Due to transfer rules, Wotorson was ineligible for the playoffs, and his importance to the team was evidenced in Warren’s first loss in three games against Oil City in the first round of the D10 4A playoffs. It burned Wotorson to sit and watch, given his future in basketball was in question for the first time in his life.

He’s never played for accolades, but he wanted to continue to play the game he loves for as long as he can.

“I started playing basketball when I was six years old,” said Wotorson. “I really began to like it and started to practice more when I was in fourth or fifth grade. My dad would help me with shooting and dribbling. During middle school was when I started to realize I was pretty decent.”

Years later, Hiram College men’s basketball coach Pierce Cumpstone agreed, and Wotorson will join the Division III Terriers in Hiram, Ohio, in the fall.

Leihden Wotorson helped Warren win its first region title in boys basketball since 1983. Photo by Mark Evans

“Our program was extremely excited when Leihden informed us of his commitment to Hiram College,” said Cumpstone. “It became clear, from early on in the recruiting process, that Leihden had the skill-set and all the intangibles to not only mesh well with the core group of student-athletes returning from the 2024-2025 season, but also for him to grow into a program-leading point guard over the course of a four-year college career. Leihden will be in a great position to learn from a handful of four-year upperclassmen during his freshman year, familiarize himself with our program’s values and goals, and begin the comprehension and application of our offensive schemes — all things which are so critical to becoming an impactful point guard at the college level. We recruited Leihden because of his abilities as a senior in high school, and so as we project into his sophomore, junior, and even senior years, we could not be more excited to plan for and be more confident in the future of our program with Leihden as a member of the Terrier family.”

Wotorson has seemingly always been ready for what’s next.

“When I entered high school, I knew that the next four years would go by quickly and that I wanted to be a collegiate athlete continuing to play the sport I love,” said Wotorson. “Just a few months ago, the process of looking into Hiram started and it went by quick. There were not many options, but once I got on Hiram’s campus and was able to speak with coach Cumpstone, I knew that is where I wanted to be.”

Graduating Magna Cum Laude on Friday, Wotorson was recently nominated for the Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit 5’s C.L.A.S.S. Act Emerging Leader Award by Warren Area High School.

“A respected figure among his peers, Leihden’s leadership journey has spanned two high schools – Sheffield Area High School and, more recently, WAHS – where he has excelled both inside and outside the classroom,” according to the WAHS. “Known for his relentless positivity and drive, Leihden embodies the core values of the C.L.A.S.S. (Character, Leadership, Attitude, Scholarship, Service) Act.”

In other words, he WILL have options as he begins studying accounting and financial management in the fall.

“Over the summer, not only will I be continuing to improve my basketball game, but I will be focusing on getting my body right with lifting and conditioning, making sure I am doing my best to be prepared to be a college athlete,” said Wotorson. “Doing things like improving eating habits, running, and getting my mentality right.”

He’ll continue to lean on a strong support system.

“Bernard Edwards has been one of the biggest mentors in the past few years of my life,” said Wotorson. “He is not just my AAU coach, he’s a guy who I would be able to call or text anytime and he would be happy to listen to what I had to say. The energy he brings everyday is motivating considering he is a former pro. I have learned lots from him and will continue to learn many more things about not just basketball, but life.

“I try to take every piece of knowledge about the game I can,” said Leihden. “The mental aspect of the game is just as important as the physical aspect. If you’re not able to take constructive criticism and focus on the next play, it will be rough. That is something I believe I am pretty good at. No one is perfect, so it is important to move on after every possession and think about what to do next.”

It goes without saying, Leihden is extremely coachable.

“About this time last year, we found out he was going to be transferring to Warren so as a coach, I was super excited for us to have an opportunity to work with him,” said longtime WAHS coach Jeff Berdine. “We had heard nothing but good things about him from his previous coach and athletic director at Sheffield as well the Warren players he was close to. I will say that I fully believe he lived up to those expectations as a student-athlete, a leader, and teammate.

“I couldn’t be happier for him with getting the opportunity to play at the college level,” added Berdine. “In the short time we worked with him, it was evident he ‘got it’ when it came to meeting the expectations we have set for our student-athletes at WAHS. He has put a lot of time and effort into basketball and his academics. Hopefully other players see this opportunity exists because he made it happen with his effort and commitment to both.”

It’s not by luck Wotorson was a team captain for two different schools in back-to-back seasons.

“Leihden is in the position he is because he never gave up on his dream,” said his mother, Heather, “putting in countless hours of practice and overcoming every obstacle along the way.”

For Leihden, it’s all about continuing to play the game he loves.

“Every year I am grateful to be able to continue to play this game so that is really the highlight,” he said. “Being able to play school ball, then AAU, and other summer leagues is just a blessing because I love this game and to be able to play year-round is amazing.”