Bobkat
06-22-2002, 09:37 PM
Upstart OF tops 7-on-7 tourney
By DAVE ROGERS
Port Arthur News
PORT NECHES -- Saturday's 7-on-7 football tournament at Port Neches-Groves was headlined by Class 5A newcomer Memorial, recent Class 4A champs La Marque and West Orange-Stark, and Nederland, like WO-S rated a preseason Top 20 team for next fall by Texas Football Magazine.
But it should have come as no big surprise that Orangefield won the 14-team event, becoming the first Class 3A team to win the annual event.
"We had won only one game in these tournaments before this year," Orangefield coach Eric Peevey said, "but this year, we've won three of the four small (four-team) tournaments we've played in before this one."
Behind alternating quarterbacks Kris Beard and Aaron Williams, Orangefield strung together four straight wins for Saturday's title, downing District 20-4A favorite WO-S 20-6 in an all-Orange County championship game.
The semifinals, too, had a distinct east-of-the-Neches flavor as the No. 16 Mustangs had to beat another Orange County team, Vidor, 26-14, to reach the final.
The semifinals were perhaps the most important games in the tourney, since the winners of those automatically qualified for the fifth annual state tournament July 19-20 at College Station.
It'll be the first state tourney appearance for Orangefield.
"That (the semifinal win over Vidor) was the big game," WO-S quarterback Joey Byerly said after his school earned its third trip to the state 7-on-7 tourney. "We just wanted to make sure we got in this (championship) game.
"We still wanted to win this (championship) game, but ... "
The tourney's only Class 2A entrant, Van Vleck, was the other semifinalist, losing to Orangefield 21-14.
The Bobcats and Mustangs both caught slight breaks when one team in each of their four-school pools failed to show up. That meant playing one less qualifying game in the mid-day heat.
But having Taylor and Hardin-Jefferson drop out had its downside, too.
"Having only two pool games makes it tough," PN-G offensive coordinator Mike Long, the tournament director, said.
"We (PN-G's No. 1 team) lost our first game (20-19 to Orangefield) and it's just about over when you lose the first of two."
Behind quarterback Gerry Eddins, PN-G rebounded to win its second game 24-14 over Kelly. But the Indians' 1-1 finish left them second to the Bobcats, who walloped Kelly 40-21 to go 2-0.
WO-S opened with a 25-20 win over No. 18 Nederland and downed Lumberton 28-10. Nederland, paced by quarterback Kirt Dean and receiver Jake Askew, ended up 1-1 after downing Lumberton 31-20.
Memorial and quarterback Calvin Roberts drew one of the tourney's toughest pools and finished second to Vidor after the Pirates bested the Titans 13-7 in the round-robin finale.
Memorial earlier had beaten La Marque 37-20 and Ozen 34-8. Vidor beat Ozen 33-25 and La Marque 28-25, while Ozen salvaged a 1-2 finish by beating 0-3 La Marque 24-12.
Van Vleck won its pool with a 39-18 win over PN-G's No. 2 team, a 14-7 win over Caney Creek and a 24-6 win over Central. Central went 2-1 in the pool, beating Caney Creek 6-0 and PN-G No. 2 28-18. Caney Creek (1-2) kept PN-G's No. 2 team winless with a 20-6 win.
Saturday was the third time this summer that Orangefield and WO-S had played and the Mustangs' best result has been a 14-14 tie.
This game was different in that the Bobcats didn't have their No. 1 quarterback, John Modica, who was unavailable on short notice; and top receiver Ryan DuBose, who is injured.
"We didn't even know until yesterday that we were playing today," said Peevey, a coacing wannabe who graduated from Orangefield last month and plans to walk on at Texas A&M in 2003.
The Bobcats didn't play as if they were unprepared, utilizing a bag of crossing and delay routes to consistently move the football.
They scored first in the championship game on a pass from Beard to fullback Jerry Kibodeaux.
The Mustangs cut Orangefield's lead to 7-6 at the half when Byerly hooked up with Eric West for a 45-yard bomb, the longest throw possible in 7-on-7.
The Bobcats opened the second half with a strong drive and scored on a fortuitous bounce on fourth down. Paul Mansfield juggled Williams' pass over the middle and Bobcat teammate Austin Farias came up with the rebound for a 13-6 Orangefield lead.
Luke Agerton's interception killed a WO-S drive, then Agerton put the game away when he took Beard's safety valve pass and dived into the end zone.
Many of the teams in action Saturday will return to the field next weekend in Baytown when Lee High hosts another state qualifying tourney.
