Clay High School (Portsmouth, Ohio) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Clay Junior-Senior High School (CHS) is located four miles (6 km) north of the Portsmouth, Ohio

Portsmouth, Ohio

Portsmouth is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Scioto County. The municipality is located on the northern banks of the Ohio River and east of the Scioto River in Southern Ohio. The population was 20,226 at the 2010 census.-Foundation:...

, city limits on U.S. Route 23 in Clay Township

Clay Township, Scioto County, Ohio

Clay Township is one of the sixteen townships of Scioto County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,792 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the center of the county, it borders the following townships:...

in Scioto County--which is 85 miles (136.8 km) south of Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

; 50 miles (80.5 km) west of Huntington, West Virginia

Huntington, West Virginia

Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...

; and 100 miles (160.9 km) east of Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

. Clay is a rural

Rural

Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...

, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, public

Public

In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...

high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

serving 300 students in grades 7-12 in Southern Ohio. The year 1940 marked the first time a class graduated from Clay High School.

CHS is one of three buildings currently being used in the district. Rubyville Elementary School

Rubyville Elementary School

Rubyville Elementary School is one of two elementary schools in the Clay Local School District. Rubyville Elementary serves students in grades four through six. The building is located on Maple Benner Road at the intersection of Ohio State Route 139 in Scioto County...

(4-6), which is on Maple Benner Road at the intersection of State Route 139, and Rosemount Primary School (K-3), which is on Rose Valley Road just off Rosemount Road in Rosemount, Ohio

Rosemount, Ohio

Rosemount is a census-designated place in Clay Township, Scioto County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,043 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rosemount is located at ....

, are the other two buildings.

General information

The enrollment for Clay Junior-Senior High School, grades 7-12, is 300 with 190 students in grades nine through twelve. The school's mascot is the black panther

Black panther

A black panther is typically a melanistic color variant of any of several species of larger cat. Wild black panthers in Latin America are black jaguars , in Asia and Africa they are black leopards , and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars A black panther is...

while the school colors are royal blue

Royal blue

Royal blue describes both a bright shade and a dark shade of azure blue. It is said to have been invented by millers in Rode, Somerset, a consortium of which won a competition to make a dress for the British queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz....

and gold

Gold (color)

Gold, also called golden, is one of a variety of orange-yellow color blends used to give the impression of the color of the element gold....

. Ninety-six (96.22) percent of the students that attend the school are white

White people

White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...

. The other four percent are Hispanic

Hispanic

Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...

(1.15), African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

(.82), multiracial

Multiracial

The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...

(.82), Asian

Asian people

Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...

(.66), or American Indian

Indigenous peoples of the Americas

The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

(.33). The district covers 22.12 square miles (57.3 km²). There are twenty-two full time faculty members serving the 300 students. The athletes complete in the small division in every Ohio High School Athletic Association

Ohio High School Athletic Association

The Ohio High School Athletic Association is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio...

(OHSAA) sport. The school competes with ten (10) sports teams at the high school level and three at the junior high level. The school belongs to the OHSAA and to the Southern Ohio Conference

Southern Ohio Conference

The Southern Ohio Conference is an athletic conference in Ohio. The conference is also a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, the governing body of Ohio athletics. There are currently sixteen member schools in the conference. The S.O.C...

- Division I (SOC I).

The district received communication from the Ohio School Facilities Commission on May 3, 2007, that the district had been approved for the state funds. After new Ohio legislation allowing the district to proceed, a bond issue was placed on the March 2008 ballot to build a new preK-12 facility. The ballot issue passed and the district is in the process of building a new facility. The actual groundbreaking is expected in the Spring of 2009.

