The 2009 Champion of the Bob Jones 7on7 Tournament is

North Gwinnett High School. 

"Parents, great job this week.  The tournament was great because of your efforts.  I applaud you and thank you."

Coach Rose

Day 2 - Friday, June 19th, 2009

Congratulations to our Bob Jones Football Patriots!!!!

The Patriots went 10-2-1 at the 2009 Bob Jones 7-on-7 Tournament that was completed today.  This is a huge accomplishment for the Patriots, who went 2-8 at the same tournament in 2008.

Prelude to rematch

Saturday, June 20, 2009 By Mike EasterlingTimes Sports Writer mike.easterling@htimes.com

North Gwinnett wins 7-on-7 title, returning for August jamboree MADISON - Bob Jones first-year coach Kevin Rose couldn't have scripted Friday's finish of the school's 7-on-7 football passing tournament any better. Though the host Patriots lost the title game 22-13 to defending champion North Gwinnett (Ga.), the schools reached an agreement to play again Aug. 21 in a preseason game called the first Madison Bowl.

The jamboree game, which will be played a week before both teams open the season, is something Bob Jones dreamed up to ring in the coming football season.  "It's the biggest school in Alabama against one of the biggest schools in Georgia," said Rose, hoping that the exhibition might draw a capacity crowd to Madison City Schools Stadium. Friday at Bob Jones' practice facility, the Bulldogs defeated Bob Jones twice to win the tournament.

North Gwinnett had driven 41/2 hours from its Atlanta-area campus on Thursday only to lose 27-9 to Bob Jones in the tournament's pool-play opener. But the Bulldogs ran the table from then on. Bob Jones, which knocked off surprising Hamilton to reach the final, fell in the title game to North Gwinnett. "I thought it was a great tournament and the best team won," Rose said. "They beat us twice. They played well and so did we. I think it sets up a great matchup on Aug. 21 in Madison." Rose said he expects both teams to play the preseason exhibition amid a playoff type atmosphere, with starters getting most of the playing time. The following week, Bob Jones opens its season at home against region rival Buckhorn. North Gwinnett, a Georgia state quarterfinalist last season, will get another dose of Alabama football when it opens against Class 6A champion Prattville. "This is where the competition is," North Gwinnett senior cornerback Eric Wright said. The Bulldogs will return to Madison with two Alabama offensive line commitments in Jawaun James (6-foot-6, 293 pounds) and Austin Shepherd (6-4, 315). James is rated a four-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com, while Shepherd is a three-star prospect. Quarterback/receiver C.J. Uzomah, who led the championship win over Bob Jones, also is a recruiting jewels. Uzomah (6-5, 210) is being recruited as an athlete and said Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Clemson, Maryland, Indiana and South Florida have offered scholarships. He said he didn't care what position he played in college. "Whichever one will help the team the most," he said.

3A Hamilton third. The Class 3A Aggies lost Josh Hollingsworth at quarterback who played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game, starred in basketball and baseball and signed to play football at Furman. The team graduated 20 seniors. But with rising freshman Mitch Stults under center, Hamilton went unbeaten in pool play and finished third after losing to Bob Jones in the semifinals. The Bulldogs were the only 3A team in the tournament. "We came here looking for confidence and for our team to compete at the highest level and I think we did,'' coach Rodney Stidham said. Stidham said the team's top skill player, receiver Cody Frederick, is getting strong attention from Auburn. North Jackson, a Class 4A school, lost to North Gwinnett in the semifinals and placed fourth.

Day 1 - Thursday, June 18th, 2009

Buckhorn football team hopes offseason work pays off

Mike Easterling - The Huntsville Times, June 19, 2009 11:59 a.m.

MADISON - There was no hiding from either the sun or the searing heat.

"It's burning up out here," Bob Jones junior quarterback Zach Freeman said.

For defensive backs there was no hiding from blown assignments, either, not in this summer fun version of football Thursday at the Bob Jones 7-on-7 Tournament.

"It's not real football," Buckhorn senior quarterback Matt Broady said of the no-contact "lite" version of the normally violent sport.