Go Cats!!!
By DAVE ROGERS
Port Arthur News
PORT NECHES -- Saturday's 7-on-7 football tournament at Port Neches-Groves was headlined by Class 5A newcomer Memorial, recent Class 4A champs La Marque and West Orange-Stark, and Nederland, like WO-S rated a preseason Top 20 team for next fall by Texas Football Magazine.
But it should have come as no big surprise that Orangefield won the 14-team event, becoming the first Class 3A team to win the annual event.
"We had won only one game in these tournaments before this year," Orangefield coach Eric Peevey said, "but this year, we've won three of the four small (four-team) tournaments we've played in before this one."
Behind alternating quarterbacks Kris Beard and Aaron Williams, Orangefield strung together four straight wins for Saturday's title, downing District 20-4A favorite WO-S 20-6 in an all-Orange County championship game.
The semifinals, too, had a distinct east-of-the-Neches flavor as the No. 16 Mustangs had to beat another Orange County team, Vidor, 26-14, to reach the final.
The semifinals were perhaps the most important games in the tourney, since the winners of those automatically qualified for the fifth annual state tournament July 19-20 at College Station.
It'll be the first state tourney appearance for Orangefield.
"That (the semifinal win over Vidor) was the big game," WO-S quarterback Joey Byerly said after his school earned its third trip to the state 7-on-7 tourney. "We just wanted to make sure we got in this (championship) game.
"We still wanted to win this (championship) game, but ... "
The tourney's only Class 2A entrant, Van Vleck, was the other semifinalist, losing to Orangefield 21-14.
The Bobcats and Mustangs both caught slight breaks when one team in each of their four-school pools failed to show up. That meant playing one less qualifying game in the mid-day heat.
But having Taylor and Hardin-Jefferson drop out had its downside, too.
"Having only two pool games makes it tough," PN-G offensive coordinator Mike Long, the tournament director, said.
"We (PN-G's No. 1 team) lost our first game (20-19 to Orangefield) and it's just about over when you lose the first of two."
Behind quarterback Gerry Eddins, PN-G rebounded to win its second game 24-14 over Kelly. But the Indians' 1-1 finish left them second to the Bobcats, who walloped Kelly 40-21 to go 2-0.
WO-S opened with a 25-20 win over No. 18 Nederland and downed Lumberton 28-10. Nederland, paced by quarterback Kirt Dean and receiver Jake Askew, ended up 1-1 after downing Lumberton 31-20.
Memorial and quarterback Calvin Roberts drew one of the tourney's toughest pools and finished second to Vidor after the Pirates bested the Titans 13-7 in the round-robin finale.
Memorial earlier had beaten La Marque 37-20 and Ozen 34-8. Vidor beat Ozen 33-25 and La Marque 28-25, while Ozen salvaged a 1-2 finish by beating 0-3 La Marque 24-12.
Van Vleck won its pool with a 39-18 win over PN-G's No. 2 team, a 14-7 win over Caney Creek and a 24-6 win over Central. Central went 2-1 in the pool, beating Caney Creek 6-0 and PN-G No. 2 28-18. Caney Creek (1-2) kept PN-G's No. 2 team winless with a 20-6 win.
Saturday was the third time this summer that Orangefield and WO-S had played and the Mustangs' best result has been a 14-14 tie.
This game was different in that the Bobcats didn't have their No. 1 quarterback, John Modica, who was unavailable on short notice; and top receiver Ryan DuBose, who is injured.
"We didn't even know until yesterday that we were playing today," said Peevey, a coacing wannabe who graduated from Orangefield last month and plans to walk on at Texas A&M in 2003.
The Bobcats didn't play as if they were unprepared, utilizing a bag of crossing and delay routes to consistently move the football.
They scored first in the championship game on a pass from Beard to fullback Jerry Kibodeaux.
The Mustangs cut Orangefield's lead to 7-6 at the half when Byerly hooked up with Eric West for a 45-yard bomb, the longest throw possible in 7-on-7.
The Bobcats opened the second half with a strong drive and scored on a fortuitous bounce on fourth down. Paul Mansfield juggled Williams' pass over the middle and Bobcat teammate Austin Farias came up with the rebound for a 13-6 Orangefield lead.
Luke Agerton's interception killed a WO-S drive, then Agerton put the game away when he took Beard's safety valve pass and dived into the end zone.
Many of the teams in action Saturday will return to the field next weekend in Baytown when Lee High hosts another state qualifying tourney.
Go Cats!!!