By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
LYFORD — Football players across the state like to fill their summer months with 7-on-7 contests as they work toward qualifying for the renowned state championship tournament.
Every year since 1998, the Texas State 7-on-7 organization has held qualifying tournaments of various sizes across Texas that lead to the state tournament at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex in College Station. Though the organization is not affiliated with the University Interscholastic League, on April 20 Texas State 7-on-7 followed the UIL’s lead and announced the cancelation of its 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For some East Valley programs, 7-on-7 is a useful tool that builds camaraderie and helps offensive playmakers get acquainted prior to the season. Rio Hondo and La Feria advanced to the state 7-on-7 championship last year, and Bobcats coach Rocky James said the lack of 7-on-7 will impact programs across Texas.
“I’ve always been a fan of (7-on-7.) A lot of it is part of football, some parts aren’t, but it does help. The kids get a lot of competition through the offseason, and I think that’s what’s good about it,” James said. “I think (not having 7-on-7) will have an impact, but it’s going to be on everybody. It’s going to hurt, but everyone’s in the same boat.”
Defensive-minded coaches, such as Harlingen High’s Manny Gomez and Brownsville Hanna’s Mark Guess, don’t put much emphasis on 7-on-7. Gomez said it can create bad habits for defenses and isn’t a true equivalent to the type of football played in the fall.
“We don’t really try to qualify for the state tournament … we’ve not participated since I’ve been at Hanna anyway,” Guess said. “I’m a defensive guy, and to me 7-on-7 is not real football because we don’t get to make contact. It’s great for offenses because they can work on timing and things like that, but if they’re not getting pushed around on the line of scrimmage, that’s not the way football is played.”
Despite defensive downsides, 7-on-7 is a popular summer activity in Texas. As safety restrictions across the state are lifting, Championship 7v7 — a national organization that derives from TruXposur, a company that aims to help athletes get collegiate exposure — was asked by some high school coaches to offer an alternative to the Texas State 7-on-7 tournament, board member Johnathan Mumphrey said.
On May 21, Championship 7v7 took to Twitter to announce “The Battle For Texas,” a statewide 7-on-7 tournament from June 30 to July 3 to be held in College Station. Texas State 7-on-7 quickly separated itself from the event and reiterated that it won’t be holding any events for safety reasons.
The Texas High School Coaches Association positioned itself on the side of Texas State 7-on-7 and said “we stand united with the Texas State 7-on-7 Organization in their decision to cancel all SQTs and the state tournament,” on its Twitter account.
Championship 7v7 received quite a bit of backlash from people who see this event as a “money grab.”
“In situations like this, I just see it as an outside source seeing an opportunity to make money, and that’s not what Texas football is about,” Gomez said. “(Texas State 7-on-7) is not (canceling its event) because they want to take opportunities away from the kids. That’s not the case. The UIL makes wise decisions, not just emotional or impulsive decisions.”
The Texas State 7-on-7 championship tournament charges teams a $400 registration fee. Teams play a minimum of six games and are given an official tournament uniform and additional apparel from sponsor Adidas. Championship 7v7 is charging $550 to compete at its state tournament, promising teams at least five games.
James said that despite the upside of 7-on-7 for his program, he prefers his Bobcats steer clear of the event and focus on being ready for June 8, the first day the UIL is allowing athletes to return to schools to work out with coaches.
“I was sent some information on (Championship 7v7’s Battle for Texas), and I think all of these things are just geared towards making money,” James said. “I personally would rather them stay away, but it’s up to the kids in the end if they want to go do this. In my opinion it’s too early, and I don’t want any of these kids getting sick and then coming back and infecting others.”
Mumphrey said Championship 7v7 is reaching out to coaches to see if they’ll have the support to hold the event. The organization was surprised by the negative response to the event announcement, and Mumphrey said the organization’s only intention is to give Texas athletes a chance to compete. Its aim is to have 160 teams from the Class 1A to 6A ranks participating, and more information about the event and registration will be released June 1.