EDINBURG — Although high school football kicked off in Texas this weekend, football fields in the Rio Grande Valley remain unused.
Due to local county health orders preventing high schools from hosting athletic activities until Sept. 28, RGV high school teams haven’t been allowed to practice or play together. And they won’t get to for close to another month.
Without the ability to practice or compete in organized football with their high schools, RGV athletes have turned to another avenue to compete. Enter 7-on-7 football — a competitive, fast-paced, non-contact game focused on passing the pigskin. It doesn’t take much to play — all that’s needed is a football and a field.
“As long as we don’t have practice, we’re going to keep playing 7-on-7 to keep on playing football and getting in rhythm with our guys,” said an unnamed RGV high school football player.
Jorge Mata, a 2008 graduate of Los Fresnos turned trainer and 7-on-7 coach, stepped up to present an opportunity to high school football players to do just that — play football.
Mata, who played Division III football in Iowa and is affiliated with Foot Doctor Sports, has been hosting 7-on-7 games and tournaments at a private football field located at Everyday Party Place Drive Thru — a privately owned business in Edinburg which features football and soccer fields.
“I wanted to allow these kids an opportunity to prepare themselves as much as possible going into the season, and eventually the start got pushed back (due to COVID-19),” Mata said.
Mata also created the Sparc League this year, a 7-on-7 football league featuring RGV high school and junior high athletes. While the league, which began in June, didn’t gain much traction due to the surge of COVID-19 cases in June and July, it was a start.
After receiving feedback from players who participated in the league, the demand grew to host a 7-on-7 tournament for high school football teams. Last weekend, 14 RGV teams joined in the 7-on-7 tournament at Everyday Party Place.
Mata navigated the number of people by having only four teams on-site at a time, with another group of four arriving as the previous group departed. Masks were also required for everybody in attendance. There was limited seating and a hand sanitizer station. The price to enter the tournament was $20 per player.
Players were happy to get out and compete against their peers.
“I just told myself, ‘Who knows? This could be the closest I do get to an actual football game.’ I went out there with a competitive attitude and I just had fun with it,” said another unnamed RGV high school football player who competed in the 7-on-7 league.
After La Joya ISD became the first major school district in Texas to cancel fall athletics last week, a number of questions arose for football players across the Valley — mainly, “Is my school next?”
Hypothetically, Mata said, if there was no organized high school football played in the RGV this fall, he would be open to hosting games to replace the loss of a season.
“Without a doubt in my mind, as long as we stay within the guidelines and the city and state allows us to, I’m willing to give these kids the opportunity and the competition they’re looking for,” he said.
The recent tournament was live-streamed and seen by teams in San Antonio, which have interest in possibly competing in future 7-on-7 tournaments here in Edinburg, as they aren’t allowed to play football just yet, either.
Mata said the feedback he’s received from parents and players has been overwhelmingly positive.
“I get a lot of thank yous from parents, when in reality I’m thanking them because they’re making a choice to come out here and give their boys an opportunity just to compete before the season starts, if the season starts,” Mata said.
And as long as RGV football players aren’t allowed to practice or play with their respective high schools, they’re going play football any way they can.
“I know players are going to play with their school or without it. Obviously, you want to play with your school so you can represent them, but if worst comes to worst, you’ve got to play without them,” said another RGV high school football player. “If that’s the only way to play, then that’s the way you gotta go.”