WACO, Texas — As the pandemic raged on during the summer of 2020, opportunities for student-athletes to compete were few and far between. So, Parkview Christian Head Coach Josh Hayes worked together with Vanguard Prep's Luke Pilant to form a makeshift 6-on-6 tournament in Waco.
One year later, the tournament returned with more teams taking part.
"It's just good to get out and compete. It's good to get out against other teams," Hayes said. "It's good to get out against teams we'll see in the season, and it's just fun."
The tournament is targeted toward programs which play 6-on-6 football during the fall season.
13 schools took part in the 2021 edition.
"We don't have a 7-on-7 like the big schools," Hayes said. "So this gives us a chance to see what we've got as far as receiving and throwing and all that stuff and have a better understanding of where we need to place players."
The tournament lasted two days. Friday, the teams played six games apiece as part of pool play. Saturday featured a single-elimination tournament.
"It's been a lot more relaxed the last two days," Hayes said. "It's been a lot of fun. The kids have played really good football the last few days. And not worrying so much about COVID has made it a lot less stress on the event."
In the end, Faith Academy from Marble Falls finished as tournament champions, beating Three Way in the title game.
