Yuma Catholic hosts its football 7 on 7 event preparing for season

Schools from Imperial Valley and Yuma showed up to the Ricky Gwynn Stadium ready to play some football against their fellow opponents

YUMA, Arizona (KYMA, KECY) - With prep football less than two months away, Yuma Catholic invited seven local football teams, four from the Imperial Valley and three from Yuma to a passing event June 29th and 30th.

Yuma Catholic assistant coach Jarred Lackey says this is good practice before season.

"It's a 7 on 7 pool play passing league tournament just between local schools," Lackey said. "Yuma county and Imperial Valley trying to get together and work on our passing route and pass defense for football."

Yuma Catholic Head Coach Rhett Stallworth puts on this event annually for two days, as well as El Centro at Central High School and says it's a good opportunity for everyone to compete a little bit and work on some football.

"Seven defenders, six people on offense plus the quarterback, you try to work in your passing game and your back seven on defense," Coach Stallworth said.

Lackey says it's a good time for the boys to practice without needing contact.

"It's obviously not real football where you have actual tackling and contact going on but it does give us a chance to run plays against other teams instead of just competing against ourselves all the time," says Lackey.

According to Coach Stallworth, the coaches are very much involved and calling plays.

"You should be running your system and then you got four downs to get 20 yards and then four to score and it's all on a clock," Coach Stallworth said. "It tells you that you have 3.8 seconds to throw the football otherwise it's a sack."

Yuma Catholic's senior quarterback Richard Stallworth says these practices against local teams are crucial.

"Its definitely important to get out here and get some reps in, the young guys coming up," says Richard Stallworth. "For me, getting connected with these young receivers, getting ready for the season, making sure we can make a big impact."

Lackey says this tournament brings real benefits.

"Just seeing other defenses, seeing other offenses, that kind of stuff, giving us different reads. If we play each other all the time, practice against each other all the time, we're seeing the same defense same offensive schemes start to get used to it," Lackey said. "So you'll make real life adjustments like you would in an actual football game."

According to Richard Stallworth, he's ready to suit up and give it his all for his last season.

"It's going to be so much fun. It's going to be my senior year," says Richard Stallworht. "I'm more excited than, if not more excited than anybody out here to get ready and go play and strap up for my last year."

He says being out in the heat isn't a big deal, yes they sweat but they just go out to play and don't care about the heat.