Photo via Siege Sports

USA Football 7on7s kicked off over the weekend in The Golden State, with the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers both playing host to regional tournaments.

Top teams from both the Bay Area and the greater Los Angeles area turned out to produce two competitive passing tournaments that sharpened the skills of dozens of high school football teams as the start of the season nears.

Here’s a recap of the action from the weekend:

Cathedral emerges victorious in Los Angeles

Before Cathedral even made it to the tournament portion of the USA Football 7on7, it needed to endure a brutal round of pool play featuring some of the area’s top teams.

Narbonne, Orange Lutheran and Westlake were all in the same pool as Cathedral, which managed to escape unbeaten.

Elsewhere in the field lurked Mater Dei, led by star junior quarterback J.T. Daniels, which could contend for the No. 1 spot in high school football national rankings this fall:

Top QB recruit JT Daniels leads the @MDFootball squad into action at today's @RamsNFL @usafootball 7on7 Tournament pic.twitter.com/nOXYp9cc6k

— Kyle Eversgerd (@SGERD5) June 10, 2017

However, it was Cathedral’s Bryce Young, a precocious sophomore signal-caller, who made his mark on the weekend.

Young outdueled Texas commit Cameron Rising of Newbury Park in the tournament’s semifinals and led Cathedral to a convincing victory over Orange Lutheran, 29-2, in the title game to take home the hardware.

While Youth drew praise for his performance, he was quick to point out that it was a team effort:

Don't mess with our whole team https://t.co/F1p1BRvhAb

— Bryce Young (@_bryce_young) June 11, 2017

Overall, the tournament was a productive experience for the teams involved:

Got a chance to witness one amazing 7 on 7 tournament put on by @USAFootball7on7 @RamsNFL and a big thanks to @JFrank2308

— Erick Ponce (@CoachErickPonce) June 11, 2017

Thank you for a great tourney.  We look forward to participating in future events.  @WeAreOLu #weareolu #olufootball

— OLu Football (@OLuFootball) June 11, 2017

Geared up! Cool to see the growth of @usafootball & @USAFootball7on7. https://t.co/JLhl0RXnyt

— A. Mosher-Childress (@SpokenMoshie) June 10, 2017

Championship celebration 🔥🔥🔥! @PhantomFootball @usafootball pic.twitter.com/RRe5eMBwgi

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 11, 2017

Encinal edges Serra to take title in NorCal

Following pool play in the San Francisco event, Encinal (Alameda, Calif.) earned the tournament’s No. 2 seed. The top-ranked team? Serra (San Mateo, Calif.), the alma mater of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Perhaps it was fitting that the two teams battled it out in the title game, with Encinal coming away with a 19-18 victory:

Did that thang!✈️🏈🏆 pic.twitter.com/81ZXDNopWc

— Encinal Football (@Encinal_Jetlife) June 10, 2017

Serra enjoyed a remarkable season in 2016. After losing its first four games, it embarked on a 10-game winning streak, capturing a league and NorCal title before eventually falling to Sierra Canyon in the CIF Bowl Game.

The team will look to junior quarterback Luke Bottari to guide it this fall, as it attempts to build off its strong 7on7 performance.

Encinal continues to be one of the state’s most intriguing “turnaround” stories. After an 0-9 season in 2014 and a four-win season in 2015, Encinal finished 9-3 last year, outscoring opponents by a combined 436-119.

Now, head coach Ricky Rodriguez and Encinal not only outlasted Serra in the finals of the USA Football 7on7, but they also got past traditional power Milpitas in the process.

If the trend holds, 2017 could be a huge year for Encinal.

MORE: Why this top high school head coach lets his QB call his own plays in 7on7