U-School players joining Miami prep school team
What once looked like a promising football season for University School won’t be taking place— at least not under the Sharks’ banner.
University School will not be offering football, girls volleyball or cheerleading this year due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, according to U-School athletic director Paul Herfurth.
Many of the football players, however, will play forTRUPrepAcademy, a private school in Miami Gardens, according to Marc Cannon, who is the chair of theHead of School’s Board of Advisers and the father of a player.
“The medical officials and administration atNSU, at the college, whowe are a part of… advised us that in their medical opinion, it is not safe for our student-athletes to participate in high-risk sports,” Herfurth said. USchool is still offering cross country and golf and will move the swimming and diving season to the spring.
As many as 40 players from University School plan to play forTRUPrepAcademy, a private school in Miami Gardens, according to Cannon, who is the father of kicker John Cannon. U-School canceling its season and the athletes playing at TRU Prep Academy were first reported by long-time South Florida high school sports reporter Larry Blustein.
Herfurth said the players remain students at University School, despite potentially playing football somewhere else.
After NSU decided not to participate in football this season, the players and their
parents explored their options. Cannon said Mario Smith, a former coach at MiamiMonsignor Pace and the current athletic director at TRUPrep Academy, offered to help.
“It was more so about being able to assist people in times of need,” Smith said.
FHSAA bylaws allow athletes to play for another team if the private school they attend does not offer the sport they want to play, but under FHSAA bylaw 9.2.2.4, the student is supposed to play for the public
school they are zoned for. The FHSAA bylaws do not mention athletes at a member school playing for a non-FHSAA member school. Smith said he did not think playing a season at TRU Prep Academy would affect players’ eligibility to play for U-School or another FHSAA member program in the future.
Cannon said several U-School assistant coaches, who were volunteers for the Sharks, will coach the new team, which will play as an independent program: the TRU PrepAcademy Saints. The team will practice at St. Thomas University. Whether TRP Prep Academy will have a home field or play each game on the road has not been determined yet.
“They came in and they allowed us to rent the fields from them to be able to get these guys prepared to play,” Smith said.
TRU Prep Academy has nine games scheduled, including several against FHSAA member schools. In order to play a nonFHSAA member, an FHSAA school has to complete a contract that requires the member school to follow all FHSAA rules and bylaws and requires the member school to verify the non-member has catastrophic insurance policies, among other requirements. Smith said TRU Prep Academy has the required insurance.
The Saints will open the season on the road against CardinalNewman on Oct. 2.
U-School boasted some of the top players in Broward County, including offensive linemanand Clemson commitMarcusTate, cornerback and Wisconsin commit Ricardo Hallman, quarterback and Middle Tennessee State commit Nick Vattiato, kicker and USF commit John Cannon and one of the top sophomores in the nation, athlete Brandon Inniss.
“This is a family and a team, and everybody wants to play together,” Cannon said. “And let’s be honest, we’re a state champion contender. There are a lot of people who would’ve picked us to win a state championship this year. And these boys want to finish their careers together.”