Jaylin Gibson is taking his talents to Texas.
After playing an integral role for Evanston the last three seasons, Gibson is transferring to the Legacy School of Sport Sciences in Spring, Texas for his senior year.
Gibson cited the decision by the Illinois High School Association to shorten the boys basketball season as the key factor in his transfer.
“The main reason for transferring out was just the uncertainty of Illinois going to play this year,” Gibson said. “With this being my last year in high school, I wanted to make sure I gave myself an opportunity to compete against elite talent and showcase my development.”
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Losing the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Gibson is a major blow in Evanston’s goal of winning a Class 4A state title.
A varsity guard for all three years, Gibson is one of the top two-way players in the state for the Wildkits, who have produced a 61-9 record in the last two seasons.
Gibson said it was a tough decision to leave his teammates, but he viewed transferring as a better way to enhance his career.
“It was very hard to decide to leave,” Gibson said. “I didn’t want to leave my brothers or let them down. We had a lot of great times and went to battle together.
“Evanston is a great school and the coaches and teachers really care a lot. But I decided to take a chance on myself and try something new. It was hard to tell the team. I was nervous about it.”
Without Gibson, seniors Isaiah Holden, Blake Peters and Elijah Bull will take on bigger roles for the Wildkits. Holden said he was shocked by Gibson’s decision.
“It was definitely hard taking in the fact we’re losing such a key player,” Holden said. “Jaylin is a great teammate and always wanted to win no matter what it took.
“When he told the team he was transferring, we thought he was (joking). But when he made it official on Instagram, we had no choice but to wish him luck.”
Virelli to Iowa: Senior offensive lineman Domenic Virelli was among the first wave of football players to transfer out of state.
Virelli cited the IHSA’s ruling to play football with a shortened schedule in the spring as one of the main factors in his decision to transfer from Nazareth to Dowling Catholic in Iowa.
“I’m disappointed that I will not be able to finish what I started with my Nazareth family, on and off the field,” Virelli said via Twitter. “It’s been a dream situation to play for a legendary coach in Tim Racki and his first-class staff, side by side with some of the top talent in the state, and reach the title game all three seasons at Nazareth.”
In the spring, the Roadrunners also lost a pair of star players as senior quarterback J.J. McCarthy and senior wide receiver Landon Morris both transferred out of state.
Tidbits: IC Catholic senior running back Kyle Franklin narrowed his college choices on July 30 to Eastern Michigan, Northern Iowa and Central Michigan … St. Viator junior guard Joy Bergstrom added an offer from Loyola on July 30.
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.