But it was football nonetheless, never mind that the day was the year's hottest. And with preseason practice beginning in 46 days on Aug. 3, the "feels like over 100'' theme did little to dampen spirits of the well-oiled and briskly played tournament.

"It's good for the team just getting to compete," Sparkman senior quarterback Terrance Pride said.

Buckhorn coach Michael Jackson has its starting quarterback returning for the first time in four years. The rangy, strong-armed Broady, who said he's 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds but looks bigger, is among 14 returning starters and one reason why the Bucks are optimistic they'll return to the playoffs after failing to do so during a 5-5 campaign in 2008.

A 27-24 loss to Austin in Week 9 cost Buckhorn a postseason berth and Broady said that has driven the team's offseason work.

During Thursday's pool play, intensity was high on Buckhorn's sideline as the team tied Johnson and Bob Jones before losing to defending tournament champion North Gwinnett (Ga.). The Bucks went on to defeat Grissom, Sparkman and Deshler.

The double-elimination portion of the tournament starts today at 9 a.m. with the championship set for 1 p.m.

"We've remember that loss to Austin that put us out," Broad said. "We've been working hard every day trying to get back to the playoffs. We were real angry about that. That's what we've been focused on in the offseason.''

Absent players

Deshler running back/defensive back Deion Belue, being recruited as an athlete with DB his likely destination, was one of several Tigers missing. Belue has scholarship offers from Alabama, Auburn and Southern Mississippi among others.

While some of the players were at a baseball camp, Belue was in summer school. But, Deshler coach John Mothershed pointed out, it was only because he's trying to raise his GPA and not because he failed any courses.

Deshler, which went 0-6 Thursday, will have those players today.

"We'll have all of our bullets," said Mothershed.

Marquis Smith, a dynamic player for Buckhorn and one of the area's leading prospects, won't play. He's on a recruiting visit to Murray State.

Go to http://www.naelite7on7.com/ to get the latest news and schedules! 

The 2008 North Alabama Elite 7-on-7 Tournament will start at 1:00pm on Thursday, June 19th, 2008 and end around noon on Saturday, June 21st, 2008 at the Bob Jones High School Football Practice Complex in Madison, Alabama. The 7-on-7 passing tournament is a high school level competition which will involve at least 16 high school football programs from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. The unique 7-on-7 tournament format allows for competition with elite high school football programs. Last year's camp featured many champions from each state. Click here to view pictures from last year's camp!

Teams that are currently entered for the 2008 camp:

Apollo High School - Located in Owensboro, Kentucky 
Bob Jones High School - The Patriots, coached by Shannon Brown, are the host team from Madison, Alabama. The Patriots have back-to-back-to-back playoff appearances in 2005 - 2007.
Blount High School - Located in Mobile, Alabama
Buckhorn High School - The Bucks, from New Market, Alabama, are coached by Michael Jackson. After finishing second in 2005 to the AHSAA State 5A Champions, Homewood High School, both schools bumped up to the 6A class in 2007. The Bucks are known for their strength and weight-lifting program and have been a fixture in the state playoffs.
Byrnes High School - The Rebels from Duncan, South Carolina are coached by Chris Miller and have a strong winning tradition. They are one of the premier teams in the country as they have won the South Carolina State AAAA Football Championship in 2007, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 & 1986. They also won the AAA Championship in 1976 and 1982.
Capital-Baton Rouge High School - This high school is located in the East Baton Rouge School District in Louisiana.
Grayson High School - The Rams, coached by Mickey Conn, from Loganville, Georgia were 2006 8AAAAA Region Finalist, 2nd round State play-offs, 2003 8AAA Region Finalists & 2002 8AAA Region Champs. The Rams will be making their first appearance in the North Alabama 7-on-7 tournament.
Huntsville High School - Located in Huntsville, Alabama and coached by Kevin Wieseman, Huntsville High has a rich tradition in north Alabama football sending many players on to the college and professional ranks.
Jefferson County High School - A public school located in Louisville, Kentucky. 
Loris High School - The Blue and Gold Lions from northeast Horry County, South Carolina will be making their first appearance in the 2008 tourney.
North Gwinnett High School - The Black and Red from Suwanee, Georgia finished last season as the #2 team in the State of Georgia, Class AAAAA.
Olive Branch High School - The Conquistadors from Olive Branch, Mississippi coached by Scott Samsel made it to the 3rd round of the Mississippi state playoffs last season and finished 11-3.
Sparkman High School - The Senator's, coached by Roger Haynes, are located in Harvest, Alabama just across Hwy 72 from Madison. Sparkman struggled last year after losing a huge senior class in 2006 which went 10-2 season, the most wins in school history, and their 1st playoff win in school history as well as their 4th consecutive playoff berth. After rebuilding last year, they should be strong again in 2008.
South Lake High School - The Eagles from Groveland, Florida will be making their first appearance in the North Alabama tourney
Stanhope Elmore High School - The 6A Mustangs from Millbrook, Alabama are coached by Jeff Foshee and play in Region 4 with Prattville, the 2006 Alabama 6A State Champions. The Mustangs play their home games in Foshee-Henderson Stadium.
St. John Vianney High School - The Griffins from St. Louis, Missouri are coached by Gene Gladstone and play in the Metro Catholic Conference. In 2006, five Griffin football players signed National Letters of Intent to accept scholarships to play college football. This will be their 1st appearance in the North Alabama 7-on-7 Elite Tournament.

