History of the SOC

The Southern Ohio Conference

• The Southern Ohio Conference was established in 1946 

• The original charter members of the league were Central Catholic HS (Notre Dame), Glenwood HS (New Boston), Portsmouth East HS, Washington Township HS (Portsmouth West), and Waverly HS

• Minford High School joined the league in 1947 for basketball only

• In 1948 Chesapeake joined the league for track only, South Point joined for baseball and track only, and Minford began to play in baseball

• Wheelersburg & Dawson Bryant (Coal Grove) joined the league in 1950

• In 1951 South Point withdrew from the league

• Coal Grove withdrew from the league in 1952

• Central Catholic HS became Notre Dame High School in 1952

• Chesapeake withdrew from the league in 1954

• Piketon entered the conference in 1959 and then left in 1962

• Minford withdrew from the league in 1958 only to rejoin the league the next year

• Lucasville Valley joined the conference in 1958

• In 1960 McDermott Northwest entered league play

• Waverly withdrew from the SOC after the 1969-70 season

• In 1979 Clay, Green, & South Webster joined the league and the SOC went to two divisions

• Eastern (Pike) entered the conference in 1981

• Ironton St. Joe joined the league in 1982, withdrew in 1989, & rejoined in 2019

• In 1983 Waverly re-entered conference play

• Oak Hill & Symmes Valley both entered the league in 1991 (began play w/1992-93 season)

• Western (Pike) left the Southern Hills League and joined the SOC in 2002

• Portsmouth East became Sciotoville Community School (East Jr.-Sr. High School) in 2002

• Ironton Saint Joseph Central rejoined the conference in 2019

• SOC Division I: Clay, East (Sciotoville), Glenwood, Green, Notre Dame, Saint Joseph, Symmes Valley, & Western

• SOC Division II: Eastern (DI football), Minford, Northwest, Oak Hill, Portsmouth West, South Webster (DI golf), Valley (DI soccer), Waverly, & Wheelersburg

• South Gallia left the TVC and join the SOC in 2023.

• The conference went to three (3) divisions in sports with 18 teams (2023).

SOC I - Clay, East, Glenwood, Green, Notre Dame, & St. Joe
SOC II - Eastern, Northwest, Oak Hill, Symmes Valley, & Western
SOC III - Minford, South Webster, Valley, Waverly, West, & Wheelersburg

Member Schools & Years as Members of the Southern Ohio Conference

Chesapeake  1948-1954
Coal Grove (Dawson Bryant)  1950-1952
Clay 1979-present
East (Sciotoville) 1946-present
Eastern (Pike)  1981-present
Glenwood (New Boston) 1946-present
Green 1979-present
Ironton Saint Joseph 1982-1989 & 2019-present
Minford  1947-1958 & 1959-present
Northwest 1960-present
Oak Hill 1991-present
Piketon 1959-1962
Portsmouth Notre Dame (Central Catholic) 1946- present
Portsmouth West (Washington Township) 1946-present
South Gallia  2023-present
South Point 1948-1951
South Webster 1979-present
Symmes Valley 1991-present
Valley 1958-present
Waverly 1946-1970 & 1983-present
Western (Pike) 2002-present
Wheelersburg 1950-present