Reedsville Eastern vs Manchester

[thunderdome]

Clay plays in a very soft conference. Most schools don't have enough girls for a JV team. That's in part how they got to 17 and 5. From what I've seen, the TVC has two outstanding teams (Waterford and Eastern) who are way above others in the league and can compete for a regional or even a state championship; however, the rest of the league, from Belpre to Federal Hocking, is very similar to Clay's conference. I suspect that Belpre would have finished in the middle to upper part of the SOC 1. They got eaten up by a good post player on Thursday. Don't think the outcome would have been any different if the game was played again. The SOC 1 champ, Eastern Pike, beat South Gallia by 15 earlier in the year and would beat Belpre just as easily. I'm pretty sure Eastern Pike wouldn't be able to compete well with either Waterford or Eastern Meigs. How did the two TVC teams get so loaded compared to the rest of the league? Open districts?

[KingJames]

Eastern is lead by a freshman phenom. The girls basketball program has been good for many years. Waterford just has alot of talent. As far as I know neither team has any transfera

[93Bulldog]

thunderdome ... How does the Chesapeake boys get so loaded every year? How does Ironton football dominate every year?

Waterford girls are slowly-but-surely adding their school to such lists when it comes to girls basketball ... As is Eastern.

[thunderdome]

Clearly 93 Bulldog, the OHSAA is also concerned with teams (especially small school divisions), like those you mention that seem to find a way to put great athletes on the floor or the field each and every year. While we might attribute success to great coaches and programs, we are all very aware that there are other factors. The OHSAA is considering the following (taken directly from their website) to move some of those schools into higher divisions:

"Tradition Factor

The Competitive Balance Committee determined that tradition is also a factor which impacts athletic success — success breeds success, as they say. Student‐athletes often want to go to a program that has a tradition of success. While this is not recruiting, it is a factor that cannot be discounted when combined with the other factors identified by the committee. A school’s enrollment could increase by adding a percentage based on a school’s most recent four‐year tradition of advancement to the regional and/or state tournament. The current percentage proposed by the committee on a sport‐by‐sport basis (which could be modified by the Board of Directors per its discretion or through a recommendation from a Competitive Balance Standing Committee):
1. Appearances in a regional final: 6 percent of enrollment will be added;
2. Appearances in state tournament: 8 percent of enrollment will be added, and
3. Appearances in state finals: 10 percent of enrollment will be added.
Note: While the highest percentage would be used for each individual year, the total percentage for all
four years would be added together to arrive at the tradition factor."

[renob]

As far back as I can remember, Eastern has always had good girls teams, in all sports. A few down years here and there but have always been very competitive.

[93Bulldog]

thunderdome ... When it comes to Eastern & Waterford - they are sooooooo small, I don't think numerous appearances in the Regionals, State tourney or whatever will change their Division status. I believe Eastern had (95) boys in the school this year and (98) girls ...lol... No way they move up a Division in anything. Same goes for Waterford.

But quite frankly - while both teams do very well at the district level - I'm not sure neither has been to many regional finals (which is the first criteria for adding % to your enrollment.)

[thunderdome]

93, you might be right but Waterford has made the regional final two of the last three years. This year could be three of four. If they make it to the state semi or final, that could add 20 - 22% to their girl's enrollment. Plus 10% for open boundaries and they will be getting pretty close to the 125 needed for DIII.

[ssbball]

Waterford actually has 90 boys and 88 girls. They lose to Harvest Prep or Africentric every year. Which is another story for another day. Harvest Prep & Africentric are D4 State Champs the last 2 years. Harvest Prep - 85 boys - 90 - girls. Africentric is D3 now with 135 girls. Cut-off for D4 is 124. So what do you do with Harvest Prep if they win it again this year?

[playing2win]

Do like they do in a few other states, have a different league for private/charter schools and let them compete in their own state playoffs.