MADISON - If the action Friday at the Northeast Alabama Elite 7-on-7 tournament was an accurate preview, the teams in Class 6A, Region 8 may be on the difficult side of a learning curve when fall football practice opens. The five Region 8 teams entered in the passing tournament at Bob Jones High School will begin the season with new starting quarterbacks. The host Patriots, along with Austin, Buckhorn, Huntsville and Sparkman, will be breaking in new signal-callers when fall practice starts Aug. 4. Three of the other four region teams - Florence, Grissom and Hazel Green - also have new quarterbacks. Only Decatur, which climbs back to Class 6A after playing in 5A for two seasons, returns last year's starter. The region race should be "wide open," said Bob Jones coach Shannon Brown. The new quarterbacks continued to get extra work Friday during the second day of the three-day tournament. Buckhorn had the best record in pool play, going 4-3 behind junior Matt Broady. Huntsville and Sparkman both went 2-5 in pool play and Bob Jones and Austin were 1-6. Sparkman senior Matt Bradford - a backup at quarterback who also played wide receiver the past two seasons - said the 7-on-7 tournament will help the offense develop. "It really helps getting the timing with my receivers down,' he said. "Though there aren't any lineman out here, you just try to get better any way you can.' Bradford said the Senators have plenty of talent, though he said they didn't show "a lot of fight" during pool play. "We've got to have more willpower," Bradford said. Huntsville has an ongoing quarterback race between Jared Bastin and Kenneth Noojin - seniors who are workout partners and friends. Both have some experience at quarterback, and both agree that even without full contact, the 7-on-7 action helps in preparation for the fall. "I think it does,' said Bastin, the more mobile of the two. "It definitely helps the quarterbacks. It helps to see different competition." Said Noojin, taller and more of a pocket passer than his counterpart: "It's great to see different kinds of defenses and not the same old defense our team runs. You see different coverages, different athletes. You get better." Austin will have sophomore Stephen Rivers - the younger brother of former Athens and current San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers - at quarterback this season, while Bob Jones turns to senior Nick Acosta. Defending tournament champion Byrnes High of Duncan, S.C., was the only team to go through pool play unscathed at 7-0. The Rebels, who have won five of the last six AAAA state championships, defeated Bob Jones 37-9 and Sparkman 41-11 to earn a bye in Friday night's first round of elimination play. "There's a lot of great teams here,' Bradford said. "These teams out of state - this is what they live." The tournament continues today with consolation-bracket games at 8 a.m. Winners-bracket games start at 9 a.m. and the championship game is set for noon.

