Albany 7-on-7 goes unbeaten to reach state

The Albany 7-on-7 football team earned a trip to the state tournament after going undefeated in four games at a Division III state qualifying tournament held Friday, June 6, in Abilene.

Albany played all of its games at The Fieldhouse, while the other half of the tournament took place at the Shotwell Annex. The Lions opened pool play with a 20–14 win over Merkel, followed by a 35–13 victory over Dublin in the second game. They wrapped up pool play with a 33–20 win over Miles to finish 3–0 and claim the top spot in their bracket.

In the championship game, Albany faced Tolar and came away with a 21–19 win to secure the tournament title and an automatic berth in the state tournament.

This marks the sixth time Albany has advanced to the state tournament since 2015, and the first since 2023 after falling short of qualification in 2024.

Albany now advance to the 2025 Texas 7-on-7 State Tournament, scheduled for June 26–27 in College Station. Division II and Division III games will be played at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex, located at 3101 Harvey Road.

This year’s team is coached by Branson Beal and London Fuentes. Players on the roster include Breylon Billington, Calhan Fairchild, Jaxson Street, Slade Windham, Christian Hernandez, Bennett Neece, Woods Peterson, Blake Britting, Lyle Wheeler, Aiden Vickers, Jakobi Roberson, and Wesley Gleitz.