Marty Kirkland: Time to get to know the Southeastern

Before you ask, no I cannot do anything about the heat. I don’t know that it will be extremely hot this weekend when The Daily Citizen’s Southeastern 7-on-7 Championship returns to Dalton — in fact, as of this writing, the Saturday-Sunday forecast at weather.com lists temperatures peaking in the upper 80s. I just know that it’s July in the Peach State, and I remember we were graced with what felt like particularly sweltering days for last year’s tournament.

And if the heat ever seems unbearable, take it from a native South Georgian: It’s probably more humid somewhere else, and you have been spared the plague of (almost) year-round gnats.

So, I don’t know what the weather will be like, but I do know this — if you enjoy high school football, the 32-team event (two schools will bring two squads each to the passing-based competition) is a great summer appetizer for the fall’s main course. And with seven states represented, there will be plenty of talented teams and players on those Dalton Parks and Recreation Department fields.

One other thing that’s certain: There will be plenty of football. I’ve done the math — there will be 102 games during Saturday’s pool play, then at least 60 more games during Sunday’s double-elimination bracket play, when there will be both a championship and consolation field.

To get you ready, here are 32 things to know about the tournament:

1. More than half the field will be made up of Georgia programs, with 16 high schools coming from within the state to play, including 2011 semifinalist Martin Luther King Jr., which will also bring a “B” team. Alabama is also represented well, with six schools on the way, including inaugural champion Bob Jones, which is the other program bringing a “B” team. Tennessee has four schools and Kentucky two, while Florida and South Carolina each will bring one.

2. Bob Jones quarterback Trey Bates helped make his case for becoming his team’s starter during the 2011 season with his play at last summer’s Southeastern, where the Patriots topped fellow Alabama school Fort Payne 42-6 in the title matchup.

3. Dalton senior Brandon Dale was named Best Receiver earlier this summer during the Mike Hodges camp at Middle Georgia College, beating out more than 150 upperclassman receivers for the honor, including nearly 20 who have been offered Division I scholarships. Dale is one of the few players who will play both ways for the Catamounts this fall, and he proved successful on offense, defense and special teams in 2011.

4. Northwest Whitfield quarterback Silas Ledford will get one of his first major tests since missing all of last season with an ACL injury. He had a good spring and is hoping for an even better fall for his senior year.

5. Southeast Whitfield’s players might have a chance to move up the depth chart this weekend. New Raiders coach Sean Gray said earlier this summer that the Southeastern would give him a good chance to evaluate talent and think about who he can count on in a few weeks when the real deal arrives.

6. Players for Baylor have plenty of motivation this summer if Red Raiders coaches push them with talk of a state title. The Chattanooga private school came close each of the past two years, finishing as the runner-up in the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s Division II-AA both times.

7. Christian Heritage is now an official member of the Georgia High School Association, with the designation coming on July 1. The Lions formerly competed in the Georgia Independent School Association for most sports; the school has played most of its gridiron games in the Glory For Christ Football League.

8. McCallie, another Chattanooga school, is happy to have Ralph Potter back on the sideline. The Blue Tornado’s former head coach is back after four years with Brentwood Academy. He led McCallie from 1997 to 2006, compiling a 76-37 record during that time.

9. Martin Luther King Jr. lost a lot of seniors — 34 to be exact — from last year’s team to graduation. But they’re not going to be a whole lot younger this season — their Class of 2013 has 32 members.

10. Will Francis, the quarterback for Harding Academy of Searcy, Ark., had a pretty good first year as a starter in 2011. He passed for 38 touchdowns and had just six interceptions while racking up more than 3,500 yards through the air.

11. Reuben Foster, a standout linebacker for Alabama’s Auburn High, is familiar with Peach State football. He transferred in the offseason from Georgia’s Troup High, which is near the state line and not too far from Auburn, either.

12. Stone Mountain is one of eight teams back at the Southeastern for the second straight year. Joining the Pirates in that group are Baylor, Bob Jones, Dalton, LaFayette, MLK Jr., Northwest and Ringgold.