Friday's results:

First round
5:00 p.m. - Johnson 19, Russellville 13; Grayson 30, Apollo 10; South Lake 30, North Jackson 23; Buckhorn 30, Jefferson Co. 24
5:30 p.m. - Bob Jones 49, Sparkman 0; Blount 42, Vianney 25; Austin 45, Huntsville 37 (4 OT); Stanhope Elmore 30, Deshler 20 
6:00 p.m. - Byrnes 35, Johnson 8; North Gwinnet 28, South Lake 25
6:30 p.m. - Bob Jones 25, Olive Branch 21; Capital 34, Austin 11

Pool Play
Field 1: North Gwinnett (Ga.) 27, Bob Jones 9; Grayson (Ga.) 24, Johnson 9; Stanhope Elmore 27, Deshler 9; Grayson 22, Russellville 8; Olive Branch (Miss.) 32, Capital (La.) 15; Bob Jones 34, Russellville 15; St. John Vianney (Mo.) 27, Stanhope Elmore 25; Deshler 32, Sparkman 9.
Field 2: Brynes (S.C.) 31, Appollo (Ky.) 14; Blount 23, Vianney 20; Buckhorn 32, Huntsville 27; Jefferson Co. (Ga.) 31, Johnson 7; Stanhope Elmore 31, Austin 23; Byrnes 36, Grayson 7; North Jackson 32, South Lake (Fla.) 32; Capital 31, Huntsville 6.
Field 3: Sparkman 31, Russellville 15; Capital 28, South Lake 27; Appollo 32, Bob Jones 7; Vianney 27, North Jackson 24; Sparkman 35, Buckhorn 32; Jefferson Co. 19, North Gwinnett 17; Olive Branch 31, Buckhorn 29.
Field 4: Jefferson Co. 27, North Jackson 11; Olive Branch 32, Austin 23; Byrnes 27, South Lake 17; Deshler 21, Huntsville 12; Appollo 22, Johnson 19; Blount 24, Austin 23.

Byrnes (S.C.) High brings winning tradition to area
Friday, June 20, 2008, By MIKE EASTERLING, Times Sports Staff mike.easterling@htimes.com 
MADISON - Pressure to return to the top mounted on the Byrnes Rebels of Duncan, S.C., prior to last season. The school had become accustomed to winning football state championships and failed to do so in 2006 after claiming four straight AAAA crowns from 2002-05. The drought didn't last long when the Rebels capped 2007 with the school's eighth championship since 1982. "There's definitely a lot of pressure,' junior quarterback Chase Dodd said between games Thursday at the third Northeast Alabama Elite 7-on-7 tournament at Bob Jones High. "We kind of fixed that last year after losing the year before.' Such is the life of a football player at Byrnes, back to defend its tournament championship at the three-day event that continues today ay 8 a.m. and concludes with the championship game at noon Saturday. "We never really take a break,' said defensive back Justin Bright, a Florida State commitment. "The guys that play other sports don't work out as much, but we're always doing something. After we won state last year on a Saturday, the next Tuesday we had workouts.' Chris Miller, in his 11th season overall at Byrnes and in his second as head coach, said there's no secret to the Rebels' success. "We've got coaches that are dedicated and kids that stay hungry,' he said. "We talk all the time about not losing the eye of the tiger. The kids are always trying to find ways (to succeed), the coaches are always trying to find ways.' Byrnes defeated South Lake (Fla.) 43-16 to open pool play. The Rebels then defeated Jefferson County (Ga.) 30-17, Sparkman 41-11 and Bob Jones 37-9. They'll later travel to Oregon for another summer 7-on-7 event and soon thereafter begin a quest for the school's ninth state championship. With only three starters graduated from last year's title team, repeating is certainly a reasonable goal. "We want to go back and do it again,' Dodd said. Byrnes leads Pool B at 4-0, North Gwinnett (Ga.) leads Pool C at 4-0, Blount leads Pool A at 3-1, Buckhorn leads Pool D at 3-1 and North Jackson leads Pool E at 2-2.

