Portsmouth Trojans 2025-26

[BandWagon]

The reason our defense isn’t working is because we play man to man all night with no one closing out or rebounding McKinley had probably 5 rebounds in the first quarter and we didn’t see him the rest of the night and I don’t think he had any fouls I would like to see the Trojans go away from man and play a 2-3 zone or a 1-3-1

[Hoopster98]

You still have to want to play defense in a 2-3 or 1-3-1. If you give open shots in man 2 man, you are going to do the same playing zone. Switching up your defense is a good thing. Defense is a team game, once my man beats me, others have to slide up to help. Are they being taught the proper way to play defense? I did see the Fairland game where the trojans were in transition D, instead of stopping the basketball, the defender went to his man on the perimeter which resulted in a layup. My question is, how much time is being put into defensive rotations? In order to play a good zone, you have to be good at man 2 man. No knock on the Trojans staff, but wasn't this the exact same staff that everyone wanted gone when Gene was the h/c? Trojans were down 4 with 2:00 left and got impatient and rushed a 3, very next possession down 6 another 1 dribble contested 3. Attack the rim take the 2 points or kick the ball out for a 3.

[Hoopster98]

Another note, shot went up and everybody stands and watching the ball. Go find someone and box out. 2 guys trying to run down the floor instead of rebounding.

[trojandave]

Art: There were a number of Trojan fans, including myself, who were wondering why Mekhi Berry only played the last 24 seconds of the game vs. Wheelersburg......in reality he didn't play. Portsmouth has a talented freshmen class which includes Berry, Joe Greene, Manny Thomas, Liam Livingston, and O'Ryan Graybell. The consensus is among the fans I've talked to is that Mekhi deserves at least the opportunity to show what he can do. He's not going to lose the game by himself, and as a freshman, he's going to make some mistakes but that shouldn't mean that he plays the last 24 seconds of the varsity game. Evidently the coaches feel otherwise, and I'll leave it up to their judgement as to what they think is best for the team. I do think, though, that the team will benefit from Mekhi getting meaningful minutes but there has to be some level of tolerance with any mistakes he might make. His upside is much greater than his shortcomings.

Defense, as you know Art, many times comes to how much desire a player has on the stop end of the court. Most generally in today's basketball there's an obsession with the 3 point shot, with most energy spent on offense......but asking a player to give that same energy on defense in many cases is a hard ask. Coaches can only do so much, and I've seen Coach Smith and his staff imploring the Trojans to play in your face defense.

From what I've seen the last 2 games, that desire as a team to play hard D hasn't been there.......not closing out vs. Fairland on 3's (16 of 24 on 3 balls), or lagging up the court vs. Wheelersburg and letting the Pirates beat them up the court for quick buckets was clearly evident. Rebounding needs a lot of improvement. THIS HAS TO CHANGE OR PORTSMOUTH WILL STRUGGLE AGAINST TEAMS THAT WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE DEFENSIVE LAPSES, AND LOSSES WILL BE SURE TO FOLLOW!!

The end result is that if doesn't change is that the Trojans are a talented, yet underachieving team.......and how many times has PHS been categorized as such? Portsmouth has the talent to beat anyone on their schedule, but their lack of desire to get stops on the defensive end will ultimately result in another season of fighting to stay above .500 and make a quick exit from the postseason tournament. Only 4 times since the 2011 and 2012 state tournament teams has PHS advanced out of the sectionals.....2014, 2015, 2017, and 2024, with only 1 district title (2015).

You can't win championships without defense......our Lady Trojans won the D5 state title with defense, but our boys team doesn't seem to think that's the formula for a successful season. 73 points vs. Wheelersburg, and 92 vs. Fairland........both losses. Case closed.

GO TROJANS!!

[trojandave]

Hoopster98: You made some excellent points with your posts. It's frustrating to watch these Trojans underachieve on the defensive side of the court with the athletes we have.

[biggdowgg]

The reason our defense isn’t working is because we play man to man all night with no one closing out or rebounding McKinley had probably 5 rebounds in the first quarter and we didn’t see him the rest of the night and I don’t think he had any fouls I would like to see the Trojans go away from man and play a 2-3 zone or a 1-3-1

McKinley gets some rebounds but he also turns a lot over because he lets them take them away or rushes his passes and throws it away but the biggest problem he doesn't look to score much and work his size as a senior he should be dominating in the post.

