Texas
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.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate state emergency response resources as a massive storm system threatens much of the state with hurricane-force winds, giant hail, and the risk of tornadoes.
Severe weather in Texas
The severe weather, expected to last through Monday morning, covers a vast footprint including West, North, East, Central, and South-Central Texas. Forecasters warned the system could produce wind gusts exceeding 75 mph and hail larger than 2 inches in diameter.
What they’re saying:
“Texas is prepared to confront the severe storms that pose a threat to communities all across our state,” Abbott said in a statement. He urged Texans to monitor local forecasts and warned motorists never to drive through flooded roadways, invoking the phrase, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”
Heavy rainfall is expected to be widespread, with some areas potentially seeing isolated totals of 3 to 6 inches, which could lead to significant flash flooding. As the system progresses, the threat is expected to shift toward the South and Southeast Texas coasts.
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In preparation, the governor has deployed a wide array of state assets to assist local officials, including:
- Search and Rescue: Swiftwater and floodwater rescue boat squads and urban search and rescue teams from Texas A&M Task Forces 1, 2, and 3.
- Aviation and Marine Support: Helicopters with hoist capabilities from the Department of Public Safety and Texas Parks and Wildlife, as well as Tactical Marine Units.
- Infrastructure and Recovery: Texas Forest Service saw crews to clear debris from roads and Department of Transportation personnel to monitor highway conditions.
- Medical and Utility Support: Emergency medical task forces with ambulances and all-terrain vehicles, along with monitors from the Public Utility Commission to coordinate power outage responses.
State agencies are also monitoring the state’s natural gas supply and water quality as the storms move through.
Officials encouraged residents to assemble emergency kits and check road conditions at DriveTexas.org before attempting to travel.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Governor Greg Abbott Press Office.
Saturday started out a bit warm and sticky outside in North Texas, but there will be plenty of sunshine in the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 80s. Most of the area will stay dry today, but there is a chance for an isolated storm that could reach severe criteria late tonight for counties to the northwest of the metroplex.
Make sure you have an indoor plan for Mother’s Day celebrations tomorrow! Sunday morning will start warm, muggy, and dry for most with the exception of an isolated storm possible along the Red River.
A First Alert Weather Day is in place on Sunday due to a front that will swing across North Texas in the late afternoon through the evening. All modes of severe weather will be likely, but the main threat includes a significant risk of hail up to 2 inches in diameter and winds up to category 1 hurricane strength.
Once the front moves through, cooler temperatures will settle into the forecast on Monday. However, the cool down won’t last long. A warming trend returns and temperatures climb into the 90’s once again at the end of the next week. Stay tuned!
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