Thursday's results:
Field 1: Grayson (Ga.) 22, Bob Jones 21; Blount 20, Stanhope Elmore 8; Blount 35, Bob Jones 22; Stanhope Elmore 39, Grayson 19; Grayson 31, Blount 21; Byrnes 37, Bob Jones 9; Jefferson Co. (Ga.) 28, Grayson 15.
Field 2: Byrnes 43, South Lake (Fla.) 16; South Lake 31, Sparkman 26; Byrnes 30, Jefferson Co. 17; Jefferson Co. 27, Sparkman 2; Byrnes 41, Sparkman 11; South Lake 31, Jefferson Co. 21; North Gwinnett (Ga.) 37, Appollo 3; St. John Vianney (Mo.) 46, Johnson 3.
Field 3: North Gwinnett 17, Johnson 16; Olive Branch (Miss.) 30, Huntsville 11; North Gwinnett 24, Olive Branch 13; Huntsville 29, Johnson 21; North Gwinnett 31, Huntsville 13; Olive Branch 42, Johnson 22; Stanhope Elmore 15, Russellville 10; Blount 39, North Jackson 13.
Field 4: Appollo (Ky.) 28, Vianney 27; Buckhorn 23, Capital (La.) 16; Appollo 19, Capital 11; Vianney 33, Buckhorn 27; Buckhorn 25, Appollo 9; Capital 35, Vianney 9; Huntsville 27, Sparkman 6; Olive Branch 34, South Lake 30.
Field 5: North Jackson 34, Russellville 16; Deshler 16, Austin 15; Russellville 30, Austin 7; North Jackson 20, Deshler 17; Russellville 26, Deshler 26; Austin 19, North Jackson 13; Buckhorn 28, Deshler 21; Capital 24, Austin 23.

Game contact should be limited as 20-team event starts today at Bob Jones
One theme might be running through the minds of offensive skill players at today's Northeast Alabama Elite 7-on-7 football tournament. Thank goodness the defenders can't hit. If high school prospect rankings by Rivals.com are any indication, the defense would rule the action at Bob Jones High School if regular rules applied. Among the 20 teams entered in the tournament, five feature players ranked nationally at defensive positions by Rivals, though some - such as North Jackson linebacker/ tight end Tana Patrick - are two-way players. But the defenders will be somewhat neutralized in the helmet-and-shorts tournament that features passing, no down linemen and little if any contact. Here are the top-ranked players expected to participate in the three-day event that begins with pool play today at 2 p.m.:

- Patrick (6-foot-3, 215). Rated four-star, he's ranked No. 65 overall and No. 5 at inside linebacker. He has not committed.
- Anthony Orr (6-4, 260, Sparkman). Rated three-star, he's pegged as the 24th-best strongside defensive end. He has not committed.
- Jonathan Evans (6-0, 205, Blount). A three-star ranking, he's rated the 35th-best outside linebacker. He has committed to Auburn.
- Justin Bright (6-0, 173, Byrnes, S.C.). A three-star prospect, he's the 41st-rated receiver and has committed to Florida State.
- D.T. Shackelford (6-1, 220, Austin). Rated three-star, he's No. 47 among inside linebackers. Auburn has shown high interest, though he is uncommitted.

Among the teams to watch, defending tournament champion Byrnes High of Duncan, S.C., has perhaps the best pedigree. The Rebels won four straight AAAA state titles from 2002-05 and another one last year. They also won state championships in 1976, '82 and '86. "If I'm a fan," Bob Jones coach Shannon Brown said, "I want to see Byrnes and I want to see Olive Branch (Miss.).' Brown's Patriots play their second pool-play game against Blount High of Mobile, which is in its first season under former Bob Jones defensive coordinator Kelvin Sigler. Of the five metro area teams in the field, Huntsville enters with the most buzz after defeating Class 6A powerhouse Prattville 7-0 in a two-quarter spring jamboree. The Panthers enter the fall with two senior quarterbacks competing for the starting job and the race for No. 1 starts today for Jared Bastin and Kenneth Noojin. "Yeah, and they know it," said Huntsville coach Kevin Wieseman... (By MIKE EASTERLING, Times Sports Staff mike.easterling@htimes.com)