Lone Peak star given eligibility as transfer

MIDVALE — Lone Peak running back and quarterback Scott Lefrandt can play football for American Fork despite starting the season with the Knights and admitting his transfer occurred because of a dispute he had with Lone Peak's head football coach.

A panel made up of three members of the Utah High School Activities Association's executive committee voted unanimously to allow Lefrandt athletic eligibility because Lone Peak coach Monte Morgan admitted to swearing at him and grabbing him by the pads to talk to him during a game. Morgan, who has been a head coach for 16 years, was suspended for one game by Lone Peak administrators for his conduct, which is what panel members said forced them to allow Lefrandt to transfer.

"Had that not happened," said UHSAA attorney Mark Van Wagoner, "he would not have been allowed to play."

Van Wagoner said the panel, made up of a principal and two administrators from 1A and 2A schools, felt Lefrandt was responsible for much of the bad blood between himself and coach Morgan. Still, nothing could justify Morgan's conduct.

"This panel believes this student was provocative, intentionally defiant ... and that following the incident he chose American Fork in large measure because of its football program," said Van Wagoner. "The panel permitted him to transfer because they are the only remedy available to a student subjected to the kind of misconduct alleged, show and admitted to by the coach."

He said the panel had no choice but to respect the decision of Lone Peak administrators to discipline Morgan for what district policies and UHSAA policies deem as abusive.

"The association will not add its weight to keep this kid from playing where his coach has been found to be in violation of district and association policies," Van Wagoner said.

When asked about what message the decision sends, Van Wagoner said, "If you are a coach who violates district policies and physically and verbally abuses a player, then there is some chance that we will let him play somewhere else. His season was stopped by the coach's wrongful behavior."

Morgan said that he grabbed Lefrandt by the pad that protects a player's chest in order to turn Lefrandt toward him because Lefrandt had said something critical about the offense. The player yelled at the coach not to touch him, and pushed Morgan's hands off of his gear. Then Morgan told Lefrandt he was out for the rest of the game, and Lefrandt said, "You're a great coach, and pats me on the head," said Morgan. Lefrandt did admit to saying, "That's great, coach," as well as patting him on the back.