Great article, I really like all the things I read on this young man.
Tons of national attention and offers pouring in from D1 programs all over the country. Hopefully this young man will stay committed and work his tail off whenever he gets to college, as with his size and athleticism/coordination he has a real chance at making the league one day.
... I will fortunate enough to get to see Gallia Academy & Mr. Loveday making the trek to Logan to take on my Purple this winter ! I wish the young BIG man nothing but the best ... 7-1 a given to get tons of looks from the world, BUT this young man can put the ball on the floor, can shoot AND MAKE the 3 ball ... AND I haven't mentioned all the qualities that go with being 7-1 that every expects from a BIG - blocked shots, rebounding, altering opponents shots IF they get into the paint but more importantly altering an opponents game plan forcing them (possibly) away from what THEY (the opponent) wants to do - IF that alone happens its a WIN for the Gallia team as the opponent is not getting to spots on the floor where they are comfortable, shots are different from spots on the floor that an opponent is forced to shoot from ... bottom line Mr. Loveday makes Gallia Academy the TEAM to beat this season in the OVC ... it will be interesting to see who else steps up for Gallia Academy to make them a "balanced" ball club ... Balance is a must for GAHS if they are going to go deep into the post season imo ...
Very excited to hear about the progress of Portsmouth's Andrew Meadows, who is a 6-6 senior. The Trojans have lacked size for quite a while, in fact, have not had a starter at least 6-5 since Dion McKinley in 2012. Meadows will definitely push 6-3 senior Myquel McKinley for playing time. McKinley, meanwhile, is in great shape, having lost 15 pounds playing soccer at PHS. With Meadows improvement, the Trojans will have more of a defensive presence in the paint, along with McKinley, to go along with overall a very athletic team.
Has Andrew Meadows been playing the past 3 years? I noticed you talked about improvement. Sometimes it takes a big man a little longer to really show that he has really improved that much.
VetteMan: He played last year on the JV team, but that was his first year of organized basketball. He participated in most of the summer shootouts and has been working out on his own. Defensively, he has always been respectable and seems to have good timing on altering or blocking shots. Offensively, he has struggled with finishing around the basket, but he has improved a lot in this area. He is right now at the point where he can give the Trojans valuable minutes, and maybe even push for that starting 5 spot, although it is unlikely. Still, it is nice to see PHS with some legitimate size that can give opponents something to think about when going into the paint. He gives Portsmouth some much needed depth at that position.
That's the important thing, whether he starts or not its good that you have some size and depth at the center position. The more that he gets to play,Im sure he will get more confidence each and every game. Thank you for responding.
Chesapeake will run away this conference, you heard it here first. The boys in purple will be celebrating all season long, with plenty of trophies at the end of it...
You think that it might be possible that the Blue Devils, the Trojans or the Hornets could have something to do with them running away with the conference?
Chesapeake will be improved, no doubt, but Gallia Academy is the prohibitive favorite, and should be. The Blue Devils could post the 4th consecutive undefeated league record, following Fairland's trifecta from 2016-2018.
OHHS old timer: Fairland lost their entire starting 5, and their 6th man. I have picked Fairland for 5th in the OVC. I actually think that Gallia's biggest challenge might come from Ironton, which returns starters Charlie Large, Ethan Wilson, and Reid Carrico. They only lost to the Blue Devils last season by 7 at Ironton. I also look for Chespeake to be quite improved, but not enough to win the league.
Fairland simply lost too much to even come close to what they did the last 3 years. That was a special group of players for Coach Speed.
trojandave wrote: Tue Sep 25, 2018 6:38 pm
OHHS old timer: Fairland lost their entire starting 5, and their 6th man. I have picked Fairland for 5th in the OVC. I actually think that Gallia's biggest challenge might come from Ironton, which returns starters Charlie Large, Ethan Wilson, and Reid Carrico. They only lost to the Blue Devils last season by 7 at Ironton. I also look for Chespeake to be quite improved, but not enough to win the league.
Fairland simply lost too much to even come close to what they did the last 3 years. That was a special group of players for Coach Speed.
I know that we are quite a way from the start of the season, but if you were to guess, where would you put the Trojans at this early stage?
trojandave wrote: Tue Sep 25, 2018 6:38 pm
OHHS old timer: Fairland lost their entire starting 5, and their 6th man. I have picked Fairland for 5th in the OVC. I actually think that Gallia's biggest challenge might come from Ironton, which returns starters Charlie Large, Ethan Wilson, and Reid Carrico. They only lost to the Blue Devils last season by 7 at Ironton. I also look for Chespeake to be quite improved, but not enough to win the league.
Fairland simply lost too much to even come close to what they did the last 3 years. That was a special group of players for Coach Speed.
Thanks trojandave: I knew Fairland lost 3 of the starting 5...didn't realize it was all 5 + sixth man. That being said, I agree with you on Ironton. Outside of the Peake...really isn't anyone else.
Whats your thoughts on Coal Grove? They may not have much size coming back. I saw Arron Music during the summer in a couple practice games, hes a pretty good player.
VetteMan: As far as the Trojans, I guess I could give the typical "we're going to surprise some people" line as do a lot of people when they're talking about their team. Fact is, though, that this Trojan team will start the season with a lot of inexperience, losing 4 starters from a year ago......notice I didn't say we don't have some talent, because from an athletic standpoint, this will be the most athletic team (speed, quickness, getting up and down the court, jumping ability) since the regional final team of 2015. 6-2 Junior Matthew Fraulini returns from a season where he averaged 14 PPG as a sophomore. If Zach Loveday weren't the preseason POY in the OVC, Fraulini would be in the mix for that award. Statewide, he's ranked in the top 50 of the state. Other starters most likely will be 6-3 SR Myquel McKinley, 6-2 SO Miles Shipp, and 6-0 SR Daniel Lattimore. The 5th starter is wide open. McKinley has lost 15 lbs.playing soccer for PHS and is in great shape. He will be a difficult matchup in the post for opponents. Also 6-6 SR Andrew Meadows will figure prominently in Coach Collins plans. He has worked hard this summer, and will give the Trojans a true defensive presence in the post, either as a starter or coming off the bench.
I honestly believe Portsmouth is 1 year away from seriously competing for the OVC title and making a serious tournament run to the regionals, maybe beyond. This year, though, will be exciting because there is talent with inexperience, and with that uncertainty.
As far as Coal Grove, the Hornets do return Music and Borders, however, they lost 2 key players in Jeb Jones and Sam Angelo, who were very important in CG's run to the regionals a year ago. Judging from their JV squad last season, I don't see anyone that can replace the physical presence inside that those two players gave them. They will be competitive, but they could struggle offensively at times.
The OVC belongs this year to the Gallia Academy Blue Devils. They are a prohibitive favorite to win the title, and perhaps go undefeated in league play. As I mentioned above, though, keep an eye on Ironton. Charlie Large, Ethan Wilson,and Reid Carrico give the Fighting Tigers a solid nucleus for Coach Lafon. I think they pose the biggest threat to GAHS, but I also think Chesapeake will make a big move up to the top 3 of the league standings. The Panthers have most of their team back, including 6-3 SO Eli Archer, who had 21 points at Portsmouth last season.
