Lassiter ready to defend title

Walter Pinion

The Lassiter Trojans are hosting the biggest 7-on-7 tournament of the 2012 offseason today and tomorrow. The 2012 Georgia Invitational 7-on-7 tournament features 24 teams that will play their way through a double-elimination bracket. The winner qualifies for the national tournament July 26-28 in Hoover, Ala. The hosting Trojans automatically qualify for the tournament, but Eddie Printz and the Trojans have not had to use their free pass. Lassiter has won the tournament the past two years and are poised for a three-peat.

“This is the last 7-on-7 before two-a-days start, so we always want to get the most of it,” said Trojans offensive coordinator Josh Herring.

The 7-on-7 game is a modified form of football and removes the line of scrimmage and running game completely. The Trojans understand the style but still stick to their game plans offensively and defensively.

“We don’t have 7-on-7 plays in these tournaments,” said Herring. “We use our plays. We are a spread offense and everyone knows they will get to touch the ball. We just work on our plays and avoid any bad habits that the 7-on-7 style could form.”

Printz and his leading receiver Juwan Dickey have two varsity seasons of experience with one another, and their incredible timing makes this Lassiter’s tournament to win.

Ryan Jenkins, who transferred into Lassiter from Milton, is committed to Clemson to play receiver. He is a talented slot receiver but is new to the spread style offense of the Trojans.

“This is the first time we have really had the whole offense together,” said Herring. “Everyone is healthy and Jenkins and some of the other guys are back from the college camps they were participating in this summer.”

This tournament will feature some of the top teams from DeKalb, Cobb and Gwinnett, as well as several surrounding states.

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