All-Star 7-on-7 Season Has Started

If you trace back the roots of 7-on-7 events, there is a good bet that Florida had something to do with it. Back as far as the early 1990’s, teams were showing up and playing against each other in the off-season as a flag program, which opened the door for the 7-on-7 events that we have now. <img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-99832" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/01/OntheSideline-Logo-6-300x188.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="188" />The 7-on-7 craze, which the University of South Florida started with head coach <strong>Jim Leavitt</strong> and assistant coach <strong>Renato Diaz.</strong> The “all-star” variety that we have today started in south Florida and in Jacksonville. The Tampa Bay area also got in on the craze early on. Today, it is indeed a multi-million dollar business – with so much interest in these teams – that everyone has gotten involved. Lawyers, physicians and stock-brokers have teams these days. So do business owners and school administrator, who want to be around the game, the tournament and travel experience and just for the love of football. What soccer, baseball, softball and basketball have been doing for decades, football is now fully pumped into – with national brands getting involved. <strong>BATTLE SPORTS SHOWCASE KICKS IT OFF</strong> The official national tournament series began as Battle Sports hosted an event in Fort Lauderdale at Mills Pond Park. The event drew teams from around the country - with Arizona, California, Texas, Nevada, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia all sending teams with quality athletes. The state of Florida was well represented at the event – with the tournament champion Defcon and a Hallandale High secondary that includes nationally-rated <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Alfonzo-Allen-46084012"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50001" first="Alfonzo" last="Allen"]</strong></a><strong>,</strong> and <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Jaylin-Marshall-46080131"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50027" first="Jaylin" last="Marshall"]</strong></a><strong>, </strong><a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Anthony-Rose-46112820"><strong>Anthony Rose</strong></a> and <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Edric-Weldon-46110371"><strong>Edric Weldon</strong></a><strong>.</strong> There is also Davie Western standout <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Websley-Etienne-46086559"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50298" first="Websley" last="Etienne"]</strong></a><strong>.</strong> Offensive standouts include Fort Lauderdale Dillard state-rated receiver <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Devaughn-Mortimer-46098451"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50078" first="Devaughn" last="Mortimer"]</strong></a> and Davie Western receiver <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Jullian-Lewis-46099434"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50197" first="Jullian" last="Lewis"]</strong></a>, who is getting an amazing amount of attention. The South Florida Express, which was one of the teams nationally that enjoyed plenty of success and notoriety in the early years of 7-on-7, is still very much a player, but this program that has long relied on Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach talent, now has a roster that is actually more prospects from outside the area. This team does have local talent like TRU Prep Academy phenom <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Brandon-Inniss-46058554"><strong>Brandon Inniss</strong></a>, who is the No. 1-ranked wide receiver in the class of 2023. Other prospects this program, has <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Jamarrien-Burt-46082116"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50031" first="Jamarrien" last="Burt"]</strong></a> (Ocala Forest, Athlete), Miami Carol City standout receiver <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Santana-Fleming-46112719"><strong>Santana Fleming</strong></a> and Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna’s versatile <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/British-Mitchell-46103820"><strong>British Mitchell</strong></a><strong>.</strong> Ocala Forest safety <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Jaydon-Hodge-46096701"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50080" first="Jaydon" last="Hodge"]</strong></a> and athletic <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Izaiah-Guy-46098060"><strong>Izaiah Guy</strong></a> have the chance to play with Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna emerging cornerback <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Ryan-Turner-46110117"><strong>Ryan Turner</strong></a> and Miami Edison all-around prospect <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Elijah-Mc-Cantos-46098947"><strong>Elijah Mc-Cantos</strong></a><strong>.</strong> The South Florida Immortals have also joined the “big boys” in the off-season – with quarterbacks <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Carson-Haggard-46082884"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50150" first="Carson" last="Haggard"]</strong></a> (Miami Gulliver Prep) and St. Thomas Aquinas Class of 2022 standout <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Zion-Turner-46098613"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50029" first="Zion" last="Turner"]</strong></a><strong>.</strong> There were some nationally-rated prospects with 2023 receivers <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Jalen-Brown-46085480"><strong>Jalen Brown</strong></a> (Miami Gulliver Prep) and <strong>Andy Jean</strong> (Miami Northwestern), tight end <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/DeCarlo-Donaldson-46058788"><strong>De’Carlo Donaldson</strong></a>, and Miami Central 2022 receiver <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Zaylan-Reese-46098552"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50079" first="Zaylan" last="Reese"]</strong></a><strong>.</strong> <strong>Y<em>ou Can Contact Larry Blustein with prospect or team information at: Foridakids1@aol.com. We are also on </em></strong><strong><em>Social Media on @PrepRedzonefl.</em></strong>