Lake Dallas, Ponder set for return trips to state 7-on-7 tournament

The Division II tournament begins Thursday afternoon and runs through Friday, while the Division I tournament will be played Friday and Saturday. All of the games will be played at Veterans Memorial Park in College Station.

The tournament games will be streamed free of charge on TexanLive.com.

Below, the Denton Record-Chronicle breaks down everything to know about the teams ahead of the tournament.

How 7-on-7 works

There are several key differences in the rules between 7-on-7 football and the traditional 11-man game Texans know and love.

For starters, the game is played on a 45-yard-long field with both teams playing offense in the same direction. The field remains 160 feet wide and the end zone 10 yards deep as is the case with standard football fields, but the distance between the hash marks is just 40 feet, the standard collegiate size.

No running plays are allowed and the quarterback must throw the ball within four seconds of the snap. Offenses are composed of five wide receivers, a quarterback and a center, who is not an eligible receiver. Teams play two 15-minute halves with a continuously running clock for each half.

First downs are made by advancing 15 yards in three or fewer plays, though four-down territory applies when an offense reaches or passes the 15-yard line. Touchdowns count for six points with teams allowed to go for a one-point conversion from the 3-yard line or a two-point conversion from the 10-yard line.

Additionally, players are ruled down after a defender touches them with one or both hands, and tackling is not allowed.

See the state 7-on-7 rule book for additional guidelines and differences from the 11-man game.

Who Lake Dallas and Ponder will play

As for the state 7-on-7 tournament, Ponder and Lake Dallas each qualified from one of the many state qualifying tournaments held throughout the summer.

A total of 64 teams qualify for the Division I tournament, hailing from the state’s largest classifications, whereas 32 teams qualify from Divisions II and III, apiece.

Lake Dallas advanced to the Division I tournament for a second straight year after beating Justin Northwest in the state qualifying round of the Northwest SQT. The 5A DII Falcons share Pool A with 6A schools Katy Jordan, Odessa High and Pflugerville Weiss.

The Falcons are set to play Jordan at 1 p.m. Friday, followed by Weiss at 2:30 p.m. and Odessa at 4 p.m.

The top two teams from each Division I pool advance to Saturday’s championship bracket, while the bottom two finishers play in the consolation bracket.

Ponder gets underway a day earlier in the Division II bracket after beating Wichita Falls in the Brownwood SQT’s qualifying round to make its second straight state appearance. The 3A DI Lions share Pool D with 4A DI teams China Spring and Needville along with 4A DII squad Snyder.

The Lions will compete with those three teams Thursday as they look to secure the best seeding heading into Friday’s single-elimination championship bracket. All four teams from each pool qualify for the championship bracket and are seeded based on their finishing order.

Players to watch

Cade Bortnem, Lake Dallas, QB

A standout part of the Falcons’ run to the 2022 state 7-on-7 tournament, Bortnem is now a seasoned veteran with a year of experience as the team’s full-time starting quarterback. He threw for 2,325 yards and 34 touchdowns last season and could be poised for bigger production this fall.

Bortnem’s ability to connect with recent Boston College pledge Keonde Henry, Lake Dallas’ top returning receiver, could make for some must-watch football.

Case Peacock, Ponder, WR

An electric weapon on the outside for the Lions, Peacock returns as a top receiving threat from last year’s state 7-on-7 semifinalist squad. He caught 104 passes for 1,559 yards and 17 touchdowns last season and will be a player to watch this upcoming fall alongside fellow receiver Mitchell Nuziard.

Peacock has the potential to make game-changing plays for Ponder as it looks to build on last summer’s success at this year’s state 7-on-7 tournament.