PORTSMOUTH — No doubt, the year 2023 in Scioto County sports will be remembered most for once again crowning state champions.

This past year, Wheelersburg’s Pirates repeated as the Division III state softball champs —and individually Valley High School senior Justin Moore captured the Division III boys shot put state championship.

There was also Wheelersburg’s Lady Pirates winning their first-ever regional championship in girls basketball, and the county consisted of several individual state tournament all-Ohioans —in the sports of boys track and field and boys golf.

Speaking of boys golf, Wheelersburg qualified for the Division II state tournament as a team.

The coaching carousel also spun Scioto County ‘round several times —both at the high school level and at Shawnee State University, including Gerald Cadogan taking over the reigns as SSU Director of Athletics.

There were also historic championships won, and individual performances for the school record books.

As the curtain comes down on 2023, it’s time to look back at this year’s Top 10 —as the Portsmouth Daily Times sports staff saw fit.

1. Wheelersburg softball goes back-to-back as state champs

The number-one story for 2023?

It can only be the number-one team in the entire state.

Yet again.

The Wheelersburg Pirates repeated as Division III state softball champions, won the program’s third title in school history, and went a perfect 32-0 in 2023 in the process.

That’s right, 32 up and 32 down —including Indian Lake with a 6-0 shutout in the state championship tilt.

In fact, they pitched 18 shutouts of those 32 wins.

The four-Pirate senior class —of which only first baseman Macee Eaton and centerfielder Kiera Kennard were three-year starters —went a jaw-dropping 85-3.

Over the past two seasons, Wheelersburg went an astonishing 59-1 —and carries an incredible 56-game winning streak headed into 2024.

The Pirates’ last postseason loss was the Division III state semifinal from 2021 —to eventual state champion Fairview.

This season, their rock-solid defense —behind standout pitchers AndiJo Howard (left-hander) and Kaylynn Carter (right-hander) —didn’t even allow 50 total runs, as opponents only totaled 44.

Only two games, 7-6 against visiting Northwest and 7-5 against neutral-site Bullit East (Ky.), were within two runs —and the Pirates’ 9-6 Southeast District championship triumph over Wellston was their closest competition in sectional, district AND regional competition since 2019.

2. Justin Moore of Valley wins state shot put title

While Wheelersburg was winning a state softball championship on the very same weekend, only a day before did Justin Moore make history at the state track and field meet.

That’s because Moore, the Valley High School senior, captured the Division III boys shot put state championship —with a state-title winning throw of 62 feet, 10 and one-half inches.

Moore, down early in the competition, only rose up —to the highest of heights at the annual state track and field meet, held at Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

Moore, overcoming three fouls in his first four state meet throws, came back with two emphatic — and dramatic — tosses to capture the coveted state championship, as Moore’s best throw (62 feet and 10 and one-half inches) came on his final Valley heave.

That’s right — Valley High School, Scioto County, the Southern Ohio Conference, and even all of Southeastern Ohio had a state champion in an individual-oriented sport.

Moore was already a two-time Southeast District Division III champion and repeat Region 11 champion, but his goal —and his dream —was always realizing a state championship.

Moore concluded his career as a three-time all-Ohioan in the shot put —having finished eighth as a sophomore, before climbing three spots to finish fifth as a junior.

His freshman campaign was canceled by the Ohio High School Athletic Association because of the coronavirus threat.

The last male athlete at Valley before Moore to win a state track and field championship was in 1978 — by Byron Arbaugh in the 880-yard run.

3. Wheelersburg girls basketball wins regional title

The Wheelersburg Lady Pirates, under longtime head coach Dusty Spradlin, accomplished quite the first for the girls basketball program —that being winning their first-ever regional championship.

Wheelersburg went 25-3, with two losses to archrvial West in the regular season for the Southern Ohio Conference Division II title, but the third time — and meeting with West — was indeed the Lady Pirates’ charm.

That’s when Wheelersburg defeated the Lady Senators (50-41) in the Division III Region 11 championship game —to advance to its first-ever state tournament in girls basketball.

Before the win over West, the Lady Pirates exacted a major measure of revenge on the 2022 Region 11 champions —upsetting Union Local 49-47 in the regional semifinals.

Seven seniors, some of them starting as sophomores with all seven contributing heavily throughout their careers, made up the overwhelming majority of the Lady Pirates’ regular rotation — Madison Whittaker, Annie Coriell, Kiera Kennard, Jocelyn Tilley, Makenna Walker, Lexie Rucker and Macee Eaton.

Per the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association, Walker was named first team all-Southeast District Division III, Whittaker was second team, and Rucker and Eaton earned Special Mention.

