Logan Wolfrum is the classic hometown hero, mostly. A basketball star at Ayersville High School in Defiance, Ohio, he grew up in the small town where he now plays at Division-III Defiance College. He attended Yellow Jackets games as a child, and his grandfather is in the school’s Hall of Fame.

Wolfrum’s story, though, took an unusual turn 15 days after his high school graduation. He became a father.

“I think it just helps put everything into perspective. Being out there on the court, trying to be a leader for the team,” Wolfrum said. “It’s also helped me in a maturity way, too. You grow up a little bit faster and have more responsibility than most college students have.”

His basketball career, in many ways, parallels his fatherhood. As a freshman at Defiance, he was thrown into the starting lineup days before the season-opener. He’s now the Yellow Jackets’ (14-9, 10-7 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference) leader, having surpassed the 1,000-career point mark on Dec. 17. He also began a full-time job last week, and is the proud father of 3-year-old Evan.

“It’s been a great experience, being a father,” Wolfrum said. “It’s a lot of hard work, going to school, being a father, playing basketball, maintaining a family life, but it’s all been worth it.”

Wolfrum and his fiancée Kelsey Dockery met at Ayersville five years ago, dated for four years, and had Evan Charles Wolfrum on June 10, 2009. But Dockery was still a junior in high school, carrying a 4.0 GPA as president of the student council, along with running cross country and track and field. Wolfrum was about to enter college.

“It was really stressful,” Dockery said. “Definitely weren’t completely ready…There was so much going on, but we had a lot of support from our family, which made it a lot better.”

For a month after Evan was born, the couple stayed primarily at Dockery’s house. But after that and until now, they stay three to four nights a week at each other’s houses.

Wolfrum arrived at Defiance what head coach Kyle Brumett envisioned as a key bench player. But when starting guard Mike Floyd picked up an injury during Wolfrum’s freshman season, he stepped in and was an immediate scoring threat. Wolfrum earned a permanent starting spot as a sophomore and has started all but two games since.

As he’s become a leader on the court, he’s grown into the leader of a family.

“Not that having a child in any way is a negative, because it hasn’t been, but it’s another responsibility that young people don’t often have to deal with at that age,” Brumett said. “And he’s done it without missing a beat.”

Dockery and Evan can usually be found in the first row of the Karl H. Weaner Center, watching Wolfrum. Last year, Evan ran onto the court a few times, and now shoots baskets at halftime with Brumett’s young sons.

“They always have to be doing something. They never sit still,” Dockery said of Wolfrum and Evan.

Evan and Dockerywatch their dad and soon-to-be husband’s almost folk-like heroics. Last season, Wolfrum hit five game-winning shots. Against Manchester this year, Wolfrum scored 19 of his team’s last 21 points in a dramatic, come-from-behind victory.

Dockery now also attends Defiance, where she studies early childhood education.

“I’m constantly learning about kids, so that’s helped me a lot in the past three years, being a better mom and understanding Evan a little bit more,” she said. “And it’s helped me be a better teacher because I have a kid of my own.”

Wolfrum, Dockery and Evan will move into their own home in Defiance this summer, where Dockery said they’ll try to relax after the busy year.

“There are so many people who are extremely proud of him,” Brumett said. “And there’s nothing that this young person does that has ever let us down. He’s had to grow up pretty quick. And he’s done it very maturely.”

Four to five hundred guests, most from the Defiance community, will celebrate at Wolfrum and Dockery’s wedding on Aug. 3 at St. John’s Catholic Church. Evan will walk Dockery down the aisle and eventually join the couple’s first dance.

Evan will also take another special role. Wolfrum’s brother Jon will be his best man, but Evan will be standing next to him as his “little best man.”

Published on February 14, 2013 at 1:40 am

Contact Josh: jmhyber@syr.edu