The second Division III 7-on-7 state title was won by another newcomer as the Poth Pirates, in their first trip to College Station, rolled to five straight wins and the title on the strength of their 27-19 win over Crane. Read the full recap of the game from our own Ryan Harris here:

https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2019/07/03/poth-uses-early-lead-to-beat-crane-in-the-division-iii-7-on-7-state-championship-game?ref=home_feature_article

Complete championship bracket scores are linked below:

https://www.texas7on7.org/d3-championship-bracket.html

Sunnyvale, in just its second ever trip to College Station, caught fire after losing its final pool game on Thursday, winning its first three games by double digits including taking down defending champion Midlothian Heritage, 26-13. Sunnyvale then took care of Texarkana Pleasant Grove, 34-27, in the title game, handing the Hawks a second straight loss in the Division II championship. Read the full recap of the game from Harris here:

https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2019/07/03/sunnyvale-tops-pleasant-grove-in-division-ii-7-on-7-state-championship-game?ref=article_preview_title

Complete championship bracket scores are linked below:

https://www.texas7on7.org/d2-championship-bracket.html

Division I Day 1 Recap:

The big story of the day was at the end of the day when Mission Pioneer and Hebron were both disqualified for an altercation after Pioneer defeated the Hawks, 34-26. It’s a tough pill to swallow for the Diamondbacks who had put together an impressive day going 3-0 and looked to be a real contender to push deep into the championship bracket. Cy Woods, who finished second in the pool, was elevated to the top seed in the championship bracket and Temple, who actually went 0-3 on the day, was elevated to the second seed. Richardson Pearce and Laredo United, who were in the consolation bracket from the opposite pools, now have a bye into the Round of 16 in that bracket.

Three That Impressed:

Lake Travis: The Cavaliers navigated the “Pool of Death” with a pair of close wins over Beaumont West Brook and Cedar Hill before taking down Clear Springs, 35-25. LTHS is being led this weekend by backup QB Nate Yarnell as Texas commit QB Hudson Card is competing at the Elite 11 in Frisco.

Lufkin: The Panthers' overwhelming athleticism was on full display Friday as Lufkin rolled to a 3-0 mark with two really impressive wins to close the day over Arlington Bowie and an Austin Anderson squad that really impressed through two games.

Katy: Not typically known as a 7-on-7 juggernaut, the Tigers looked the part of a real contender on Saturday with a defense that allowed just 46 points in three games total in pool play. The Tigers had plenty of offensive firepower as well averaging just under 40 points per game with wins over Wichita Falls Rider, Coppell and Austin LBJ.

Three That Struggled:

Mesquite Horn: The young Jaguars manageed to qualify for the State Tournament in the final weekend of qualifying, but a repeat run to the semifinals won’t be in the cards as Horn went 0-3 with losses to El Paso Eastwood, Flower Mound Marcus and Manvel.

Port Neches-Groves: To say the Indians were offensively challenged on Friday would be an understatement as they scored just 33 points in three pool play losses.

Lubbock Coronado: The Mustangs were tough-luck losers in their first two games with close losses to Lovejoy and Fort Bend Ridge Point by only a total of six points. Don’t count the Mustangs out in Day 2 as they’ve been known to make a deep run in the consolation bracket.

Game of the Day:

Flower Mound Marcus 49, El Paso Eastwood 47: An absolute shootout for the final spot in the championship bracket lived up to the billing to close the day in Pool C. Both offenses were brutally efficient, but as is the case in a lot of close games in 7-on-7 conversions proved to be the difference for the Marauders.

Game to Watch at 9 a.m.:

Manvel vs Frisco Lone Star: This one should be a lot of fun. Lone Star looked as good anyone on Friday through two games, but stumbled in their finale falling to San Antonio O’Connor. Manvel scored three straight double digit wins in pool play and looks like a real threat for a deep run. Someone really good will be going home early Saturday morning.

Championship Bracket:
https://www.texas7on7.org/d1-championship-bracket.html

Consolation Bracket:
https://www.texas7on7.org/d1-consolation.html

Powers Recruiting Notes:

Temple 2020 WR Quentin Johnston is one of the state’s most highly sought after prospects with offers coming in from all over the country but he is not a huge fan of recruiting hype so there isn’t a lot of news surrounding his decision making process. Talking with some sources very close to his recruitment on Friday we feel that Texas, Oklahoma, and TCU are three schools that have the best shot at landing him. Keep a close eye on the Longhorns in this race as he Johnson described the program as “electric.” He’s already been on an official visit to TCU and has plans to visit UT and OU next fall. Johnson plans to make a commitment closer to national signing day. 

Southlake Carroll 2020 TE Blake Smith is back in College Station after recently committing to the Aggies. Smith had offers from coast to coast but feels at home here and also likes the history that Jimbo Fisher has at developing tight ends for the NFL in his offensive schemes at LSU, Florida State, and now A&M (Jace Sternberger). Smith, a former quarterback, has taken Class of 2022 phenom Quin Ewers under his wing and you can bet he’s been telling him plenty about Texas A&M while he’s at it. 

Texas Tech commits Ja’Lynn Polk (Lufkin) and Quin Bright (Cedar Hill) should star in the Red Raiders offense and both had big days on Friday. Polk is a go to receiver who can stretch the field and consistently move the chains. Bright is the type of receiver who thrives in space after the catch and he had a couple of wow moments that left defenders grasping at air in a game one win over Clear Springs. Last week Texas Tech added seven new commitments after a big official visit weekend that Bright described as “magical.”