Brief history

The Clay Local School District was created in 1940 to serve the residents of Clay Township

Clay Township, Scioto County, Ohio

and the individual communities of Eden Park, Rosemount, Rubyville, and Twin Valley. For those students who desired to go on to high school before the opening of the high school in 1940, the board of education provided their tuition to Glenwood High School

Glenwood High School (Ohio)

Glenwood High School is a public high school in New Boston, a village located in Scioto County in the southern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is the only high school in the New Boston Local School District. Their mascot is the Tiger, and their colors are scarlet and gray.-History:New Boston...

or to Portsmouth High School

Portsmouth High School (Ohio)

Portsmouth High School is a public high school in Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio, United States. PHS's mascot are the Trojans, and their school colors are red and blue....

. When the school was built in 1940 "there were buses to transport students to and from school, but there was no cafeteria, therefore, students brought their lunches." The first graduating class in 1940 was nicknamed the "Dirty Dozen" because there were twelve students who walked across the stage for the first time as Clay graduates.

The district began with four buildings - one high school and three elementary schools. There were two buildings in Rubyville - the current elementary building, which served as the high school from 1940–1956, and an elementary building (originally Sumers, later renamed Long Run School), which is now a local church. The district also had an elementary building in Eden Park, which still stands but is no longer used by the district, and one in Rosemount (Scioto Trail School), which was located on the current site of JW Village Market.

In 1956, the Rubyville building (built in 1939) became the elementary building. With a bond issue to raise $325,000 (along with matching funds from the state and federal government for a total cost of nearly $600,000) a new high school building, which opened its doors on February 1, 1956, was built on Clay High Street. Mr. Carl Bandy was the Executive Head of the Clay (Rural) Local School District when the high school was built in 1955 . At that time, the enrollment of the district was 719. One year later, it was 915. During the period of peak employment at the Atomic Plant in Piketon (now U.S.E.C.), the enrollment was 1100. A new elementary building was then built in Rosemount (Rosemount Primary, built in 1964).

The district currently uses these same three buildings. At the time the Rosemount building was constructed in 1964, a band room and a junior high wing were added to the high school. In 1998 an additional "wing" was built on to the high school structure. Additional upgrades and renovations have occurred to all three buildings over the years including improvements to the high school gym, new science laboratories, renovations to all the restroom facilities, new roofs, and air conditioning for all three buildings. The enrollment for the district is currently 600.

Campus

Clay Junior-Senior High School is located in the rolling hills

Rolling Hills

Rolling Hills may refer to:Canada* Rolling Hills, AlbertaUnited States* Rolling Hills, California, in Los Angeles County* Rolling Hills, Madera County, California* Rolling Hills Estates, California* Rolling Hills, Clark County, Indiana...

of Southern Ohio (Appalachian Ohio

Appalachian Ohio

Appalachian Ohio is a bioregion and political unit in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio characterized by the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian Regional Commission defines the region as consisting of twenty-nine counties...

) just north of the Ohio River

Ohio River

The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...

near Portsmouth

Portsmouth, Ohio

. The building and grounds are located on Clay High Street just off U.S. Route 23 and Lochner Road in Rosemount, which is nestled in a rural, community area of apartments, small businesses, homes, and farmland. The campus consists of several acres in which the high school building and several athletic fields (baseball and soccer) are located.

The Clay Jr.-Sr. High School building is shaped somewhat as an "E

E is the fifth letter and a vowel in the basic modern Latin alphabet. It is the most commonly used letter in the Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Latin, Norwegian, Spanish, and Swedish languages.-History:...

" (facing east) from an aerial view. In the middle of the vertical

Vertical direction

In astronomy, geography, geometry and related sciences and contexts, a direction passing by a given point is said to be vertical if it is locally aligned with the gradient of the gravity field, i.e., with the direction of the gravitational force at that point...

arm is the main entrance, which faces west toward U.S. Route 23. The industrial arts and drafting rooms are located in the top wing while the lower arm (or "old junior high" wing) houses additional academic classrooms. The middle wing consists of the cafeteria, band room, gymnasium, health facility, and the "new junior high" wing.

