Thursday marks the beginning of the 26th annual Texas State 7-on-7 Championships, and for the 25th year the event will be held in College Station, and once again the action will take place at Veterans Park. (NOTE: The 2020 event was scheduled to be in College Station but was canceled due to Covid-19). A robust 128 teams from across the state will gather for three days of action in one of the final big off-season events before the start of the 2023 Texas high school football season. The event has grown from humble beginnings with just 24 teams playing the inaugural event to this weekend’s massive showcase. As usual, we've decided to give you a tournament primer and some things to watch for the exciting weekend of action!

What Is It?

For those of you who are new to this, 7-on-7 is a game very similar to flag football. It's played on a 45-yard field, with seven players per side. There’s no rushing; it’s all passing and QBs have four seconds to throw the ball. Games are played in two 15-minute halves and the clock never stops.

Teams qualify for the State 7-on-7 Tournament by advancing out of one of the numerous qualifying tournaments which began in early May. Teams are divided into three divisions. Division I plays Friday and Saturday and consists of 6A, 5A and large private schools, while Division II plays Thursday and Friday and consists of Class 4A, 3A Division I and small private schools. Finally, the Division III bracket, which consists of schools in Class 3A Division II and below – no private schools are allowed in this division, plays Thursday and Friday, as well.

Who Are The Historical Powers?

Without question Celina has the best history of teams at the State 7-on-7 Tournament. The Bobcats have won four titles (2000, 2007, 2009 and 2012) and nearly every year are a contender to bring the hardware home and they’ll be in the mix once again in the Division II bracket. Other multiple title winners include:

Graham: 2013, 2014, 2017

Baytown Lee: 2001, 2005 (did not qualify)

Southlake Carroll: 1998, 2013 (did not qualify)

Lake Travis: 2010, 2017

Kaufman: 2016, 2021 (did not qualify)

DeSoto: 2011, 2022

Hitchcock: 2022, 2023

Miles: 2022, 2023

Of note, Southlake Carroll fell in the title game in Division I in 2019, while Graham also played for the title in 2012, falling to Celina in the Division II bracket. Navasota won a title in 2015, but the Rattlers also played for the crown back in 2008, falling to Crane. The Rattlers, however, did not qualify for the State Tournament for the second straight year. Crane aside from their title in 2008 did play for the state title in 2007 and again in 2019.  DeSoto had a strong run in 2010 as well falling in the title game to Lake Travis. College Station A&M Consolidated won the Division I crown in 2019 and they played for the title in 2018, losing to cross-town rival College Station and played for the Division I crown last year falling to Round Rock. Brownwood had held the longest streak of qualifying for the State Tournament at twenty-three straight years, but that streak came to an end this year. Lake Travis currently holds the longest consecutive streak of qualifying as the Cavs have made it to the State Tournament every year since 2004.  

How Do The Champions Do In The Fall?

In the early days of 7-on-7 there was little-to-no correlation to winning the state title in 7-on-7 and success in the fall. In fact, Baytown Lee won in 2005 and failed to win a game in the fall. However, in recent years that trend has started to change and there’s even been a few teams who won both State 7-on-7 and UIL football titles in the same year.  (Tyler Lee – 2004, Celina – 2000 & 2007, Lake Travis – 2010, Melissa – 2011, DeSoto -2022).

However, just because you don’t win a state title in football doesn’t mean the season was a failure, check out some of the other deep playoff runs by State 7-on-7 Champions below:

2009: Round Rock Stony Point (state semifinalist)

2010: Brownwood (state semifinalist)

2012: Celina (regional semifinalist)

2013: Southlake Carroll (regional semifinalist)

2013: Graham (state semifinalist)

2014: Graham (state semifinalist)

2015: Austin Westlake (state finalist)

2016: The Woodlands (state finalist)

2017: Graham (state semifinalist)

2017: Lake Travis (state finalist)

2018: Midlothian Heritage (regional semifinalist)

2018: Gunter (state semifinalist)

2019: Sunnyvale (regional semifinalist)

2022: Hitchcock (regional semifinalist)

In 2023 the eight quarterfinalists in Division I combined to go an 74-24 in the fall in real football, six of the eight teams made the playoffs and included in that group of eight was the 6A-Division II state champion (DeSoto), a 5A-Division I regional finalist (A&M Consolidated) and three regional semifinalists (Coppell, College Station and PSJA North).

The eight quarterfinalists in Division II went a sizzling 84-21 in the fall. All eight teams made the playoffs a year ago and included in that list was a 4A-Division I state champion (Anna), a TAPPS Division IV state champion (Lubbock Christian), a 4A-Division I state semifinalist (Decatur) and a pair of regional semifinalists (Texarkana Pleasant Grove and Silsbee).

In Division III the final eight teams standing were a combined 81-24 in the fall, with six of the eight making the playoffs. The group includes a state champion in 3A-Division II (Gunter), a 3A-Division II state semifinalist (Daingerfield), a 2A-Division II state semifinalist (Sunray) and a 3A-Division II regional finalist (Poth) and a 2A-Division I regional semifinalist (Sonora).

Road Tripping Or Sleeping In Your Own Bed?

Just one local school to the Bryan-College Station qualified for the State Tournament as College Station, was able to punch a ticket to the State Tournament as the Cougars are just a cozy seven miles from the venue. As is always the case, a team from El Paso wins the award for longest road trip overall and this year it’s El Paso Pebble Hills in the Division I bracket traveling 669 miles from El Paso to the Brazos Valley.

In Division II the top travel award goes to Dumas who will venture 560 miles south from the Texas Panhandle down to College Station. There aren’t any truly local teams playing in the Division II bracket, with Little River-Academy getting the honors as the “local” squad with an 84-mile one way trip.

In Division III, Sunray which is north of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle has the longest road trip as the Bobcats will travel 566 miles to College Station, while nearby Hearne doesn’t have to deal with hotel reservations as they are just 25 miles northwest of the Bryan-College Station area on Highway 6. Somerville, who is making their first ever appearance at the State Tournament is located just under 29 miles from the park.

Coming Out to Watch Your Team Play?

If you can, come on out to College Station and cheer your favorite team on. Even if you are just a high school football fan, it’s a blast to come out and watch these talented players in action up close and personal. Admission is free, bring a chair, a cooler stocked with cold drinks, an umbrella or other type of shade and lots of sun screen! The Bryan-College Station area has plenty of hotels, but they book quick so if you plan on staying more than a day, make sure you get your reservations ASAP. The Veterans Park complex in College Station is quite large and if you plan on going to multiple fields to check out the action, be prepared for a 10-15 minute walk. If you are dining out Thursday or Friday night try to make reservations if possible, if not be prepared for lengthy wait times at the local establishments. The DCTF crew will be out and about all over the place so come by our tent and say hello or if you see us out at a field say hi!

How To Follow The Tournament If You Can’t Make It

If you can’t make it out, DCTF will be all over the action putting out updates and video highlights throughout the weekend on all of our social media channels! On Thursday and Friday tune in at the conclusion of action (approximately 5:45 p.m.) for a recap show LIVE from College Station on texanlive.com!