Im guessing the reason he wasn't in the game in the second half is the coaches was looking for more scoring

[BandWagon]

Your wanting a senior that hasn’t been out there much this is his first year starting on varsity to score all these points he doesn’t have much skill as it is all we need him to do is rebound but no they would rather put in a kid that 5’9 that might score 3 points but can’t stay off the ground mind you this same kid turns the ball over

[BandWagon]

Also Dave you can’t put all the blame on the kids like Hoopster said isn’t this the same coaching staff everyone wanted out of there the same stuff that couldn’t win more games then they was losing

[Hoopster98]

McKinley isn't an offensive threat in the post. Yes he can get offensive rebounds but other than that he isn't not going to make a post move to score. I think sprinkling in the freshman here and there will help. Greene plays a lot but some way you gotta get Berry in there to get him ready. How slow are you bringing him along, 6 quarters a night. 3 JV and 3 varsity. Get him in for a couple minutes each quarter then by the 2nd half of the season increase or decrease his minutes depending on how he has done. Not knocking the staff on Portsmouth at all I think Coach Smith works hard and finding assistants I'm sure is hard but the same system that was there when they wanted Gene out, is the same system that they are running now.

[2quick2catch]

The reason our defense isn’t working is because we play man to man all night with no one closing out or rebounding McKinley had probably 5 rebounds in the first quarter and we didn’t see him the rest of the night and I don’t think he had any fouls I would like to see the Trojans go away from man and play a 2-3 zone or a 1-3-1

If you already can’t rebound, a 1-3-1 is not the answer. Portsmouth is a solid team guys, but I don’t know where this misconception came that they are this generational talent destined for 15 plus wins, that is simply just not the case.

[trojandave]

Also Dave you can’t put all the blame on the kids like Hoopster said isn’t this the same coaching staff everyone wanted out of there the same stuff that couldn’t win more games then they was losing

Bandwagon: I'm not putting all the blame on the kids, because the coaching staff is culpable to some extent....but I've seen with my own eyes and heard with my ears how the coaching staffs of today and yesteryear have implored time and again for their kids to "D up". I maintain that a coach can only do so much; maybe sub the player out who is not playing hard D, but then his replacement has the same mentality. It is the coaches' responsibility to put the players in the defensive alignment that will produce the best results. The players, then, have to execute that alignment with maximum effort.

I've followed Portsmouth basketball for 55 years, and I've seen the days when PHS had a defensive culture that would be repeated year after year and the end result was championship teams, whether it was at the district, regional, or state level. Coach Smith has a big challenge on his hands to restore that culture to Trojan basketball. To restore it, the kids have to "buy in'. They carry the bulk of that responsibility. So far this season, I haven't seen the "buy in" that is a must for beating good teams. PHS can get by beating the lesser teams with a mediocre defensive performance, but if they want to beat the Wheelersburg's, Fairland's, and Ironton's of this world, they have to realize that trying to just outscore them is not a good formula for beating them.

Andrew Bendolph didn't need to be coached on playing in your face D. Neither did Wayne Evans or Zaide Noel (Whitely). Neither did Joe Greene (the dad), Joel Stanley, Dominic McKinley, Patrick Tubbs, Ricky White, Brady Womack and David Barnes (rebounds), John Walker, Larry Greene, Keith Williamson, Justin Nelson, Alex Dickerson, Kyre Allison (rebounds), Reese Johnson, and LeVaughn Cobb. These are just a few of the Trojans who "bought in" to defense on their own accord. We need more like these players who possessed a high level of self motivation.

Hopefully going forward we can see that culture come back. That culture has helped put banners up at Trojan Arena. This Trojan team can have a very successful season, but they can't expect wins giving up 70 or more points.

[BuckeyeBlood]

Trojans could’ve beat Valley but once again free throws come back to haunt them, have to make the free ones man.