4. West girls basketball has historic season

For girls basketball in 2023, West side pride was indeed at its peak.

It was quite the year for firsts for the Lady Senators — under the guidance of first-year head coach Larry Howell, the (OPSWA) Division III Southeast District Co-Coach of the Year.

West’s 25-2 record marked a single-season best, as the Lady Senators swept archrival and longtime nemesis Wheelersburg in the regular season —en route to capturing the program’s first-ever Southern Ohio Conference championship.

It didn’t stop there, though, as West won its first-ever district title in the sport — edging Portsmouth in the Southeast District Division III championship bout.

The Lady Senators then won arguably their most important game —staging a comeback for the ages in the Region 11 semifinals, and defeating previously-undefeated North Adams.

Trailing the-then 25-0 Lady Green Devils by 10 with under six minutes left, and later by seven with 2:17 to go, West made the gritty, necessary plays to pull off the stunning comeback — and reach its first-ever regional final with a 52-51 win.

West went on to lose only its second game all season — to Wheelersburg in the Region 11 championship game.

The Lady Senators were spearheaded by five seniors —Maelynn Howell, Lexi Deaver, Charlie Jo Howard, Sydney McDermott and Elisha Andre — and one outstanding junior in Emma Sayre.

Howell was (OPSWA) first team all-Southeast District Division III —followed by Sayre on second team, Deaver on third team, and Howard on Special Mention.

5. All-Ohioans in boys track and field and boys golf

While Don Henley once sang “Boys of Summer”, Scioto County had its own boys of spring for state track and field —and a a boy for fall golf.

For the latter, as in Valley High School junior Cameron Phillips, he competed in his third of three Division III boys state golf tournaments —held this past mid-October at Ohio State University’s Scarlet Course.

And, for the third time, Phillips took home hardware as an all-Ohioan.

This season, he finished in a three-way tie for fifth place — shooting a two-day total of 153, which consisted of a tournament-leading 71 on Friday, followed by an 82 on Saturday.

Two years ago at OSU’s Scarlet Course, Phillips finished third —followed by his sophomore season three-way tie for fourth, at NorthStar Golf Club in Sunbury.

For all three years so far, Phillips has captured the Southeast District Division III championship.

Before Phillips’ all-Ohio honors, four Scioto County track and field stars excelled —earning all-Ohio at the state meet in June.

As aforementioned, Valley senior Justin Moore won the Division III boys shot put, then followed that up with a fourth-place finish in the Division III boys discus.

His best throw was on his first throw of six —at 169 feet and nine inches.

Other all-Ohioans included three first-timers — Minford senior Luke Rader who was sixth in the Division II long jump, Portsmouth junior Charles Putnam who was fourth in the Division II 3,200m run, and Green freshman Tate Ratliff, who was third in both the seated 100m and 400m dashes.

6. Portsmouth boys basketball changing of coaching guard

One of Ohio’s most tradition-rich and proud boys basketball programs, the Portsmouth Trojans, underwent a coaching change for the first time in a decade-and-a-half.

And, it’s safe to proclaim Portsmouth replaces one Trojan legend with another.

After the 2023 postseason tournament, Gene Collins called it a PHS coaching career after 14 seasons —and 201 career wins with 130 career losses.

Collins is the second all-time winningest coach in Trojan history, and having taken the Trojans to back-to-back Division III state tournaments —in 2011 and 2012.

In fact, the 2012 club remains the most recent Southeast District boys basketball team to win a state semifinal bout.

He also guided the Trojans to the 2015 Division III Region 11 runner-up.

Now leading the Trojans is a Portsmouth program legend — first-year head coach Jeff Lisath, who already has PHS out to a 6-0 season start.

One of those wins, at Gallia Academy on Dec. 15, marked the 1,500th in Portsmouth program history.

Lisath is in his 30th season as a basketball head coach.

While playing at Portsmouth, Lisath twice was named all-Ohio, where he led the Trojans to the 1978 Class AA state championship — amounting a PHS record 40 points in the two-game tournament, including 22 in the title game, which also remains a Trojan record.

He was named that state tournament’s Most Valuable Player, and is a three-time inductee into the Portsmouth High School Hall of Fame.

He later returned to Portsmouth as an assistant coach —including on the 1988 state championship team.

7. Green boys basketball wins district title

At the home of Ohio University’s Bobcats, and all decked out in Green and White in fact, Green’s Bobcats had to feel right at home on March 7—at Ohio University’s Convocation Center.

For the 20-6 Bobcats, they captured their first Southern Ohio Conference Division I championship since 2011 —and their first Division IV Southeast District championship since 1997.

It’s the sixth district title in program history for Green — the others coming in 1997, 1987, 1985, 1963, and 1939.

