Central Gwinnett hosted the Gwinnett vs. Georgia 7-on-7 Tournament this weekend that featured matchups between Gwinnett schools and its neighboring counties. It takes an exceptional defensive performance in a 7-on-7 tournament to warrant recognition without tackling, a pass rush, or a run defense in the equation, but Norcross’ raw athleticism, speed and ability to create turnovers worked as its winning ingredients. The Blue Devils’ made the timely plays, as they topped Kell 17-12 in the championship. Kell won the tournament last year with a 27-25 overtime win against Collins Hill. Norcross went 4-2 in the tournament a year ago.
A major question for the defending Class AAAAAA champions this season was replacing Joseph Wilber at the quarterback position. Former Milton quarterback A.J. Bush transferred to Norcross this past spring and is off to a great start to the summer with this win. Bush is a dual-threat quarterback with sub 4.6 speed, so having the summer and 7-on-7′s to just focus on the passing aspect of his game is beneficial to him and the new offense.
With Bush handling the quarterback duties, Norcross’ Ridwan Issahaku was able to make the move to defensive back, and came up with an early interception and late pass breakup in the championship game. Malcolm Galloway got the Blue Devils their second interception of the finals, giving Norcross a 15-10 with the 3-point turnover. Kell showcased a polished defense as well, and earned two points with its late stop to make it a 15-12 deficit, and had the the ball with a chance to win. Issahaku’s pass breakup stopped the comeback attempt and awarded Norcross its final two points in the 17-12 final.
In the semifinals, North Gwinnett had Norcross on the ropes before a touchdown and interception scored the comeback in a 19-15 win. In the other semifinal matchup, Kell opened a 17-0 lead over Mill Creek before closing out their 23-14 finals berth.
For more coverage from the Gwinnett vs. Georgia 7-on-7 Tournament read Chris Stephen’s summary from the Gwinnett Daily Post.
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