Football: Five Hart players are penalized for following youth coaches

Five freshman football players at Newhall Hart won't be allowed to play varsity football next season after violating a CIF rule that bars athletes from following a youth, club or high school coach to another campus, Athletic Director-varsity Coach Mike Herrington said.

All five players received intra-district transfers to attend Hart and played for a 10-0 freshman team whose coaches previously worked with the players in youth football. Hart failed to report that the players had a prior contact.

Herrington said he had been unaware of the three-year-old CIF rule that was put into place to prevent athletes from following youth, club and high school coaches from school to school.

The violation was first reported by the Santa Clarita Signal.

Here's the news release from the William S. Hart Union High School District.

-- Eric Sondheimer