- July 8, 2024
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Mainland players Eddie Lake (left), Jeff Harris (center) and L.J. Parks (right) celebrate a winning touchdown against Blanche Ely High School during the pool-play round at the Bethune-Cookman University 7-on-7 camp. Photo by Michele Meyers
Tevares Sloss makes the catch for Seabreeze during the 7-on-7 game against Rockledge at the camp hosted by Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze's Jake Deising (center) slaps coach Mark Spada's (right) hand as he runs to the sidelines during the 7-on-7 game against Rockledge at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze player Brogan Kelly runs to the sidelines during a 7-on-7 game against Rockledge at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Zachary Voltaire steps in as quarterback for Seabreeze against Rockledge at the 7-on-7 camp hosted by Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze's Daniel Mellen-Spada grabs the ball in the 7-on-7 game against Rockledge at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze football coaches Mike Klein (left), Mark Spada (center) and Mark Lewis watch the 7-on-7 game against Rockledge at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze quarterback Jayce Gainer passes during the 7-on-7 game against Rockledge at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sandcrab T.J. Sampson catches the pass in the game against Rockledge at the Bethune-Cookman University 7-on-7 camp. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze head coach Mike Klein talks to his players during the game against Rockledge at the 7-on-7 camp hosted by Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Flagler Palm Coast football players warm up before the game against the Titusville Terriers at the 7-on-7 camp hosted by Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
A Flagler Palm Coast coach talks to the players during their game against Titusville at the 7-on-7 camp at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Flagler Palm Coast's Mikhail Zysek outruns a Titusville player during a 7-on-7 game at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas' Makhi Thomas (left) supports Kenneth Robinson (right) as he intercepts the ball in the 7-on-7 game against Pace at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas player Jordan Schendorf catches the ball while Aidan Hoeni (third from right) and Ladarien Baker (right) move in to assist during the 7-on-7 game against Pace at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Bulldog Robbie Dailey runs a touchdown in during the 7-on-7 game against Terry Parker High School at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mikhail Zysek scores a touchdownmfor Flagler Palm Coast during the 7-on-7 game against Terry Parker High School at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
New Flagler Palm Coast player, Hayden Hayes, celebrates back-to-back touchdown passes during the 7-on-7 game against Terry Parker High School at Bethune Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Hayden Hayes (left), Mikhail Zysek (center) and Ethan Ruiz (right) celebrate back-to-back touchdown passes with his FPC teammates during the 7-on-7 game against Terry Parker High School at Bethune Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas player Thomas Larywon battles Pace for the ball during the 7-on-7 camp held by Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Pace grabs the touchdown pass as Matanzas player Jaden McCoy goes up to block in the 7-on-7 game at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Nothing but good sportsmanship for Matanzas player Jackson Saterfield during the 7-on-7 game between Matanzas and Pace at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland head coach Jerrime Bell directs traffic before the game against Blanche Ely High School at the 7-on-7 camp hosted by Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Christian Cooper warms up before the 7-on-7 game against Blanche Ely High School at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Hajj Gentle warms up before the 7-on-7 game against Blanche Ely High School at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Dennis "Tank" King fights for the ball against Blanche Ely High School at the Bethune-Cookman University 7-on-7 camp. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Eddie Lake attempts to outrun a Blanche Ely High School player's touch at the Bethune-Cookman University 7-on-7 camp. Photo by Michele Meyers
Another catch by Buccaneer Kwasie Kwaku in the 7-on-7 game against Blanche Ely High School at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland players Kwasie Kwaku (left) and Drayden Wood challenge Blanche Ely High School in the 7-on-7 game at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Christian Cooper (second from left) and Trey Martin (right) battle for the ball during the 7-on-7 game against Blanche Ely High School at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
FPC Bulldog William Roberts walks the ball back to the line of scrimmage after scoring a touchdown during the 7-on-7 game against Titusville at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland celebrates a win over Blanche Ely High School during the pool-play rounds at the 7-on-7 camp at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jordan Schendorf makes a solid catch for Matanzas in the 7-on-7 game against Pace at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas' Shai Scott (right) and a Pace player tussle over the ball during the pool-play round at the Bethune-Cookman University 7-on-7 camp. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas' Makhi Thomas (left) supports Kenneth Robinson (right) as he intercepts the ball in the 7-on-7 game against Pace at Bethune-Cookman University. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas players (center to right) Kenneth Robinson, Rylee Roberts, Makhi Thomas and Nick Yacono walk off the field after the 7-on-7 game against Pace as head coach Matt Forrest (left) moves to shake hands with their coaches. Photo by Michele Meyers
Flagler Palm Coast's Braden 'Juice' Simmons warms up before the game against Terry Parker High School at the Bethune-Cookman University 7-on-7 camp. Photo by Michele Meyers
High school football teams from around Florida converged on the practice fields at Bethune-Cookman University to battle it out in the King of the Beach 7v7 tournament on Friday, June 28.
