Number of top football recruits set to hit field at Lakewood

The Cougars host their annual 7-on-7 tournament Saturday featuring both local and non-local squads.

Lakewood High School will host its 12th annual Cougars Championship Passing Tournament on Saturday. (NW Ballers video frame)

Lakewood High School will host its 12th annual Cougars Championship Passing Tournament on Saturday. (NW Ballers video frame)

The high school football season’s start is inching closer and closer, but those that want to get a taste of some local gridiron action sooner rather than later have the opportunity to sink their teeth into the perfect appetizer Saturday at Lakewood High School.

The Cougars and coach Dan Teeter are set to host their 12th annual Cougars Championship Passing Tournament, a 7-on-7 competition that features many local teams and some non-local squads with rosters that feature talented NCAA Division I prospects.

“It’s kind of our last thing for the summer that we can do with the guys (before practices start),” Teeter said. “It’s a good send-off for that.”

Local teams Arlington, Glacier Peak, King’s, Lake Stevens, Mountlake Terrace, Oak Harbor and South Whidbey join host Lakewood at the tournament, giving an early glance at a handful of area teams.

Kennedy Catholic highlights the non-local squads at the event. The Lancers feature Sav’ell Smalls — an outside linebacker prospect ranked fourth overall nationally for the class of 2020 by 247Sports — and Sam Huard — the son of former UW and NFL quarterback Damon Huard. Sam Huard is ranked as the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the country and sixth overall for the class of 2021. Justin Baker, Jabez Tinae and Junior Alexander make up a talented group of skill-position players with D-I offers that surround Huard.

Lincoln — which plays Lake Stevens in the regular season and features the talented trio of high-level recruits Julien Simon, Jaylen Clark and Donovan Clark — is another non-local team to keep an eye one.

“There’s gonna be a lot of college talent here,” Teeter said. “So it’s gonna be great for people locally here that don’t always get to see those teams to come out and get a little preview of them.”

Offensive linemen will have a chance to compete in the tournament’s lineman competition, which features individual and team events such as a bench press competition, tug-of-war and a 4×100 relay.

“That’s something that makes it a little bit unique, too,” Teeter said. “Lots of time linemen get left out at 7-on-7s, but we do stuff for them, too.”

Teeter said that when the tournament started 12 years ago, it had just five teams. That number quickly jumped near 12 the next year and has held strong at 20-plus teams over the years.

Play begins at 9 a.m. with round-robin pool play, with the championship game scheduled for 6 p.m. The 20-team tournament is broken down into five four-team pools, which Teeter puts together by trying to balance the number of larger and smaller schools in each. He said that he also avoids putting teams that will play each other in the regular season in the same pool.

The lineman challenge starts at 10 a.m.

Rules of the tournament

Games are played on a 40-yard field that’s regulation width. Team’s start on the 40-yard line and have three downs to pick up 15 yards. Once teams reach the 10-yard line, they have four downs to score.

Quarterbacks have 4 seconds to throw the ball, and players are down after a one-hand touch.

Offenses are awarded seven points for a touchdown with the option of going for a PAT from the 3-yard line. A successful attempt adds one point and a failed attempt subtracts one.

Defenses are awarded three points interceptions that aren’t returned for TDs.

Complete list of teams

Arlington, Ballard, Bothell, Garfield, Glacier Peak, Hazen, Inglemoor, Kennedy Catholic, Kentwood, King’s, Lake Stevens, Lakewood, Lincoln, Mercer Island, Mountlake Terrace, North Creek, Oak Harbor, Sequim, South Whidbey, Woodinville.

Talk to us

More in Sports

Everett Community College has hired longtime assistant coach Daniel Thompson (middle) as its new head men's basketball coach. (EvCC Athletics photo)
EvCC names Thompson new men’s basketball head coach

Thompson, 35, has been an assistant with the Trojans for 9 seasons and takes over for Mike Trautman, who stepped down in April.

X
Spring 2023 All-Wesco teams

Note: All-Wesco teams are chosen by the league’s coaches. For any misspellings… Continue reading

Hammer throw.
Local trio shines in high school hammer throw finals

Adrianna Coleman and Kimberly Beard place 1-2 in the women’s portion, and Calvin Gutierrez takes 2nd in the men’s championship.

Washington celebrates a home run by Rylee Holtorf (3) at home plate during the second inning of an NCAA softball Women's College World Series game against Utah Friday, June 2, 2023, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
UW opens Women’s College World Series with key win over Utah

After being rained out on Thursday, Washington beats Utah 4-1 to advance into the winner’s bracket.

X
Vote for The Herald’s Prep Athlete of the Week for May 22-28

The Athlete of the Week nominees for May 22-28 Voting closes at… Continue reading

X
Hops rally in 9th inning to sink AquaSox

Reid VanScoter turns in an impressive outing, but Everett’s bullpen falters late in a 4-3 defeat.

Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (left) reaches down to tag out the Mariners’ Teoscar Hernande, who was trying to stretch a single into a double during the third inning of a game Friday in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Mariners’ bats silent in shutout by Rangers

Seattle’s offense musters just three hits in the 2-0 defeat.

X
AquaSox can’t make huge rally hold, lose to Hops

Everett takes the lead with six runs in the eighth, but allows two runs back in the ninth and falls 13-12 to Hillsboro.

The Everett Elite Flag Football 14-under team practices Sunday morning at Harbour Pointe Middle School in Mukilteo, Washington on January 16, 2022. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Community roundup: 3 Jackson grads to D-I baseball tournament

Plus, Jayden White is headed back to the NCAA track and field nationals, the Silvertips sign their first-round picks and more.

Most Read