King of class

For Chelsea High School Principal Wayne Trucks, every day is a great day to be a Hornet. And, since August 2014, every day has also been a great day to wear a bowtie. 

Seldom is one missing from his daily attire.

“I’m probably not in a bowtie when I’m doing work around the house, and that’s really about it,” said Trucks, who entered his fifth year as Chelsea principal in August. “I wear one 99 percent of school days and to all the games and functions and things like that. It’s been neat.”

But Trucks’ embrace of the fashionable neck garb stems from more than just affection. In fact, it is rooted in superstition. 

Dating to his days as varsity girls basketball coach, a role he filled from 2007-12, Chelsea had struggled supremely against Briarwood Christian School, its neighboring rival. Not once in Trucks’ tenure did his Hornets prevail over the Lions. 

That pattern of futility extended to other sports as well, including football, in which Chelsea had particularly stumbled. Entering the 2014 season, Briarwood owned a 19-6-1 all-time record against its familiar gridiron foe. The Lions’ last defeat at the Hornets’ hands had come in 2006.

Tired of watching his teams lose, Trucks inserted fashion into the winning equation. 

“My second year as principal, we decided to change up the mojo, so to speak,” he said.

To accomplish that, Trucks attended Chelsea’s 2014 season opener against Briarwood in a suit and bowtie. It was his first time donning the traditional tie’s more discernible brethren, and it worked. 

On Aug. 29, Chelsea squeaked past Briarwood, 23-22, to snap a five-game losing streak that had spanned eight years. 

Trucks has worn a bowtie almost every day since. 

“I don’t want to mess up the mojo,” he said. “Since then we’ve had some success against Briarwood in football and basketball and a couple of other sports.”

Chelsea has since recorded three straight football victories over Briarwood, the most recent a 43-15 thumping in 2016. The Hornets sent their backups in to play the final quarter. 

“It clearly is the bowtie that makes the difference,” Trucks said with a grin, “so I’m continuing to wear it.”

And it accompanies him everywhere. 

He has donned a bowtie at cross-country meets, swim meets, wrestling tournaments and homecoming festivities. 

Luckily, he has quite the selection to choose from. 

As Chelsea’s success has swelled, so has Trucks’ bowtie collection. He has started to receive them as gifts from students, teachers, parents and friends. A recent closet count revealed he owns close to 50, many of them infused with a hue of royal blue — those are the ones he sports on game days with his suits.

“I try to be professional. I try to show that I’m serious about what we do here in the building,” said Trucks, who wears a suit almost every day, “but if I can add a little fun to it with a bowtie — and a crazy bowtie at that — I think it helps set a positive mood in the high school.”

And on the football field. 

Chelsea will aim for its fourth straight victory over Briarwood Sept. 1 at Lions Pride Stadium. Trucks, of course, will be there in his lucky attire. 

“I’m not going to change anytime soon,” he said. “If Briarwood happens to play better than us that night, I’ll probably keep wearing the bowtie.”