Defending champion Warren High School, on the strength of winning four Southeastern Ohio Athletic League championships, leads the chase for the 2012-13 William E. (Bill) Thomas All-Sports Trophy through the fall season.

Warren (28.5 total points) has a lead of 2.5 points over second-place Chillicothe (26), with Logan (24.5) third. Gallia Academy (18.5) is fourth, Jackson (17.5) fifth and Portsmouth (8) sixth.

The Warriors and Lady Warriors claimed outright, or shared, half of the SEOAL’s fall sports championships. Warren won the boys golf, boys cross country and girls soccer titles outright and shared the boys soccer crown with Chillicothe.

WHS was also second in girls cross country and tied for third in volleyball.

Chillicothe, in addition to sharing the boys soccer crown with Warren, claimed the volleyball and girls tennis titles and tied Jackson for second in football and was third in boys cross country and girls soccer.

Logan won the girls cross country title while placing runner-up in volleyball and boys cross country and taking third in golf and girls tennis.

Gallipolis won the league football championship and was second in golf and third in girls cross country.

In addition to tying for second in football, Jackson was second in girls soccer. Portsmouth’s best finish was a runner-up placing in girls tennis.

Warren is defending its 2011-12 crown after winning five championships last season to finish 11 points ahead of runner-up Gallia Academy.

All-Sports Trophy points are determined on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 basis in sports where all six schools field full teams. In other sports, points are determined as to how many teams competed for the title, with fractional points awarded in case of ties. At least four schools must field teams for points to count in a particular sport.

Since Portsmouth doesn’t have boys soccer, for example, those points were determined on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis. Four-team sports are scored on a 4-3-2-1 basis.

Chillicothe leaves the SEOAL for the South Central Ohio League after the current school year. Athens High School (in boys and girls soccer and boys and girls tennis) and Alexander High School (boys and girls soccer) join the league as associate members beginning next fall.

The SEOAL, one of the longest-running prep conferences in the state, was formed by William E. (Bill) Thomas of Wellston in 1925 and began competition with a boys track meet that spring, with 1925-26 being the first full season of conference competition.

Craig Dunn is the SEOAL media representative and sports editor of the Logan Daily News in Logan, Ohio.