The penultimate weekend of USA Football 7on7 action saw two talent-laden fields of teams in two football-crazed states each play down to a single champion.
The USA Football 7on7 National Championship Series took place in Hoover, Ala. and Frisco, Texas over the weekend.
Next weekend, the National Championship Series will conclude in Canton, Ohio at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Here’s a breakdown of the action over the weekend:
Boiling Springs prevails over host Hoover
It was a Cinderella-like story for Boiling Springs (S.C.).
The South Carolina school, which earned the No. 25 seed following pool play, rattled off five straight victories—including a win in the semifinals over defending 7on7 national champion McGill-Toolen (Ala.)—to capture the National Championship Series title in Alabama
In the championship game, Boiling Springs downed host Hoover 29-16.
The title gives the team positive momentum as it heads into its season opener against Ashley Ridge—just five weeks away.
“This was by far the best competition we have seen and it helped by giving a lot of our young players some confidence going into the season,” head coach Rick Tate told GoUpstate.com afterward.
The team was clearly excited when the final seconds ticked off the clock:
@BSH_recruits defeats Hoover to win the @USAFootball7on7 by a score of 29-17 IN Hoover, Alabama. The Bulldogs are your Champs! pic.twitter.com/WeXnOHwIf3
— Cole Bryson (@TheColeBryson) July 15, 2017
With the win, Boiling Springs became the lowest-ranked team to ever capture a national title in USA Football 7on7.
Though it fell in the title game, the 7on7 gave Hoover an opportunity to hash through its four-person quarterback competition.
It will need to solidify the position quickly in advance of its season-opening contest against Georgia power Grayson.
The overall talent level the field was exceptionally high, as numerous four- and five-star talents from across the country participated.
Poteet takes crown in Texas
The National Championship Series stop in Frisco, Texas featured top programs from five different states, but in the end, it was a school from just 44 miles away that outlasted the field.
Displaying a seemingly unstoppable offense, Poteet (Mesquite, Texas) averaged 28 points per game during the tournament bracket to emerge victorious.
The Dallas-area school, which is the alma mater of Texas star linebacker Malik Jefferson, downed East Texas power John Tyler 24-13 in the title game:
POTEET PIRATES ARE YOUR USA FOOTBALL 7on7 NATIONAL CHAMPION!!!!! #FTF pic.twitter.com/XcpYbF3ijj
— Poteet Recruits (@PoteetRecruits) July 15, 2017
For John Tyler, the loss did not diminish the excellent bonding opportunity that the 7on7 provided—which it hopes will pay dividends this season when the pads go on.
“The fall is all about chemistry. Chemistry is about everyone doing their job and not worrying about doing someone else’s job,” said Vertrick Jordan, the team’s head coach, to ETFinalScore.com.