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WARREN – It’s official.
Lynn Bowden, a 2014 Division V first-team All-Ohio quarterback for Liberty High School, will play football at Warren G. Harding High School in 2015. The soon-to-be junior confirmed the rumors of his transfer from Liberty to Harding on Wednesday.
“Yes,” replied Bowden when asked if he is enrolled at Warren G. Harding High School. “My mom thought it was the best decision, and she has the say in everything.”
The 6-foot, 190-pound Bowden ran for more than 3,000 yards in two seasons at Liberty, capped by a 1,782-yard campaign last year as a sophomore, when he led the Leopards to a 10-2 mark and an appearance in the regional semifinal. Bowden, who already is being recruited by West Virginia University, also completed 36 of 70 passes for 761 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Bowden said he’s been playing running back during the few workouts he has had with the Raiders (a position he played as a freshman at Liberty), but he’s not sure what position he’s going to play when the season starts.
He could create a potentially scary tandem with Harding senior running back Keemari Murry, who ran for 1,178 yards as a junior last year, or he could compete at quarterback, a position where Harding used multiple players last year. Bowden said he prefers quarterback, but he’ll play wherever he’s needed.
Harding coach Steve Arnold also confirmed Bowden’s transfer, but he said he did not want to comment further at this time.
“That’s not fair to the kids who have been here,” he said. “He’s here, but I don’t want to discredit our kids who have been here. (Lynn) just got here.”
Bowden said he and his family recently moved to Warren. According to OHSAA bylaws, student-athletes who transfer to a different public school within 50 miles of their former school do not have to sit out half the season if they move into the school’s district. That would be good news for the Raiders, who are coming off a 2-8 season and could use a jolt after missing the playoffs the last two years.
Bowden is excited to see the difference from Division V to Division I, the Raiders’ classification. He said the first few interactions with his new team went well.
“It’s been good,” he said. “We’re getting a good bond. I like the guys out there.”
Bowden left Liberty after the school declined to renew the contract of Kevin Cylar, who had a close relationship with Bowden. Liberty graduate Chet Allen was hired by the Leopards in May.
Bowden said losing Cylar as his coach was tough, but he had to move on.
“I mean, at first it had an impact on me,” he said, “but it was like losing a game. You’ve got to get over it.”
Bowden, who also led Liberty’s basketball team by averaging 21.3 points per game, said he thinks he will play basketball for the Raiders, but he hasn’t made that decision yet. His mind is on football.
“My first goal always was, when I was a freshman, was to get Ohio player of the year,” he said. “The second goal is to maintain the same thing I did at Liberty and be a team player.”
Official football practices in Ohio begin Aug. 1.