Steers football receives preseason ranking, 7on7 preps for state

• (ARCHIVE PHOTO | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Dave Campbell’s Texas Football recently released their preseason top 10 rankings and the Graham Steers found themselves as the ninth-ranked team in Class 4A Division II. Graham finished last season with a 10-2 record and begin this year with a new head coach leading the team.
• (ARCHIVE PHOTO | THE GRAHAM LEADER) The Graham Steers 7on7 team kneels together before the start of a 7on7 game at one of the state qualifiers earlier this season. The Steers received their pool play brackets for the state 7on7 tournament this week, where they’ll look to make a run for the state championship.

School has been out for just over a month now, but the fall sports seasons will be here before you know it.

While plenty of teams are getting summer workouts and exhibition games in, football doesn’t stop in Texas. Recently, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football began releasing its top 10 football rankings for each class and division.

The rankings were released Friday, June 20 for Class 4A Division II, and the Graham Steers football team found itself in a familiar position inside the top 10. The Steers came in ranked ninth in 4A DII, above the Sinton Pirates in 10th and below another set of pirates, the eighth-ranked Waco La Vega Pirates.

After the Steers finished the 2023 season with a 10-2 overall record, which included a second-place finish in District 3-4A and a bi-district championship, the team is looking to keep that momentum going in 2024 under the leadership of a new head coach.

Clay McChristian, the defensive coordinator for many years who took over with the retirement of Kenny Davidson, will try to build off of the foundation set the past few seasons. He brings back multiple starters on both sides of the ball who will contribute to the success of this team.

A top 10 ranking is an accomplishment, but this is just the preseason. While the accolades are welcomed, the players still need to make things happen on the field come August. But the Steers should be prepared to make that ranking stick.

7on7 state competition

Throughout a portion of May and during the month of June, the Graham Steers’ 7on7 team has been competing for a shot at the state competition.

It didn’t take long for the Steers to regain the form they had during their successful 2023 season.

Although they’re not playing with pads and hitting each other, the Steers hit their stride early as they qualified for the state tournament in their first qualifying competition of the summer season.

Graham finished the “regular season” of 7on7 with a 12-1 record while racking up the points against their opponents. The Steers are now set to compete in the state tournament which takes place Thursday, June 27 and Friday, June 28 at the Veterans Park and Athletic Complex in College Station.

DCTF released the pool play brackets Sunday, June 23 for the state tournament this week. Graham is competing in Division II pool H against Hamshire-Fannett, Kilgore and Dallas Kimball.

“I think, Division I, Division II, Division III there is no better pool pound for pound than pool H… This is a loaded, loaded pool,” DCTF Insider Matt Stepp said on the exclusive pool reveal show.

With the way Division II and Division III are set up for the 7on7 tournament, every team is guaranteed at least one game on the second day of competition. Pool play will happen the first day, but even if a team goes 0-3 in their three games they will move onto bracket play the following day.

Graham’s Steers will have their work cut out for them with a tough pool in this competition, but the team has shown all summer that they’re more than capable of taking on that challenge.

“If you’re asking me to pick right now, I’m picking Graham to win it all,” Stepp said. “I think the Steers made a big run last year, they were really, really young; they’ve got veteran experience all over the place… the Division II field this year is deeper than it’s ever been.”

Graham will kick things off with their first pool match-up against Hamshire-Fannett at 1 p.m. Thursday, June 27 as the Steers look to bring home a 7on7 state championship, something the team last accomplished in 2017.

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