Hermiston 7-on-7 team going after league title
Published 12:05 pm Friday, May 21, 2021
- Hermiston Bulldogs quarterback Aiden Alvarez (7) and Robby Akers run drills during practice.
HERMISTON — The Hermiston Bulldogs are primed and ready for the Columbia Basin Youth Football 7-on-7 playoffs on Saturday, May 22, at Carmichael Middle School in Richland, Washington.
The Bulldogs, who compete in the 7-8 grade division, are 12-2 heading into the playoffs. They finished third in the league standings during the regular season.
The Columbia Basin Youth Football League has more than 70 teams, and there are 16 in the Bulldogs’ division.
The Hermiston team has players from Sandstone Middle School and Armand Larive Middle School, led by quarterback Aiden Alvarez.
“Most of our 14 players have been together for a couple of years,” Bulldogs assistant coach Sergio Alvarez said. “They placed third in a tournament in Salem last fall.”
The rules for 7-on-7 football differ from that of regular football.
On offense your team has six players — one quarterback, one running back and four receivers. Though there is a running back, he can only move the ball with a reception.
The defense has seven players, all defensive backs. There are no linemen, though there is a team from Richland comprised of all linemen.
The game has a 25-minute running clock, and when your team has the ball, you get three downs to try and reach the end zone. If not, the ball goes to the other team.
The ball starts on the 35-yard line, and to get a first down, the team must move the ball to at least the 20.
If the offense throws a completed pass, the defense only needs to touch the player with the ball to stop the action.
“The game has gotten really big,” Alvarez said. “There’s less of a chance of getting concussions. The 7-on-7 league is in the spring, which helps make them better for regular football in the fall. They are constantly playing.”
After the May 22 tournament, the team will play in a tournament on May 23 in Salem.
Roster — Aiden Alvarez, Robby Akers, Emmanuel Bravo, Isaac Corey, Jared Garcia, Dale Krebs Jr., Cayden Mallory, Owen Osmin, Jairo Ramirez, Kolton Troppman and Nathan Waelty. Head coach — Chris Mallory. Assistant coach — Sergio Alvarez.
