Several SCOL coaching changes for 1982-83
By
Bob Patton-
As the 1982-83 SCOL basketball season got under way, there were so many coaching changes in league schools that no SCOL head coach this season would have more than two years coaching experience in his present school.
Rick Van Matre at McClain, Arnie Sutter at Wilmington, Roger Campbell at Teays Valley, Tom Hamman at Circleville and Kelly Crites at Madison-Plains would all be heading into their second year at the helm.
Sam Snyder, at Hillsboro, had stepped down to go into school administration. He was replaced by assistant coach Gary West. Bob Jacoby at WCH had resigned after only one year. He was replaced by Dick Heath. At Miami Trace, Gary Kellough had departed and had been replaced by Larry Allen.
Allen would be trying to rebuild a program that ended last season with a 1-19 record. Heath would be trying to build upon last year’s 7-11 mark. At McClain, Van Matre lost only three seniors off last year’s league champions, but all three were valuable to the team. Starters Danny Shelton and Dusty Miller and sixth man John Watts had all departed, and it might not be easy to find capable replacements.
West, at Hillsboro, lost all five starters and the sixth and seventh men. But he did have Tom Kiefer and Matt Sharkey back, plus several players up from last year’s 15-5 reserve team.
Hillsboro’s varsity had finished second to McClain, in 1981-82, but knocked off the Tigers in the tournament.
Arnie Sutter would have talented sophomore Greg Nared back but had lost the league’s top scorer, Steve Cluxton, along with several other key players from last year’s team. He would, however, have considerable talent moving up from the reserve team which posted an 11-3 record.
Tom Hamman’s Circleville Tigers were being picked as the team to beat for the league title this season. They had three men returning who played a lot last season, and all three were over 6’3.”
In addition, the Tigers won the league reserve championship last year and had an overall record of 16-4. Towering center Darin Speakman and point guard Keith Hamp would be moving up. Circleville would be easily the tallest SCOL team this season.
Madison-Plains turned in a 3-11 SCOL record a year ago, and their reserve team was just 1-13. Coach Crites had a couple of excellent players coming back, Seth Lucas and Todd Brayfield, but he would have to replace the rest of the team, and the 1-13 reserve team did not offer too much hope.
Teays Valley was in the same boat. They returned two very good players in Doug Hoover and Mike Miller but lost just about everyone else and had a very weak reserve team to draw talent from.
So, the league race this season promised to be wide open and exciting.
Coach Allen of Miami Trace was determined to abandon the disciplined pattern offense that MT had become known for, and push the ball up and down the floor. The Panthers opened the 1982-83 season against Portsmouth in the Miami Trace gym. Getting into a run-and-shoot game with Portsmouth was probably a mistake. The Trojans annihilated the home team, 81-40. Perhaps the patterned offense wasn’t so bad after all.
Hillsboro lost to Whiteoak, McClain downed Scioto Northwest, 47-40, London beat Madison-Plains, 65-60, and Logan Elm beat Teays Valley, 61-55, in overtime.
On Nov. 30, 1982, SCOL play began. Washington traveled to Circleville, where they were hammered, 79-39, much to the disgust of Coach Heath. Miami Trace took on the McClain Tigers in Greenfield. Their new run-and-gun offense resulted in 27 turnovers, but McClain shot poorly from the field and won, 60-47. Hillsboro edged Teays Valley, 64-61, and Wilmington had a narrow escape at Madison-Plains, winning by a 63-59 margin.
The following week, Dec. 3, saw the Hillsboro Indians travel to Miami Trace, where they had a battle royal, slipping out with a 57-54 win. McClain was less fortunate. Their bus ride to Wilmington resulted in a 52-45 win for the Hurricane. Rob Munyan led the Tigers with 18 markers, but none of the other Tigers scored much, and McDonald and Nared totaled 16 each for the home team. At Madison-Plains, the Eagles narrowly edged WCH, 59-53, and Circleville took a 70-59 victory over the Vikings at Teays Valley.
After only two league games, Hillsboro, Circleville and Wilmington were all 2-0, McClain and Madison-Plains were 1-1, while Miami Trace, Teays Valley and Washington were all 0-2.
On Dec. 7, Hillsboro met the Wilmington Hurricane at Hillsboro. Wilmington downed the Indians, 60-48, snapping a home winning streak of over two years for the Indians. McClain entertained Madison-Plains and took a decisive, 64-50 win over the Golden Eagles. Washington got their first win of the season by stopping Teays Valley, 85-74, in the Washington Senior High School gym, and Circleville walloped Miami Trace, 76-55.
