PORT ISABEL — The start of June signals the start of the road to the 7-on-7 state tournament in College Station for teams across the Valley, with multiple state qualifying tournaments taking place during the next two weeks across Texas.
Several RGV teams were in action Friday, with the La Feria Lions emerging as the first Valley team to punch its ticket to the state tournament.
The 2023 7-on-7 state tournament is scheduled for June 22-24 at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex in College Station.
“It is a great feeling,” La Feria quarterback Andruw Rivera said. “This is what you want. You want to be up there and banging with big-time teams. You know what to expect. You don’t count out any team. Being there just makes you want to work harder and keep pushing for the season.”
The Lions were one of three RGV teams to compete in the 2023 Battle at the Bay 7-on-7 state qualifying tournament, with Yoakum also competing in the five-team round robin event.
La Feria set the tone from the start, taking down Yoakum 14-6 in their first game. The Lions ran the table from then on, picking up double-digit wins over Hidalgo (28-6), Raymondville (34-0) and Port Isabel (26-7) to finish the day 4-0.
Their perfect record cemented their spot in the state tournament’s Division II bracket, with the team with the best record from the day earning the state bid.
“It is all about our energy,” La Feria receiver Joaquin Treviño said. “You just have to wake up as a team and have everybody on the same page. You have to want it. I told the boys from the start we had to get our feet moving and set the tone. That chemistry we build during this time as a skill core, it makes us play better as a team when we get into the real season.”
Yoakum finished second with a 3-1 record, its lone blemish coming against La Feria. Raymondville finished third with a 2-2 mark, picking up wins over Port Isabel and Hidalgo. The Pirates and Tarpons finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Elsewhere, Santa Rosa was in action at the Poth SQT, eyeing a bid in the Division II state tournament. The Warriors finished 3-0 in pool play, picking up wins over Comfort (33-7), Falls City (12-0) and Three Rivers (27-26) to earn a spot in the tournament semifinals.
The Warriors lost 34-14 to Dilley during their semifinal contest, finishing third in the tournament and just missing out on a state bid. Dilley and Poth each earned state bids as the top two finishers.
Several RGV teams will be in action during today’s Snake Pit Classic SQT being held at multiple locations in Mission, with three state bids on the line. For a full schedule, visit RGVSports.com.
