Surprising 7- on- 7 Wolves finish with flurry

After a somewhat stunning success and a three- week break, Lake Hamilton’s 7- on- 7 football season revs back up for a busy finish.

The 7- on- 7 Wolves, who won last month’s Shootout of the South, start a stretch of four tournaments in 12 days today at Little Rock Central. Lake Hamilton, breaking in a new No. 1 quarterback in incoming senior Nathan Sawrie and replacing 2012 starting slot receiver Cody Smith, play Friday at the University of Memphis, July 18 at Arkansas State and July 20 at Louisiana Tech.

Sawrie, who shared snaps with junior- to- be Jess Ledbetter behind No. 1 quarterback Clay Jessie last year, was named the Shootout of the South’s outstanding offensive player, laying claim to the starting job this summer while also playing for the extended- season baseball Wolves.

“He’s improving,” Lake Hamilton coach Jerry Clay said. “We were very timely with our completions. We have some people that can get open. But you should always get open with five ( defensive players) defending and no rush.”

Sawrie and Ledbetter, who quarterbacked the junior- varsity Wolves in Saturday’s Fountain Lake tournament, have experienced receivers in seniors Trevor Mittelstadt and Chris Eastburn. Mittelstadt made 29 catches for 688 yards and eight touchdowns in 2012, Eastburn catching 22 passes for 341 yards and two scores while lining up at running back and tight end.

“I wouldn’t say I was surprised. I thought we had a chance,” Clay said of winning the Shootout of the South. “We kind of came through when we needed to. We played good defense.”

Incoming junior defensive back Donell West was named outstanding defensive player.

West joins returning secondary starters Mittelstadt and Josh Nazario ( junior). Seniors Steven Shirley and Alec Young an junior Hunter Lipton also saw defensive backfield duty last year, although Young missed most of the season with an injury.

Improvement in the secondary has been an off- season priority, but its true measurement will come in the fall.

“The ability to cover the pass isn’t my concern. We’ve got some pretty good athletes back there,” Clay said. “They can cover well. The question

I had was would we be aggressive enough. They have to step up in that area.”

The biggest Lake Hamilton felled in the Shootout of the South was Allen, Texas. West’s interception of a pass Eastburn deflected provided the twopoint margin of victory.

“Nobody thought they could be beaten,” Clay said. “According to one ( publication), they have seven Division I prospects on their roster.

“They played straight mantoman ( coverage). .. We took advantage of that. It came down to an interception.”

*** Fountain Lake, after winning its own tournament Saturday, plays today at Pulaski Academy. Lakeside, which finished fourth in the Shootout of the South, hosts a four- team camp tournament on Wednesday and plays July 16 in the annual Garrett Uekman memorial tournament at War Memorial Stadium.

Clay and the Lakeside coach Jared McBride said their teams will not play in a July 20 national tournament in Washington, both qualifying by finishing in the Shootout of the South’s top four.