This High School football season is ending with controversy surrounding the Hayfield Hawks and post season game play.
After Hayfield’s 2023-2024 season ending in a 6-5 record, the school decided to make some coaching changes. Darryl Overton became the new coach at Hayfield after leaving Freedom High School. Monte Fritts, the athletic director at Hayfield, hired Overton under the table, as Overton was coaching the girls varsity basketball team at Freedom and wanted to finish the season. On Feb 13th, 2024, the Hawks announced Overton as the new football coach. When Hayfield parents heard this, they expected player transfers to the school in order to follow the coach. Following the hire, the Hayfield athletic director informs Darin Thompson, the principal at Hayfield that players are expected to transfer to the team.
In early April 2024, the Virginia High School League (VHSL) received complaints about football player transfers to Hayfield, and later in April, nine students were transferred from the Freedom football program to the Hayfield track program. The players completed races without having to prove eligibility. Thompson addressed the football transfers and made it clear that he would resolve the issue. Fritts addressed the transfers in a statement to InsideNova.com- “The biggest way to play for Hayfield is to move into the district,” Fritts said. “Prince William has the specialty programs, but that doesn’t happen here. [Overton] understands that. We will follow the rules. The kids who live here will play.” Fritts statement acknowledged the transfer and said that he will approach future transfers in a safe and fair manner.
However, In Sept of 2024, Hayfield reported the ineligible track players after they had completed the school year before, and VHSL started their investigation, leading them to discovering potential coverups and inconsistencies within Hayfield’s athletic department. After further investigation, the VHSL issued a two year playoff ban on Hayfield for recruiting violations. The investigation took months to review after several reports stated around 30 players followed Overton from Freedom, even though they did not live within the Hayfield boundaries.
The VHSL then filed a report saying that 14 student players transferred, and in addition there were five students added from a private school and five incoming students. This proved to VHSL that the students were only transferring to play football and thus violated the league’s proselytizing rule, which according to High School On SI, “states that schools or groups of individuals representing schools can’t subject a student from another school to “undue influence” by encouraging them to transfer to participate in VHSL activities.”
In this closely watched legal battle, on Nov 15th, 2024, the Fairfax County Circuit Judge Manuel A. Capsalis granted Hayfield parents and players a temporary injunction against the Virginia High School League (VHSL) decision to ban the Hawks football program from postseason play over the next two seasons. At 3:37 p.m., the judge announced that, ‘Hayfield gets to continue to play football.’ The judge scheduled a hearing for Dec. 4 to discuss the case further,” according to the Fairfax County times.
However on Nov 25, Hayfield athletics announced the decision to drop out of further postseason play. According to an email sent out to all FCPS families by superintendent Dr. Michelle C. Reid, “Last week, several new and troubling text messages were brought to light and are now part of the ongoing review regarding Hayfield Secondary School Recruiting Concerns.” said Reid.
The Fairfax County Times obtained text messages from Frittes that “implicates [that] Monty Fritts, the athletic director at Hayfield Secondary School, in a controversial scheme involving alleged illegal recruiting, exploiting homeless loopholes, and possible conspiracy. The texts reveal Fritts’s candid discussions about questionable recruiting practices and motivations rooted in personal ambition and financial gain,” according to the Fairfax County Time. It is understood that Dr. Michelle Reid was aware of these messages sent by Fritts and continues to support the questionable recruitment practices that made Hayfield end up in court.
On Jan.11, Fritts sent a text to a person whose identity is unknown- however he clearly states “My principal really wants Overton.” In further conversation with the anonymous individual, he replies about Overton, saying “Will get kids from other schools to play with ya.” The person also states, “I’m not sure he will be able to get away with transfers at FCPS.” When Fritts found out that Overton’s methods might not pass the scrutiny within FCPS regulations, “Fritts dismissively suggests exploiting a loophole, saying, ‘There would need to be some change, but if they are homeless, nothing can happen.’
The person replies, ‘ True, just better actually be homeless.’
Fritts follows up with three laughing emojis
The texts underscore Fritts’s awareness of the potential fallout from these actions. ‘People would go bananas if we brought him,’ Fritts admits.
Despite this, he seems undeterred, stating his motivations plainly, ‘I like to win.’ He followed up: ‘And make money,’” according to the Fairfax County Times.
With all this new information being brought to light, “the day after reporting of those text messages, Fritts informed Fairfax County school officials he will resign, effective Dec. 2,” according to Sports Illustrated.
ABC 7 posted an article Nov 27 stating “according to court documents, Principal Darin Thompson told VHSL that he was not aware of unusual transfer activity from Freedom High School until June. However, Hayfield’s Athletic Director Monty Fritts indicated he had informed Thompson of the transfer months before.”
This new information has made all teams in FCPS frustrated as the football programs are in the middle of postseason play. As for Robinson, this conservancy has proved especially difficult. Will Krellwitz, a senior on the varsity football team, said “I tried to stay away from it and not let it distract me from my own season. I think a lot of it could have been prevented though, or taken care of earlier then when it was taken care of.” Since Krellwitz is a senior, this is his last season as a Ram. “It was kind of disappointing- it felt kind of like a letdown just from the county and from like VHSL.” said Krellwitz. As for the team, the Rams found out while preparing for the Lake Braddock game since FCPS let Robinson in the postseason play. “It felt like people with power should have done a better job. We would have known what we were getting into early on,” said Krellwitz when asked what he felt after FCPS released Hayfield would play instead. Andy Jimo, the athletic director at Robinson chose not to speak on the issue due to ongoing investigation.
