Mar 15, 2016 5 min read

Football programs from across the PIAA will no longer have to wait until the fall to compete for a state championship.

Pennsylvania will be one of 11 states to host a 7-on-7 football tournament in June for high school teams. Airo Sports Management, a Florida-based company, started the statewide competitions last summer in Florida, Georgia and Louisiana.

With the backing of the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association and support from the PIAA, Airo, in conjunction with adidas, will host the event this year with two 32-team regions in the state.

The Eastern Regional will be played June 20-21 at Forks Community Park in Easton and the West Regional at Founders Field in Cheswick June 28-29. The top four teams from both regions will compete for the state championship June 30 at Founders Field.

Instead of allowing all-star teams, this competition is limited to high school rostered teams.

Garry Cathell, executive director for PSFCA and the Pennsylvania State Director for Airo Sports’ 7-on-7, decided to bring the competition to his home state after seeing its success in the south last summer.

“Probably the most important fact is it’s a team-oriented 7-on-7,” Cathell said. “We do not want the all-star team model. We want the high school coaches to coach their own kids. We don’t want an AAU model. That’s very important for us. If it’s going to be done – and they’ve already done it very well from what I’ve seen – then it’s something we want to do here in Pennsylvania.”

The competitions have grown in popularity over the past decade. Wearing shorts and T-shirts, skill position players are able to test their athleticism and football acumen against each other in a flag football-like atmosphere.

The quarterback, after taking the snap from center, tries to read the defense and exploit its weaknesses. The field is smaller – usually 50-by-53 1/2 yards – and possession begins on the 40-yard line.

McGuffey head coach Ed Dalton has taken his team to competitions across the region and believes a statewide competition would be a welcome addition to the summer schedule.

“We go to ones at different schools, so we’d be all for giving this a run,” Dalton said. “Any time you get a chance to compete, I think it’s good as long as you don’t really think 7-on-7 is football. I think it’s another way to compete. There are no classifications and things like that, but you also don’t have to pass block. Sometimes that evens it out.”

Airo’s 7-on-7 tournaments last summer sold out in all three states. When registration for this year’s tournaments in other states opened last month, openings were filled within 24 hours.

Cathell, who coached at Peters Township, expects a similar response in Pennsylvania, which has tournaments on a smaller scale. Local colleges, such as Washington & Jefferson, host tournaments each summer. The largest is held at Pitt and draws more than 50 teams.

Cost of the competition is $599 for a 20-person team, which is comparable to other tournaments.

“When I coached 15 years ago, when we ran 7-on-7, and they weren’t competitive,” Cathell said. “What has happened in last 10 years is people are going places and competing at 7-on-7. Why not have a 7-on-7 platform that is first class, done right, wants to highlight the whole state and create a state competition in the offense?”

Mike Carr, a two-time state champion from South Fayette, was named to the Pennsylvania team for the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. The Pennsylvania team takes on the United States at 6 p.m., March 26 at Pitt’s Fitzgerald Fieldhouse. The WPIAL will wrestle Indiana in the 4 p.m. opener.

Carr was undefeated in his final two seasons and stopped James Duffy of Smethport, 3-1, in the 145-pound Class AA finals last weekend in Hershey. Carr, who has a 160-15 record in four seasons, is one of three two-time state champions on the Pennsylvania team. South Park’s Jake Wentzel and Greg Bulsak are the others.

The other local wrestler on the Pennsylvania team is Austin Bell of Belle Vernon, who finished third at 170 pounds in Class AAA.

Six area wrestlers are on the WPIAL team: Derek Verkleeren (152), Mitchell Hartman (160) and Milton Kobaly (182) of Belle Vernon; Shaun Wilson (138) of Waynesburg; Tony Welsh (170) of Beth-Center; and Mike McAleavey (220) of Peters Township.

Ringgold senior point guard Bailey Cooper will continue her basketball career at California University.

Cooper, a four-year starter, averaged 13 points per game for the Rams this season, helping the program to its third consecutive playoff appearance. She is the second local player in as many years to join the Vulcans.

Former McGuffey standout Sammie Weiss appeared in 15 games for Cal this season.

Imani Christian freshman Cali Konek received national attention this season for her scoring prowess, but she is one of four freshmen in the WPIAL with a Division I scholarship offer and one is from Washington County.

Like Konek, Peters Township freshman forward Makenna Marisa has been offered by Duquesne. Marisa, the granddaughter of legendary Waynesburg University head coach Rudy Marisa, was the only freshman to be selected first-team all-section in Class AAAA, when she averaged 10 points per game.

Canon-McMillan junior midfielder Madison Manz will continue her soccer and academic careers at Waynesburg.

She was a member of the Big Macs’ Section 4-AAA championship team last fall and the 2014 team that reached the PIAA title match.