[16thregioner]

Ashland has won 12 games in a row against Boyd, including the last 2 games in the district and region tournament which were won by a combined 51 points. The recording parent’s player scored single digits on 23% shooting with zero 3’s in those games. Boyd parents have held back players in several classes in an effort to win at boys basketball. When parents go “all in” like this and still end up losing, they’ll try to destroy anything in their way of basketball glory. Mays and Ashland are in the way. Therefore here we are now with a recording of Mays.

Boyd got Fairland senior transfer Gunner Short 5 years ago. He led their team in scoring and led them to a region title along with their “homegrown” talent of Blake Stewart and Talbott Taylor. In the last few years, the Boyd girls have added Cabell Midland’s McKenna Adkins, Charity and Payton Shears from West Virginia, East Carter’s Harley Paynter, Huntington St. Joe’s Hannah Roberts and Laney Whitmore, and Marshall coach’s daughter Taylor Bartrum. It is rumored more from George Washington WV are on their way for the coming season. In other words, Boyd athletics are launching stones at Ashland and Mays from a fragile glass house.

Mays has had one impact transfer who happened to be one of the best players ever in the 16th region, Colin Porter. Porter combined with the “homegrown” talent of Cole Villers, Ethan Sellars, Ethan Hudson, Justin Bradley, and Devaunte Robinson to give Mays a lot of success. Porter wasn’t even there the first year that Ashland won the region under Mays.

Overall, though, I’d say the evidence says that Mays isn’t much of a “recruiter”. Perhaps that’s why he’s not coaching college anymore. Cabell Midland’s Sean Marcum had 4 points and 5 rebounds a game in his one season there. James Mayor stands 6-10 but has yet to see the floor. Zander Carter is a very good player, but not a difference maker. I’d argue that Tucker Conway, who shot 55% from 3 last season was just as good, but just got his chance later on. If Mays was willing to entertain the call from the parent of the player who posted the stats I listed above, then Mays is not very intelligent. Maybe he deserves to be punished for that.

Rheyce Deboard transferred from Russell to Boyd prior to his freshman season. I suppose Boyd was OK with that? You think Russell was happy about it? It would have been interesting to see what he could have done with player of the year Brady Bell last season. Deboard led Boyd in scoring, though, and led them to the region title game last year. Deboard is at Ashland now. I can see how this would be upsetting to the Boyd parents who have gone “all in” looking for that trip to Rupp. Boyd would have been the clear cut region favorite next season with Deboard. Now it’s a bit closer.

With all that being said, what about the other schools in the region that don’t get the vast number of transfers that Boyd and Ashland do? How would you like to try competing against them year after year? The boys and girls basketball “transfer” and “recruiting” pendulum has swung back and forth between Boyd and Ashland over the past decade. Irony and hypocrisy are on full display in this situation.