The Southern Ohio Conference (S.O.C.) is an

athletic conference An athletic conference is a collection of sports teams, playing competitively against each other in a sports league. In many cases conferences are subdivided into smaller divisions, with the best teams competing at successively higher levels. Confe ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. The conference is also a member of the

Ohio High School Athletic Association The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio. The OHSAA governs eligibility of student athletes, resolves disputes, organizes levels of compe ...

, the governing body of Ohio athletics. There are currently seventeen member schools in the conference. The S.O.C. includes teams from four different Ohio counties - Jackson County ( Oak Hill High School), Lawrence County ( St. Joe High School and

Symmes Valley High School Symmes Valley High School (SVHS) is a public high school near Willow Wood in Lawrence County in Southern Ohio. It is the only high school in the Symmes Valley Local School District. Their nickname is the Vikings and the official school colors a ...

), Pike County ( Waverly High School, Eastern High School, and

Western High School Western High School may refer: Schools in the United States *Western High School (Anaheim, California) – Anaheim, California * Western High School (Illinois) – Barry, Illinois * Western High School (Florida) – Davie, Florida * Western High S ...

), and

Scioto County Scioto County is a county located along the Ohio River in the south central region of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 74,008. Its county seat is Portsmouth. The county was founded March 24, 1804, from Adams ...

( Clay High School, Green High School, Glenwood High School,

Sciotoville Community School Sciotoville Community School is a charter school in Sciotoville (within the city limits of Portsmouth), Scioto County, Ohio, United States. Their mascot is the Tartans and their colors are blue and white/gray. In 2000, East High School was suppose ...

, Valley High School, Northwest High School,

Minford High School Minford High School (MHS) is a rural, public, high school located in Minford, Ohio in Scioto County in Southern Ohio Appalachian Ohio is a bioregion and political unit in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio, characterized by the ...

Portsmouth West High School Portsmouth West High School (PWHS) is a public high school in Washington Township, just south of West Portsmouth, Ohio, United States. It is the only high school in the Washington–Nile Local School District. Athletic teams are known as the Se ...

, Notre Dame High School, South Webster High School, and

Wheelersburg High School Wheelersburg High School (WHS) is a public high school in Wheelersburg, Ohio, United States. It is the only high school in the Wheelersburg Local School District, which is located in Porter Township along the northern bank of the Ohio River in ...

). The conference recognizes: baseball, boys' and girls' basketball, boys' and girls' cross country, football, boys' and girls'

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

, fast pitch softball, boys' and girls' swimming, boys' and girls' tennis, boys' and girls' track and field athletics, and girls' volleyball. It is listed as part of the

Ohio High School Athletic Conferences This is a list of high school athletic conferences in Ohio, separated by Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) region. Some conferences have schools in multiple regions, and will be listed in all applicable regions. However, the conference ...

Conference Information

SOC Division I: Clay, East (Sciotoville), Glenwood/New Boston, Green, Notre Dame, Symmes Valley, Western (Pike), Ironton St. Joseph SOC Division II: Minford, Northwest (D-I football), Oak Hill, Portsmouth West, South Webster (D-I golf & boys soccer), Valley (D-I boys soccer), Waverly, Eastern (Pike, D-I football) & Wheelersburg The league president changes each year based on an alphabetical rotating basis with the principal of member schools. The current league secretary (voted on each year by the league) is Dave Stamm.

Southern Ohio Conference Member Schools

S.O.C. Division I (Smaller Schools)

* Portsmouth

Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...

Panthers⁴ (1979–present) * New Boston Glenwood Tigers (1946–present) * Franklin Furnace

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...

Bobcats⁴ (1979–present) * Portsmouth Notre Dame Titans (Portsmouth Central Catholic until 1984, 1954–present) * Sciotoville Community

East East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...

Tartans (formerly Portsmouth East, 1946–present) * Willow Wood Symmes Valley Vikings (1991–present) * Latham

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

Indians (2002–present) *Ironton St.Joseph Central Flyers (2019–present)

S.O.C. Division II (Larger Schools)

* Minford Falcons² (1947–58, to Scioto County League, 1959–present) * McDermott Northwest Mohawks² (1960–present) *''plays in smaller division for football'' * Oak Hill Oaks (1991–present) *''played in smaller division for football until 2019'' * West Portsmouth Portsmouth West Senators (Washington Twp. until 1950, 1946–present) * South Webster Jeeps⁴ (1979–present) *''plays in smaller division for golf and boys soccer until 2019'' * Lucasville

Valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...

