The Ambridge High School football team has taken a hard hit with the recent transfers of five of the Bridgers’ top players. A few more also might leave.
Included among those who already have transferred are the team’s starting quarterback, leading rusher, leading receiver and an all-conference linebacker. Two of the players have transferred to perennial power Aliquippa. The exodus leaves newly hired coach Terry George baffled.
“I’ve been coaching football since 1981 and have never seen anything like this, not even at the college level,” said George, who was hired in mid-March. “This many kids transfer, and they’re mostly skill position players.
“I can’t answer why. You draw your own conclusion. I can’t sit here and say they left because we don’t have hardly any linemen returning next year. I think they felt next year was going to be a really rough season.”
Junior running back Davion Jones and his cousin, sophomore linebacker Tariq Jones, have transferred to Aliquippa. Davion rushed for more than 700 yards last season and Tariq was an all-conference linebacker.
Junior quarterback Austin French has transferred to Beaver Falls and sophomore Isaiah McNair, the team’s leading receiver, has transferred to Quaker Valley. George said sophomore John Prentice, the team’s starting center, has transferred to Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic.
Ambridge athletic director Brian Miller said both Joneses, French and McNair supposedly have established residence in their new school districts. WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley said when a student-athlete transfers and resides with a parent in the new district, the athlete is eligible without WPIAL approval unless the transfer is contested by a school that claims athletic intent was involved.
O’Malley said the WPIAL office has been informed of only McNair’s transfer.
Under PIAA and WPIAL rules, a student-athlete who transfers from a public to private or parochial school must have his eligibility first approved by the WPIAL.
Ambridge has not yet contested any of the transfers.
“We’ve been talking internally as a district about where [the transfer students] are physically living,” said Miller. “We’re seeking legal advice to see if there is anything we can do. … We don’t think any recruiting happened by the school districts. These kids left and thought there were better opportunities somewhere else.”
George said a few other Ambridge players also have talked about leaving.
Dan Bradley resigned in February after two seasons as Ambridge’s coach to become the coach at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Ambridge was 5-5 last season and made the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 2005.
“My biggest reason for leaving was my inability to create a team football atmosphere at Ambridge in collaboration with the school,” said Bradley. “We had some kids who were players and then quit the team. Apparently, I had something to do with that.”
George said about 30 players in grades 9-12 are signed up to play next season.
“This transferring just has to stop,” said George. “Participation numbers aren’t high as it is in many areas. If this transferring thing continues to happen, I don’t know what the future of football is in Beaver County, or even Western Pennsylvania.”
First Published: April 8, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