There are twenty-seven academic classrooms in the Clay High School building including three computer labs, an industrial arts

Industrial arts

Industrial Arts is an umbrella term originally conceived in the late 19th century to describe educational programs which featured fabrication of objects in wood and/or metal using a variety of hand, power, or machine tools...

shop and drafting

Engineering drawing

An engineering drawing, a type of technical drawing, is used to fully and clearly define requirements for engineered items.Engineering drawing produces engineering drawings . More than just the drawing of pictures, it is also a language—a graphical language that communicates ideas and information...

room, a chemistry

Chemistry

Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....

/physics

Physics

Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...

lab, a biology

Biology

Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...

lab, and a home economics

Home Economics

Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...

lab. The district's superintendent and treasurer

Treasurer

A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...

also have offices in the building. The CHS softball field is located on the grounds of Rubyville Elementary. The school does not have home tennis courts nor a cross country course.

Academics

Academically, Clay has a reputation as one of the better schools in Southern Ohio. The latest Ohio Department of Education report card indicated CHS met the graduation, AYP (average yearly progress), and attendance percentages/rates.

The school year is divided into two semesters for grading and course scheduling purposes, with a three-day finals schedule at the end of the year (see Academic term). The majority of the courses offered are year-long courses, but students have the opportunity to take a few courses on a semester basis. Although the school meets on a 41-minute, nine-period schedule in which students attend each class daily, two days a month operate on an activity schedule. This 30-minute time period on these days are set aside to allow for curricular and extracurricular clubs to meet that would not otherwise fit into either the regular school day or after school because of scheduling.

While student enrollment (300) and class sizes are small (17:1), Clay offers many opportunities for its students including both curricular and extracurricular activities. These academic opportunities include, but are not limited to, AP courses, Art

Art

Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....

I-IV, band

Band (music)

In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...

, Chemistry

Chemistry

I & II, chorus

Choir

A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...

, computer applications, pre-engineering

Engineering

Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...

courses, economics

Economics

Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...

, industrial arts

Industrial arts

, physics

Physics

, senior composition

Composition (language)

The term composition , in written language, refers to the collective body of important features established by the author in their creation of literature...

, Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

I-IV, and web page

Web page

A web page or webpage is a document or information resource that is suitable for the World Wide Web and can be accessed through a web browser and displayed on a monitor or mobile device. This information is usually in HTML or XHTML format, and may provide navigation to other web pages via hypertext...

design.

Recent graduates of CHS have attended/graduated from such universities/colleges as Berea College

Berea College

Berea College is a liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky , founded in 1855. Current full-time enrollment is 1,514 students...

, Eastern Kentucky University

Eastern Kentucky University

Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...

, Marshall University

Marshall University

Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....

, Miami University

Miami University

Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...

, Morehead State University

Morehead State University

Morehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S...

, Ohio University

Ohio University

Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...

, Ohio Northern University

Ohio Northern University

Ohio Northern University is a private, United Methodist Church-affiliated university located in the United States in Ada, Ohio, founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871. ONU is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. ONU is a sister...

, Purdue University

Purdue University

Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...

, Shawnee State University

Shawnee State University

Shawnee State University is a public university in southern Ohio. It is Ohio's newest state-supported university and lies on the north bank of the Ohio River in the city of Portsmouth in Scioto County.Shawnee State University was established in 1986...

, The Ohio State University, Transylvania University

Transylvania University

Transylvania University is a private, undergraduate liberal arts college in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, affiliated with the Christian Church . The school was founded in 1780. It offers 38 majors, and pre-professional degrees in engineering and accounting...

, University of Cincinnati

University of Cincinnati

The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....

, University of Kentucky

University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...

, Valparaiso University

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...

, St. Bonaventure University

St. Bonaventure University

St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....

, the University of Dayton, Cornell University

Cornell University

Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...

, West Point, Wittenberg University

Wittenberg University

Wittenberg University is a private four-year liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio serving 2,000 full-time students representing 37 states and approximately 30 foreign countries...