Indians² (1958–present) *''plays in smaller division for boys soccer'' * Waverly Tigers¹ (1946–70, to Southeastern Ohio Athletic League, 1983–present) * Wheelersburg Pirates^{2, 3} (1950–present) * Beaver

Eastern Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...

Eagles⁴ (1981–present) # Concurrent with Pike County League 1946-64. # Concurrent with SCL from entry into SOC until 1979. # Concurrent with Ohio Valley Conference 1954-57. # Concurrent with southeastern Tri-County League from entry into SOC until 1985

Former Members

* Portsmouth Holy Redeemer Wildcats (1946–54, consolidated into Portsmouth Central Catholic) * Portsmouth St. Mary's Titans (1946–54, consolidated into Portsmouth Central Catholic) *

Chesapeake Chesapeake often refers to: *Chesapeake people, a Native American tribe also known as the Chesepian * The Chesapeake, a.k.a. Chesapeake Bay *Delmarva Peninsula, also known as the Chesapeake Peninsula Chesapeake may also refer to: Populated plac ...

Panthers (1948–1954, to Ohio Valley Conference) * South Point Pointers¹ (1948–51, to Lawrence County) * Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant Hornets¹ (1950–1952, to Lawrence County) * Piketon Redstreaks (1958–62, to Scioto Valley League) * Ironton St. Joseph Central Flyers (1982–89) # Concurrent with Lawrence County League for the duration of SOC membership.

Ohio High School Athletic Association state championships and appearances

* Portsmouth Clay :Boys' Basketball ::OHSAA Final Four Appearance :::::1969 ( Arcanum def. Clay 76-61) :Girls' Basketball ::OHSAA Final Four Appearance :::::1980 :Boys' Golf ::OHSAA Division III State Championship Appearances :::::2004, 2005, 2006 :Girls' Softball ::OHSAA State Championships :::::1980 - (d. Archbold 18-6 & d. New Madison Tri-Village 12-3 to finish season at 25-0) :::::1981 - (d. Jeromesville Hillsdale 7-2 & d. Beverly

Fort Frye Fort Frye was a triangular defensive fortification built by a group of pioneers from the Ohio Company of Associates who moved about twenty miles up the Muskingum River from the settlement of Marietta, Ohio to a location near the mouth of Wolf Cr ...

21-0 to finish season at 29-0) :::::1983 - (d. Pioneer North Central 8-7 & d. Mineral Ridge 6-2 to finish season at 24-1) ::OHSAA State Runner-up :::::1979 - (d. New Madison Tri-Village 11-2 & lost to Jeromesville Hillsdale 1-4 to finish the season at 19-1) :::::1988 - (d. Sycamore

Mohawk Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans *Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people *Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been t ...

10-0 & lost to Strasburg-Franklin 0-14 to finish the season at 27-3) ::OHSAA Final Four Appearances (besides the Championships and Second Place Finishes) :::::1978 - (lost to Jeromesville Hillsdale 5-0) :::::1984 - (lost to Arcanum 10-4) :::::1986 - (lost to Archbold 5-4) :::::2007 - (lost to Triad 13-3 to finish season at 22-5) ::OHSAA Softball Tournament Records :::::Most Runs (Game, One Team) - Portsmouth Clay (Division III) 21 v. Beverly Fort Frye, 1981 :::::Most Hits (Game) - Portsmouth Clay (Division III) 19 v. Archbold, 1980 :::::Most Hits (Game) - North Lewisburg Triad (Division IV) 13 v. Portsmouth Clay, 2007 :::::Most Hits (Game, Both Teams) - Portsmouth Clay (Division III) 28 v. Archbold, 1980 :::::Teresa Ruby - played in first four OHSAA state softball tournaments (1978-1981), coach (2007) * East (Sciotoville Community) :Boys' Baseball - ::OHSAA State Championship :::::1973 (East def. Adena Buckeye West 5-3) * Eastern Pike :Boys' Golf ::OHSAA Division III State Championship Appearance :::::2006 * Franklin Furnace Green :Boys' Basketball ::OHSAA Final Four Appearance :::::1939 *Minford :Girls' Softball ::OHSAA Runner-up :::::1997 - (d. LaGrange Keystone 1-0 & lost to Tallmadge 7-0 to finish season at 27-4) ::OHSAA Final Four Appearances (besides the Second Place Finish) :::::1994 - (lost to LaGrange Keystone 2-0) :::::1996 - (lost to Alliance Marlington 4-0) * New Boston :Boys' Basketball ::OHSAA Final Four Appearances :::::1938 :::::1960 - ( Salem Local d. New Boston 67-59) :::::2021 ( Columbus Grove d. New Boston 58-53) * Notre Dame :Football - 1967 & 1970

