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Added Momentum: Bobcats take 7-on-7 state championship
BY Chris O’Dell, codell@starlocalnews.com
Though past success or failure in 7-on-7 play hasn’t always translated to the regular season, Celina should be able to take added momentum into the start of head coach Bill Elliott’s first year as head coach.
That's because the Bobcats traveled to the two-day Division II FOX Sports Southwest 7-on-7 State Championship Tournament and came home with another state title in hand.
“You always want to win it,” Elliott said. “The more you win, the more it breeds winning.”
“It was huge,” Elliott said. “It was such a challenge because of the conditions and the heat and playing some of the best teams in the state.”
Celina took down Graham in the championship game with a 34-28 victory to complete an undefeated (8-0) tournament run. In the title game, wide receiver Ben Thiel caught three touchdown passes from quarterback Nathan Elliott with Cash Conder adding two more scores.
“The wide receivers did a great job of catching the ball and running their routes,” Coach Elliott said. “They continually did what we wanted them to do.”
Continuing its efficient pace throughout the summer, the Celina offense limited turnovers.
“We had only one interception all day long,” Elliott said. “That’s pretty amazing in eight games and close to 600 passes.”
The Bobcats had previously taken down Navasota (38-32) in the semifinals and Rockdale (38-28) in the quarterfinals.
The event, which began Thursday in College Station, saw the Bobcats rout Eastland, 32-6, in the opening game of Celina’s pool. With the victory over Eastland, Celina then took on Edna and Fort Stockton to finish pool play and came away with respective wins of 36-28 and 27-18. A key part of the Bobcats success in the tournament came courtesy of forced turnovers from the defense, with Brendan Batton and Nick Grant making an interception apiece in the championship game.
“All the kids rose up and were able to make big plays,” Elliott said. “They did a great job of slowing other offenses down and getting stops.”
The 3-0 mark in pool play put the Bobcats into the Championship Bracket Friday morning and they picked up right where they left off.
In the 9 a.m. game, Celina edged out Gatesville for a 42-36 win, advancing to a second round contest against West Orange-Stark. The Bobcats earned another one-possession victory after coming away with a 33-26 decision.
“[The close games] allow our kids to know they can dig down and find something extra to win those games,” Elliott said. “You want your kids to be able to rise up and face those kind of challenges.”
With the 5-0 start, the Bobcats then faced Rockdale in the quarterfinals and picked up a 38-28 win.
Navasota was next in line for Celina and wasn’t able to hand the Bobcats their first loss of the summer as Celina came away with a 38-32 victory and spot in the finals against Graham.
The Bobcats found themselves in familiar territory during the title game, with one possession separating the two teams. However, Celina ultimately completed the tournament undefeated and wrapped up 7-on-7 play without a loss this summer, earning the 2012 Division II Texas State 7-on-7 Championship.
“It’s a huge confidence builder for our skill players,” Elliott said. “We know we can compete with some of the best teams in the state now.”
Celina qualified for the state tournament after an undefeated run through a May qualifier at Arlington Bowie. Ironically, it was Graham that reached the championship round of that tournament to face Celina. However, the two teams elected not to play the game with the top two schools earning a berth in the state tournament.
The Bobcats will now prepare for their regular season opener, which is Sept. 1 against Melissa.
“I hope this carries over [into the season],” Elliott said.
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