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Oviedo has steep price to pay for FHSAA rules violations

The Lions will have to pay a $57,000 fine for wrestling and volleyball eligibility violations, but the toll weighs on athletes left behind.

By Buddy Collings, ORLANDO SENTINEL
4:44 PM EDT, May 3, 2011

Oviedo High School has a hefty $57,000 bill to pay for the indiscretions of wrestling and girls volleyball programs found guilty of violating numerous Florida High School Athletic Association player-eligibility rules.

That price tag potentially strikes a blow to all of the Lions' sports teams, all reliant on ticket sales and fundraising for survival. And there is an indeterminable price to be paid by wrestlers who will not have the opportunity to compete in postseason meets over the next three seasons.

Oviedo's wrestling program, state champions five times in the past eight seasons, is banned from district, region and state tournament participation through 2014 as part of restrictive probation announced Monday by the FHSAA.

"I feel very, very sorry for the athletes that are coming back, for those who have done it the right way and have worked hard and represented Oviedo High School well," school principal Bobby Lundquist said Tuesday. "I know it's going to be difficult for those wrestlers to find ways to be motivated. I wish that we had a better answer for them, but it's what the sanctions are and we're going to have to live with them."

One of Oviedo's underclass wrestlers, junior Charlie Mitchell, said it will be hard to live with. He had hopes of qualifying for state for the first time as a senior.

"It's terrible," Mitchell said. "We're not responsible for what happened. You can fire the coach if things are wrong, but the kids shouldn't pay the penalty. Without winning district, region and state, the colleges might not look at you."

One of Oviedo's graduating senior wrestlers, Eric Hedberg, said probation could prompt some wrestlers to seek another school.

"I would never leave Oviedo," Hedberg said. "But I can only imagine that guys who are relying on wrestling for college and trying to get their name out there might want to go to another school where they can go to state."

The FHSAA invoice, dated April 28, states Oviedo must pay legal fees and investigative costs of just under $10,0000 wiithin 15 days. The balance due in fines (about $47,000) typically would be due within 30 days of billing, but the FHSAA is permitting a payment plan, as it has done for other schools found guilty of violations. Oviedo must pay half of the penalties by June 1 and the balance by Feb. 1, 2012.

"No question, it hurts us," Lundquist said. "We're going to have to be very careful about our athletic expenditures."

The principal said he is conferring with Seminole school finance officials to find out whether funds can be used from accounts such as one that draws dollars when the school leases its fields for outside usage.

"Some of it will come from gate-receipt monies from this [school] year, and I'm sure some of that February payment will be out-of-gate receipts from our upcoming football season," Lundquist said.

J.D. Robbins, Oviedo's head wrestling coach since 2007 and previously an assistant, was suspended in February and resigned in March.

Oviedo terminated the rest of the wrestling staff in a housecleaning act that prompted the FHSAA to reduce the fine significantly.

Jen Darty, a former Oviedo volleyball standout, was appointed head girls volleyball coach in the fall after former coach Chad Long — an original target of the FHSAA inquiry — was suspended.

Scott Waisanen, coach of Oviedo's state championship girls soccer team, will become athletic director in 2011-12, with golf coach Matt Ackley assuming the role of assistant AD. Wes Allen is transitioning out of the AD position he has held since October 2009, but he will remain head football coach.

Lundquist must seek out a wrestling coach willing to take a team that can go only to regular-season meets for three years.

"We will advertise for a coach, look at all the options and move forward in a positive direction," he said.

bcollings@tribune.com. Read Buddy Collings' Varsity blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/varsityblog. Sign up for the Varsity sports newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.