Portsmouth Trojans 09

[BigTime]

Won't be long before the season starts up. How will the Trojans look this upcoming season. After a 1-9 season last year, I hope for a great deal of improvement this season. Who are some of the kids that we will hear good things about this year. And what can we expect from the offensive side of the ball.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

From what I have heard the Trojans have been hitting the weight room hard and should be better this season. How much better is hard to say. I would expect to see big things out of Josh Meyers at QB and Jon Royster at WR and RB.

[trojanofthepast]

I look for great improvement this year. All of those young players are no longer young. They are experienced players now, and I think they will show that this year. There are some really good players this year that will make some noise in my opinion. You have Myers QB, Royster WR/RB, Jackson RB, Malone WR, Simpson WR, and Brey TE. I also think the line will be improved with Howard, Sanders, and Welch all returning starters from last year. I think this team will perform very well this year. They have hit the weight room really hard this off season and it will show. This is a group of winners in every sport they have ever been associated with. I think they have a chance to beat all of the orange and black teams like 2 years ago (Burg, Ironton, and West). All the way through school the sophomore class had dominated those 3 schools (7Th, 8Th, and 9Th grades). They were not as strong as the juniors and seniors they were facing last year. That will change this year without a doubt, I think 7-3 or 8-2 is possible.

[Orange and Brown]

Having that nice new facility to play on will be a big help.

[trojanofthepast]

Having that nice new facility to play on will be a big help.

I think your right about that. Over the next several years you will see more kids playing football in Portsmouth because of the facilities. Which in turn we will have more athletes to chose from. And possibly have kids from around the area wanting to play in that kind of facility. Things are looking up for the future of the Trojan Program.

[Orange and Brown]

Having that nice new facility to play on will be a big help.

I think your right about that. Over the next several years you will see more kids playing football in Portsmouth because of the facilities. Which in turn we will have more athletes to chose from. And possibly have kids from around the area wanting to play in that kind of facility. Things are looking up for the future of the Trojan Program.

I think you are right.
Good luck on the upcomming season!

[trojanofthepast]

Having that nice new facility to play on will be a big help.

I think your right about that. Over the next several years you will see more kids playing football in Portsmouth because of the facilities. Which in turn we will have more athletes to chose from. And possibly have kids from around the area wanting to play in that kind of facility. Things are looking up for the future of the Trojan Program.

I think you are right.
Good luck on the upcomming season!

Thanks and same to you.

[BigTime]

I look for great improvement this year. All of those young players are no longer young. They are experienced players now, and I think they will show that this year. There are some really good players this year that will make some noise in my opinion. You have Myers QB, Royster WR/RB, Jackson RB, Malone WR, Simpson WR, and Brey TE. I also think the line will be improved with Howard, Sanders, and Welch all returning starters from last year. I think this team will perform very well this year. They have hit the weight room really hard this off season and it will show. This is a group of winners in every sport they have ever been associated with. I think they have a chance to beat all of the orange and black teams like 2 years ago (Burg, Ironton, and West). All the way through school the sophomore class had dominated those 3 schools (7Th, 8Th, and 9Th grades). They were not as strong as the juniors and seniors they were facing last year. That will change this year without a doubt, I think 7-3 or 8-2 is possible.

Great insight on the upcoming season. Seems like you know this group pretty well. I hope your right about 7-3, or 8-2. It will be tough to win all 3 of those game against very good teams next year. Burg will be really good with alot of speed and talent. Ironton's soon to be senior class next year was the same as the sophomore class you speak of above. They dominated everyone they played all the way up through Junior High and 9 Th grade. And West will be better than people think next year, they have a lot of talent back next year. Should be 4 really good teams in the area next year. Will be fun to watch all of them.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

I think that the line will be much improved, this year with some experienced players coming back, however they will need to develop a killer instinct that has been missing for a few years. I also look for Jason James to be the leader of the defense from his end position . I have also heard that the Bray boy may not be coming out this year, any truth to this?

[BigTime]

A lot of rumors always seem to float around in the off season. With or without some of the rumored players the Trojans will be a pretty good football team this year. We will have to wait and see this summer as to who decided not to play. I don't know how you could pass up playing in that stadium next year.

[trojanofthepast]

Rumors are just that rumors, but all we need is a group of kids that want to win. With a desire to work hard and play hard. Kids that don't want to play let them do something else. But the ones that are working hard for the upcoming season will be rewarded with some wins. Football is not a half way sport, you must dedicate the time and effort to be good. If you do it half way you will not be successful nor will your team be very good. A lot of these kids are working their tales off for next season and it will show who wants it and who doesn't. With the new facility opening this year and a talented team on the field. This should be a fun season to be apart of for these young men. TROJAN PRIDE returns to the field this year. GO TROJANS!

