The Wrex-Shop 7-on-7 football tournament didn’t quite go as planned, with only two teams showing up to play Saturday.
But for the two dozen high school athletes at the Tiyan football field, football and fun remained foremost.
The two teams — the Boom Boys, from the Guam High Panthers, and the Officials, comprised of mostly Tiyan High players and one Southern High player — finished with the Boom Boys winning by three touchdowns.
“It’s been a blessing, with track and field in the last quarter last school year, plus programs to keep the boys in shape during the summer,” said Tiyan High coach Brian McGill. “We still have a lot of conditioning to work on, but we’re getting there.”
Tiyan defensive back Dean Masnayon, one of the fastest high school sprinters on the island, was happy to play Saturday.
“I’m happy to see a lot of new faces playing football. The past years, there hasn’t been a lot of players coming to Tiyan but this year, it looks like we’ll have more than the past years,” he said. “The 7-on-7, … it was actually fun to come out and play football again.”
Aaron Johnson, quarterback for the Panthers, said it was great to bond with his football brothers to play his favorite sport. He connected with wideout Ben Harris on a few scoring plays, giving the future Titans something to consider.
“A lot of things can happen as a result of playing here. As a QB I can learn to read defenses and coverages. For everybody, overall, it’s just getting better at the sport,” he said. “It feels good, you know. Football’s a long time away. It’s just good seeing familiar faces out here, putting in the work. It’s always good seeing people come out, work hard and compete.”
Origin
The Wrex Shop 7-on-7 tournament, the brainchild of Guam High Panthers football coach Jacob Dowdell, was created to fill the absence of prep football, which usually starts during the current fall season.
Football was pushed to the fourth quarter by school officials to cope with the anticipated delay in the arrival of football equipment.
“We’re looking at making the best of a bad situation. No need to be crying over spilled milk. Just come out and grind,” said Dowdell. “And I’m so proud of the kids. They show so much resilience, all of the time, no matter what happens — COVID, threats from North Korea, whatever. That’s a testament to their 671 spirits, and their parents, who teach them the values that will carry them through life.”
Registration
The football that Dowdell and other volunteer coaches offered was a flag football tournament. That has since morphed into a weekly set of games and more teams are encouraged to join.
Interested players can register at w5productionsinc.com. After paying a $25 fee for the season, they are eligible to create or join a team and play. Team rosters are limited to 15 players. All players must be in high school, said Dowdell.
