District 10 approves Jefferson's transfer to Farrell

August 28, 2008 06:08 pm

— By Lynn Saternow
Herald Sports Editor

Preston Jefferson, who transferred from Sharon, is now an official member of Farrell High athletic teams.
By a 7-0 vote, the District 10 committee approved Jefferson’s participation in sports at Farrell, tossing aside contentions by Sharon administration that Jefferson had transferred for athletic purposes.
The committee, meeting at Oak Tree Country Club Thursday afternoon, heard testimony from officials from both schools, a Sharon player, as well as Jefferson’s mother, Latasha Jefferson-Sharper, and Jefferson.
Ms. Jefferson-Sharper said that the move was forced because the rent was increased by $200 in the house she occupied in Sharon. She showed evidence — signed letters from landlords — that she had tried to find a house in Sharon. But after being unable to find a place, she said a friend told her of an affordable house in Farrell.
Speaking in behalf of Sharon, Principal Len Rich said he felt the move was for athletic purposes because Farrell is a “higher profile” program because they’ve won state championships and “due to Farrell’s success against Sharon.” Farrell solicitor James Nevant pointed out that Farrell’s last state championship came in 1972, “maybe before Ms. Sharper was even born.”
“My main concern was to put a roof over our heads,” Ms. Jefferson-Sharper said. “I’m not going to switch schools for athletic purposes. It’s an insult to me that (Principal Rich) would even think that.
“It appalls me that anyone would be recruiting a high school kid.”
She added that if she was going to switch for athletic purposes it would have been to Brookfield, where she was a former basketball star, and other family members played.
She also said that she had a great relationship with Sharon basketball coach Brian Hoover, who attended the hearing, and added that she doesn’t even know the Farrell coach. Rich said he appreciated the relationship with Hoover because Sharon is proud to “have coaches who can serve as mentors and role models.”
Jefferson, a football and basketball player, will be on the field tonight when Sharon plays at Farrell on the gridiron. And he expects to be a member of the basketball team when the two teams battled it out in District 10 Class AAA this winter.
The hearing took a wll over an hour, but the committee decision took only a matter of a few minutes, since the main criteria for a legal move is residency.

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