Three days later, McClain took a 54-38 win over Washington on the Greenfield court. Wilmington, or, rather, Greg Nared drubbed Miami Trace, 62-38. The 6’3” Hurricane guard scored 18 points, blocked three shots, had eight assists, six rebounds and two steals. Not a bad night’s work.
Meanwhile, Circleville trampled Hillsboro, 79-49, and Teays Valley took a real barnburner from Madison-Plains, 67-66.
December 17 saw the McClain Tigers meet Hillsboro in the county seat. This game was all McClain, as the Tigers took a rather effortless 68-50 decision over the Indians who couldn’t seem to develop any scoring punch. Elsewhere, WCH and Miami Trace had a real barnburner in the Washington gym. The Blue Lions racked up 12 unanswered points down the stretch and turned a very close game into a 67-59 Washington victory.
At Madison-Plains, the inspired Eagles sprung a major upset by putting four men in double figures and taking a tight 68-66 win over Circleville.
The Eagles hit an unbelievable 24 of 25 from the free-throw line, for 96 percent. Wilmington entertained Teays Valley and captured a 71-62 win over the Vikings.
Circleville’s loss left the Wilmington Hurricane all alone in the league lead, with a 5-0 record. Circleville and McClain were tied for second place with identical 4-1 marks.
Over the Christmas break, Washington participated in an invitational tournament at Carlisle. The Blue Lions lost to mediocre Carlisle in the opening round, then lost by 20 to Lakota in the consolation game, leaving their overall record at two wins and six losses.
Miami Trace defeated Jackson, 55-54, Dec. 30, ending their losing streak. This was their only win in 1982, and left them at 1-6 for the current season.
Going into 1983, the SCOL standings were:
Wilmington — 5-0, 6-1
McClain — 4-1, 8-1
Circleville — 4-1, 6-1
Hillsboro — 2-3, 2-5
Mad. Plains — 2-3, 3-5
Washington — 2-3, 2-6
Teays Valley — 1-4, 1-6
Miami Trace — 0-5, 1-6
On Jan. 4, 1983, Miami Trace traveled to Chillicothe, where they were thumped by the Cavaliers 56-40. Wilmington won its seventh game in a row the same night, in Cincinnati, when they downed Aiken, 61-56. Teays Valley got a 67-64 victory over Logan Elm and Macon Eastern walloped Hillsboro 71-53.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
Rick Van Matre at McClain, Arnie Sutter at Wilmington, Roger Campbell at Teays Valley, Tom Hamman at Circleville and Kelly Crites at Madison-Plains would all be heading into their second year at the helm.
Sam Snyder, at Hillsboro, had stepped down to go into school administration. He was replaced by assistant coach Gary West. Bob Jacoby at WCH had resigned after only one year. He was replaced by Dick Heath. At Miami Trace, Gary Kellough had departed and had been replaced by Larry Allen.
Allen would be trying to rebuild a program that ended last season with a 1-19 record. Heath would be trying to build upon last year’s 7-11 mark. At McClain, Van Matre lost only three seniors off last year’s league champions, but all three were valuable to the team. Starters Danny Shelton and Dusty Miller and sixth man John Watts had all departed, and it might not be easy to find capable replacements.
West, at Hillsboro, lost all five starters and the sixth and seventh men. But he did have Tom Kiefer and Matt Sharkey back, plus several players up from last year’s 15-5 reserve team.
Hillsboro’s varsity had finished second to McClain, in 1981-82, but knocked off the Tigers in the tournament.
Arnie Sutter would have talented sophomore Greg Nared back but had lost the league’s top scorer, Steve Cluxton, along with several other key players from last year’s team. He would, however, have considerable talent moving up from the reserve team which posted an 11-3 record.
Tom Hamman’s Circleville Tigers were being picked as the team to beat for the league title this season. They had three men returning who played a lot last season, and all three were over 6’3.”
In addition, the Tigers won the league reserve championship last year and had an overall record of 16-4. Towering center Darin Speakman and point guard Keith Hamp would be moving up. Circleville would be easily the tallest SCOL team this season.
Madison-Plains turned in a 3-11 SCOL record a year ago, and their reserve team was just 1-13. Coach Crites had a couple of excellent players coming back, Seth Lucas and Todd Brayfield, but he would have to replace the rest of the team, and the 1-13 reserve team did not offer too much hope.
Teays Valley was in the same boat. They returned two very good players in Doug Hoover and Mike Miller but lost just about everyone else and had a very weak reserve team to draw talent from.
