CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RESULTS FROM THE SMALL SCHOOLS BRACKET
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RESULTS FROM THE LARGE SCHOOLS BRACKET
One of the summer staples of high school football in Acadiana made its return this week as the annual “Air It Out” 7-on-7 tournament kicked off at St. Thomas More.
Since 2015, STM has played host to the highly anticipated summer event, which brings together dozens of teams for two days of competition, camaraderie, and evaluation on the gridiron.
This year’s edition features 32 schools rotating through Cougar Stadium across a jam-packed schedule. Wednesday’s opening day spotlighted the smaller schools — from Classes 3A to 1A — as games were played every 25 minutes across four different sections of the field.
While there are no pads or full contact, the reps are invaluable. Teams tally wins and losses throughout the day, but coaches say it’s about much more than the scoreboard.
"That's the biggest thing — every coach here says, you know, seven-on-seven is not real football,” said Acadiana Renaissance Charter head coach Travis Blaize. “But a lot of us all view it the same way. It's the next opportunity to compete. It’s very important for us to measure up against local talent. I think Coach Savoie at STM does a fantastic job assembling all these teams together.”
Erath head coach Eric LeBlanc echoed the sentiment, adding that summer reps can set the tone for the fall.
“Every position is an open battle,” LeBlanc said. “It’s the opportunity to prove to the coaches that it’s yours and not the other guy’s. We’re looking for guys who compete, do things the right way, and show us something over the course of the summer.”
For STM offensive coordinator Shane Savoie, the tournament is one of the few times his team gets to shift into true competitive mode before the season begins.
“We do these drills throughout June, but we really don’t compete — we just work together,” Savoie said. “This is one or two opportunities in the summer where we get a chance to really compete and see which kids want to go out there and compete, so it’s a lot of fun.”
Thursday will see the larger schools — including the host Cougars — take the field for their turn under the lights, wrapping up another successful year of a tournament that has become a summer tradition in Louisiana high school football.
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