Steers qualify for state 7on7 in first competition

Steers qualify for state 7on7 in first competition News Staff Mon, 05/20/2024 - 2:52 pm

• (GRAHAM STEERS 7ON7 | CONTRIBUTED PHOTO) The Graham Steers 7on7 team qualified for the state tournament at their first qualifying event of the season in Justin last weekend. The Steers went 3-0 in pool play to reach the championship game and they pulled out a 14-12 win over Dumas to punch their ticket to the tournament.

TC Gordon sports@grahamleader.com

The Graham Steers’ 7on7 football team got off to a hot start to the summer as they played in their first competition of the year and qualified for the state tournament.

This season began a bit later for Graham due to many of the players participating in other sports as the State Qualifying Tournaments (SQTs) got underway in April. The Steers have five SQTs on the schedule, which means five opportunities to qualify for state at the end of June.

At their first competition last Saturday, May 18 in Justin, the Steers dominated their pool play by winning all three games and then narrowly defeating Dumas in the final to claim their position in the state tournament.

Below is a short write-up on each of the team’s four games with scores included. The Steers will compete Saturday, May 25 at their next scheduled SQT in Mineral Wells.

Pool Play

Steers v. Celina, (W) 34-21

Graham’s defense set the tone early for the day’s competition by forcing three-and-outs on both of Celina’s first two drives. Meanwhile, the Steers’ offense picked up where it left off last season with quarterback Ty Thompson connecting with receivers Keegan Voyles and Harison Brockway to put the team up 14-0 early.

Celina got on the board to cut into the lead, but Thompson hit Jack McEntire for a touchdown pass to make it 21-6. The Bobcats scored once more to make it 21-13 in favor of Graham going into the half.

The Steers performed well on both sides of the ball in the second half after allowing Celina a touchdown to tie the game at 21-21. Graham scored two more times to go up 34-21 and Cooper Corley had a key interception to close the game out.

Steers v. Peaster, (W) 32-6

This match-up took Graham’s offense a bit of time to get going, but once it did the Steers ran away with the win. Thompson connected with Brockway and Brayden Riggins for scores in the first half as the defense shut Peaster down to lead 13-0 at the half.

On the opening play of the second half, Bruin Wright intercepted a Greyhounds pass and returned it for a touchdown to put his team up 19-0. Peaster scored their only touchdown on the next drive to make it 19-6 but Graham scored twice more to ice the game.

Voyles caught the first touchdown and Corley came up with the next score to push the lead to 32-6. Graham’s defense held strong with pass breakups from Jayton Hearne and Ryder Taylor, and Thomason Burkett intercepted the Greyhounds to end the game and secure the win.

Steers v. Life Oak Cliff, (W) 42-14

By this point the Steers were rolling on both sides of the ball. Graham dominated the first half as they scored four times while the defense limited Life Oak Cliff to just a single first down. Thompson spread the ball around as Riggins hauled in two touchdowns, Brockway had one and Hayden Horn had the other to make it 28-0 at halftime.

The Lions got on the board twice in the second half but it didn’t make any difference as the Steers continued to dominate them. Graham’s two touchdowns both came with Thompson hitting McEntire to help the team run away with the win.

Championship

Steers v. Dumas, (W) 14-12

The championship game in this SQT came down to a battle of the defenses. Both teams had slogged through the heat to get to this point and it turned into a real challenge for both sides.

After both teams struggled to get much going offensively, the Demons broke through first to take a 6-0 lead, but it didn’t last long. The Steers answered as Thompson hit McEntire for a touchdown and Graham converted the extra point to lead 7-6 at halftime.

Coming out of halftime, Graham extended the lead after a solid drive that ended with Thompson connecting with Riggins on a fade route in the end zone for the touchdown. The Steers led 14-6 but allowed Dumas to score on their next possession to make it 14-12. However, the Demons missed their two-point conversion attempt.

It came down to the final drive as Dumas had a chance to win at the end. But Graham forced an incomplete pass near the goal line and the clock expired to give the Steers the win and their ticket to the state competition next month.

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