[Portsmouth98]

Let's just hope we can get the new stadium opened on a good note.

[trojandave]

The Trojans should be improved......IF........the defense can get more stops.......Portsmouth simply has given up too many points the last couple of years........a solid kicking game wouldn't hurt, either.......too many games lost in the recent past because of breakdowns with kickoffs, punts, field goals, and PAT's........a winning season is very possible if we can shore up those two areas........and a winning season playing in the SEOAL means playoffs.........

It should really be exciting to watch the Trojans at the new football stadium........

I suggest naming the stadium "Trojan Stadium".........

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

We haven't had a solid kicking game since Jason Fleming in 2000. The D has been lax at times, but I think our biggest problem has been our O-line, with the exception of a few superstars our line play has not been to snuff since coach Hickman left in 2001.

I would like to see us go under center more and get away from the shotgun . This will improve our running game which will open up the pass.


What ever happens I think we will be improved over last year as long as the team buys into the system.

[Portsmouth98]

The line should definitely be the key this year. We should start 4 juniors and a senior who all saw time last year. If they worked hard in the offseason, there's no reason to believe we shouldn't have a big improvement.

[trojandave]

Our offense will be improved, but if our defense and kicking game don't improve we won't be able to score enough points to make that much of a difference.........

Last year's defense:

41 vs. Western Brown
45 vs. Marietta
37 vs. Ironton
34 vs. West
34 vs. Chillicothe
28 vs. Wheelersburg

Of those games, 4 of them.......WB, Marietta, Ironton, and Chillicothe came in the second half of the season........our defense got worse as the season progressed......of course the level of competition picked up a couple of notches at the same time..........

I do really think our offense will be fine........but without more stops on D our O may be standing on the sidelines for quite a while..........

[Ptown Playmaker]

I agree the defense needs to get better.......but I believe our inability to get a first down or any drives to consume time off the clock on the offensive side of the ball had a tremendous effect on wearing down the defense as the season went along......I can't ever recall a year with so many second / third and long situations......I never heard or seen final stats, but I'd bet it was one of the lowest offensive totals maybe in Trojan history........

I hope the games we endured last season will provide knowledge and be a good building block for the young men this season....I also hope the coaching staff will evaluate the talent and come up with a game plan that will suit the personnel........spread offense doesn't work with without speedy receivers, backs and a line that can pass protect.

[trojandave]

Ptown Playmaker: I agree with your point about the offense.......I guess it works both ways.......it the defense doesn't get stops, the offense is on the sidelines.......if the offense can't make first downs, the defense gets worn out..........

I do think the O-line play last year was way below average......and the end result was few points, a lot of punts, and a defense that was exhausted by the fourth quarter. I think the O-line should be one of the Trojans' most improved areas in 2009...........

[TrojanBuff]

Ptown Playmaker: I agree with your point about the offense.......I guess it works both ways.......it the defense doesn't get stops, the offense is on the sidelines.......if the offense can't make first downs, the defense gets worn out..........

I do think the O-line play last year was way below average......and the end result was few points, a lot of punts, and a defense that was exhausted by the fourth quarter. I think the O-line should be one of the Trojans' most improved areas in 2009...........

Most improved? We lost two D1 offensive linemen; one to Penn State and one to Florida State. Because of that, to me, the O-Line will be a weakness this year.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

Most improved? We lost two D1 offensive linemen; one to Penn State and one to Florida State. Because of that, to me, the O-Line will be a weakness this year.

We did loss 2 D1 linemen, however most of the year Nate Cadogan played sparingly on the Oline, primarily playing DE. John Prior did well, however he was only one spot, he couldn't block for the whole line.
I hope this year’s line turns out something like the 2001 line did. After graduating 4 of 5 starters from the 2000 team, which included D1 recruit Matt Howbert, and 3 year starters Mike Macman, and Jeff Swords, they were left with 1 returning starter in the form of guard Bruce Kalb, but he to would start in a different position. The rest of the line was made up of juniors that nobody had heard of, and a sophomore who was in the band the year before (of course he is in the NFL now ). Although they had some tuff games they pulled together and by midseason were pretty tuff. Hopefully they got those tuff games out of the way last year, and this year they will be ready to go.
Best of luck to the Hogs, and all the Trojans in 2009.