, and Wright State University

Wright State University

Wright State University is a comprehensive public university with strong doctoral, research, and undergraduate programs, rated among the 260 Best National Universities listed in the annual "America's Best Colleges" rankings by U.S. News and World Report. Wright State is located in Fairborn, Ohio,...

. Clay's graduating classes, which average about 35 students, have received in excess of $300,000 each year in scholarship money. The 2007 Clay graduating class was offered close to $450,000 in scholarships.

Likewise, the CHS staff members have also attended/graduated from many of these same institutions. The CHS staff members have an average of 16 years of educational experience.

Extracurricular activities

Athletic: Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

, boys' and girls' basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

, boys' and girls' cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

, boys' golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

, boys' soccer, fast-pitch softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...

, boys' tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

, and girls' volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

.

Other activities: Academic competition team (quiz bowl), band, Bible Club, cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...

, Encore (show choir
Show choir
A show choir is a group of people who combine choral singing with dance movements, sometimes within the context of a specific idea or story.-History:...

), CHS National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...

, the Clay Pep Club, student council
Student council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...

, the venturing club, and the WCHS news team.

Community & school-related service activities: American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...

blood drives, CF (cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a recessive genetic disease affecting most critically the lungs, and also the pancreas, liver, and intestine...

) walks, health fairs, political campaigns, Sierra's Haven, and other acts of volunteerism.

Athletics

Clay Junior-Senior High School is a "small division" school in every Ohio High School Athletic Association

Ohio High School Athletic Association

The Ohio High School Athletic Association is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio...

sports' division. The school participates in ten OHSAA sanctioned sports - baseball, boys' and girls' basketball, boys' and girls' cross country, boys' golf, boys' soccer, girls' fast pitch softball, boys' tennis, and girls' volleyball. The district also fields boys' and girls' basketball and volleyball teams in our junior high. The district also has baseball, golf, and softball as sports at the junior high level even though these teams are not recognized as official school teams.

There are ten school districts and eleven high schools in Scioto County along with one parochial school as well several private and community schools. The school's athletic affiliation is with the Ohio High School Athletic Association

Ohio High School Athletic Association

The Ohio High School Athletic Association is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio...

(OHSAA) and the Southern Ohio Conference

Southern Ohio Conference

(SOC), which has sixteen member schools and is divided into two divisions (SOC I & SOC II) based on the schools' enrollment. The SOC includes teams from four different Ohio counties - Jackson County

Jackson County, Ohio

Jackson County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 33,225. Its county seat is Jackson and is named for Andrew Jackson, a hero of the War of 1812 who was subsequently elected President of the United States....

(Oak Hill High School

Oak Hill High School (Ohio)

Oak Hill High School is a public high school in Oak Hill, Ohio in Jackson County in Southern Ohio. It is the only high school in the Oak Hill Union Local School District. The high school and elementary school are both located just north of the city limits on Route 93...

), Lawrence County

Lawrence County, Ohio

As of the census of 2000, there were 62,319 people, 24,732 households, and 17,807 families residing in the county. The population density was 137 people per square mile . There were 27,189 housing units at an average density of 60 per square mile...

(Symmes Valley High School

Symmes Valley High School

Symmes Valley High School is a public high school in Willow Wood, Ohio 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 are Scarlet and Grey...

), Pike County

Pike County, Ohio

As of the census of 2000, there were 27,695 people, 10,444 households, and 7,665 families residing in the county. The population density was 63 people per square mile . There were 11,602 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...

(Waverly High School

Waverly High School (Ohio)

Waverly High School is a public high school in Waverly, Ohio in Pike County in Southern Ohio. It is the only high school in the Waverly City School District...

, Eastern High School

Eastern High School (Beaver, Ohio)

Eastern High School is a public high school in Beaver, Pike County, in Southern Ohio. It is the only high school in the Eastern Local School District. Their nickname is the Eagles and their colors are brown and white.-History:...

