Spartans earn 7-on-7 state berth quickly
Stafford’s 7-on-7 football traveled well out of the area to compete on Saturday so when the weather caused a lengthy delay the players and parents were happy to stick it out.
What followed in Navasota was worth the wait as the Spartans qualified for the Division II state tournament. It is their second state qualification. The first came in 2014.
Last weekend was the second of seven weekends in which teams can qualify for the July 7-8 competition in College Station.
“It was a long day, but we played well on offense and defense,” coach Ron Counter said “I am glad to get it out of the way. Now the backup QB and some of the other kids can play a little more this summer.”
Stafford beat Bay City and Fairfield in pool play and lost to La Grange. That is when the three-hour delay began. With the pivotal semifinal on the horizon, the Spartans were not going to come back to Fort Bend.
When play finally commenced the Spartans defeated Cameron Yoe to clinch the state tournament berth. Because it was so late Stafford and Navasota, the other semifinal winner, decided to flip a coin to determine the tournament champion. Stafford won.
Stafford played its third pool play game and the semifinal without Hezekiah Jones, an elite wide receiver who has pledged to Baylor. Luckily for the Spartans, their talent does not end there.
They got big contributions from defensive back Jalen Petrie, also a Baylor pledge, junior quarterback Walter White, running back James Brown and wide receiver Kenneth Bodwin. Cam Montgomery and Kameron Hill, who both recently were offered scholarships by service academies, played pivotal roles, too.
“We’ll try to get better as the summer goes on,” Counter said. “Hopefully we play well at the state tournament.”
Bayou Bowl
Five Fort Bend ISD football players and two more from Lamar Consolidated ISD have been selected for the annual Bayou Bowl that pits Houston west all-stars against Houston east allstars. The game will be played June 11 at Rhodes Stadium in Katy.
The local participants are Fort Bend Marshall linebacker Dominick Evans, Marshall defensive lineman Jared Scroggins, Travis defensive lineman Jaylon Hodge, Ridge Point offensive lineman Marcus Montemayor, Dulles wide receiver Reuel Muhammad, and Foster’s Jason Dimelow and Grant Strimple.