[HERO]

Radio said Portsmouth 3 for 9 on FT’s and Valley 4 for 12

[Hoopster98]

Valley's H/C 1-2-2 gave the trojans some fits. Contained the dribble penetration, trojans need a 3rd scorer. Adkins has to be more consistent on scoring. When he attacks the rim he is pretty good but struggling right now from perimeter. Greene is going to be a player. Is the Kaleb(sp) Johnson still on the team? I thought he produced last season but I haven't seen him much these last 2 games?

[trojandave]

Free throws had much to do with the final score last night at Trojan Arena, as the Valley Indians survived with a 46-45 win over PHS. Both teams shot poorly from the charity stripe, and the Trojans had a final shot to win the game, but Daequan Woods' 3 pointer at the buzzer fell just short. As HERO posted above, both teams shot 33% from the FT line. Portsmouth's half court defense was better than it was vs. Wheelersburg and Fairland.

Freshman Joe Greene started for PHS, with two 3 pointers, while freshman Mekhi Berry had a bucket and a nice assist.

Daequan Woods led PHS with 12 points, while Logan Adkins added 11. Woods scored double figures for the 5th game in a row. Portsmouth dropped its 3rd straight game to fall to 3-3. The PHS JV played their poorest game of the season thus far, as Valley ran away with a 44-26 win.

Last night was yet another close loss in which the home court has not been kind to the Trojans. Looking back from 2020 to now, the Trojans have dropped 11 games in which the opposition won by 3 points or less or in OT. Listed below are such games:

2019-2020: South Point 64, PHS 61.......3 pointer at the buzzer for SP
2020-2021: Portsmouth West 42, PHS 41
2021-2022: Ironton 65, PHS 64............PHS's 3 pointer missed at buzzer
2021-2022: Fairland 69, PHS 61 in 2 OT
2022-2023: Coal Grove 72, PHS 71.......3 pointer at the buzzer for CG
2022-2023: South Point 56, PHS 53 in OT
2023-2024: Gallia Academy 60, PHS 57......3 pointer at the buzzer for GAHS
2024-2025: South Point 50, PHS 48...........3 pointer at the buzzer for SP
2024-2025: Rock Hill 68, PHS 67
2024-2025: Gallia Academy 70, PHS 58 in OT
2025-2026: Valley 46, PHS 45......PHS's 3 pointer missed at buzzer

Valley's win was the first for the Indians @PHS since the 2015-2016 season, when VHS won 60-52. The 2 schools have met in the tournament several times:

2011: Portsmouth 54, Valley 50.......District Championship......PHS advances to the Final 4 and finishes 21-5
2014: Valley 58, Portsmouth 55.......District Championship........Chris Flowers made 3 pointer at the buzzer; Valley's winningest team ever; PHS finished 19-5
2017: Portsmouth 67, Valley 47.......Sectional Tournament

[Prime Time]

Looks like same o same o in Portsmouth. If talent is there and surely looks like it is, they have plenty of talent.Then where is the problem! Starts at the top in my opinion. I see where people blaming players of losses, personally kids follow what the Coach's say or don't say or do.. If players don't play D then players don't get on the floor much. Take the top 5 defensive players, whether seniors or freshmen play them until the Defense responds, shooting 3 pointers at will and 1 on 1 does'nt win games. Defense wins games. Helter skelter playing and running around on sidelines the whole game doesn't win games. Portsmouth's schedule to start with seems watered down to start with, you schedule up and then if you get beat, hopefully you learn from that, but when you get beat by lesser teams and play with no defense and a will to win, except throwing up 3s. Hopefully both sides ( players and Coachs) get on same page. Good Luck in Portsmouth. Trojan Dave Portsmouth's history is nice but how much farther does there schedule drop down. With that schedule they should be around 14-16 wins but looks like a sub 500 in store. It only takes 6-7 players to buy in , just look at the high level of Coaching and girls of Portsmouth.

