Players and coaches from OPRF, Fenwick, Lane Tech and Morton gathered at Oak Park Stadium for a 7-on-7 football tournament on Thursday night and the result was a fun yet competitive event for the teams and fans.
The primary focus and motivating factor for the informal scrimmages was to develop a sense of familiarity among the defense and offense for each team. The offense, made up of a quarterback, receivers and tailbacks, worked to build timing and cohesion. On the defensive side of the ball, made up solely of linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties, the focus was on containment.
Each team was able to call 10-15 plays, primarily passing plays, before switching possession.
“This was a nice opportunity to go up against different defensive styles and personnel and also to go up against different offensive styles,” said new OPRF head coach John Hoerster.
The Huskies began by scrimmaging against Lane Tech, while the Friars took on Morton West. Both started on defense and then switched over to the offensive side. The Huskies used the first scrimmage to get starting quarterback John Phelan and the receivers in sync with each other and the play calling, before taking on Fenwick.
The scrimmage between Fenwick and OPRF was a rare treat, since the rivals no longer play each other during the regular season and will not in the foreseeable future.
The game began with Phelan delivering a couple of sharp passes to open receivers on short slant routes. On the next play, the senior ran the ball in for a touchdown.
On Fenwick’s first offensive possession, the Huskies held their cross-town rival at bay. Cornerback Jamall Baggett, linebacker Matt McCormak and strong safety Sedrick McDonald all made exceptional plays for OPRF during the series.
Phelan struck again on OPRF’s next possession, launching a bomb to junior receiver Ryan Nelson, who made an over-the-shoulder catch before scampering for a touchdown.
“I’m really happy with how our guys played out there today,” said Hoerster after the tournament. “We’ve only been doing these drills for a few weeks, so it’s new to everybody. Our three quarterbacks (Phelan, Dain Mrozek, and Tommy O’Dell) did extremely well today.
“We just need to make sure that we’re getting more reps in practice, so that everyone is more confident in what they are doing.”
The games were only meant for practice in preparation for the upcoming season, therefore no scores were recorded.
“We had some great teams, coaches, and players here today,” added Hoerster. “We were really excited about hosting the tournament and getting a chance to play for some of the parents.”