The final two days of the Brent Key/Corky Kell + Dave Hunter 7-on-7 Tournament takes over The Flats Tuesday and Wednesday at Bobby Dodd Stadium, the Rose Bowl and Brock Indoor on Georgia Tech’s campus in Atlanta.
Follow the link to see the full schedule for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Here’s a glance at a few of the favorite teams.
Prince Avenue Wolverines
Prince Avenue is ready to kick off the season at the 2024 Brent Key + Corky Kell/Dave Hunter 7-on-7 and coming off a program-third state championship, there’s a lot to build on for the Wolverines.
Greg Vandagriff is entering his 9th year leading the program, and once again he does not disappoint the Wolverines’ fans. In those eight years, Prince Avenue played in 4 straight state championship and won three state championships, five region titles, and most importantly achieved an unbelievable record of 97-12. Coach Vandagriff and the Wolverines are not accustomed to losing and they are ready to showcase their ability to win at the 2024 Brent Key + Corky Kell/Dave Hunter 7-on-7.
Under Vandagriff’s leadership, the Wolverines have become a powerhouse, known for their consistent culture of winning. The tournament will serve as a crucial early test, setting the stage for what promises to be another exciting season. The players are motivated, the coaching staff is prepared, and the fans are eagerly anticipating what this team will achieve next. As they step onto the field, the Wolverines and Coach Vandagriff aim to prove once again that they are a force to be reckoned with, ready to dominate and inspire in the 2024 season.
“The only thing we ever try to do is work on getting better, which means we are gonna run our system, run our defense. We are over there to get better; we only care about what happens in December,” Vandagriff said.
There are a few key players to keep an eye on at the 7-on-7 and throughout the season.
“We are bringing in a new quarterback this season, so evaluating Ben Musser and Jake Bobo at the QB position is crucial,” he said.
“We need to see how they perform and compete against each other. Our receiving corps is strong, led by All-State receivers junior CJ Dockery and sophomore Hudson Hills. At tight end, we have a standout prospect in Bryson Williams. Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 230 pounds, he promises to be a physical presence and a mismatch for defenses that we have not had before. In the backfield, Andrew Beard, our tailback, has received offers from top programs like Georgia and Alabama. Despite some offseason departures, we have added key pieces to our roster that will help elevate our squad to a new level. Defensively, we are anchored by our linebacker Mac Bradley, who has received 6-8 offers from various colleges due to his impressive play. Our secondary is led by free safety Gaines Scoggins and cornerback Brody Tolbert. The biggest focus for us this season is to build our depth. We aim to identify and develop our second-string players to ensure we have strong backups ready to step in when needed. This depth will be critical for maintaining a high level of performance throughout the season.”
There are benefits to 7-on-7’s according to Vandagriff.
“It helps us in finding depth, understanding situational awareness, understanding if the defense is in man or zone, and then understanding how to run your routes better. So that’s what we’re trying to accomplish in this tournament. Most importantly, I want them to compete. I don’t care who you play, you have to compete. That’s life, not just 7-on-7, you have to compete in life.”
Addressing safety precautions, Vandagriff assured, “We’re going to be monitoring our kids, making sure they are hydrated and what they look like. We are not going to ride one player the entire game; we are going to sub guys out and rotate them. We typically do a really good job with safety, and I don’t expect that to be any different.”
With these preparations and a strong team spirit, Prince Avenue is poised to make a significant impact in the 2024 Brent Key + Corky Kell/Dave Hunter 7-on-7, and hopes to carry over this play into the regular season and beyond in the fall.
Carver-Atlanta Panthers
Carver Atlanta wants to build upon lessons learned in last year’s less-than-stellar campaign. Led by Coach Darren Myles, Carver is looking to get back to winning ways. Myles is entering his 20th year as head coach and hopes to bring a positive record and a deeper playoff run back to the Panthers’ fans. In those 19 years, Carver Atlanta has made the playoffs fifteen times, with two quarterfinals, two semifinals, and a finals appearance. The Panthers and Coach Myles are determined to win, and they are ready to showcase that in the 2024 Brent Key + Corky Kell/Dave Hunter 7-on-7.
The 2024 Brent Key + Corky Kell/Dave Hunter 7-on-7 will prepare Coach Myles’ and his players for what should be a better season than the last. As they step onto the field, the Panthers and Coach Myles aim to improve on their past season and make a playoff run.
