If you enjoy sweating profusely and fryingeggs on aluminum bleachers, Co-Lin’s Stone Stadium is the place tobe today. Co-Lin is hosting a 7-on-7 high school footballcompetition. It should be exciting and most certainly exhausting,too.

    According to Co-Lin head football coach Glenn Davis, theparticipating schools engaged in a round-robin format this morning.That prelim is followed by a tournament this afternoon.

    The 7-on-7 competition is quickly growing in popularity across theUSA. It’s become a showcase for high school standouts. Theomnipotent NCAA is amazed by the mushrooming interest, especiallyamong college recruiters. Perhaps they’ll investigate.

    On the other hand, 7-on-7 is a popular item among the coaches andplayers who need a break from the daily offseason conditioningprograms. It’s supposed to be a non-contact exercise in running,pass defense, pass catching and pass throwing.

    Usually, two games take place at the same time on either side ofthe 50-yard line. The playing field is 45 yards long, plus a10-yard end zone. First downs require a gain of 15 yards instead ofthe usual 10.

    Profanity and trash-talking are not allowed and contact is limited.The receiver must be touched below the neck to register a stop ortackle. In the event of an intercepted pass, the other defendersmust cease movement. The defender who made the theft is allowed toadvance the football.

    Fighting is prohibited. An offending player faces immediateexpulsion from the game.

    Games are usually 20 minutes, featuring two 10-minute halves.Quarterbacks are allowed four seconds to launch a pass. Otherwise,it counts as a loss of down. There is no punting and the teams swapsides after a touchdown or turnover.

    “We are looking forward to it,” said one local coach. “It’s goodexperience for our quarterbacks and receivers. It will help oursecondary, too.”

    

    Work continues on The DAILY LEADER’s annual Gridiron Preview. Itwill be an attractive, slick page, magazine format, with thepublication date set for Aug. 19.

    Football questionnaires were mailed to area coaches on June 16. Theresponse has been encouraging. Wesson’s Tommy Clopton faxed hisquestionnaire back the next day; the same day he received it.

    Wade Henderson of Brookhaven, Tripp McCarty of Brookhaven Academy,Mike Davis of Lawrence County, Casey Eubanks of Enterprise andCharles Anthony of Southwest Mississippi Community College are theearliest coaches to reply.

    Most of the area schools will kick off preseason practice onMonday, Aug. 1. There will be scrimmages/jamborees held on Aug.12.

    Lawrence County is planning a large jamboree for that date. Joiningthe Cougars in the action are Ridgeland, West Jones, Mendenhall,Tylertown and Magee. Varsity and junior varsity teams are expectedto compete.

    The concession stand probably will run out of liquid refreshment ifthe temperatures remain in the mid to upper 90s. Of course itwill.

    Brookhaven travels to Terry on the 12th of August for JV andvarsity action. Brookhaven Academy will be in the McComb Parklanejamboree and West Lincoln plans to play Cathedral in a scrimmage atNatchez.

    Coach Clopton is planning an early kickoff for his Cobras. They’llhost Crystal Springs on Thursday, Aug. 18. The Copiah County feudshould draw a crowd of interested spectators.

    Looking ahead, Brookhaven and Lawrence County have agreed to playtheir season opener on Thursday night, Aug. 25. That fierce matchupof archrivals should attract a standing-room-only crowd.

    Speaking of crowds, there’s always a waiting list for the chairbackstadium seats at Ole Brook’s King Field. According to the GridironClub, the $100 payment for one chairback seat and one parking passis due July 23.

    After the deadline, all chairback seats/parking permits will besold on a first-come, first-served basis. Payments made prior toJuly 23rd guarantee renewal.

    Contact the Gridiron Club at P.O. BOX 43, Brookhaven, MS 39602 orEmail bhsgridironclub@hotmail.com

    The Ole Brook Panthers made a Cinderella run through the Class 5Astate playoffs last season, upsetting Long Beach, Wayne County andWest Jones before losing to West Point in the state championshipgame.

    Sports historian Will Watson is compiling a record of every BHSfootball game ever played. Watson’s research found the first BHSfootball game taking place Oct. 10, 1924, when the Panthers playedTylertown at City Park. No score was available in the old newspaperclipping.

    The last game that season was played Oct. 31, against Magnolia. In1927 Brookhaven and Co-Lin Agricultural High School met in a Nov. 4″classic of the season.” Sorry, no score available.

    

    To contact sports editor Tom Goetz: Emailtgoetz@dailyleader.com