Tigers’ 7-on-7 is Thursday
Published 12:03 am Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Those looking to satisfy their craving for some high school football will get a chance at Straughn High School’s 7-on-7 tomorrow.
With a home field advantage, the Tigers will play host to 12 teams.
Straughn and Andalusia will have an A-team and B-team competing from each school. Other schools competing in the tournament are newcomers Excel, Kinston, Samson and Georgiana; and veterans Flomaton, McKenzie, Pleasant Home and Florala.
SHS coach Trent Taylor said this is the biggest group to compete at the team’s 7-on-7.
“Last year, we were down to six or seven teams,” Taylor said. “For whatever reason, we’re getting more schools involved.”
In the past, the Tigers have held their tournament usually the Thursday before the start of practice. Since the school year start day has been pushed back a couple weeks, this year’s exhibition starts one week earlier than normal, Taylor said.
Tournament action will start at 3:30 p.m. with pool play. There are four pools with three teams in each. Each team is allotted two games in pool play.
After pool play is over, the top seeded teams will play in a double elimination first-round format. Each team is guaranteed four games in the DE first round.
Then, the tournament will transition to a single elimination round. The last game of the tournament is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.
There will be a running clock during each game.
Tomorrow’s 7-on-7, which is mostly played in a passing scheme format, is Straughn’s third tournament this summer, Taylor said.
“It’s one of those things you practice again last night, and that wrapped us up,” Taylor said about having to run a passing scheme. “A few years ago, we knew we were going to be playing in gun and at the time, it was something that was beneficial.
“You try to stay true to your scheme, but I think at a 7-on-7 tournament, the competition gets in there a little bit,” he said.
The Tigers competed in a tournament at Faulkner University nearly a month ago and at Samson last Thursday.