The UIL logo is seen at the high school baseball state championships Friday, June 5, 2026, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.
Miles Meador
Special to the Star-Telegram
A University Interscholastic League employee guided Euless Trinity’s head football coach through the filing of a prior athletic participation form for a high-profile player who was ultimately ruled ineligible, according to public documents obtained by the Star-Telegram.
The student-athlete in question is John Meredith III, a five-star recruit who is now enrolled at the University of Texas. He reclassified to the class of 2026 and left for college after his transfer from Euless Trinity to play for North Crowley for his senior season was denied by the District 11-6A executive committee in June and his appeal for athletic eligibility was denied by the UIL State Executive Committee in July.
Meredith’s name was redacted in the documents, but his identity can be inferred due to hearing dates and context, which includes the athlete’s brief desire to return to Trinity, something that is mentioned in the records and came up during his UIL SEC hearing.
Trinity head football coach Aaron Lineweaver’s name is also redacted in the documents, but his identity can be inferred based on text messages discussing the signing of the prior athletic participation form (PAPF), a task Lineweaver acknowledged performing in the UIL SEC hearing.
After the hearings, the eligibility of Meredith, the former No. 1 recruit in Texas, remained at Trinity.
Meredith transferred to North Crowley in January, prompting communication spanning seven months between UIL Assistant Athletic Director AJ Martinez and Lineweaver.
UIL Executive Director Jamey Harrison told the Star-Telegram in an interview Thursday that Martinez had multiple phone conversations with the coach prior to the text messages and had previously received information related to the transfer that suggested the move was made for athletic purposes.
“We are absolutely asking coaches to complete these forms honestly based on the information they have,” Harrison said.
Harrison said Martinez did not have a preference in how the PAPF was handled, saying he was only wanting the coach to file honestly and accurately.
Harrison has said the UIL has handled about 17,000 PAPFs in the past year.
“[The PAPF] wasn’t singled out,” Harrison said. “That is one of many that we go through the exact same process with. … When there is [a case] with that level of allegations, we always start by reaching out to the schools involved.”
UIL walks coach through the process
On Jan. 21, Martinez initiated a text message exchange with Lineweaver, requesting documentation regarding Meredith’s eligibility.
“Coach, can you send me an email about the situation we have been talking about,” Martinez wrote. “Explain on this email that had North Crowley submitted a PAPF, you would’ve checked that the kid was moving for athletic purposes and explain why.
“Looking for an avenue that could allow this kid to come back to your school,” he wrote, referring to Meredith’s potential return to Trinity. “Include timeline of when kid unenrolled at your school and enrolled at NC.”
UIL checks on Meredith’s status
Six days later, on Jan. 27, Martinez checked on Meredith’s status at North Crowley and asked if he wanted to return to Trinity.
Lineweaver told him Meredith was enrolled at North Crowley, but was under the impression he missed his old school and wanted to return.
“We could find a way for this kid to come back and be good,” Martinez wrote. “But we need to know for sure he is going back and does come back. I shouldn’t say find. We have current language in our constitution that would allow us to waive the eligibility requirements in this case.”
Lineweaver responded, saying, “All good, … thank you for everything.”
Three days later, on Jan. 30, Lineweaver told Martinez that Meredith would enroll at Trinity the following week.
“Good deal,” Martinez wrote. “Please let me know when he does.”
But Meredith never transferred back. On Feb. 3, Lineweaver informed Martinez that Meredith was staying at North Crowley and would rely on a rule that was redacted in the documents. In Meredith’s SEC hearing, the case did not involve residency because of his mother’s position as a peace officer and her recent marriage, which is considered a major life event by the UIL and precludes strict residency rules.
“Interesting,” Martinez wrote. “Please make sure you mark for athletic purposes. Moving for athletic purposes would trump any residency exceptions.”
Harrison told the Star-Telegram the coach had previously intended to mark the transfer for athletic purposes based on the information that was relayed to Martinez in phone calls.
