With 14 teams and seven games spanning over two days of action, the 2015 Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic stands as the biggest kickoff event in the country this football season. But before the football season kicks off with the 24th installment of the Classic on Aug. 21-22, the highly-competitive atmosphere of 7-on-7 tournaments tests the
physical and mental conditioning of the coaches and players, while giving individuals a chance to rise in the recruiting ranks and teams to earn bragging rights and momentum heading into the season.
This year will be the second Corky Kell 7-on-7 tournament and it has grown into one of the largest single-day events of the offseason. On June 19, reigning 7-on-7 champion Archer will square off with 24 other teams after taking first place in last year's 15-team pool.
Archer defeated McEachern in the finals of last year's tournament and led the way for Gwinnett County teams that dominated the action. Norcross, Archer, Mill Creek, Brookwood, North Gwinnett and Collins Hill went a combined 21-4 against teams from outside of the county in last year's tournament and will each be returning to this year's field.
Archer returns as one of this year's headliners and is one of 12 teams from the 2015 Corky Kell lineup that will play in the 7-on-7 tournament. The Tigers are joined by Norcross, Mill Creek, Brookwood, North Paulding, Carrollton, Sandy Creek, Creekview, North Gwinnett, Tucker, Kell and defending Class AAAAAA state champion Colquitt County.
The 13 other teams include out-of-state powerhouse Byrnes (SC) and Gwinnett County's Peachtree Ridge and Collins Hill. Roswell, Centennial, Blessed Trinity, Griffin, Mays, Glynn Academy, Houston County, Cherokee, Walton and Gainesville make up the remaining field.
The tournament will attract a lot of recruiting attention as some of the top prospects in the state will share the field. Roswell's hard-hitting linebacker Tre Lamar stands 6-foot-4, 240 pounds and the 7-on-7 format will give recruiting experts a chance focus on his pass coverage abilities. With the fast pace of these tournaments and quick turnaround of games, team depth and conditioning is also exposed, and it gives a good indication of which teams have been hitting the offseason conditioning hard. Coaches are able to practice making adjustments quickly as different opponents are stacked one after another and they get valuable time watching their players compete against some of the top athletes in the country.
Archer's Kyle Davis is one of the Peach State's most prized Class of 2016 prospects and did it all in the Tigers' offense last season as a receiver and running threat. Davis will star in the offense once again with new starting quarterback Will Bearden for the first time.
North Gwinnett's towering wideout Josh Imatorbhebhe committed to USC in May and is the No. 21 rated senior in the state. Other top receiving prospects like UGA-commit Darion Anderson of Houston County will challenge a deep lineup of highly-recruited defensive backs participating in this year's tournament.
Peachtree Ridge brings four-star cornerback Chad Clay (UGA-commit) and the No. 1-ranked Class of 2017 prospect in the state in cornerback Deangelo Gibbs. Archer will also have safety Isaiah Pryor, the No. 6 ranked Class of 2017 prospect in the state.
For the past 23 years, teams have used the unparalleled experience gained while competing on the massive stage of the Corky Kell to achieve greatness during the remaining season and the second Corky Kell 7-on-7 tournament aims to give its 25 participating teams these same experiences and opportunities as the much-anticipated 2015 football season quickly approaches.