By Ed Piper
Things really started to feel like we're moving back to pre-COVID patterns, as Tyler Roach and La Jolla's football team took on host Carlsbad and Vista in a round-robin 7-on-7 "passing tournament" matchup Tues., June 22--actually no score was kept and respective coaches could set up their offenses on the yard lines they wanted--conducted under alternately cloudy then sunny skies in the late afternoon.
Traffic from the La Jolla service area up to North County was a bear at 4 p.m. Unfortunately, as we return to previous patterns and people get out and do activities they have been missing, the congestion that marked pre-COVID times has come back with a vengeance, too.
Devyn Sanchez, a transfer from Lincoln, paired with Makai Smith, who was injured during the Vikings' shortened five-game 2021 season, to give Carlsbad heck as three-year starting quarterback Jackson Stratton enjoyed firing the ball to one or the other in shorter and longer passing routes.
Sanchez, a 6'4" sprinter who's got plenty of bulk to withstand football defenses, was asked during the workout if he would be eligible come La Jolla's opening game in mid-August. Devyn's reply: "Yes, I will be."
One side benefit of Roach's masterful work in rebuilding the Viking football program over the past four years is the reality of today's game that transfers will be looking for opportunities there. Sanchez would seem to be a product of that dynamic.
In 7-on-7 passing, which has grown extremely popular in high school football in the offseason over the last several years, offenses don't employ blocking and quarterbacks throw to receivers basically without much option to hand off to running backs. Running backs are cool, but often limited to one carry per series. At Carlsbad Tuesday, that didn't appear to be an option.
How accurate the 7-on-7 exercises in the summer predict the success of a full squad in the fall is questionable. A traditional drop-back QB like Stratton thrives on something like 7-on-7, with his accurate arm and ability to throw the long ball making it a cavalcade of receptions. Jackson, who really broke through as not just a thrower but a successful passer during the COVID season (La Jolla went 5-0, including a win over local power Helix), is committed to the University of Washington.
JV's were part of the round-robin, along with varsity teams. Roach said the Vikings play 7-on-7 this Sun., June 27, at Ramona, and next Tues., June 29, at Mission Bay.
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