The second annual Oak Ridge high school 7 on 7 Co-ed football tournament is being held April 24. The deadline for teams who want to enter has been extended to at least Friday, April 16. The deadline may be extended from that date as well in an effort to get 32 teams in the competition. Junior high aged teams and up can enter. All play in one division. Last year, there were 16 teams with brackets of four. With 32 teams, the structure will be a little different but with the same principles involved. The referees consist of parents and a few legit HS refs mixed in who like to volunteer. Prizes are tee shirts for first and second place.
Team requirements are as follows:
A) A co-ed football team consists of a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 20 players. seven players at one time. At least three of these players must be female on the field at all times.
B) Every team must have a captain.
C) Each player is required to pay $20.00. The player will receive a tournament tee shirt and is guaranteed three games.
D) Only TWO current football players (seniors excluded) per team permitted.
Rules:
A) A game is 30 minutes long with a five minute halftime.
B) The tournament bracket determines visitor and home teams. Visitors get the ball first.
C) Forfeit time is five minutes after the start horn.
Equipment:
Players must wear full sports shoes. No sandals, no bare feet and no metal cleats.
All basic 7 on 7 rules apply and a packet is provided to each team. Aggressive play and profanity will not be tolerated. Players can be ejected from the game should the official decide a player has violated this rule. The Official’s decision is final and only the Field Official can go to the Head Official (Coach on Duty) for a ruling.
A “Buy-a-down” can be purchased prior to the game and used once during a series.
The proceeds go to the Oak Ridge football booster club. Coach Bob Barrett indicated this is a fun way to raise money for the program. This is a little more productive than giving a kid several raffle tickets, setting a deadline in hopes they all bring back hundreds of dollars. Often times, either the player never sells anything and the parents get the bill or neither occurs bringing in zero dollars for the program. Coach Barrett, “This way, everyone gets involved either by playing or watching and it is something they can do with their friends who are not in the football program.”
Coach Barrett hopes the money raised will be enough to get some football supplies such as new shoes for the varsity, some much needed field equipment and maybe some signage in the locker room. I know what he means here. For you ancient former football players, was your high school locker room a motivating experience? Probably not. How cool would it have been to have signs up on the wall like, “If I see myself as a winner, I will be” with the picture in the background being a linebacker pasting a running back? I don’t know about you but all that cussing our coaches did at us at halftime would have been absorbed a lot better if the locker room was a bit more colorful. Nowadays, the coaches don’t cuss so these signs would be even more motivating.
Folks, this is a great event and quite competitive. Games get more and more heated as the day goes on. Last year, an adult team won it consisting of some coaches from Klein Collins high school and former ORHS 7 on 7 Summer league coach Tim Schumacher. This team defeated a collection of ORHS players consisting of Trent Langley, Ryan Cyr and company. I am told by the latter they got hosed as the refs were favoring the old people in that every call went the way of the Geri’s.
For more information, you can go to www.wareaglefootball.net or email Coach Jeff Bailey at jbailey@conroeisd.net
Comments to doug@oakridgenow.com.
