The curious case of a former “5-Star” Northern California QB

[LecheDeMiPalo]

I will start off by saying I would never throw a juvenile athlete under the bus. Everyday there’s seemingly more and more things I personally dislike about prep sports but I also understand that my time has come and gone. I am simply a fan and a parent at this point like most of us all.

Anywho, I was on Facebook earlier this week when I received a request from a new sports academy in Florida that goes by the name “Specially Fit Academy” (SFA). I followed a few links only to find it to be more of what I perceived to be a Bishop Sycamore type of academy than an actual High School. I go through a few photos and recognize a familiar “face” if you will (I won’t say kid…………). That face turned out to be none other than former Edison-Stockton QB Safdar McCrary!

As most people, I was pleased to see that Safdar is still getting after it! Which also lead me down the rabbit hole in an attempt to figure his path to SFA.

With the help of Google, MaxPreps, HUDL and Amazon Prime Video of all things, I was able to string together McCrary’s career timeline up to this point.

2018-2019: Castlemont HS (Oakland, CA)
2019-2020: Edison HS (Stockton, CA)
2020-2021: Alcoa HS (Alcoa, TN)
2020-2021: Sandy Creek HS (Tyrone, GA)
2021-2022: American Collegiate Academy (Clearwater, FL)
2022-2023: Speights Academy (St. Petersburg, FL)
2023-2024: Specially Fit Academy (Dover, FL)

Upon doing a quick google search of both Speights Academy and SFA I was able to determine that Speights Academy is ran by former Warriors F Mareesse Speights and serves as a Prep School which allows former High School athletes a gap year to compile additional film needed to get to the next level. No harm, no foul.

However, SFA brands themselves as a High School who have this year played Sebastian River HS (Sebastian, FL), TRU Prep Academy (Miami, FL) who claim to be a K-12 academy via the school’s official website and have games scheduled against Joshua Christian Academy (Jacksonville, FL), Seffner Christian High School (Seffner, FL), Tampa Catholic High School (Tampa, FL) and a number of other games against other high schools.

I reiterate that I would never throw a juvenile athlete under the bus. They’re kids! But this guy right here…….i would like to have a few words with him….over a few beers perhaps.



View: http://www.hudl.com/v/2LccE6


View: http://www.hudl.com/v/2JJWuN

 

[bella123]

View: https://youtu.be/7t8xwpW8gJQ?si=uurhZWmjS8Q4quow

 

[ankleassassin]

that is some good investigation work. can you now go help the LAPD and LVPD to find out who killed Biggie and Pac.

 

[LecheDeMiPalo]

that is some good investigation work. can you now go help the LAPD and LVPD to find out who killed Biggie and Pac.

Already did. Didn’t you hear about the arrest Henderson PD made about 6 weeks ago?

Imagine someone knocking on your Grandmother’s door saying they wanted to talk to you regarding the murder of Tupac Shakur.

 

[ankleassassin]

Already did. Didn’t you hear about the arrest Henderson PD made about 6 weeks ago?

Imagine someone knocking on your Grandmother’s door saying they wanted to talk to you regarding the murder of Tupac Shakur.

i saw they served a searched warrant but i didnt see they arrested anyone. but if you holding evidence in granny garage after 20 years for that murder... you deserve to be arrested

 

[Macallan]

I will start off by saying I would never throw a juvenile athlete under the bus. Everyday there’s seemingly more and more things I personally dislike about prep sports but I also understand that my time has come and gone. I am simply a fan and a parent at this point like most of us all.

Anywho, I was on Facebook earlier this week when I received a request from a new sports academy in Florida that goes by the name “Specially Fit Academy” (SFA). I followed a few links only to find it to be more of what I perceived to be a Bishop Sycamore type of academy than an actual High School. I go through a few photos and recognize a familiar “face” if you will (I won’t say kid…………). That face turned out to be none other than former Edison-Stockton QB Safdar McCrary!

As most people, I was pleased to see that Safdar is still getting after it! Which also lead me down the rabbit hole in an attempt to figure his path to SFA.

With the help of Google, MaxPreps, HUDL and Amazon Prime Video of all things, I was able to string together McCrary’s career timeline up to this point.

2018-2019: Castlemont HS (Oakland, CA)
2019-2020: Edison HS (Stockton, CA)
2020-2021: Alcoa HS (Alcoa, TN)
2020-2021: Sandy Creek HS (Tyrone, GA)
2021-2022: American Collegiate Academy (Clearwater, FL)
2022-2023: Speights Academy (St. Petersburg, FL)
2023-2024: Specially Fit Academy (Dover, FL)

Upon doing a quick google search of both Speights Academy and SFA I was able to determine that Speights Academy is ran by former Warriors F Mareesse Speights and serves as a Prep School which allows former High School athletes a gap year to compile additional film needed to get to the next level. No harm, no foul.

