7-on-7 events provide summer spark for area football programs
Monday, July 24, 2023
By Jarrod Ulrey
julrey@cbussports.com
DeSales’ Michael Walker makes a catch during the DeSales 7-on-7 tournament July 22. Photo: Jarrod Ulrey
For Ohio prep football fans, it’s symbolically quickly approaching time to get the eggnog ready and prepare the presents to be put under the tree.
The first official coaching day of the fall set for July 31 is like Christmas for those players and coaches involved because it means that games are just around the corner.
It doesn’t mean, though, that teams throughout Ohio have been taking it easy during the offseason.
Beginning May 15, teams were permitted to have coaching for 13 days in the summer, and an additional five days were permitted beginning July 17 to complete the mandatory five-day acclimatization period for those that elected to.
Many schools participated in one of the numerous 7-on-7 competitions that were held throughout the state as well.
One of the busiest weekends for those events in central Ohio just took place as eight teams traveled July 22 to DeSales and several City League programs participated in a two-day event July 21-22 at Columbus South.
Among the spectators on hand for the DeSales 7-on-7 was Ohio State football coach Ryan Day, who was in attendance because his son, R.J. Day, is a freshman quarterback for the Stallions.
Day isn’t often able to attend 7-on-7 events because of NCAA rules but is keenly aware of how valuable tournaments of this nature can be in the development of prep players.
“The more (that young players) can throw and catch, the more these guys can play the game, the better,” Day said.
Gahanna Lincoln’s Daniel Opoku intercepts a pass during the DeSales 7-on-7 tournament July 22. Photo: Jarrod Ulrey
The event at DeSales featured seven schools, with the Stallions fielding an A and a B team to create an eight-team format. The others in attendance were Gahanna Lincoln, which won the event, as well as Central Crossing, Clayton Northmont, Granville, Westerville North and Worthington Kilbourne.
Teams began the competition with pool play, followed by 22-minute bracket competition games. In DeSales’ Alumni Stadium, there were two games being played simultaneously over 50 yards, with teams having the ability to score touchdowns and also score points for interceptions.
Mark Crabtree, a 1982 DeSales graduate who is in his second stint as an assistant coach at his alma mater, helped run 7-on-7 events during a 20-year tenure as Dublin Coffman’s coach from 2002-21 that sometimes featured 32 schools.
“Obviously coach Crabtree’s done a lot of these (7-on-7 tournaments),” DeSales coach Ryan Wiggins said. “It’s good, mostly local competition. You get a lot of football, a minimum of five games. I like to see kids compete. In my opinion, with 7-on-7 and real football, there are differences, but you want to see kids compete in one-on-one competitions and matchups. Are you making the right reads? Is the defense making the proper checks to various formations and matching patterns?
“We all want to get into equipment and do the real game of football, but it’s good to break it down into pieces and (it keeps you from getting) bored going against (your own teammates). There are a lot of opportunities for offense and defense to score.”
While R.J. Day and senior P.J. Noles rotated at quarterback for the Stallions’ A team, Gahanna has one of central Ohio’s top junior quarterbacks in Brennen Ward. He’s the son of Lions’ coach Bruce Ward, has been a starter since late in his freshman season and helped Gahanna reach a Division I state semifinal last season.
The Lions, who also have one of the area’s top returning running backs in senior West Virginia-commit Diore Hubbard, won the event despite not having a newcomer who might have provided an additional offensive spark in senior wide receiver Jeremiah Watkins.
Watkins, who played for KIPP Columbus last season before moving into the Gahanna district during the offseason, has 18 scholarship offers but has been battling a right hamstring injury. He expects to be healthy enough to return to action in early August.
“(The 7-on-7 is) really just about the competition, to see how we perform and just getting used to throwing to each other and the plays,” Brennen Ward said. “It has been (a productive summer). It’s all just starting to come together.”
The City League held a “lineman challenge” on July 21 which also included Beechcroft, Centennial, Eastmoor Academy, Northland and Walnut Ridge in addition to the host Bulldogs.
News began to spread early July 22 that Aaron Owens, a former head coach at Linden-McKinley and Columbus West who recently started his second stint as the Cowboys’ head coach, had died.
At the beginning of the traditional 7-on-7 event July 22 at South, a moment of silence was held in remembrance of Owens.
“Because of a shortage of teams, my guys played eight games in a row without a break,” Bulldogs coach George Yates said. “We got a ton of conditioning and mental reps. There are so many adversities, and that’s the biggest thing. How will you handle the challenge of being tired and the other team being loud? You’ve got to hold your composure. People say it’s not real football, but if you’re not getting better in a 7-on-7, you’re not doing it right.”
During the lineman challenge, five players line up on both sides of the ball and attempt to get past the opposing lineman in a one-on-one competition. Eastmoor beat Northland for the title of that event.
Then during the 7-on-7 which featured Beechcroft, Centennial, East, Walnut Ridge and the host Bulldogs, Beechcroft defeated South for the championship.
The Cougars feature one of central Ohio’s top quarterbacks in senior Aurelius Scott, who helped the team go 6-4 and earn a share of the City-North Division title with East and Northland at 5-1.
Beechcroft coach Humphrey Simmons compares the two City events to the City League basketball previews held every winter shortly before the season starts because of the excitement they create.
“We’ve been doing (the City competitions) for a few years,” Simmons said. “What I like about it is it gets the kids to use techniques when the ball is hiked. It teaches them good techniques because in practice you don’t always get that competitive challenge.
“The biggest key to our win (in the 7-on-7) is that we have chemistry. Our guys have been playing together for three or four years now and they all know what they’ve got to do to win. Defensively, they did a real good job of being smart and catching on to other teams’ formations.”