Texas State 7v7 Tournament: UT commit had coaches buzzing on final day

The Texas 7-on-7 State Tournament concluded Saturday with champions being crowned in each division. Four and five-star athletes gathered from around the Lone Star State, repping their schools and facing rivals for the last time before the 2025 season begins in August.

No Central Texas team outright won their pool, but there were still thrilling moments and strong play regardless. For instance, Weiss quarterback Jaxon Schad and wide receiver Tre Moore had a few highlight-reel moments, including a spectacular one-handed snag by Moore in the end zone. Weiss finished 1-2 overall, losing to Plano and Longview but defeating Hightower.

Lake Travis made the championship bracket before falling to eventual Division I champions the Woodlands. They had both senior Luke McBride and freshman Jason Carter taking snaps under center as the quarterback competition of the summer continues.

Here are some more takeaways from the competition.

Texas football commit had coaches buzzing

With Willis facing off against South Oak Cliff in the Division I semifinal, they leaned on their best player, four-star Texas commit Jermaine Bishop Jr. The athlete made play after play, and though the Wildkats lost 30-27, multiple coaches walked by Dave Campbell Texas Football reporter Matt Stepp, with one thing to say about Bishop.

“Yeah, he’s different.”

Bishop showed off spectacular route-running and hands as a wide receiver, along with sticky coverage and recovery as a defensive back. As a junior, he recorded 1,565 yards receiving, 18 touchdowns, six pass breakups and three interceptions. His goal is to continue that two-way excellence even as he advances to the next level.

Is Anderson a potential breakout team?

Anderson made waves in the tournament despite finishing with a record of 2-3. The Trojans were aided by two spring transfers from LBJ, three-star Texas defensive back commit Yaheim “Miami” Riley, and three-star running back Caleb Crenshaw.

Anderson went toe-to-toe with South Oak Cliff in pool play, losing 26-20 and dropping another close game to Shadow Creek 21-20. They advanced in consolation past Eastwood before losing to Tyler in the second round.

Crenshaw ran for 1,342 yards and 20 touchdowns on 9.1 yards per rush in his junior year, and will test himself against 6A competition as a senior. He showed off versatility in seven-on-seven plays, making the game-winning snag against Eastwood. Anderson recorded a 7-4 record last season with a 5-3 district record, but the summer provided a glimpse of a new and improved team that could easily surpass that mark.

Dripping Springs impresses against eventual champions

Dripping Springs had the best results of any Austin team. They stormed through the championship bracket, earning wins over Tompkins, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North and Lake Highlands before losing to the eventual champion Woodlands, 33-28 in the Division I semifinals. In their final game, quarterback Mateo Perez, three-star wide receiver Cooper Reid and Merrik Bloomgren led a furious rally from an early deficit, forcing the Pine Cones to come up with a game-winning touchdown.

Reid, an Arizona State commit, uses his 6-foot-3 frame to box out defenders and snatches the ball out of the air with strong hands. Perez backed up quarterback Maddox Maher last season and will take on the starting role as a senior with 366 yards and four passing touchdowns to his name.