The first matchup between City League boys high school basketball powers Dunbar and Thurgood Marshall has been moved from Friday at Dunbar to Sunday at Fairmont’s Trent Arena.

Other than competing with the NFL playoffs, it’s a great move. Dunbar is giving up home-court advantage. But the Trent is eventually where the Wolverines could play should the defending state Division II champs make another deep postseason run.

Dunbar (8-0) is idle until the showdown. The Wolverines blew out defending D-IV state champ and host Berlin Hiland 67-38 last Friday.

Thurgood (7-0) hosts North College Hill on Wednesday. Dunbar hammered NCH in mid-December, 88-47.

The reserves will play at 4 p.m., the varsity at 5:30. Whoever wins Sunday’s game likely will be No. 1 in the state when the Associated Press releases its first poll on Jan. 7. Thurgood is scheduled to host Dunbar in Round 2 on Friday, Feb. 8. That game also could move.

Taking a hit: Athletics at Wayne have already taken a hit from the fallout of three failed Huber Heights tax levies.

The school board recently tabled a motion to suspend sports and all other extra-curriculars should the levy fail again in May. Among those who have been told that they won’t be retained should the levy not pass is head football coach and athletic director Jay Minton.

Here’s what a longtime Warriors coach and Wayne grad shared after that emotionally charged meeting: “The biggest difference is now the kids ask ‘where should I transfer to?’ instead of ‘what can we do to get this to pass?’ “

And it’s not just students who are forward-thinking. Another Wayne coach said there would be no tough decision to stay or leave should sports be yanked: He’d land elsewhere.

Huber Heights has a great thing in its athletics program, especially football, boys basketball and track and field. Here’s hoping this isn’t the beginning of its end.

Tecumseh coach among inductees: Tecumseh baseball and boys basketball coach Roger Culbertson is among the individual inductees who will be added to the Springfield/Clark County Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday. He was a football, basketball and baseball standout at Greenon and excelled at Wittenberg University in football and baseball.

Joining Culbertson at Saturday’s banquet will be Bruce Brown (1969 North grad), Dave Simonton (Catholic Central ’70), and the 1975 WBLY and 1989 Kenton Ridge teams. The banquet will be held at the UAW 402 building, 3671 Urbana Rd.

Join the club: Sidney’s Konner Harris scored 21 points in a recent 56-23 defeat of St. Marys. That puts her over 1,000 career points and into fifth place among all-time high scoring Yellow Jackets.

Guiding grant: Vandalia Butler junior linebacker Mike Profitt has landed a National Athleadership Grant. Based on leadership qualities, academics, athletics and a written essay, the award is sponsored by NCSA Athletic Recruiting and the NFLPA.