Xenia loses Channels, but he's already back with Wayne
Transfer storyline spices up GWOC Game of the Week
By
Mark Gokavi
Dayton Daily News
HUBER HEIGHTS | There is a lot more to tonight's Xenia-Wayne football game than the transfer of Martin Channels.
But the player, both teams' coaches and others had plenty to say about the in-season move of a 6-foot, 310-pound defensive tackle with NCAA Division I offers.
Channels and his brother Lamar, both seniors, transferred last week from Xenia to Wayne.
He said his father and brother rented an apartment in Huber Heights. He also said his mother and other brothers are still in their home in Xenia.
A week after the switch, Channels and his Wayne Warriors teammates take to Xenia's Cox Stadium at 7:30 tonight ... as visitors.
"Our family thought it was in the best interests to make a move and this is our move," Channels said. "I play football. I'll just go out and do my best."
Personal reasons
Channels said issues with Xenia football coach Ed Mignery were part of the reason he left. He confirmed the reasons centered around a visit to Ohio State when the Buckeyes hosted Texas.
"There's a lot going on and a lot of misinformation," Mignery said. "All I can tell you is Martin attended the Texas-Ohio State game with two of his guests of his choice."
Were the coach and player getting along that night?
"As far as I know, we were," Mignery said. "He was a member of our team at that point."
The Xenia coach said a Boston College assistant coach was to stop by last Friday to recruit Channels. Obviously, that didn't happen. Mignery said all of the offers Channels had were from Mid-American Conference schools.
Paired with defensive back/running back Donnie Evege's transfer from Xenia to Wayne midway through last school year, the situation spices up the game between conference rivals.
"Everybody's going to talk and I can't control that," Mignery said. "People are entitled to whatever they believe. The people that know me know I am a man of integrity and I operate a disciplined program and parents are free to do whatever they choose.
"The people that are close to our program are overall happy and they like what we're doing."
OHSAA paperwork
Wayne Athletics Director Jim Sherard said the Channels family not only registered for school Sept. 17 but signed more paperwork requested by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
OHSAA Assistant Commissioner Duane Warns said this week that the "Affidavit for Bona Fide Residence" form was recently developed and approved in the past two weeks. The form is available at
www.ohsaa.org.
"It's just to make sure, it's just another layer that people were telling the truth," Warns said. "That when they said they moved, they were actually moving and they lived where they said they lived. If you have a notary public on it and you sign it and you're not telling the truth, you're actually perjuring yourself."
Warns said the school, in this case Wayne, is responsible to verify the new residence.
A new 'Warrior'
Wayne football coach Jay Minton said he questioned the Channels' move.
"I talked to Channels and I said, I don't know what happened and all that,' " Minton said. "It's a pretty extreme move, I guess I would say."
Neither Martin nor Lamar played last week against Springfield South.
"We felt like one day of practice (was not enough)," Minton said. "There's some integrity there. I feel bad for all the (Xenia) kids involved in this."
Coaches of the Greater Western Ohio Conference must still prepare for Channels, whose presence can change game plans. And while every OHSAA regulation has been met, South coach Aaron Shaffer said a midseason transfer isn't a good thing.
"I hope everything works out for (Channels). I don't know what the situation was so I really don't want to comment on it," Shaffer said.
"Somebody's got to look at something. It's such a bad precedent. He's not the only kid that's done it, but it's a tough thing."
Moving on
Mignery isn't too worried about any Xenia plays being passed on to Wayne players.
"We're going to do our thing," Mignery said. "Yes, there may be some knowledge going one way or the other. But it comes down to blocking and tackling and putting people in the right places."
He also said his team has turned the page, or at least it will after tonight's game.
"Our team will be on the field with Martin Channels or without," Mignery said. "We'll be out there just like somebody got hurt. ... I think our kids really rallied around the adversity.
"In this day and time where loyalty for some people, most people, it means a lot, but for some people it's a fleeting thing.
"We see it in the college ranks and it drifts on down into the high school level to a program. Some people just choose to go in a different direction."
Wearing Wayne's black and red, the Channels boys will be going in a direction counter to friends, ex-teammates and those who attend school with their other brothers.
"I've got a lot of friends in Xenia; half of them are on my side," Channels said. "I'm going to come out and do my thing."
Contact Mark Gokavi at (937) 225-6951.