, and Western High School

Western High School (Latham, Ohio)

Western High School is a public high school in Latham, Pike County in Southern Ohio. It is the only high school in the Western Local School District...

), and Scioto County

Scioto County, Ohio

As of the census of 2000, there were 79,195 people, 30,871 households, and 21,362 families residing in the county. The population density was 129 people per square mile . There were 34,054 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile...

(Clay High School, Green High School

Green High School (Franklin Furnace, Ohio)

Green High School is a public high school in Franklin Furnace, Scioto County in Southern Ohio. It is the only high school in the Green Local School District...

, Glenwood High School

Glenwood High School (Ohio)

, Sciotoville Community School

Sciotoville Community School

Sciotoville Community School is a charter school in Sciotoville , Scioto County, Ohio, United States. It is also known as East High School...

, Valley High School

Valley High School (Ohio)

For schools of the same name, see Valley High SchoolValley High School is a public high school in Lucasville, Ohio in Scioto County in Southern Ohio. It is the only high school in the Valley Local School District...

, Northwest High School

Northwest High School (McDermott, Ohio)

Northwest High School is a public high school in McDermott, Ohio in Scioto County in Southern Ohio. It is the only high school in the Northwest Local School District...

, Minford High School

Minford High School

Minford High School is a rural, public, high school located in Minford, Ohio in Scioto County in Southern Ohio. It is the only high school in the Minford Local School District...

, Portsmouth West High School

Portsmouth West High School

Portsmouth West High School is a public high school in West Portsmouth, Ohio in Scioto County in Southern Ohio. It is the only high school in the Washington-Nile Local School District...

, Notre Dame High School

Notre Dame High School (Portsmouth, Ohio)

Notre Dame High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Portsmouth, Ohio, which is located in Scioto County in Southern Ohio. It is a part of the Diocese of Columbus. Their mascot is the Titans...

, South Webster High School

South Webster High School

South Webster High School is a public high school in South Webster, Ohio in Scioto County in Southern Ohio. It is the only high school in the Bloom-Vernon Local Schools district. Their mascot/nickname is the Jeeps, based on Eugene the Jeep...

, and Wheelersburg High School

Wheelersburg High School

Wheelersburg High School is a public high school in Wheelersburg, Scioto County, Ohio. 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 Southern Ohio...

).

See also Ohio High School Athletic Conferences and the Southern Ohio Conference
Southern Ohio Conference
The Southern Ohio Conference is an athletic conference in Ohio. The conference is also a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, the governing body of Ohio athletics. There are currently sixteen member schools in the conference. The S.O.C...

Softball

In athletics, the Clay softball team has won three OHSAA State Championships—1980, 1981, & 1983. The team was 79-1 in those three years under the direction of Carol Vice, a member of the Clay Coaches' Hall of Fame. In 1979 and 1988, the softball team was runner-up. The softball team has won 23 league titles, 29 sectional titles, 20 district titles, and ten regional titles along with three state championship banners. The softball team is the only team from Scioto County ever to win a state championship. In fact, the team was in the Final Four in nine out of the 11 years from 1978 to 1988. Carol and Clay Vice have their names/stars on the Portsmouth Wall of Fame in honor of their success and contributions to the Portsmouth area. The team's last appearance in the state tournament was in 2007.

Boys' basketball

The boys' basketball team made it to the OHSAA Final Four in 1969 under the direction of Arch Justus, who is also a member of the Clay Coaches' Hall of Fame and the Ohio Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. The team has also won 14 league titles (most recently in 2004-5), 23 sectional titles, three district titles, and one regional title.

Girls' basketball

The girls' basketball team went to the OHSAA Final Four in 1980. The team is still the only girls' Scioto County team and one of only two in the Southern Ohio Conference (Oak Hill being the other one) to reach that level. Terri Boldman, a member of the Clay Coaches' Hall of Fame and current high school assistant principal, guided the girls to the OHSAA Final Four. The girls' basketball team has won three league titles (1980, 2005, & 2005-06), 13 sectional titles, two district titles, and one regional title.

