Football: 7-on-7 season set to get going

Quarterbacks — new and old — will be under the microscope when the 14th season of summer 7-on-7 football begins with the Houston Texans-Sam Brown State Qualifying Tournaments this week.

The 16-team field on Saturday, May 21, includes Cinco Ranch, Texas City, Channelview, Weslaco, Pearland, Pasadena Memorial, Belliare, Lewisville, Chavez, Kingwood, MacArthur, Lamar, La Marque, Bay City, Milby and Magnolia going for two state berths.

On Sunday, May 22, Dawson, Manvel, Dulles, San Antonio Alamo Heights, Baytown Lee, A&M Consolidated, Port Arthur Memorial, Seven Lakes, Klein Oak, Klein, Bush, Fort Bend Travis, Clear Creek, Cy Creek, The Woodlands and Langham Creek will do the same on the outdoor fields and in the bubble at the Texans Methodist Training Center across from Reliant Stadium.

Lamar defeated Chaves on Saturday and Alamo Heights downed Klein Collins on Sunday in last year's championship games.

"It's a great opportunity for the kids to play where the Texans work out, and these two events kick off the 7-on-7 season in kind of a special way," said tournament director Mike Jackson, who was recently named the new football coach in La Marque after leading Chavez to five consecutive playoff appearances.

Defending Class 5A Division I state champion Pearland is in the process of finding a new quarterback (for Trey Anderson), as is Manvel (for Travaughn Colwell and Dexter Foreman), and the 7-on-7 season benefits signal callers who are stepping into starting roles.

It's also a bonus for returning regulars like Dawson senior-to-be Garry Kimble, who helped lead the Eagles to playoff wins over Angleton and Worthing as a first-year starter in 2010.

"It's always good to have an experienced quarterback coming back, and we also have some other offensive leaders returning like tailback James White, and wide receivers Mike Williams and Neiman Gilbert," Dawson coach Eric Wells said. "They have all looked good during the spring, and they'll get to continue to work together in 7-on-7."

Dawson also plans to compete in 7-on-7 SQTs at Manvel on May 28 and Texas City on June 11.

This week, Pearland goes on Saturday, May 21, in pool B with Pasadena Memorial, Bellaire and Lewisville; while Dawson and Manvel play Sunday, May 22, in pool A with Dulles and San Antonio Alamo Heights.

The schedule for both days has pool play games at 9, 10 and 11 a.m., semifinals matching the four pool winners at 1 p.m., and the championship and third place outings at 2 p.m.

The 2011 Division I 7-on-7 state tournament is July 15-16 at Texas A&M University in College Station.