SWOHSHL History and The Talawanda Braves (Original material below from Beavercreek Ice Hockey Website)
Talawanda High School became a varsity program in 1986. THS joined the Southwest Ohio High School Hockey League (SWOHSHL) in the early 1990s.
The SWOHSHL, founded in 1985, holds an end of season, single elimination league tournament to determine the league champion before the beginning of District tournament play.
The SWOHSHL was founded in 1985 with the intention of strengthening hockey in southern Ohio. Centerville (1972), Moeller (1982), and Upper Arlington (1977) were among the established varsity teams that founded the league. Sycamore and Talawanda were added in the 1990s. Beavercreek and Troy joined in 1997 to expand the league to seven teams. Thomas Worthington and Worthington Kilbourne were admitted to the league in 1998 and St. Charles followed in 1999. A major expansion of the league occurred in 2002, when Dublin Coffman (2002), Dublin Scioto (2002), and Gahanna Lincoln (2002) fielded varsity teams and departed the Greater Columbus High School Hockey League. These three schools joined St. Charles, Thomas Worthington, and Worthington Kilbourne, and Upper Arlington to form the North Division of the SWOHSHL. In 2003, the Columbus area schools broke their ties with the SWOHSHL to form their own seven-team conference, The Capital Hockey Conference (CHC). The six remaining teams including Beavercreek, Moeller, Sycamore, Centerville, Talawanda, and Troy invited Springboro and St. Xavier to join the SWOHSHL to form an eight-team league. In 2005, the eight existing teams unanimously accepted the Alter Knights as new members. As a result of the addition, the SWOHSHL was reorganized into a five team North Division (Beavercreek, Alter, Centerville, Springboro, Troy) and a four team South Division (Moeller, Talawanda, Sycamore, St. X). More changes came in 2009-2011. Moeller left to join the CHC in 2009. Springboro moved to the South Division to balance the two divisions at four teams each in 2009. In 2010, Elder began its varsity program and was added to the South Division. Springboro returned to the North division in 2011.
The SWOHSHL Champions over the years…
Divisional Play Era since 2005-2006
Year North South Overall Tourney
05-06 Cville Tal Tal Bcreek
06-07 Bcreek Tal Tal Tal
07-08 Alter Tal Tal Tal
08-09 Cville Tal Cville Tal
09-10 Bcreek Syc Syc Cville
10-11 Cville Sboro Sboro Sboro
11-12 St. X
12-13 St. X Sboro
A felt banner that hung in Talawanda High School's old gymnasium was bought at auction by the Poetter family in 2013 and was updated with new lettering and numbers to reflect the SWOHSHL championships won by Talawanda.
THS SWOHSHL Champions
2003-2004; 2005-2006; 2006-2007; 2007-2008, 2008-2009.
THS won a district championship in 2004 and advanced to the State Final Four in Columbus that year.
Talawanda High School became a varsity program in 1986. THS joined the Southwest Ohio High School Hockey League (SWOHSHL) in the early 1990s.
The SWOHSHL, founded in 1985, holds an end of season, single elimination league tournament to determine the league champion before the beginning of District tournament play.
The SWOHSHL was founded in 1985 with the intention of strengthening hockey in southern Ohio. Centerville (1972), Moeller (1982), and Upper Arlington (1977) were among the established varsity teams that founded the league. Sycamore and Talawanda were added in the 1990s. Beavercreek and Troy joined in 1997 to expand the league to seven teams. Thomas Worthington and Worthington Kilbourne were admitted to the league in 1998 and St. Charles followed in 1999. A major expansion of the league occurred in 2002, when Dublin Coffman (2002), Dublin Scioto (2002), and Gahanna Lincoln (2002) fielded varsity teams and departed the Greater Columbus High School Hockey League. These three schools joined St. Charles, Thomas Worthington, and Worthington Kilbourne, and Upper Arlington to form the North Division of the SWOHSHL. In 2003, the Columbus area schools broke their ties with the SWOHSHL to form their own seven-team conference, The Capital Hockey Conference (CHC). The six remaining teams including Beavercreek, Moeller, Sycamore, Centerville, Talawanda, and Troy invited Springboro and St. Xavier to join the SWOHSHL to form an eight-team league. In 2005, the eight existing teams unanimously accepted the Alter Knights as new members. As a result of the addition, the SWOHSHL was reorganized into a five team North Division (Beavercreek, Alter, Centerville, Springboro, Troy) and a four team South Division (Moeller, Talawanda, Sycamore, St. X). More changes came in 2009-2011. Moeller left to join the CHC in 2009. Springboro moved to the South Division to balance the two divisions at four teams each in 2009. In 2010, Elder began its varsity program and was added to the South Division. Springboro returned to the North division in 2011.
The SWOHSHL Champions over the years…
Divisional Play Era since 2005-2006
Year North South Overall Tourney
05-06 Cville Tal Tal Bcreek
06-07 Bcreek Tal Tal Tal
07-08 Alter Tal Tal Tal
08-09 Cville Tal Cville Tal
09-10 Bcreek Syc Syc Cville
10-11 Cville Sboro Sboro Sboro
11-12 St. X
12-13 St. X Sboro
A felt banner that hung in Talawanda High School's old gymnasium was bought at auction by the Poetter family in 2013 and was updated with new lettering and numbers to reflect the SWOHSHL championships won by Talawanda.
THS SWOHSHL Champions
2003-2004; 2005-2006; 2006-2007; 2007-2008, 2008-2009.
THS won a district championship in 2004 and advanced to the State Final Four in Columbus that year.