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2017 USA Football 7on7 recap: Carolina, Alabama, Cleveland and Chicago

By Stephen Spiewak | Posted 7/5/2017

Mitch Trubisky addressed athletes about the importance of hydration at the USA Football 7on7 in Wheaton, Ill. as part of the Gatorade Beat the Heat initiative

The end of the 7on7 season is drawing near, as the final USA Football 7on7 tournaments took place last week at four different locations around the country.

The next stop: the USA Football 7on7 National Championship Series, which is set to launch later this month with three different stops.

Here's a rundown of the top performances at the final regional USA Football 7on7 events:

Wake Forest reigns supreme in Carolina

The USA Football/Carolina Panthers 7on7 Regional Championship was a veritable "Who's Who" of top high school football programs in the Carolinas.

In the end, it was Wake Forest (Rolesville, N.C.) that emerged as champion, knocking off Mallard Creek 24-12 in the finals.

The victory comes after Wake Forest finished 16-0 last fall and won the Class 4AA title in the Tar Heel state. Mallard Creek captured three consecutive state titles from 2013-2015.

From South Carolina, top programs like Dillon, Dutch Fork, Byrnes, Greenwood and Northwestern made the trip to Charlotte to compete.

Northwestern finished 2-2 in pool play before falling to Greenwood in the second round of bracket play. However, it's likely just a matter of time before the team gets its offense in high gear. It's been home to one of the country's most prolific passing offenses this decade.

Thompson takes the title in Alabama

The USA Football/ALFCA 7on7 Regional Championship, held in Montgomery, Ala. once again featured Alabama's top programs vying for a spot in the national championship.

Amid a field of high school football titans such as Hoover, Bob Jones, Opelika and last year's national champion, McGill-Toolen, it was a less-heralded Thompson squad which enjoyed a 26-16 title-game victory over Sidney Lanier.

The victory is another step in the right direction for the program under third-year head coach Mark Freeman. Last year, Thompson finished 5-5; in 2014, it went winless.

"In the coaching world, it builds camaraderie, it builds belief," Freeman told AL.com. "It shows what needs to be worked on. If you drop a ball or mess up coverage on a pass route, that's part of growing. It's not the end of the world. You go back to practice and work on it."

Transfer Taulia Tagovailoa, a Hawaii native whose brother is a quarterback at Alabama, has been a key spark to 7on7 success. But going undefeated against stellar competition requires a total team effort:

Pennsylvania power wins out in Cleveland

The Cleveland-area 7on7  saw teams from Ohio and Michigan, but it was a Pennsylvania program that went the distance.

Gateway has been a top Western Pennsylvania program across several different decades. In the late-2000s, it was nationally ranked and churning out Division I recruits with regularity.

Recently, the program has hovered around the .500 mark. But an undefeated day at the 7on7 is certainly a promising sign

With Bears looking on, St. Charles North captures Chicago crown

Mitch Trubisky, Kevin White and Jordan Howard were all on hand at the USA Football Chicago 7on7, hosted by Wheaton-Warrenville South, to spread the word about Gatorade's Beat the Heat initiative, which aims to educate young people on the importance of hydration.

After a long day in the sun, St. Charles North stayed hydrated and in top shape, as it defeated host Wheaton-Warrenville South 24-21 to win the title.

The victory was a coming out party for rising senior signal-caller Mike Hohensee, who will see the bulk of snaps under center with the departure of Zach Mettetal.

"It's not going to be a rebuilding year for us," Hohensee said afterward.

TagsCoach High School Tackle football 7 on 7 football
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