‘God bless the referee’: Hayfield football families are keen to put allegations surrounding the program behind them

On November 22, 2024By Littum

Hayfield Secondary’s football team defeated Edison in the first round of the playoffs Thursday night, 75-7, less than a week…

Hayfield Secondary’s football team defeated Edison in the first round of the playoffs Thursday night, 75-7, less than a week after a judge ruled they could play in the postseason.

Under first-year coach Darryl Overton, the Fairfax County school had been accused of improperly recruiting at least a dozen players from other schools. The Virginia High School League issued a two-year suspension after the season, saying the Alexandria football team violated league rules.

But on Friday, a judge allowed the team back into the playoffs, frustrating other playoff-bound schools whose first-round games were already set.

“All I could say is, ‘God bless the referee,'” said Hamdael Omar, whose nephew is on Hayfield’s team. “Nobody in this world could take away how hard these kids work. We’ve been here in the offseason, during the season, and now we’re in the playoffs.”

But Maisi Julian, whose son plays on Edison’s team, felt differently. Hayfield, she said, is using “this county and these games to pad their players’ scores and stats.”

“Anyone who takes five or 10 minutes to look at it can see that there are inconsistencies and injustices that have occurred,” Julian said.

After the allegations surfaced, FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid launched an independent investigation. Overton, who previously coached at Freedom High School in Woodbridge, had been accused of recruiting many of his former players to switch to Hayfield.

In August, Reid said the school department’s review found no evidence of wrongdoing.

So with its roster cleared, the team moved on through the regular season. But then the VHSL issued the postseason ban, which the judge then overturned.

A woman who identified herself as the aunt of a Hayfield player said Overton’s success has been viewed negatively.

“It’s what they love to do, and they’ve done a good job, and then they’re told they can’t, and then they can again, and then they can’t again,” she said. “So it’s just been very distracting.”

Earlier this week, six Fairfax County football coaches sent a letter to Reid threatening to boycott the postseason if Hayfield is allowed to participate. Those coaches met with her, and in the aftermath of that meeting, Reid promised to conduct an outside investigation into all student-athlete transfers and review athletic protocols.

Rick Perry, who attended Thursday night’s game, said, “Hopefully everything will work out. The truth will come out if it isn’t out already.”

The next court date in the Hayfield case is scheduled for next month.

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