The Bobcats defeated Fairfield 43-38 in the district championship tilt —for the Lions’ lone loss of the season.

Levi Sampson, the Southeast District Division IV Co-Player of the Year as bestowed by the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association, concluded his career as a three-time all-Ohioan for Green — as the Bobcats also graduated Gabe McBee, Levi Waddell and Levi Blevins.

8. South Webster volleyball perfection

Two years ago, the South Webster Jeeps reached the volleyball program’s pinnacle —that being the school’s first-ever regional championship.

This past regular season, the Jeeps just were perfect.

That’s because South Webster went an undefeated 22-0 —for its first undefeated volleyball regular season in school history.

And, only six sets South Webster lost all year —before its four-set win over Adena in the Division III Region 11 semifinals.

Twice did South Webster go the five full sets —at Notre Dame on Oct. 4 and at Adena on August 26, in only its second match of the season.

The others were the second set in the season opener against Wheelersburg on August 22, and the opening set at Trimble a month later on Sept. 23.

The district championship was South Webster’s fifth consecutive —and second straight at the Division III level, following three in a row in Division IV, which included the 2021 Region 15 title.

The Jeeps lost only 10 sets all season —and one match in 27, which was the Region 11 championship to two-time champion Meadowbrook.

9. Max Hagans breaks ‘Burg boys soccer mark

Move over Aaron Jolly, for there’s a new ‘Burg breaker of record for career goals.

That’s because Wheelersburg forward Max Hagans holds now that decorated mark —having finished his fantastic Pirate soccer career with 131 made shots.

Hagans had 52 goals in his senior season, scored his 100th career goal against archrival Minford in mid-September, and finally broke Jolly’s record of 117.

Jolly’s senior season was 2020 —when Wheelersburg won the program’s only regional championship in school history.

Hagans played sparingly as a freshman, but made major impact for the Pirates’ points over the next three years —as he was part of four Division III district championships.

He played his final match on Nov. 1 —a 1-0 sudden-death overtime loss to South Webster in the Region 11 semifinals.

10. Wheelersburg boys golf wins district crown

Simply put, Wheelersburg’s Brady Gill was joined by his band of Pirate teammates this season.

That’s because the Pirates qualified for the Division II boys state golf tournament —a year after Gill qualified on an individual basis.

The Pirates placed 12th out of 12 teams with a team score of 731, but the bigger Pirate picture was just getting there.

Wheelersburg won the sectional tournament by four strokes over Ironton, then edged out Sheridan by three shots on Oct. 4 to take the coveted Southeast District title.

Gill was the Southeast District match medalist, and would have qualified again if the team didn’t.

Only two teams from the Southeast District meet advance to the state tournament —and Wheelersburg was one of them, with all five playing Pirates being seniors.

That fivesome featured Gill, Carter Hancock, Owen Young, Eli Hall and Jackson Hill.

Wheelersburg is coached by veteran mentor Paul Boll.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

* College signings, including to Division I programs (West’s Ryan Sissel to Marshall for football, Minford’s Luke Rader to Marshall for track and field, Notre Dame’s Kyndall Ford to Northern Kentucky for softball, Notre Dame’s Gwen Sparks to Pittsburgh for softball, West’s Emma Sayre to Marshall for volleyball)

* Coaching resignations, including Bob Ashley for Notre Dame football, Jesse Ruby for Minford football, Chad Coffman for Green football, Josh Keeney for Northwest boys soccer, Todd Jarvis for Wheelersburg girls soccer, Allen Perry for Wheelersburg volleyball, Brenton Cole for South Webster boys basketball, Anthony Knittel for Minford baseball, Kristen Bradshaw for Portsmouth softball, Delano Thomas for Shawnee State University men’s basketball

* Coaching hirings, including Buster Davis for Notre Dame football, Norm Persin for South Webster boys basketball, Anthony Maynard for New Boston soccer, Brady Knittel for West baseball, Eli Daniels for Minford baseball, Kristen Bradshaw for Shawnee State University softball

* Regional runners-up, including Notre Dame girls basketball, South Webster softball, Notre Dame softball, Wheelersburg baseball, South Webster boys soccer, Wheelersburg football

* District champions, including West softball, South Webster baseball, Valley baseball, Wheelersburg boys soccer

* Minford girls soccer starting and sustaining its third decade as program

* South Webster junior golfer Owen Mault shoots 29 at Elks

* J.D. McKenzie stepping away for family reasons as Notre Dame girls basketball coach

* Gerald Cadogan hired as Shawnee State University Director of Athletics

Reach Paul Boggs at (740) 353-3101 ext. 1926, by email at [email protected], or on X @paulboggssports © 2023 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved