From the Nike website...
The winner's bracket is down to four teams in the Nike 7on Tournament 2009. The undefeated Vapor Trail from Miami was given a bye into the semis, as the tournament is down to seven teams. Playing in the Nike 7on tournament is an honor. Unfortunately, a small minority of the participants have disrespected those who worked hard to put on the tourney. Therefore, Pahokee High School has been removed from Nike's 2009 "7on" competition due to code of conduct violations.
So that left three games, including battles for supremacy in the states of Texas and California. Team Super Speed, from De Soto (TX), took out Zoom Fly from Dallas 38-21. The game was close with about four minutes left when Super Speed DB Bryson Echols made a great break up on a long pass to the end zone. Super Speed put the game away moments later.
In the California Civil War, the Land Sharks (Serra) from Gardena proved superior to the Field Generals representing Lakewood, 27-13. The Sharks were in control throughout.
Meanwhile, in a battle for southern bragging rights, Team Merciless from Gainesville, GA and Zoom Blade from Duncan, SC took the field in a border battle. Score one for the Palmetto State--Zoom Blade built a 20-0 halftime lead and crushed Team Merciless without mercy, 34-0. A shutout in 7on isn't easy to accomplish, so props to the Blade defense.
So the semifinals will match Vapor Trail against Zoom Blade, while Team Super Speed goes up against the Land Sharks.
So what state has the best football players? We'll get part of the answer in the Nike 7on Tournament final. Vapor Trail from Miami against Team Super Speed from De Soto. The Sunshine State against the Lone Star State. And great offense against stellar defense.
On Ronaldo Field Black, Vapor Trail was deadlocked at halftime with Zoom Blade from Duncan (SC). Neither team could get much going on offense. Miami went up 14-7, but a sensational catch by Nick Jones of Zoom Blade and subsequent two-point conversion made it 15-14, and it looked like an upset was brewing. But that was the last time Zoom Blade scored.
Vapor Trail's defense, led by defensive back Brandon Joseph, locked down the Blade affter that. Meanwhile, the crew from South Beach got its offense untracked, switching to a 5-wide receiver set, four on a single side. That created enough mismatches to move the ball consistently down the field, and Vapor Trail wound up winning 28-15. Michael Harris of Vapor Trail said it best afterward. "Our defense stood tall when we needed them."
So Miami stays unbeaten. But there is one more game to win. And they will have to defeat Team Super Speed from Texas to take the championship.
The Supes outslugged the Land Sharks 36-27 to advance to the final. It was a back and forth contest, with plenty of deep, accurate throws, ankle-breaking moves, and great grabs. The large crowd watching the game roared at every big play. The difference was Super Speed wide receiver Darius Terrell. The big flanker caught three TD passes, including one to ice the game when his team held a precarius one-point lead in the last minute. "It was a play that had me lining up in the slot," said Terrell afterward. "We ran it about ten times, and I always stayed in the middle. This time, I broke wide, and got behind their defense wide open."
Super Speed lost to a Florida team in the opening round, a game Terrell and his team feels they shouldn't have lost. "We have a chance to redeem ourselves against Florida now," Terrell says. The game against Vapor Trail could come down to the matchup between Terrell and Joseph. Told he would have to watch out for Terrell in the final, Joseph had a typical Florida response--"Tell him to watch out for me!"