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

state championships * Oak Hill :Girls' Basketball ::OHSAA Runner-ups :::::2004 - ( Youngstown Ursuline d. Oak Hill 66-52) :::::2009 - (South Euclid Regina d. Oak Hill 63-48) :::::2011 - (Anna d. Oak Hill 50-32) :Boys' Basketball ::OHSAA State Championship :::::2009 - ( d. Kalida 48-43 2OT) * South Webster :Boys' Basketball ::OHSAA State Championship :::::2006 - (d. Lockland 61-58 & d.

Columbus Grove Columbus Grove is a village in Putnam County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,137 at the 2010 census. Etymology and history Columbus Grove was founded in 1842. A large share of the early settlers being natives of Columbus, Ohio cause ...

83-65) ::OHSAA Final Four Appearances :::::2004 - ( Holgate d. South Webster 31-28) *Symmes Valley :Boys' Basketball (as Waterloo High School before consolidation, "Waterloo Wonders") ::OHSAA State Championship :::::1934 - (d.

Lowellville Lowellville is a village in eastern Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, along the Mahoning River. The population was 996 at the 2020 census. Located about southeast of Youngstown, it is part of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area. Geo ...

43-32 & d. Mark Center 40-26) :::::1935 - (d. Fremont St. Joseph 48-21 & d. Oxford Stewart 25-22) ::OHSAA Final Four Appearances (besides the Championships) :::::1941 :Girls' Softball ::OHSAA State Runner-up :::::2005 (d. Cortland Maplewood 3-2 & lost to Convoy Crestview 6-4 to finish season at 28-5) * Lucasville Valley :Boys' Baseball ::OHSAA State Championship :::::1975 (Valley def.

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

5-0) :Girls' Softball ::OHSAA Final Four Appearances :::::1993 - (lost to North Robinson Colonel Crawford 9-3) :::::1994 - (lost to Jeromesville Hillsdale 6-1) * Waverly :Boys' Baseball ::OHSAA State Championship :::::1954 (Waverly def.

Sycamore Sycamore is a name which has been applied to several types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms. The name derives from the ancient Greek ' (''sūkomoros'') meaning "fig-mulberry". Species of trees known as sycamore: * ''Acer pseudoplata ...

2-1) :Boys' Basketball ::OHSAA Final Four Appearance :::::1970 ( Dayton Chaminade d. Waverly 73-55) :::::1973 -

