts, and "Bird is the Word," in this one … Kansas wins.
WEST
1. Michigan State vs. 16. Long Island — The Big Ten tournament champions all the way … MSU wins.
8. Memphis vs. 9. St. Louis — This one will come down to the best BBQ sauce, so I'm going all Food Network on this game. Both are similar, but I like mine with some molasses to sweeten things up … Memphis wins.
5. New Mexico vs. 12. Long Beach State — There will be no upset special here … New Mexico wins.
4. Louisville vs. 13. Davidson — Interesting matchup, but I don't see any upset here … Louisville wins.
6. Murray State vs. 11. Colorado State — Again, I don't know much about either of these teams. Go with the closest team here … Murray State wins.
3. Marquette vs. No. 14 TBA — Again, won't matter who they play, Marquette will be in tournament for a while … Marquette wins.
7. Florida vs. 10. Virginia — Too much talent in Gainesville in this one … Florida wins.
2. Missouri vs. 15. Norfolk State — The higher seed team wins this one easily … Missouri wins.
• Updating the OHSAA Basketball Tournaments
The Division II boys tournament has reached the Sweet 16, and in the Athens bracket, the game regional semifinal games are Chillicothe (16-7) vs. St. Clairsville (21-2) and Waverly (18-5) vs. New Philadelphia (17-6). These two game will be on Thursday, March 15 at the Convocation Center.
Just think about this … McClain held the eventual district champion Waverly Tiger team to a 5-5 tie in the first quarter of their sectional final game, plus the score at halftime was 20-15 in favor of Waverly at the half. That has to be good for MHS this offseason as they know they are able to play with the "big boys," so to speak.
In Division IV … the Manchester Greyhounds are still alive, representing the Southern Hills League. Seems like since losing to the Fairfield Lions late in the regular season, the Greyhounds have turned their game up.
Manchester will play on March 13 at Waverly High School, facing Beaver Eastern.
For those interested, the Division II girls basketball Final Four is Millersburg West Holmes vs. Lima Bath and Shaker Heights vs. Bellbrook with those games taking place on March 16 at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus.
The Division III Final Four is Smithville vs. Cols. Africentric and Findlay Liberty-Benton vs. Anna.
The Division IV Final Four is Arlington vs. Mansfield St. Peters and Berlin Hiland vs. New Madison Tri-Village.
• Quote of the Week
"Gaining Chillicothe and Wilmington to the SCOL is great for the league. For the welfare of the league, they are going to be great for the SCOL. I also want to wish Madison-Plains and London the best in the future. Without those two schools, we wouldn't have been able to re-form the SCOL." — Jim "Chief" Winner, SCOL Commissioner.
• (A second) Quote of the Week
"Going into my senior year of high school, I had every intention of wrestling in college, but then I just started breaking and almost gave up the sport. Then I came to Wabash, and the fire was kind of re-lit under me again. I'm so glad it did. I've enjoyed every minute of competing here at Wabash. Everything I've been involved with, including the chance to compete on the national stage and earn two All-American titles, has meant the world to me." — Greg Rhoads, HHS graduate and Wabash senior wrestler after gaining All-American status for the second straight year. (Quote courtesy of www.wabash.edu).
• Stat of the Week
Greg Rhoads finishes with 148 victories at the collegiate level, second-place all-time at Wabash.
• (A second) Stat of the Week
Wilmington and Chillicothe, both charter members of the SCOL, were admitted membership into the storied league, with a Wilmington vote of 6-0 and a Chillicothe vote of 6-0.
• One last item of business
I pretty much won't be much use to anyone when Thursday arrives … with every NCAA game on TV again this year, I'm pumped about the next few months of sports with March Madness, NASCAR, The Masters, the conclusion of the high school basketball tournaments, Opening Day and the NFL Draft. It is a great time to be a sports fan.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow Stephen on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.[[In-content Ad]]