That wasn't good enough for the mother of junior Simi Fili, now a Cottonwood star defensive lineman.

Fili's mom showed up in the weight room one afternoon with her 325-pound son in tow. He'd been at Juan Diego and Highland, and the boy's grades were atrocious, she said. Over months, the boy's family had been negotiating with three schools as coaches vied for his athletic talent. Meanwhile, Fili was flunking out. Cottonwood was the only school talking about Fili's grades and education, said mother Le'o Fili.

"I knew that I needed help with him," she said. "Cottonwood already had the program in place. It felt like a good fit for Simi."

He landed on the Colts' roster. Last week, he was in study hall working with tutors paid by Cate. He is maintaining his grades.

These kinds of stories don't make the view from the Kearns bench any easier to take.

Bills counted 11 players living within the Kearns boundaries on rival Hunter High's sideline during a lopsided loss this season. "You don't mind getting beat," he said, "but you hate getting beat by your own kids."

Certain schools are magnets for parents who think their children can thrive athletically and possibly earn college scholarships. Recruiting allegations have swirled for years, most notably around perennial power Skyline.

Lately, talk has shifted to Cottonwood, a team that until last year endured 17 straight losing seasons. The Colts lost in the 4A championship game last November and are poised for a state title run this season. The team's star running back, Stanley Havili, lives outside the area as do several other top players.

Athletic transfer requests, including boys and girls in all sports, to the east-side school have ballooned from six in 2002 and 2003 to 20 last year and 17 this year, according to UHSAA. But there are still eight schools with more transfers in 2005, including leader Skyline with 28.

Open enrollment appears inherently at odds with UHSAA guidelines that ban students from transferring for sports. UHSAA revised its rules this past spring to crack down on coaches who lure athletes to their schools through summer camps and club teams.

Nevertheless, UHSAA processed 785 transfer requests this year.

Athletes switch schools for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the chance to be noticed by college recruiters. That isn't a reason to transfer as far as UHSAA is concerned.

"I have no interest in whether your son or daughter gets a scholarship," said Evan Excell, UHSAA executive director. "Our interest is participation."