“So, [Martinez] reminded him of that because we want coaches to answer that form honestly,” Harrison said. “We do have cases where if a student appears to not be in compliance with the parent residency rule, coaches will skip over the changing schools for athletic reasons portion and rely on the residence rule.”
Martinez on the case: ‘We have eyes on it’
On Feb. 11, Lineweaver reached back out to Martinez, saying the following:
“Still have not received a PAPF,” he wrote. “Their new stance is that the mother’s circumstance changed after the season and that’s the reason for the move to [redacted]. But enrolled at North Crowley, she did in fact [redacted] after the season and move.”
Martinez responded, saying residency would not be an issue.
“They would probably be good there,” Martinez wrote. “But moving for athletic purposes is the issue. That is how the PAPF could potentially be denied.”
Lineweaver then asked about whether the current or previous district executive committee (DEC) would make the vote.
Martinez informed the coach that the newly formed District 11-6A with schools such as Duncanville, North Crowley and Waxahachie would make the ruling.
Lineweaver responded:
“New district is the i20 [Interstate 20] guys, probably won’t get denied in that DEC, but I have to do what’s right and let them decide.”
Martinez responded:
“Correct, but the difference with this one is we have eyes on it already.”
Two weeks later, on Feb. 24, Lineweaver told Martinez that the PAPF came in and was checked for athletic purposes.
“Crowley AD is the DEC chair conveniently,” Lineweaver wrote.
Martinez responded, saying, “Thank you for letting me know. We will keep an eye out for [the form]. And the vice chair will need to run this meeting with a Crowley ISD school involved.”
UIL keeps tabs on the PAPF
On March 3, Martinez reached back out to remind Lineweaver to complete his portion of the PAPF before the 14-day window closed.
On May 26, after the coach informed Martinez the DEC hearing was scheduled for June 11, Martinez responded: “Thank you for keeping me updated.”
Lineweaver asked whether a coach should attend the DEC hearing.
“They should,” Martinez replied.
Inconsistency in the SEC hearing
Meredith was ruled ineligible by the DEC. In his appeal to the SEC, he was denied in a tight 3-2 vote.
On March 3, Meredith’s PAPF was signed by HEB ISD and marked for athletic purposes with the main reasons surrounding his conduct, absences and attitude.
On Meredith’s PAPF, it was marked that he had quit Euless Trinity football.
In sworn testimony during the SEC hearing, Lineweaver, when asked about checking the box about Meredith quitting the team, replied, “Well, I wouldn’t say quit.”
“It was, ‘We’ve got to do something different. You’re not meeting the standard,’” he said.
The form was also marked that he would’ve been prohibited from athletics had he returned to the Trojans because of missed practices.
The coach and Martinez had previous text conversations in January about Meredith returning to Trinity and being eligible to play, after Meredith was already enrolled at North Crowley.
During the SEC hearing, Lineweaver said his succinct reasoning for marking athletic purposes was because of North Crowley’s location, which was not mentioned in the PAPF explanation; the form was signed in March.
“I think that the high schools that are nearest to the address are appropriate in this situation,” Lineweaver said, referring to Burleson ISD schools closer to Meredith’s home.
In the SEC hearing, Lineweaver spoke about talking with the family about Meredith returning to Trinity High School and the “things he has to do better” to remain with Trojan football. He added he did not believe it could work out due to the family’s commute, which was their main reasoning for leaving.
During the SEC hearing, two committee members acknowledged Lineweaver’s waffling when talking about the reasoning for their votes in favor of Meredith.
The Star-Telegram reached out to Lineweaver and HEB ISD for comment. HEB ISD sent the following statement:
“Trinity High School football believed this move was for athletics purposes and that decision was supported by both the District Executive Committee and State Executive Committee.”
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Charles Baggarly is a high school sports editor and reporter for the Fort Worth Star Telegram. He graduated from TCU in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and served as TCU 360’s sports editor. Connect with Charles on Twitter or via email.