“You are going to see a lot of effort. My guys are gonna play hard and be very physical. With only 9 seniors on the roster, we are a young and inexperienced team, so there will be some mistakes made, but that’s how we get better,” Myles said.
“The experience comes at the quarterback position and with two of our guys who play both sides of the ball. Senior QB Montavious Banks will be one of our top guys on the offensive side as well as junior TE/DL Arlando Crafton, who has offers from 6-7 schools, and junior DB/WR Joshua Raven. Junior DB/RB Lataious Stepp Jr., who has 6-8 offers, and junior DB/WR Terrious Favors will be the main guys to keep an eye on, on the defensive side of the ball,” said Myles.
The advantages of a 7-on-7 tournament not only help a team sort out kinks and learn in the short term, but the long term as well. What is taught, learned, and applied during the summer can help teams to better be prepared for the regular season and the playoffs in the fall.
“What a tournament like this does is give our kids a lot of exposure and good competition. There’s always great teams out there at the Corky Kell Classic, which makes our kids better because you get the best out of them when they are competing against the best. More importantly, you get the opportunity to be on a college campus and at a college football facility. These are factors that establish camaraderie through competition, making our kids better men on and off the field,” says Coach Myles.
With the 2024 Brent Key + Corky Kell/Dave Hunter 7-on-7 taking place in the early days of June on Georgia Tech’s campus, it can get pretty hot. Coach Myles knows this and will take the necessary precautions and measures to make sure his staff and his players are doing what is required to stay fit and healthy throughout the course of the day.
“We’ll make sure to stay hydrated and fueled up before we leave. We’ll provide them with breakfast, water, and juice in the morning and will have Gatorades and our own water bottles for each player during the day. I know that Georgia Tech does a great job at keeping the players hydrated, so our players will continue to drink water before, during, and after each one of our games,” he said.
After a disappointing regular season and first round playoff exit in 2023, the Carver-Atlanta Panthers look to improve this offseason at the 2024 Brent Key + Corky Kell/Dave Hunter 7-on-7 and hopefully see better results in the fall and beyond.
Collins Hill Eagles
The Collins Hill Eagles are looking to build off their late-season success in 2023, including a playoff win against north Cobb High School, before suffering a loss to Milton in the second round. The Eagles are looking to win their second state title in four years and build off the success of one of the state’s elite programs, that as seen its fair share of household names, including potential Heisman Trophy candidate and two-way player Travis Hunter and Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke.
The Eagles will be led by second-year head coach Drew Swick with a relatively young roster on both sides of the ball. Swick feels enthusiastic about his team’s potential is looking forward to the upcoming tournament this week, as many players look to make big jumps in 2024, starting with this week’s tournament.
One of those is rising senior, wide receiver Alijah Patillo, who Swick says has grown into a leader both on the field and in the classroom and will look to have an increased role in the offense in 2024.
“We had a lot of mouths to feed on the offensive side last year receiver and we had to spread the ball around but Alijah’s a kid that comes in and works. Now, he’s become a leader. He’s become very, very vocal. And he’s been killing it in the classroom lately,” Swick explained.
Patillo’s role in the offense will not be the only thing that changes on that side of the ball. The Eagles will undergo a change under center, with former team captain and rising senior TJ Wilcox transferring to Buford High School this summer. Rising junior AJ Bush is expected to start at quarterback for Collins Hill in 2024 and is expected to see a majority of the starting reps at the tournament.
“AJ has been doing a great job. You know, becoming a leader, developing relationships with all of his receivers, running backs, coaches, you know, saying after practice and that’s what you got to have that quarterback spot to be great.” Swick exclaimed.
Defensively, the team will return rising junior Mike linebacker Jayvon Hatch, a rising senior entering his third year as a starter and is also expected to receive lots of playing time at the tournament as he looks to continue to build off of his success last season and help Collins Hill continue to progress as a unite defensively.
“Jayvon’s been that guy for the past two years. Swick stated. “Now he’s that vocal guy makes every call on defense, calling out the small, small details that he may pick up on film.”
Regarding the tournament, Swick is not heavily concerned about his team’s wins and losses, but instead wants his team to put forth their best effort and develop good habits for the upcoming season.
“We want to set the tone from the very first seven or seven games that we have and that’s going to carry us forward. You know getting out there on the first game and getting up on our own not ever quitting. Just little things like that go a long way for early in the summer and it becomes a habit as you get into fall season. Swick said.
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