Oak Harbor basketball standout Stokes transfers to Arizona prep school

With a nod toward connecting with his father for his final year of high school, former Oak Harbor standout two-sport athlete Ethan Stokes has transferred to Rancho Solano Preparatory School in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Stokes, a 6-foot-5 guard-forward for the Rockets’ basketball team and a wide receiver on Oak Harbor's 12-1 football squad last fall, will begin at his new school on Aug. 7, residing with his father, Stone Stokes.

Ethan Stokes was named first team All-Northern Buckeye Conference in basketball last season, when he averaged 19.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Rockets. He was chosen to the Division III all-district second team, and received special-mention All-Ohio recognition.

In football, Stokes was Oak Harbor's second leading receiver behind first team Division V All-Ohio senior receiver Jaqui Hayward, totaling 28 catches for 509 yards and six touchdowns for the fourth-ranked, NBC-champion Rockets.

At Rancho Solano, Stokes will join head coach Aaron Trigg's varsity basketball team, likely as a starter. He played with his new teammates during their off-season games in June. The school does not have a football team.

The Mustangs are coming off of a 24-6 finish in 2023-24 and were the Arizona 2A state runners-up. The school is 13 minutes from his father's home.

“Part of it was just to go live with my dad, and another part of it was that it'll better help me transition to the next level,” Stokes said of his move to Arizona. “We play good competition. We have Sierra Canyon on our schedule, and teams like that.

“They [the Mustangs] go to the state championships quite a bit. It's a smaller school, but during the season they play some really big schools. When the playoffs come, they're prepared for it.”

Sierra Canyon was where LeBron James' son, Bronny James, had played through 2023 before going to Southern California last season and being drafted recently by the Los Angeles Lakers.

“One of things me and my dad talked about was that I don't want to have any regrets once it's over,” Ethan said. “I didn't want to have that opportunity and not take it.”

In addition to spending time with his father, Stokes, who has one Division I college basketball offer from Bethune-Cookman University in Florida, believes he will have a higher probability for recruiting exposure at Rancho Solano.

Ethan Stokes is currently in Georgia with his Ohio Buckets travel team playing in the Peach Jam national tournament. One of his teammates on the Nike Elite Youth Champions League team is Whitmer senior standout Makhi Leach.

Stokes' parents — father Stone and mother Holly Ontko — separated when Ethan was 3, and their son remained with Holly in Oak Harbor for his entire school career from kindergarten through his junior year.

His decision to leave his hometown, his mother, and most of his lifelong friends was not easy one.

“When he first told me and decided it was a real option, I will tell you that I cried for probably an entire weekend,” Ontko said of her reaction. “It grew on me, though, when I went out there to visit the school and met the coaching staff.

“He told me, 'Mom, I'm leaving for college next year anyway. It's just one year earlier.' It is a very good opportunity for him to attend this prep school. I'm excited for him now, but it took a while to get me to this point.”

What convinced her?

“Honestly, it was because he really wanted to do it, and I didn't want to hold him back,” Ontko said. “He's been with me for the first 17 years of his life, and it's time for him to spread his wings. If he wants to spend time with his dad before he goes off to college, I think it's only fair.

“He is almost an adult, and this was the decision he made, so I'm supporting him and backing him on it.”

Saying farewell to his school friends will also be difficult for Stokes.

“That was the hardest part for sure,” he said, “because they're all I've really known since I was growing up. I talked to a lot of them about it. A lot of them told me to go because it's better for me.

“I love football. They will definitely have a good team. We had been talking about football with my class for so many years because we were always good. That's going to suck not being there for my senior year for football.”

Although he has swayed his mother's opinion on the move, leaving her behind will be a challenge.

“That's definitely going to be tough,” he said. “At first, she didn't want me to go. But then she went out there in June with me, and she saw that it was going to be a better opportunity for me. She said she just wants what's best for me.”

Ontko will board a plane for Arizona with Ethan and his maternal grandmother on Aug. 5.

“I'm flying him out and I am taking my mom with me so that she can take care of her baby on the way back,” said Ontko, who has maintained a mutually respectful connection with Stone Stokes. “We get along great and, from day one, we agreed that Ethan would be our business, and our business was to raise our son. We have always worked really well together doing that.”

Both parents were high school athletes, Stone in basketball and football in East Liverpool, Ohio, and Holly as a volleyball player and track standout at Oak Harbor. Her 31-year-old 400-meter school record (58.3 seconds) was just broken this past spring. She placed fifth at state in the 400.

Also adjusting will be the Oak Harbor teams that Stokes leaves behind.

“He used go out there and spend the summers with his dad,” Oak Harbor basketball coach Eric Sweet said of his star player. “But, over the last four years, he hasn't gone out there as much because of playing sports — travel basketball and football.

“I just think it was something Ethan wanted to do, and he and his dad are excited for the opportunity. I'm sad to see him go. He was a big part of our program, and had a great last three years. He scored over a thousand points.”

Sweet maintained perspective on his program's loss.

“I knew this was going to happen eventually because he was going to graduate,” he said, “so when he was [eventually] gone we were going to have a big hole to fill. It just kind of happened sooner than his graduation.

“This summer he didn't play with us at all, so the kids kind of got a feel for what it's going to look like without Ethan out there. We actually got some reps and opportunities to figure out who we are as a team without our All-Ohio player. It's definitely a challenge and something that's changing us, but we had a good summer and were able to figure a few things out.”

As far as Stokes' departure, Sweet expressed empathy.

“I understand 100 percent,” the Rockets' coach said. “I'm not upset, and I won't say that I'm disappointed either, but it does hurt the program. I get that [family] aspect of it because I've got two boys, and I want to be around my kids. I played for my dad, and hopefully my boys are going to play for me some day.

“I've known Ethan since he was in second grade. He's gone the through the program. Kids graduate, and we just thought we'd have one more year. I'm sad that I don't have him for four years but, in the three years he was here, he did a lot of great things for us. I told him, 'I wish you the best. I'm sad to see you go, but I also understand why you're doing it too.' It is what it is.”

Ontko, whose job provides her with the flexibility to work remotely, plans to travel to Arizona for the Christmas holidays to visit Ethan, and to be there for his senior-night game. She also hopes to attend some games in between, but has not yet finalized those plans.

“I couldn't be more proud of him,” Ontko said. “He has a great attitude. He is a very good team player. I'm really proud of him to make this decision. It's not easy to pick up and leave.

“He's been at the same school his entire school career from kindergarten on up, so I know it's a big thing for him to do this his senior year. He made his first big adult decision, and I'm fully supporting him.”