Patriot News
7/22
Hunters transfer to Harrisburg
All-state linebacker, brother leave Manheim Central
Thursday, July 21, 2005
By ROD FRISCO
Of The Patriot-News
Two-time all-state football player Jeremiha Hunter and his younger brother, Xzavier, have transferred from Manheim Central to the Harrisburg School District.
Jeremiha, a senior being pursued by numerous major colleges as a linebacker, and Xzavier, a junior linebacker, will attend Harrisburg's new downtown science and technology center -- known informally as SciTech High -- according to their father, Brian, and Harrisburg High head football coach George Chaump.
"They were enrolled on Monday," said Chaump, beginning his third season as head coach at Harrisburg. "We have open workouts, and they participated in the last two workouts with us."
Brian Hunter told several media last year that his sons would not return to Manheim Central, to which they transferred from York High three years ago. The Hunters, especially Jeremiha, played pivotal roles in the Barons' 2003 PIAA Class AAA state championship and Manheim Central's run to last year's state silver medal.
Brian Hunter said the decision to relocate was based on several factors, not the least of which was his Harrisburg-based business. The elder Hunter owns a truck that he drives for FedEx out of their Lockwillow Avenue facility.
"My wife works in York," Brian Hunter said yesterday. "Between putting in those miles and gassing up the truck, it was getting pretty costly."
Brian Hunter is well aware that the transfer will draw scrutiny, but the veteran football coach -- 15 years at various levels -- says that football is not at the core of it.
"If we were doing this for football, we would have stayed in Manheim, or we would have considered going to Bishop McDevitt, which we looked at," Brian Hunter said. "If we had moved purely for football, we would have ended up [at McDevitt].
"But we were so impressed with the SciTech school," Hunter said. "They run on a college schedule and use college courses. Both of my boys are interested in computers. I feel really comfortable with the academic setting they'll be in."
Jeremiha, a two-time Associated Press Class AAA first-team player, is clearly among the leading linebacker recruits in the nation this year.
His father said his top five list is Iowa, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia and Michigan with Ohio State, Purdue, Connecticut, Penn State and West Virginia in contention.
"We hope this [decision to transfer] puts things to rest," Brian Hunter said. "This has been the worst year of my family's life, and we're looking for a new start."
Manheim Central principal Arlen Mummau said last night that it is "unlikely" that the school will challenge the Hunters' transfer.
"When the Hunters came here from York three years ago, they came for several reasons," Mummau said. "The first was they wanted a comfortable environment for their family with a strong academic program. They also wanted a strong football program, but that was secondary.
"It appears now that they want to move for the same reasons," Mummau said. "For us to point a finger at them now would be contradictory. I'm going to be hard-pressed to say [the Hunters] are leaving strictly for athletic reasons.
"So I would say it is unlikely that we would move forward any challenge," Mummau said.
Manheim Central head coach Mike Williams declined comment on the matter.
ROD FRISCO: 255-8122 or
rfrisco@patriot-news.com