[trojandave]

PrimeTime: You make some valid points......I, too, would like to the see the non-conference schedule upgraded. As far as this year's expectations, there's really no excuse for not having at least a winning season with the schedule the Trojans are playing, and that means at least 12 wins. PHS won 7 last season so going 12-10 overall with the top 3 players/scorers back (Connie Thomas, Daequan Woods, Logan Adkins) is very reasonable. We are 3-3 right now, so going 9-7 in the next 16 games is a fair expectation. The OVC should not be overwhelming for this team. A winning season would be considered in my estimation to be a successful season compared to 7-15 a year ago. We've been blown out in only 1 game (Fairland), with the other 2 losses at undefeated Wheelersburg by 10 and by 1 point at home to Valley. So overall the Trojans have been competitive. I'm very pleased that Coach Smith is working some freshmen into the main rotation, including starting Joe Greene and subbing in Mekhi Berry, who could end up starting when all is said and done.

Regarding getting the program back to a defensive mentality requires that players and coaches are all on the same page. The communication from the coaches and how the players execute what the coaches are trying to implement defensively must be in harmony. As you said, if any player is not buying in to what the coaches want to do, then that player needs some time on the bench, and someone else must take that spot and so on down the line. One thing that is prevalent in today's HS basketball is that every team can shoot the 3 ball. Some teams shoot more 3's than 2's. To defend it is not suggestive, but mandatory. Already the Trojans allowed Fairland to shoot 16-24 from 3 ball land.......inexcusable. If the Dragons made only 8 threes, PHS wins the game, and 8 is still quite a few. The Trojans did better vs. the Burg, with the Pirates going 6-18. I don't expect PHS to hold teams to 0 threes, but 16 is ridiculous.

Despite the 3-3 start, I still think the Trojans can post a winning season. That's the optimist in me. What I'm concerned about is if the team falls below .500, will the players still be on board with what the coaching staff is trying to teach and coach? That's when the season could unravel.

GO TROJANS!!

[Crab's Brother]

Portsmouth schedule is weak?

The 3 losses in the last 8-10 days are against 3 teams combined that are around 14-2.

A Fairland, Burg, Valley stretch isn't a lite schedule, IMO. Not sure what they have going forward, but losing those three games isn't all that terrible.

[trojandave]

Crab's brother: I said in my post that I would like to see the non-conference schedule upgraded.......that means with 8 non-conference games, I would like to see us schedule up to D1 or D2. Our girls program has done it.....why can't the boys? It's fine with me to play Wheelersburg and Valley, especially the Burg which is more of a traditional rival. In a couple of years, we'll be playing both so I'm hoping that we keep someone like Fairland on the non-conference slate. Sometimes you learn much more about your team in playing a larger school than playing a school your size.

I've always wanted to keep Chillicothe on the schedule......our 2nd most frequent opponent, next to Ironton. I would like see us playing Ashland (KY).....always a good program and our 3rd most frequent opponent. Add in a big city school or two......that leaves 4 or 5 games against local teams for non-conference games (Valley, Wheelersburg, West, Waverly, Minford, Piketon). Scheduling some teams in close proximity to Portsmouth would cut down on cost and would probably bring more fans.

For years and years, Portsmouth traditionally scheduled teams outside the SE district.......and I believe that scheduling philosophy was a big help in our tournament success. Our girls won the State Title last season in part because of the schedule they played...... D1 and D2 teams outside the SE district.

[trojandave]

Portsmouth traveled up Rt.52 to Manchester on Saturday and came away with a 79-70 win over a scrappy Greyhounds team. The Trojans trailed 10-3 early, but eventually pulled ahead to build as much as a 15 point lead. MHS cut the lead to 73-68 with just a minute to play, but PHS held on to raise their record to 4-3. Connie Thomas led the Trojans with 24 points, 9 of 10 from the FT line. Logan Adkins added 18, freshman Mekhi Berry had his best game on the varsity with 15 points, while Daequan Woods pitched in 10. The PHS JV won their game to up their record to 4-2.

Freshman Mekhi Berry did not start the game, but his 15 points and all around play made a difference in the outcome. Freshman Joe Greene started and added 4 points. Berry made a strong case to be inserted into the starting lineup. He totaled 7 dunks while playing both the JV and varsity contests.

Portsmouth will entertain Gallia Academy today and will try to end a series streak of 5 GAHS wins in the last 6 games. PHS leads the overall series 47-22.