Fall feel to 7-on-7 event at Western

COLLINS — Cooler weather, food, and an early taste of football. What's not to like? The Western Reserve football team hosted its eighth annual Weisenberger & Pickett 7-on-7 showcase on July 23 at Bachelder Field. Two Dogs Cafe had a food truck on hand throughout the event, which featured seven teams, while the athletic boosters also sold drinks at the concession stand. "I thought it was another very good night, and the weather was perfect, which we've been fortunate now for a few years with that," Western Reserve head coach Ty Stevenson said. "I'm happy our community could show off our facilities. "We got a lot of business with the food truck that was here, and they were still making orders after the scrimmage was over, so good for them and for everyone who came." Five passing scrimmages went on simultaneously in four different locations, including two on the main game field. The 25-minute games saw teams start at the opponents' 40-yard line with four downs to reach the 20 for a first down. Quarterbacks had four seconds to throw the football, and defenders were one-hand touch below the neck. Along with the host Roughriders, Black River, New London, Galion Northmor, Tucscarawas Central Catholic, Vermilion, and Willard participated in the action. "Our kids competed tonight against some good teams, and it was good to see some old friends and coaches as well," Stevenson said. "But our kids did a nice job of competing, and we've had some good summer activities, so hopefully we can roll this into August when it gets real. "We lost a lot of guys from last year, so we have to be ready to go." Western finished 9-3 overall last season with a Division VI playoff win at Bluffton. Stevenson's team will have four camp days from July 27-30, then start the first official practice of the season on Aug. 1. The 'Riders again have an early scrimmage when they host Firelands and Northmor at 6 p.m. on Aug. 4. "We like that and thought it would be to our advantage instead of another full week of two-a-days after an already busy summer," Stevenson said. With so many new faces, timing and route recognition were big keys for Western with all the passing scrimmages. "We graduated all four receivers, so there is a lot of work to be done there," he said. "And three of those four were starters on defense, so we only have one back in the secondary. "So it's good for those guys to see routes and how those things unfold. Those are really the main things, other than competing against someone in a different jersey." Western will also scrimmage at 6 p.m. Aug. 13 at Keystone before opening the regular season at home against Wellington on Aug. 21. WILLARD First-year Willard head coach Eli Fisher again got his team more exposure with the passing scrimmages. The Crimson Flashes are coming off a 2-8 season in 2025. The 2022 St. Paul graduate says the incremental daily progress continued on Thursday. "We got five in tonight, and it was good," Fisher said. "We continue to make progress, and our kids continue to take coaching. We have emphasized to the guys that we don't need to be ready for the first game right now. "We have time, so right now is about trying to put pieces together and get better every day between now and Week 1," he added. "But the kids are taking it in stride, and it's been good." Fisher, who is expecting a roster in the high 30s this season, said the team will have conditioning days before the first official practice on Aug. 1. "We probably won't touch a football and get after them a little bit, then get going in August," he said. "We feel like we're in a good spot so far." Willard makes the short trip to New London at 7 p.m. Aug. 7 for its first scrimmage. The Crimson Flashes have a 6 p.m. scrimmage on Aug. 14 against Ridgedale before hosting South Central in the season opener at Terry King Stadium. NEW LONDON The Wildcats are looking for a better finish in 2026 after a 2-1 start last season ended with a 3-7 mark. Head coach Jon Harrison said New London will have about 31 players out for the team. "We're getting a solid 28 at all of our summer activities, so it's been a good number in that regard," Harrison said. "We're heavy at the skilled positions, and we have some up-and-coming linemen who are going to be working their way through the program." Harrison said he enjoys the yearly event at Western because of the amount of competition his team faces. "We had a lot of kids get a lot of reps against other schools," he said. "All these teams here are well-coached, and we see a lot of different things, so that's the best part about coming here each year." The coach also believes he has a group of kids that want to compete in everything. "And that was the biggest thing I saw tonight," Harrison said. "We were attacking things instead of letting them come." New London has a combined practice with Buckeye Central on July 30 ahead of the official start of practices. After the Willard scrimmage, the Wildcats then head to Buckeye Central at 7 p.m. Aug. 14 before opening the regular season with an hour-plus trip to Woodmore. "We're excited with this group of kids, and the way we are doing this offseason is going to help out," Harrison said. "I really think that will show this year."