Class AA Boys' Basketball Poll Champion (17-1) * Portsmouth West :Football ::Division IV State Final Appearance :::::2002 ( Kenton def. Portsmouth West 45-13) :Girls' Softball ::OHSAA State Runner-up :::::1987 - (d. Marion Elgin 4-3 & lost to Akron Hoban 5-1 to finish season at 22-6) :::::1988 - (d. Newark Licking Valley 5-4 & lost to Tallmadge 16-2 to finish season at 28-1) ::OHSAA Final Four Appearances (besides the Second Place Finishes) :::::1986 - (lost to Newark Licking Valley 11-1) :::::1989 - (lost to Springfield Northwestern 8-4) :::::1998 - (lost to Keystone LaGrange 2-1) :::::1999 - (lost to Keystone LaGrange 1-0) :::::2000 - (lost to Lima Bath 3-2) :::::2001 - (lost to Keystone LaGrange 3-0) :::::2002 - (lost to Springfield Kenton Ridge 4-0) :::::2003 - (lost to Convoy Crestview 5-0) * Wheelersburg :Boys' Baseball :OHSAA State Championships :::::1996 - def. Middlefield Cardinal 4-1 :::::2012 - def. Lima Central Catholic 1-0 :::::2013 - def. Bloom-Carroll 5-4 :Boys' Basketball ::OHSAA State Runner-up :::::1984 - (d. Willard 70-64 & lost to Akron St. Vincent - St. Mary 75-71 to finish season at 23-5) :::::1995 - (d. Columbus Bishop Hartley 76-60 & lost to Orrville 79-50 to finish season at 23-4) ::OHSAA Final Four Appearances :::::1982 - Youngstown Rayen d. Wheelersburg 61-45) :::::1989 - (Cincinnati North College Hill d. Wheelersburg 71-67 (2OT)) :::::2006 - (Cleveland Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph d. Wheelersburg 71-62) :::::2007 - (Cincinnati North College Hill d. Wheelersburg 69-66 (OT)) ::OHSAA State Basketball Tournament Records :::::Largest Margin of Victory - Championship Game (Division III) - Orrville 79 d. Wheelersburg 50 in 1995 :::::Most Two-Point Field Goals - Championship Game - Orrville (35) v. Wheelersburg in 1995 :::::Most Two-Point Field Goals, Both Teams - Championship Game - 53 (Orrville 35 & Wheelersburg 18) in 1995 :::::Most Rebounds - Championship Game - Orrville (44) v. Wheelersburg in 1995 :Football :: OHSAA State Championship :::::1989 (def. Warren

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

14-7) :::::2017 (def. Pemberville

Eastwood Eastwood may refer to: Places ;in Australia *Eastwood, New South Wales **Eastwood railway station **Electoral district of Eastwood *Eastwood, South Australia ;in Canada * Eastwood, Ontario *Eastwood, Edmonton, Alberta, a neighborhood ;in the Ph ...

21-14OT) :Girls' Softball :: OHSAA State Runner-up :::::2004 (d. Archbold 2-1 & lost to Woodsfield Monroe Central 1-0 to finish season at 25-6) :: OHSAA State Championship :::::2016 (d. Johnstown-Monroe, 1-0, within the state semifinals, and then d. South Range, 8-3, within the championship final. The Pirates finished the season 26-2.

Conference awards and championships

Conference Awards & Championships in each Sport

Notable coaches' and player awards

* Terri Boldman (Clay) - Clay Coaches' Hall of Fame, one of only two S.O.C. coaches to lead girls' basketball team to OHSAA Final Four (1980) * Ed Cable (Northwest) - Recipient of the Ohio Sportsmanship, Ethics, & Integrity Softball Coaches' Award (2002) * Odie Estep (Willow Wood Symmes Valley) - Ohio Softball Coaches' Hall of Fame (2007) * Arch Justus (Clay, Minford & Valley) - Ohio Basketball Coaches' Hall of Fame, Clay Coaches' Hall of Fame, won 532 total basketball games * David Leightenheimer (Clay) - Clay Coaches' Hall of Fame & OHSAA Officials' Hall of Fame * Kinney Long (Clay) - Clay Coaches' Hall of Fame * Ed Miller (Notre Dame & Wheelersburg) - Ohio Football Coaches' Hall of Fame (1996), won two Associated Press state titles with Notre Dame in 1967 and 1970 and a Division IV OHSAA title with Wheelersburg in 1989 * Teresa Ruby (Clay) - played in the first four OHSAA state softball Final Four tournaments (1978–1981), won two state softball championships (as a player) in 1980 & 1981 and finished second in 1979, played in the 1980 girls' basketball Final Four, led her softball team (as a coach) to the 2007 state Final Four, holds many Clay basketball records (including leading scorer), has her number (#14) retired by the school. She also has a star on the Portsmouth Wall of Stars (2009). * Carol Vice (Clay) - Clay Coaches' Hall of Fame, Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2010); Star on Portsmouth's Wall of Stars, made it to the Final Four in softball 9 of 10 years as a coach, won three OHSAA state softball titles (1980, 81, & 83) while also finishing as runners-up twice (1979 & 1988), only softball coach from S.O.C. to win a softball title * Norm Persin - Oak Hill Basketball - voted National Basketball Coach of The Year in 2009.

References

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