Key takeaways from summer football Shore 7 on 7 Tournament: 'We want to see the kids compete'

MANALAPAN -- While the real football is still a few weeks away, the Shore's top skill players are heating up even as the fall season approaches.

On Wednesday, the Shore Conference 7 on 7 Tournament marked the unofficial end to the summer workout season as teams put their passing games to the test in shorts and t-shirts. But the crisp offense of several programs and playmaking ability of a few individual players stood out on the fields at Manalapan.

The event was sponsored by former Neptune star and NFL standout Vinny Curry with his Rush 2 Victory foundation, which also sponsored the SFCF All-Shore Gridiron Classic at Monmouth earlier this month. The aim is to make it a staple event to cap off the summer training regimens for the Shore's football programs.

More: Why the All-Shore football game means everything to the players: 'Create a brotherhood'

These are some of the key takeaways from the final exhibition tournament of the summer.

Holmdel doesn't win tourney but wins the day

Holmdel came up short in the tournament semifinal against Freehold Township, but the program made an impressive statement on Wednesday.

First-year head coach Noel Kavanagh was active on both sides of the ball and the Hornets seemed to respond to his energy as they cruised through a very competitive group with impressive wins over Red Bank Catholic, Brick Memorial and Wall.

"I try to do the best I can to make sure the kids know what they're doing and just be a teacher on the field," said Kavanagh. "I definitely have a hands-on approach and we have really good coaches that are doing a great job with getting our kids in the right spots."

It also helps to have a returning quarterback that is one of the most talented in the conference. Junior Jack Cannon looked very sharp and appears primed for a breakout season.

"It's very hard because we have to put in so many new things really fast," said Cannon. "So just improving every day and getting better every day."

Cannon looked comfortable commanding the offense on Wednesday. He was nearly immaculate against Freehold Township, but several dropped passes plagued the Hornets as they were narrowly eliminated. Still, it was an impressive showing for a program coming off a breakthrough 9-1 season last year.

"We always talk about toughness, hard work, and discipline," said Kavanagh. "If we do a good job with that, I think the rest will fall into place. But this program has been in a very good place from Coach Rainess before me. He left it in a great place and I'm just really excited to be here and very, very blessed."

Experienced QBs are ready to light up the Shore

One of the big takeaways from the competition was the overall talent of the quarterbacks, particularly the polish and command of several returning standout signal callers.

Manalapan senior Ryan Dougherty and Freehold Township senior Nick Cardone paved the way for their two teams to make it to the final as they displayed impeccable command of the offense with a blend of checkdown throws and deep shots. Dougherty prevailed in the final as the Braves defended their home turf and won the tournament.

Pinelands senior Ty Kline also displayed impressive accuracy and decision-making as he guided the Wildcats into the final rounds after the team won their group. The team went toe-to-toe with Freehold Township but ultimately had a few key drops that doomed them.

Manchester senior Aidan Lunn has missed some time this summer with injury and it showed with the timing of some of his throws, but there was no doubt about his ability to place his deep ball. That new element to his game could take the Hawks' offense to another level this season.

Electric athletes show off talent in passing drills

The lack of linemen and pads allowed some of the most talented athletes to really show off their capabilities in space. One team that is always fun to watch in that regard is Long Branch and star receiver/safety Aulander Daniels. He had several impressive pass breakups against Manalapan and also had a pivotal interception.

The following play, he ran a seam route for a touchdown and his knee collided with a soccer goal post that had been left in the end zone. Daniels had a bloody knee but was otherwise unbothered as he demonstrated his toughness.

Quarterback Quinton Fisher takes over for standout performer Earnest Reeves and he displayed impressive skills from the pocket. He demonstrated the arm strength and accuracy on the deep ball but even more outstanding was his ability to pull the string on touch throws that made it easy for his receivers.

Another lightning-quick athlete was Asbury Park's Jordan Glisson, dangerous in the receiving game and even more effective lining up at different spots in the secondary. The team impressed with a win over Colts Neck.

"Everybody was locked in, nothing to play about when we came out here," said Glisson. "We lost the last 7 on 7, that's why we had to come out here ready to fight."

After last year's season, Glisson spoke about how Asbury has a new determination and bond within the team as they aim to bounce back.

"We're trying to be more of a team," said Glisson. "Not bring anybody down, bring everybody up."

Manalapan defends home turf with tourney victory

The Manalapan Braves were coming off a strong showing on Tuesday at the Freehold Regional 7 on 7 tournament, but Freehold Township ultimately emerged as the top team there. The Braves were not going to let that success continue on their home turf.

More: 5 things we learned from the Freehold Regional summer high school football tournament

Dougherty made the most of the depth of his receiving corps as the Braves won in a variety of ways. They had several miniature comeback victories, a positive sign for the team's resilience and competitive fire.

"The biggest thing with 7 on 7 with us is we want to see the kids compete," said head coach Dominick Lepore. "We take 25 guys, we always say we want to play 25 guys. It does matter and you want to win every game, but you also want to see what guys can do and that's the most important thing to us."

For Dougherty in the pocket, sometimes the key was patience and checkdown passes. But in the final, he let it loose with two impressive deep touchdowns that sealed the victory over the Patriots. Of course, weapons like Ahsere Woolfolk, Jackson Pfister and Vin DeFillippo make things easier for the talented senior quarterback.

With that level of depth and talent, the Braves are looking like a team ready to take a big step this fall and potentially compete for a division or even a section title.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Key takeaways from summer football Shore 7 on 7 Tournament: 'We want to see the kids compete'