Baseball, golf, soccer, tennis, and volleyball

While softball, boys' basketball, and girls' basketball may have garnered the spotlight in years past, Clay teams have won numerous league, sectional, district, regional, and state titles. The boys' baseball team won the Regional title in 1944 and has also captured 21 conference titles, 8 sectional titles, and 5 district titles. The volleyball team has won seven league titles, 15 sectional titles, four district titles, and went to the regional tournament as recently as 2007. Most recently, the golf team won its ninth straight league title. The team also qualified for the state championships for three straight years between 2004 & 2006. The tennis team captured its first SOC title in 2005 and won it again in 2007 and 2008. In addition, the soccer team has won two league title and three sectional titles.

Ohio High School Athletic Association state championships, appearances, and records

Boys' Basketball - OHSAA Final Four Appearance - 1969 (Arcanum
Arcanum High School
Arcanum High School is a public high school in Arcanum, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Arcanum-Butler Local School District.-Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships:* Boys Basketball – 1956, 1969* Boys Track and Field - 1969...

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

Archbold High School

Archbold High School is a public high school in Archbold, Ohio, United States. It is the only high school in the Archbold Area Schools district. Their nickname is the Bluestreaks. They are members of the Northwest Ohio Athletic League.-History:...

18-6 & d. New Madison Tri-Village

Tri-Village High School

Tri-Village High School is a public high school in New Madison, Ohio, the only one in the district. It has existed as a high school for nearly one hundred years. Previously known only as New Madison High School, it changed its name to reflect the adjoined schools in Hollansburg, Palestine and New...

12-3 to finish season at 25-0)

1981 - (d. Jeromesville Hillsdale

Hillsdale High School (Jeromesville, Ohio)

Hillsdale High School is a high school in Jeromesville, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Hillsdale Local School District. Its mascot is the falcon....

7-2 & d. Beverly Fort Frye

Fort Frye High School

Fort Frye High School is a public high school in Beverly, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Fort Frye Local School District. Their nickname/mascot is the Cadets. They are members of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference....

21-0 to finish season at 29-0)

1983 - (d. Pioneer North Central

North Central High School (Pioneer, Ohio)

North Central High School is a public high school in Pioneer, Ohio. It is the only high school in the North Central Local Schools district. Their nickname is the Eagles. They are members of the Buckeye Border Conference.-External links:*...

8-7 & d. Mineral Ridge

Mineral Ridge High School

Mineral Ridge High School is a public high school in Mineral Ridge, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Weathersfield Local Schools district...

6-2 to finish season at 24-1)

OHSAA State Runner-up

1979 - (d. New Madison Tri-Village

Tri-Village High School

11-2 & lost to Jeromesville Hillsdale 1-4 to finish the season at 19-1)

1988 - (d. Sycamore Mohawk

Mohawk High School (Sycamore, Ohio)

Mohawk High School is a public high school in Sycamore, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Mohawk Local Schools district. Their mascot is the Warrior. They are members of the Midland Athletic League....

10-0 & lost to Strasburg-Franklin

Strasburg-Franklin High School

Strasburg-Franklin High School is a public high school in Strasburg, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Strasburg-Franklin Local School District. Their nickname is the Tigers....

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

Arcanum High School

Arcanum High School is a public high school in Arcanum, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Arcanum-Butler Local School District.-Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships:* Boys Basketball – 1956, 1969* Boys Track and Field - 1969...

10-4)

1986 - (lost to Archbold

Archbold High School

5-4)

2007 - (lost to Triad

Triad High School (North Lewisburg, Ohio)

Triad High School is a public high school in North Lewisburg, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Triad Local School District.-Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships:* Girls Softball – 1992...

