All transferred to Wayne for their senior seasons with the exception of Caldwell. He became a transplanted Warrior as a junior.
Only Wilson isn’t a starter or projected to be. He was Chaminade Julienne’s leading rusher last season (833 yards, 16 touchdowns).
That’s a lot of relocated talent. Think winning doesn’t matter? Sure it does, along with education and college recruiting, either as a student or student-athlete. Every parochial school that’s worth a repeated spot in the football playoffs honors that three-subject code.
That’s what makes Wayne’s influx of athletic talent so unusual. A diverse public school and the pride of Huber Heights, Wayne is on an unprecedented roll, having reached the Division I football state title game in 2014 and winning the D-I boys state basketball title last March.
Others have noticed and want in on that desired collateral success.
“Kids are wanting to come here,” said Wayne football coach Jay Minton, who doubles as athletic director. “(As an AD) it makes you nervous and I know it makes our administration nervous sometimes and rightfully so.”
DeWeaver left Trotwood-Madison after starting in football state title games in 2012-13 and reaching the state semifinals last season. Alexander pulled out of Dunbar after pursuing an Ohio High School Athletic Association transfer provision that cites an “academically poor performing school.” McCleskey is from Thurgood Marshall.
Caldwell and George left Stivers. DeWeaver is verbally committed to Michigan State University. Caldwell signed with Bowling Green and George with Findlay.
All were cleared athletically by the OHSAA prior to becoming eligible Warriors. They aren’t the only area transfers this school year, but certainly the most to any one school.
If you’ve been around high school athletics, you know that kind of split allegiance isn’t popular. A lack of loyalty and the dreaded “R” word — recruiting — are common themes.
Loyalty is personal; recruiting must be proven.
It’s easy and more popular to switch in metropolitan areas compared to rural locales. About 10 years ago this paper asked Midwest Athletic Conference coaches about the recurrence of transfers among those Mercer, Auglaize, Darke and Allen county schools. They collectively laughed.
It might not have been as popular back in the day, but it sure is more normal now. College transfers — especially in basketball — frequent rosters more than junior college transfers. Pro teams flip personnel and coaching staffs because they can, some more often than others. We shouldn’t be surprised that m.o. has trickled down to high school sports.
The OHSAA adheres to a long list of transfer by-laws, which are amended each year. Woe to the athletic department that doesn’t commit to this mind-numbing stuff.
Wayne’s hike in transfer students is akin to the spike in social media. It’s relatively recent, it’s expanding and it touches a wide range of acceptance or not.
“As long as they do it the right way and (don’t) circumvent the rules,” Minton said, “I don’t know if you’re ever going to stop it.”
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