So, the league race this season promised to be wide open and exciting.
Coach Allen of Miami Trace was determined to abandon the disciplined pattern offense that MT had become known for, and push the ball up and down the floor. The Panthers opened the 1982-83 season against Portsmouth in the Miami Trace gym. Getting into a run-and-shoot game with Portsmouth was probably a mistake. The Trojans annihilated the home team, 81-40. Perhaps the patterned offense wasn’t so bad after all.
Hillsboro lost to Whiteoak, McClain downed Scioto Northwest, 47-40, London beat Madison-Plains, 65-60, and Logan Elm beat Teays Valley, 61-55, in overtime.
On Nov. 30, 1982, SCOL play began. Washington traveled to Circleville, where they were hammered, 79-39, much to the disgust of Coach Heath. Miami Trace took on the McClain Tigers in Greenfield. Their new run-and-gun offense resulted in 27 turnovers, but McClain shot poorly from the field and won, 60-47. Hillsboro edged Teays Valley, 64-61, and Wilmington had a narrow escape at Madison-Plains, winning by a 63-59 margin.
The following week, Dec. 3, saw the Hillsboro Indians travel to Miami Trace, where they had a battle royal, slipping out with a 57-54 win. McClain was less fortunate. Their bus ride to Wilmington resulted in a 52-45 win for the Hurricane. Rob Munyan led the Tigers with 18 markers, but none of the other Tigers scored much, and McDonald and Nared totaled 16 each for the home team. At Madison-Plains, the Eagles narrowly edged WCH, 59-53, and Circleville took a 70-59 victory over the Vikings at Teays Valley.
After only two league games, Hillsboro, Circleville and Wilmington were all 2-0, McClain and Madison-Plains were 1-1, while Miami Trace, Teays Valley and Washington were all 0-2.
On Dec. 7, Hillsboro met the Wilmington Hurricane at Hillsboro. Wilmington downed the Indians, 60-48, snapping a home winning streak of over two years for the Indians. McClain entertained Madison-Plains and took a decisive, 64-50 win over the Golden Eagles. Washington got their first win of the season by stopping Teays Valley, 85-74, in the Washington Senior High School gym, and Circleville walloped Miami Trace, 76-55.
Three days later, McClain took a 54-38 win over Washington on the Greenfield court. Wilmington, or, rather, Greg Nared drubbed Miami Trace, 62-38. The 6’3” Hurricane guard scored 18 points, blocked three shots, had eight assists, six rebounds and two steals. Not a bad night’s work.
Meanwhile, Circleville trampled Hillsboro, 79-49, and Teays Valley took a real barnburner from Madison-Plains, 67-66.
December 17 saw the McClain Tigers meet Hillsboro in the county seat. This game was all McClain, as the Tigers took a rather effortless 68-50 decision over the Indians who couldn’t seem to develop any scoring punch. Elsewhere, WCH and Miami Trace had a real barnburner in the Washington gym. The Blue Lions racked up 12 unanswered points down the stretch and turned a very close game into a 67-59 Washington victory.
At Madison-Plains, the inspired Eagles sprung a major upset by putting four men in double figures and taking a tight 68-66 win over Circleville.
The Eagles hit an unbelievable 24 of 25 from the free-throw line, for 96 percent. Wilmington entertained Teays Valley and captured a 71-62 win over the Vikings.
Circleville’s loss left the Wilmington Hurricane all alone in the league lead, with a 5-0 record. Circleville and McClain were tied for second place with identical 4-1 marks.
Over the Christmas break, Washington participated in an invitational tournament at Carlisle. The Blue Lions lost to mediocre Carlisle in the opening round, then lost by 20 to Lakota in the consolation game, leaving their overall record at two wins and six losses.
Miami Trace defeated Jackson, 55-54, Dec. 30, ending their losing streak. This was their only win in 1982, and left them at 1-6 for the current season.
Going into 1983, the SCOL standings were:
Wilmington — 5-0, 6-1
McClain — 4-1, 8-1
Circleville — 4-1, 6-1
Hillsboro — 2-3, 2-5
Mad. Plains — 2-3, 3-5
Washington — 2-3, 2-6
Teays Valley — 1-4, 1-6
Miami Trace — 0-5, 1-6
On Jan. 4, 1983, Miami Trace traveled to Chillicothe, where they were thumped by the Cavaliers 56-40. Wilmington won its seventh game in a row the same night, in Cincinnati, when they downed Aiken, 61-56. Teays Valley got a 67-64 victory over Logan Elm and Macon Eastern walloped Hillsboro 71-53.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]