Albany 7on7 team makes state appearance
By Donnie A. Lucas
The Albany 7on7 football team competed at the state tournament last week in College Station.
While winning just one out of four games, the local squad was within a touchdown of winning two out of three.
The two-day event on June 24-25 brought teams from across the state to crown champions in the three divisions.
Albany competed in Division III, which includes teams from 3A Div. II and below. The Lions are in Class 2A Div. II.
The Lions lost to Eldorado 33-18 in the first round of pool play on Thursday.
The team’s coach, Anthony Ceder, was there for the Friday morning game, but wasn’t able to come on Thursday due to conflicts with local Little League games. Spencer Newsom and Kevin assisted with coaching duties.
“We weren’t as sharp as we needed to be in the first game,” Newsom said. “Eldorado was good, but we made some mistakes that cost us.”
The Lions lost by just one touchdown to Gunter, 27-20, in the second round on Thursday.
“The guys looked way better,” Newsom said. “We actually had a chance to win, but there was some confusion on downs at the end of the game that helped Gunter score last.”
Albany defeated Mildred 27-21 in the final pool game on Thursday. Cason Fairchild scored three of the four touchdowns for the team.
“The guys played really well, and it was good to end the day with a win,” the coach said.
The Lions lost the first game in bracket play on Friday, falling to Rosebud Lott 26-21.
“We had the lead, but we faltered on a big defensive play due to miscommunication,” Newsom said.
The Division III champsionship was won by East Bernard.
“This was a great experience for the guys,” the coach said. “They were all excited to get to go, and all the games were really close,” he said. “The biggest advantage was that they got some bonding time and extra practice, especially on timing, that will help them in the fall.”
Albany qualified to advance to state at a McMurry qualifiying tournament held June 18.
The Lions had a short season due to the playoffs by the high school baseball team. The only other tournament they participated in was at Archer City on June 12.
Albany last qualfied for the state tournament in 2019. The league was idle in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
