Published: July 22, 2008 10:16 pm            

Cats QB now a Red Raider

The race between Charlie Wilson and Stryker Brown for the starting quarterback position at Dalton High is over. Wilson has transferred to The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn., Dalton athletic director Ronnie McClurg confirmed to The Daily Citizen on Tuesday.

“It’s true that Charlie Wilson has transferred,” McClurg said. “I hate to lose Charlie, but we wish him the best in his endeavor.”

Wilson, who was to be a sophomore next season, competed this spring with Brown for the starting quarterback job. Catamounts coach Adam Winegarden refused to elaborate on the situation.

“We’re playing Catamount football regardless of where (Wilson) plays,” Winegarden said. “ ... that’s a family matter and I’m not even going to go into that.”

Wilson did not go into the reasoning behind his decision either, other than to say he and his family had a discussion and decided the transfer was “a good opportunity.” He also said a starting quarterback for the Cats had not yet been named and that, as far as he knew, that door was still open.

Wilson said he has no ill will toward Winegarden or the school.

“(Winegarden) came down to my house and wished me the best,” said Wilson, whose father Pete was a quarterback for the Catamounts from 1979-81 and the starter his final two seasons.

“He hopes I do well up there. He wasn’t bitter about it and handled it well.”

“And he’s a great coach and it had nothing to do with him or DHS. He knew I already enrolled (at Baylor), so he knew there was no turning back.”

The 6-foot-5-inch, 170-pound Wilson said he will begin practicing with the Red Raiders on Monday and would not elaborate on what Baylor coach Phil Massey said his role on the team would be.

Brown (5-10, 150), who will be a junior and saw limited varsity action as a backup last year, will likely be the starting quarterback and replace Harrison Scott, a two-time Daily Citizen All-Area Team selection who was also the All-Area Player of the Year and a Georgia Athletic Coaches Association All-State pick in 2007.

Scott, who started the past three seasons for Dalton, will be an invited walk-on at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., next season.

The first day for official practice for Georgia High School Association football teams is Aug. 1, and the Cats will report to their traditional camp site in Bell Buckle, Tenn., that day for a week of preseason practices.



Daily Citizen sports editor Larry Fleming contributed to this story.

        

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