MADISON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — It was a little less feisty than usual, but there was still plenty of passion to go around during the final game of Tuesday’s STARTEK 7X7 High School Tournament.
There’s never a shortage of intensity when crosstown rivals Madison and Mansfield Senior get together.
“Even if we’re playing Go Fish, it’s going to be pretty competitive. And it should be. It’s a rivalry,” Madison coach Jamie Masi said after the Rams claimed summer bragging rights with a two-score victory. “It doesn’t mean anything, who wins the 7-on-7, but it was fitting for us to finish with those guys.”
In addition to Madison and Senior High, teams from Ontario, Crestview, Hillsdale, Marion Harding, Akron Kenmore, Wynford and Cardington were in action at Ram Field at STARTEK Stadium. With temperatures in the mid-80s and only a slight breeze to offer respite, play took a turn for the ragged in the afternoon.
“It’s easy to make excuses about it being hot, but as a football team we’ve got to get tougher,” Mansfield Senior coach Chioke Bradley said. “I don’t like our mental toughness at this stage.”
The Tygers were without Division I recruit Jornell Manns, who was sidelined with a pectoral injury suffered last week. Senior High struggled at times without its top returning receiver and safety.
“Offensively and defensively, we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Bradley said. “It’s easy for us to score against some of the smaller schools, but the fact of the matter is we’re not playing those schools (in the regular season). We’ve got Big Walnut and Canton McKinley and Toledo St. John’s and then we start into our conference schedule.”
One of the smallest schools in the field, Hillsdale vindicated itself against some of the bigger teams in the event.
“I thought our older guys competed well,” Hillsdale coach Tom Williams said. “These 7-on-7s are better for us defensively than offensively because we can find out who can cover. You can learn about some guys before you get into practice.”
Tuesday’s event was the third and final STARTEK 7X7 High School Tournament at Madison. Masi couldn’t have been happier with the outcome.
“STARTEK did an amazing job. They didn’t just come out and support the Rams. They provided t-shirts for 20-some teams over the three days,” Masi said. “We got great competition and a lot of different looks. It was nothing but a positive experience.”