13. OK — I’m going to veer off from fact into opinion: I dub Kentucky’s Bowling Green with the best nickname. The Purples also feature gold in their color scheme, by the way.

14. Callaway went 7-4 last season, but is on an upward trend. The Cavaliers had 10-win years in both 2008 and 2009 before going 8-4 in 2010. They haven’t missed the playoffs since 2005.

15. Kentucky’s Murray Tigers are 42-8 over the past five seasons. Last year they won their third straight district title and were 12-2, with their season ending in the Class 2A state semifinals.

16. Atlanta’s Pace Academy has only been playing football since 2008, but they will bring a potential hot prospect to Dalton in quarterback Kevin Johnson, who passed for 18 touchdowns and nearly 1,800 yards as a freshman last year.

17. Riverdale, located in Murfreesboro, Tenn., has lost more than three games in a season just twice since 2000. The Warriors are 141-24 during that time and reached the Division I-6A state semifinals last year.

18. LaFayette is looking for good things from offseason transfer Alize Woodall. Where did the all-around athlete come from? None other than another Southeastern competitor, MLK Jr.

19. Ringgold sophomore Kile Sholl was chosen to play in all-star game in Bradenton, Fla., last month after impressing with his play at the Cam Newton Foundation’s seven-on-seven tournament in Marietta.

20. North Augusta isn’t far from the Georgia border, but the Yellow Jackets will still make a long drive, because they’re coming from South Carolina. They’ll return to Georgia during the season to play one of the state’s most storied programs, Valdosta, in the North Gwinnett Challenge Sept. 1.

21. Alabama’s North Jackson has lost just four region games over the past 11 years. The Chiefs have claimed 10 region titles since the school opened in 1988 when Stevenson High and Bridgeport High merged.

22. Cedar Grove quarterback Johnathan McCrary, who has committed to Vanderbilt, has impressive career numbers for the Saints. He has already passed for more than 6,000 yards, and last year alone he rushed for 500 yards and eight touchdowns.

23. You won’t have a hard time finding George Washington Carver’s starting quarterback at any given time. Jeremy Johnson, a three-year starter, is 6 feet, 6 inches tall.

24. Griffin players aren’t exactly dreaming if they talk about making it to the NFL someday. At least 17 former Bears went on to play on Sundays, with eight making appearances in the Super Bowl.

25. Fletcher is my runner-up in the nickname sweepstakes, and the Senators are certainly in the running for longest bus trip. They’re coming up from Neptune Beach, Fla., near Jacksonville. Google says that’s a ride of some 7 1/2 hours.

26. Pierce County has a long ride ahead, too, coming up from South Georgia. (Hey, they won’t miss the gnats, either!) But the Bears won’t head home right after the Southeastern, instead going to Alabama for a team camp at Jacksonville State.

27. Alabama’s Florence is coached by Jamey DuBose, the cousin of former Crimson Tide coach Mike DuBose ...

28. ... who after his time with the Tide coached two seasons at Alabama’s Luverne, another competitor at this weekend’s Southeastern.

29. The football history isn’t great for the Karns Beavers of Knoxville, Tenn., but the current players are doing their best to change things. Last year they took the program to the playoffs for the first time since 2004 and were 6-5 for the first winning season in 37 years.

30. Coahulla Creek still hasn’t played a varsity game, but the Colts will tune up with this weekend’s test. Their pool includes a school that could become a rival in the future — nearby Northwest.

31. This won’t be the first seven-on-seven test of 2012 for Cartersville, which won the North Division title earlier this summer at the Cam Newton Foundation tournament at Sprayberry High.

32. New this year is a community day, which will feature teams giving back in a variety of ways, including interacting with kids at James Brown Park on Friday.

Want to learn more? Check out our preview guide, available for download at southeastern7on7.com, and keep reading The Daily Citizen for more on the tournament and its accompanying activities.

Marty Kirkland is sports editor of The Daily Citizen. You can write to him at martykirkland@daltoncitizen.com.

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