7-on-7 Review: Justin Bethel Gridiron Classic

BLYTHEWOOD | Competition.   It was the word which stood out the most among the coaches when asked about participating in 7-on-7 tournaments.   The Justin Bethel Beating All Odds Gridiron Classic at Blythewood on Saturday offered the incentive of monetary prizes for the top two finishers among the 16 teams. However, the opportunity to face off against unfamiliar teams while still working to improve for the upcoming season through seven of more passing scrimmages mattered even more.   “These guys get to come out and sometimes they don't ever get to play those other schools,” Blythewood head coach James Martin said. “They're not in the same region or anything. So they get to come out and have competition against other players and sometimes, they know each other. So it is competition against the board with everybody being here.”   “It gives us a chance to compete,” Fairfield Central head coach Demetrius Davis said. “You really don't get a real check for football without the o-lineman and d-lineman in the game. But it gives us a chance to see if you're going to try to throw the ball whether you can throw it or not. If you're going to face somebody that's throwing the ball well if you can defend it or not. ... So, it's good work to come out and get some work that way. But you can't bank on this time of year to think that's going to play in September.”   Davis came away brimming with confidence in his Griffins after they took the $4,000 top prize in perfect fashion. Fairfield Central went 11-0 en route to winning the Classic, going 7-0 during pool play to earn the top seed in the tournament portion.   The Griffins went on to defeat Bethune-Bowman, Chapin, South Pointe and runner-up Gray Collegiate in the final. Leading the charge was sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='473002' first='Cameron' last='McMillon'] (6-foot-3, 215 pounds), whose accurate deep passing and on-field field generalship reminded Davis of a former “Mr. South Carolina Football” out of Gaffney High School he coached at South Carolina State University.   “The only time I've ever been on a team that had somebody similar to this guy is Malcolm Long,” Davis said. “He is the closest thing to Malcolm Long. The only thing is he's Malcolm Long when Malcolm Long was a junior at South Carolina State and he's a sophomore at Fairfield Central.   “He's progressing. He's getting better. He's getting stronger. He's getting bigger. He's a phenomenal quarterback. That's all I can say. He's unreal.”   Matching McMillon's strong play on defense was safety Christopher Pearson. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound rising junior made key defensive stops during the tournament which led Davis to make this bold declaration.   “I'm going to say it now,” he said. “Pearson in the Class of 2025 will be one of the best DBs in the state. Coaches don't really get out and recruit high school kids like they used to. But, when he goes to these camps, he's a long, rangy kid, about six foot and he's going to run 4.4. They're going to be knocking down the doors in 2025 for him.”   Gray Collegiate, Byrnes and host school Blythewood all went 6-1 in their respective pools. In the case of the War Eagles, this was accomplished despite missing six starters and having to utilize one of their potential starting quarterbacks [player_tooltip player_id='860400' first='Dre'Von' last='Dopson'] at cornerback.   Fellow sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='232668' first='Tyler' last='Waller'] performed like a seasoned veteran for most of the tournament play. He found a rhythm throwing deep touchdown passes to [player_tooltip player_id='1158010' first='Zion' last='Job'], [player_tooltip player_id='139316' first='Zai' last='Offord'], Connor Holmes, and [player_tooltip player_id='91353' first='Jamarious' last='Lockett']. Defensively, senior [player_tooltip player_id='997302' first='Justin' last='Pauling'] made key pass breakups during wins against J.F. Byrnes in the quarterfinals and Blythewood in the semifinal.   “Justin is finally starting to understand how to play the game “Gray Collegiate head coach Adam Holmes said. “He picked up an offer from Florida A&M at a camp. He had a good day. A couple of guys played well over there. We had some young guys get a lot of reps which will be good for them in the long run.”   Despite the loss, Martin was pleased with his team's effort. He offered praise for the play of senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='440461' first='Harrison' last='Collins'] and wide receivers Trent Lewis, Christopher Thomas, and [player_tooltip player_id='804333' first='Kaleb' last='Kelly'].   Overall, Holmes believed the Classic provided valuable experience for many of his younger players. The same was true for teams like Lower Richland, Manning, and Mauldin, who have a new head coach in Carlos Cook.   “I think the biggest thing [with] 7-on-7 tournaments like this is you get to see other teams and you kind of learn to compete,” Cook said. “You see maybe how physical other teams are or how disciplined how they are and then, when you're done with it, you've got to go and look at yourselves in the mirror, players and coaches. Look themselves in the mirror and just try to figure out where you can get better. What do we need to do a better job of coaching up. What do a better job of players. I asked my kids afterwards what are some things that you learned about yourself today. So, definitely a learning experience for us. We've got to learn how to win, and I think that's another thing. Learn how to compete and competing at a higher-level leads to wins in due time.”   Lower Richland will hold a 30-team 7-on-7 tournament June 29 in Hopkins. Head coach Marlin Taylor expects a similarly competitive event with teams getting five games in pool play before going into a tournament.   JUSTIN BETHEL BEATING ALL ODDS GRIDIRON CLASSIC TOURNAMENT RESULTS   1st Round   Fairfield Central def. Bethune-Bowman   Chapin def. Lexington   South Pointe def. North Augusta   Timberland def. Mauldin   Manning def. Richland Northeast   Blythewood def. Midland Valley   J.F. Byrnes def. Midland Valley   Gray Collegiate def. W.J. Keenan   Quarterfinals   Fairfield Central def. Chapin   South Pointe def. Timberland   Blythewood def. Manning   Gray Collegiate def. J.F. Byrnes   Semifinals   Fairfield Central def. South Pointe   Gray Collegiate def. Blythewood   Final   Fairfield Central def. Gray Collegiate

BLYTHEWOOD | Competition.