Flagler Palm Coast, Mainland, Matanzas and Seabreeze joined the fray in a test of skills and athleticism.
Twenty-three schools participated, including teams from as far away as North Miami High School, Terry Parker of Jacksonville and Pace High School in the Panhandle.
Pool play ran in the morning with every team playing at least three games.
Single elimination games followed with the top four teams playing in a tournament. Sanford Seminole defeated Mainland 24-16 in one semifinal and Coconut Creek Monarch advanced to play Seminole in the championship. Seminole defeated Monarch to take the title.
Mainland was 2-1 in pool play and 2-0 in the elimination round of 16.
Mainland head coach Jerrime Bell said the 7v7 camp was the last one of the summer for his team. The Bucs attended camps at the University of South Florida, the University of Central Florida and the University of Florida. He said he has seen a lot of growth in his players since the beginning of June.
“We have a very young team since we lost 29 seniors,” he said. “I saw a lot of leadership qualities come out of guys we are going to depend on in the fall. We got put in a lot of adverse situations at the camp. I could see them communicate well and encourage each other and we wound up making it all the way to the championship. That showed me that we are heading in the right direction mentally and physically.”
Bell said the teeam’s biggest standout during 7-on-7 circuit was wide receiver Phillip Moore. At the B-CU camp, he scored 12 touchdowns in three games and a total of 22 for the day.
“He was unguardable,” Bell said of Moore. “I think the difference between this year’s team and last year’s team is that offensively we are spread out more. We have a lot of kids that can do some amazing things in an open field with a ball in their hands. We have a couple of great outside receivers that attack the ball very well.”
Both Mainland and Seabreeze have new starting quarterbacks. Junior Sebastian Johnson will take over for D.J. Murray Jr. while the Sandcrabs tested two quarterbacks at B-CU — Jayce Gainer, a backup in the spring, and Zachary Voltaire who is new to the position for Seabreeze.
Seabreeze head coach Mike Klein said 7-on-7 camps give coaches an opportunity to put players in different positions which is difficult to do during the football season.
Summer is a time for them to work and to learn the playbook and get better—bigger, faster, stronger. Summer is a time for them to position themselves so that when we start fall camp, they’ll be ready to win that spot or earn the starting role."
— MIKE KLEIN, Seabreeze head football coach
“I tell the kids, we are not going to have starters from the summer,” Klein said. “Summer is a time for them to work and to learn the playbook and get better — bigger, faster, stronger. Summer is a time for them to position themselves so that when we start fall camp, they’ll be ready to win that spot or earn the starting role.”
Klein said Hayden Hayes, who started at quarterback in the spring game, has decided to transfer to FPC.
“I give the young man credit for the way he handled it in a very mature way,” Klein said. “He was very up front. I appreciated how he and his family handled it. I told him to take this next week and pray about it. The right decision for him will be made clear. He handled it very well. I was very proud of him. It was refreshing.”
Hayes, who recently received an offer from the University of Memphis, said there were many factors that came into play regarding his departure from Seabreeze. It took him a while to make his decision to transfer.
“I’m just trying to do what I think is best for me and my future,” he said. “That’s all any of us can do.”
He has been with the Bulldogs for about two weeks and said the B-CU 7-on-7 experience was a great opportunity for them to get better as a team.
“So far, what I know is that it is a team full of talented guys who care about winning and want to put in the work to get where we want to go,” he said. “Nothing in this game is a given. I want to be able to compete for a spot as it brings out the best in me as a player. I’m confident in my abilities to get the job done and I know it will happen.”
FPC offensive coordinator Jake Medlock, who has been playing quarterback for the Arena Football League’s Albany Firebirds, said he was in the middle of playing the season when he got a phone call from Hayes.
“I was shocked,” Medlock said regarding Hayes’ transfer. “It was very exciting to get him. He’s a leader and a very athletic, big-armed kid — a great young man which I’m even more excited about. He’s just going to bring competition and, to me, competition brings success to a football team.”
Medlock said head coach Daniel Fish has laid out a blueprint for success for his players to follow which includes grueling off-season weight room workouts. He said the kids have bought into the plan.
Medlock said big contributors to the upcoming season will be slot receiver Robbie Dailey, defensive end Colby Cronk, running back Marcus Mitchell, wide receiver Mikhail Zysek, quarterback Cole Walker and tight end Roman Caliendo who just picked up an offer from B-CU during the 7-on-7 camp.
“I’m looking forward to getting back with the guys — looking forward to a great season,” Medlock said. “We are really, really strong as a team. Looking forward to seeing what happens.”