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)

Clay Championship Banners/Titles

School fight song

"Clay High! / Clay High! / Three cheers for old Clay High. / Clay High! / Clay High! / For you we'll do or die. / Our hearts so true we give to gold and blue. / And so we pledge the best we have to you. / P / A / N / T / H / E / R / S / PANTHERS! / PANTHERS! / Panthers are the BEST!"

Words to the school fight song

Fight song

A fight song is primarily an American and Canadian sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. In both professional and amateur sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team...

were written by Wanda Lake, a Clay alumna.

Notable alumni, coaches, faculty, and staff

While many of the alumni, coaches, faculty, and staff listed below have not gained notable recognition abroad, all of these individuals are well-known figures in the Portsmouth and surrounding areas and they have made considerable contributions to the Clay Local School District, to the educational field, to the sports' teams they coached, and to the athletes and students.

Carl Bandy - He was a long-time teacher and administrator in the district.
Dale Bandy
Dale Bandy
Dale Bandy is an American basketball coach. He was head coach of the Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team from the 1974-75 season to the 1979-80 season . He was an assistant under Jim Snyder, who led his teams to 7 NCAA Tournament appearances and one National Invitation Tournament appearance...

- He is a 1956 Clay HS graduate and the son of long time administrator, Carl Bandy. He went on to play baseball and basketball at Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...

. He was an assistant under legendary OU basketball coach Jim Snyder
Jim Snyder
Jim Snyder was head coach of the Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team for 26 years . He led his teams to 7 NCAA Tournament appearances and one National Invitation Tournament appearance...

before taking over the reins in 1974 (1974–1980). He currently lives in Texas half of the year. The other half of the year he lives in Pennsylvania and is an assistant men's basketball coach for the California University of Pennsylvania
California University of Pennsylvania
California University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in California, Pennsylvania, USA. Founded in 1852, it is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Cal U's enrollment is approximately 9,400.The main campus consists of about 38 buildings situated on 92 acres...

Vulcans' squad under Bill Brown.
Terri Boldman - She is a 1968 Clay graduate, teacher (1972-current), coach (1974-81 & 1983-85), dean of students, current assistant principal, and member of the Clay Coaches' Hall of Fame.
Arch Justus - He was a teacher (1950-53 & 1958-83), principal (1968–77), superintendent (1978–82), and basketball coach (1959–83). He had a record of 394-169 while at Clay. His overall record was 532-220. He is also a member of Clay Coaches' Hall of Fame and a member of Ohio Basketball Coaches' Hall of Fame.
David Leightenheimer - He was a teacher (1963–86) and coach (1972–86). He is a member of the Clay Coaches' Hall of Fame and a member of the Ohio High School Officials' Hall of Fame
Kinney Long - He was a teacher (1939–71), principal (1946–47), and baseball coach (1939–71). He had a 408-160 record while at Clay and is a member of the Clay Coaches' Hall of Fame
Teresa Ruby - She was a student-athlete and a 1981 Clay graduate who holds numerous girls' basketball records, including most points (1,846). Her jersey number (14) was retired. She was a member of the 1980 Final Four girls' basketball and 1980 & 81 state softball championship teams and the 1979 state softball runner-up team. She was in the state softball final four tournament the first four years of its existence (1978, 79, 80, & 81) and returned as a coach in 2007. She played softball and basketball at Morehead State University
Morehead State University
Morehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S...

. She is currently the director of Southern Ohio Medical CenterHospice and is the assistant softball coach at Shawnee State University. She received a star on the Portsmouth Wall of Stars in 2009.

Carol "Burgess" Vice - She was a 1952 Clay graduate, teacher (1972–2002), coach (1978–88), and member of the Clay Coaches' Hall of Fame. As a softball coach, she finished with a 261-20 record. Her softball teams won three OHSAA state titles and were runners-up twice. She was inducted into the Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010; and she has a star on the Portsmouth Wall of Stars.

External links

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