A fantastic day of competition took place on Wednesday at Carroll High School with the annual OPS 7v7 Summit City Shootout.
The Chargers rolled to the Big Division title, while Garett took down two-time defending champion South Adams in the Small Division final. A lot of great action from the area teams.
South Side – Young and Hungry
New coach Andre Goodwell had his first opportunity to show off his Archers. It was a learning experience as South is young. Many freshmen and sophomores spent significant time with the first team. The ninth and tenth graders are names we will start hearing on Friday nights. With each game on Wednesday, South got better and better. It was great to see them compete. With a long road ahead, don’t sleep on the Archers and rest assured, Coach Goodwell has time to tune up those mistakes to have them ready for kickoff in August.
Carroll- Picking Up Right Where They Left Off
For those saying Carroll will be taking a step back this season, you might want to rethink! The Chargers do have a few gaps to fill from last year’s semistate championship team, but they have some competitive replacements, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
Carroll made easy work of its competition on Wednesday. It won the championship game over Wayne 54-0. Fifty-four points in 25 minutes against a squad in the Generals that is expected to be a mid-tier SAC team.
Also consider that the Chargers went relatively young at the wide receiver spots on Wednesday. Carroll has to replace Cam Herschberger, Jayden Hill and Gabe Starks, among others. And will Hansen Haffner be healthy this fall after leading the team with 10 receiving touchdowns last year?
The replacement receivers aren’t as big as some of those who have moved on, but they are quick and agile. Time and again, wideouts burned the secondary of opponents on Wednesday for long touchdowns.
The player to keep an eye on for the Chargers is QB1 Jimmy Sullivan. The junior completed all the throws, found the sweet spot for each receiver, and was truly dominant on the field. Fort Wayne has been craving a Power Five-level QB and we have one in Jimmy. Sure enough, on Wednesday evening Sullivan shared on Twitter that he had picked up an offer from Coach PJ Fleck and Minnesota.
Carroll looks to be the clear favorite in the SAC.
Wayne – Athletes Everywhere
We’ve all heard this before… Wayne has unreal athletism. This year is no exception. The Generals showed some incredible skills on Wednesday. Jacob Sharin, who is still recovering from a broken leg, looked impressive snagging in several passes from his slot position.
The receiving corps looks to be one of the best units in the SAC, even with Harold Mack not available on Wednesday due to a campus visit. Senior Deonte Williams Jr. had some impressive grabs, including a pair of highlight-reel touchdowns using his considerable length to make plays on the ball.
The question is, can Wayne’s quarterback be consistent from play to play to complement each receiver? Marcus Cooper is back after missing his junior campaign and Coach Sherwood Haydock sung his praises on Wednesday, calling him the best QB that Haydock has had in his four years at Wayne. Cooper struggled on some throws, but his dynamic ability out of the pocket will shine through outside of the constraints of 7v7.
Defensively, Wayne brought a lot of energy but also a lot of youth. There were many coachable mistakes by the young secondary that show potential growth but will need some cleaning up. The Generals showed flashes of how dangerous of a team they can be.
South Adams – A Return to the Top?
It wasn’t too long ago that South Adams was the king of Adams County. That has changed recently with the great success of Adams Central, but the Starfires are not a team to sit on. Although they fell in the championship game to a very competitive Garrett team, South Adams showed flashes of how talented their quarterback, Owen Wanner, can be. He looked impressive, completing several downfield passes to multiple receivers and then immediately going to play safety on the defensive side of the ball.
We often forget that many small schools have players that line up on both sides of the ball. It’s impressive to see the work that Coach Grant Moser and his staff have put in. In talking to Wanner, he mentioned how the timing and rhythm of the offense felt off with so many new faces at the skill spots. He also recognized how crucial events like Wednesday are to figure out those issues.
Can the Starfires take on Adams County once again? It’s definitely obtainable, but the Flying Jets have been rolling in recent years. We will find out when the two meet in Week 6 in Monroe.
Food for thought
— Concordia is in full rebuild mode. The Cadets have many new faces but will be ready to make an impact. The Cadets coaching staff seemed happy with the outcome on Wednesday, saying they learned a lot and their players have improved with only a few practices in.
— Garrett had an impressive day, winning the small school title. The Railroaders have been quiet the past few years. Is this the season where they make a lot of noise? Time will tell on Friday nights starting in August!
— Fremont and West Noble made the trip down to compete. While the Eagles have not been much to talk about the last couple of years, they had moments during the tournament play. There was also a ton of energy shown by Fremont on the field and on the sideline. It was great to see and the players fed off of it.
West Noble, which has been a staple in the NECC, will look to replace a few players but looked dangerous with fourth-year starter Drew Yates at QB1. Another eight-plus win season is attainable with so much in the way of offensive skill back from 2022
It’s safe to say that every coach left feeling optimistic about where they are. Whether they are a perennial power or a young building program, the time is near for the game clock to start on the first Friday night! in mid-August! The best part, there is a ton more action to come from each of these schools and teams.
Be the first to comment