New local area football summer league 7 on 7

[TDHelmick]

In the works is an effort to form a local area high school football 7 on 7 summer league. It will run from May 31 through July 1st. All games will be at Greenway Avenue Stadium each Monday and Wednesday though the month of June (5 weeks). Hoping to have 8 teams sign on. Some have already committed. The PVFOC local officiating organization is going to run it and it will be structured much the same as summer league basketball.

You can say this might be too much overload for kids...but I'm here to tell you many of the local programs are already knee deep in 7 on 7 summer stuff with or without a league being formed. This league would only make the scheduling part much easier and more organized. The whole field will be used with a time clock and officials.

I never put much stock into 7 on 7 years ago but once I saw the benefits of how it helped teams in their passing game and coverage schemes it all made sense. Some schools take it more serious than others. I know that Alco and FH do a good job of setting up a 7 on 7 summer schedule which includes trips to places like WVU and Ravens Stadium for tournaments. I live in South End so I can only speak for FH...they film these events and dissect and watch this stuff. It's a HUGE bonus with extra coaching. I truly believe this 7 on 7 helped FH to evolve in the passing game and even more so in their coverages and coverage communication. Especially with many teams running spread offenses these days.

If it works out, the results will be recorded and placed in the newspaper to follow. It's also open to the public so you can get your football withdrawals taken care of to some degree. Maybe we can get Green75 to get the stadium pizza oven rolling for a day or two . I'll call Gus for the pizza shells.

 

[Pigskin45]

Questions:

Who coaches? Keyser and Frankfort coaches have a small window of time they're allowed to coach their kids in the offseason, and while I don't know what Kevin Whiteman prefers, I know Sean Biser wouldn't trust many people outside of his staff, if any, to run a 7 on 7 team. If this is taking place outside of that 3 week period Keyser and Frankfort are allowed to actually coach their kids in the offseason, are they expected to allow someone else to coach them?

And you mention Fort Hill filming. So there will be filming of these games for the purposes of game planning in the fall. So Fort Hill gets their biggest rivals passing games on film before the scrimmages ever take place. Not that Keyser throws much, but that seems to be a huge disadvantage to Keyser AND Allegany. Will KHS and ALCO coaches be allowed to set up and film the games as well? And for Keyser, they have a ton of signals, and they know Fort Hill has filmed them using the signals in scrimmages before. This would be another opportunity for FHHS to get those signals on film.

Personally, if Keyser and Frankfort have to rely on another coach to handle the 7 on 7 duties until the 3 week period, and if the filming is as it sounds, I would recommend that KHS avoids it. I like the idea of maybe a 7 on 7 tournament or something like the Queen City Quad set up for the schools in the area to participate in, but a league that plays all games under the watchful eyes of Greenway and at times when KHS cannot have their actual coaches on hand seems to not be in the best interest of the KHS football program.

 

[bigdawgrefwmd]

anyone can video at the stadium, they just can't use it for commercial purposes.
you know that if someone wanted to they could go up on a public street everyday and video any teams practice they wish too.
Not sure if it has changed in Maryland but I don't think MD coaches are allowed to coach at all in the off season

 

[TDHelmick]

Certainly everyone and anyone can video 7on7. More important to note, these local teams are already playing 7on7 in the summer against each other. The league just makes the scheduling part easier. One school already declined the offer because their coach said we don't have a need to join a league because we find those 7on7 games against other local schools already. Also yes, Maryland coaches are permitted to coach 7on7.

As for WV coaches, this league is being set up for June. That is the dead period where WV coaches can be on the field. In fact, that is why they picked June even though July probably would have been better for the Maryland schools. And being on Mondays and Wednesdays...it won't interfere with any teams ability to attend the weekend 7on7 tournaments elsewhere.

I don't find 7on7 to be the same type of offense or defense as the one we see in the fall with helmets on. Scouting other teams, if that is a coaches' intention, would be more about personnel than stealing schemes or signals. It would be no different than trying to film summer league basketball or baseball in that regards. If someone like FH wanted 7on7 film of Keyser, trust me they would get it without the need for Keyser to come to Greenway. But they don't because it serves of little purpose for the time and effort. If Alco even wanted film of Keyser practicing come August, trust me they would get it. It's so easy. But they don't. Actual game film is another story. I would never avoid a summer league in any sport based on paranoia someone is filming and stealing my stuff. As an example, if Coach Biser wants to steal these things you speak of from FH it's very easy for him to do so. It's not a one way street. But I think you are being overly drastic...it's high school summer league stuff. Apparently, if the Cumberland schools are stealing Keyser's signals and plays it has not proven beneficial (see last 4 years results).

Maybe I should start investing in scouting drones. I could film just about anything from the sky for a nominal fee. Maybe the Patriots and Belichick would be interested. LOL.

 

[Pigskin45]

WV's dead period is not the entire month of June.

 

[kkram]

I hope SHS participates! Would be fun to watch everyone

 

[TDHelmick]

WV's dead period is not the entire month of June.

The dates WV coaches can conduct summer practices (such as 7on7) are June 13 to July 1 - a 3 week period.

 

[Pigskin45]

The dates WV coaches can conduct summer practices (such as 7on7) are June 13 to July 1 - a 3 week period.

Exactly. So they would miss multiple games because of this anyways.

Until WV catches up in allowing coaches access to their players other than for 3 weeks in an offseason, I don't think Keyser will participate in a league like this one.

 

[TDHelmick]

WV schools are allowed to participate in 7on7 events without coaches being present on the field at any time during the summer. Once again...it's no different than basketball summer league, which case both Keyser and Frankfort have been a part of for a very long time. They also have their kids participate in summer baseball, just not under the jurisdiction of the name Keyser High School.

And there are ways around the WV rules legally. If I coached a WV football team, I would have someone I trust attend and coach 7on7 events all summer. By rule that coach just cannot be on the staff. It's my feeling that if WV coaches are not taking advantage of this situation, they are hurting themselves from a competitive standpoint...and they all know it. Which is why they are desperately trying to change the summer practice rules as we speak. I can assure you that FH is going at 7on7 hardcore all summer. They even field an A and a B team. If other teams aren't doing the same they are at a big disadvantage. It would be a mistake to think 7on7 doesn't make your team better. I found this out quick.

 

[manz19]

Wes Ours comes to mind that would be a great fit for keyser's 7on7.

 

[GREEN75]

Todd, I'm sure will open concessions. We'll need a schedule. You can drop it off to Bill Smith at Printers Inc.