However, SFA brands themselves as a High School who have this year played Sebastian River HS (Sebastian, FL), TRU Prep Academy (Miami, FL) who claim to be a K-12 academy via the school’s official website and have games scheduled against Joshua Christian Academy (Jacksonville, FL), Seffner Christian High School (Seffner, FL), Tampa Catholic High School (Tampa, FL) and a number of other games against other high schools.

I reiterate that I would never throw a juvenile athlete under the bus. They’re kids! But this guy right here…….i would like to have a few words with him….over a few beers perhaps.



View: http://www.hudl.com/v/2LccE6


View: http://www.hudl.com/v/2JJWuN

First and foremost, and I can't state that with enough vigor, I hear you. I vehemently agree with you. Secondly, your research is fantastic and the point you're making is great, as well. However, for the sake of discussion on a message board, I will pose this question:

What rules or laws are they breaking?

We both agree that this type of thing isn't right. But, what is/are the consequence(s)? What is the path to take to ensure this type of thing doesn't happen in the future?

Personally, I think there are some clearcut things, such as, HS teams should never be scheduling gap year teams is paramount. However, I don't think the answer is to ban gap year teams in areas that don't have JuCo teams. It is more than possible that I don't have all of the information, as I only know that gap year teams (read: prep academies) exist outside of California. I am legitimately ignorant in said area. Which is why I'm asking questions.

 

[LecheDeMiPalo]

First and foremost, and I can't state that with enough vigor, I hear you. I vehemently agree with you. Secondly, your research is fantastic and the point you're making is great, as well. However, for the sake of discussion on a message board, I will pose this question:

What rules or laws are they breaking?

We both agree that this type of thing isn't right. But, what is/are the consequence(s)? What is the path to take to ensure this type of thing doesn't happen in the future?

Personally, I think there are some clearcut things, such as, HS teams should never be scheduling gap year teams is paramount. However, I don't think the answer is to ban gap year teams in areas that don't have JuCo teams. It is more than possible that I don't have all of the information, as I only know that gap year teams (read: prep academies) exist outside of California. I am legitimately ignorant in said area. Which is why I'm asking questions.

So in terms of bylaws I believe the CIF (yeah, I know…CA Only) has a rule about players not being over the age of 19. I don’t know the exact rule but I know there is a rule that puts a strict age limit on players. In addition, I know the CIF also has a bylaw that prohibits athletes from playing more that 4 seasons of any specific sport regardless of where they may have started. So, needless to say, you could never play 4 HS football seasons and come to California and expect to play another season at a Prep Academy, let alone two.

In my opinion, prep schools should play prep schools. That’s actually a move that I very much like and respect but to play a high school is a huge disservice to high school aged kids, specifically than underclassmen. It’s hard enough being a sophomore competing against juniors and seniors but imagine having to go against Super Seniors?!

And on the subject of this particular kid, he isn’t playing A gap year, he is playing ANOTHER gap season!!! So…..what, when he doesn’t get picked up this off-season will he play a third?! Is he just going to keep playing for these academies until he’s 40?! I don’t know, maybe in just old school but when I was growing up every kid wanted to play up a level or two, not down!

 

[dookiepoop]

Any word on when Stellar Prep is coming back? Think it'd be a good fit for a kid like him

 

[Larno51]

My wife is a big fan of James Michener's books (I've only read one). I remember her telling me about something she read in his book "Texas"(actually, I think it was two volumes). Anyway, in the 50's at least and probably for many years on either side some high school football players would play 4 years at one school and then move to another town and play four more under a different name. The schools were probably small and not real diligent about background checks but were no doubt ecstatic about these players who seemed to be more mature than the other kids. And it was no secret that some Texas high schools "red-shirted" promising prospects, holding them back another year in 8th grade so they would be even more mature when they hit high school. Don't know if this is still going on but I would think that it is technically not illegal. Don't know if Texas has an age limit like California does. It might seem incomprehensible to us that some high school head coaches in Texas have six-figure salaries, but then again the vast majority of high school principals are former football coaches.

 

[NCS707]

Any word on when Stellar Prep is coming back? Think it'd be a good fit for a kid like him

Stellar prep is now Lincoln U Oakland.

We got some bishop sycamore type things out here…

 

[LecheDeMiPalo]

Stellar prep is now Lincoln U Oakland.

We got some bishop sycamore type things out here…

THATS EXACTLY WHAT I SAID!!!!!!!!!