Amarillo High ready for first trip to 7-on-7 state tournament

Amarillo High is making their first-ever trip to the 7-on-7 State Football Tournament this weekend with a talented group of skill players that qualified for the Division I bracket in Lubbock on May 28.

"I think it's a special opportunity," Amarillo High coach Chad Dunnam said. "Every year's a new year and we've certainly tried before at state qualifying tournaments to qualify before, but have fallen short. We found a way to qualify and we feel blessed with this opportunity and we're going to use it to try to improve our team."

Sandies coach Chad Dunnam sees 7-on-7 as an opportunity for his team to get together in a competitive environment during the summer months.

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The team is player-led and player-driven instead of coaches calling plays. It puts a strong emphasis on the quarterback to not only call plays, but make the right decisions in the pocket as well.

"It helps us with communication, it helps us with leadership and it helps us in creating that chemistry between our skill players," Dunnam said. "We feel like 7-on-7 is beneficial for us."

One of those skill players leading the way for the Sandies is rising senior wide receiver Jameson Garcia.

Garcia has totaled 88 catches for 1,541 yards and 25 touchdowns over the past two seasons. He has recently reeled in offers to play at Arkansas State, New Mexico State, Texas State, Tulsa, and UTSA.

Following an impressive track season where he turned in some blazing times, Garcia returns for his final season with the Sandies this fall and has been turning heads during 7-on-7 play this summer by putting his hands on display.

"Jameson is really driven right now," Dunnam said. "He has been a focused football player for a long time and being able to see his maturity and the way he's developed as a leader is great. Watching him coach up our younger kids right now during 7-on-7 has been big for us this summer."

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Dunnam has two quarterbacks vying for the upper hand on the starting job this fall in senior Mason Graham and junior Will Flaming.

The Sandies coach mentioned that Graham is a high-character kid that is well-respected by his teammates and has stepped in as a strong leader. Meanwhile, Dunnam has been pleased with the progress that Flaming has shown in his development.

"Right now, we have two quarterbacks that we feel are really good," Dunnam said. "We like what they're doing for our team and the leadership that we're seeing. With them calling the plays, they're also starting to figure out which plays work against certain coverages."

The group is excited for the chance to play against other top teams from around the state and see how they stack up.

"We're happy to get some exposure outside of the Panhandle and see how we size up against some kids from down south," Dunnam said.

Amarillo High Sandies pool play

Friday’s games (All games at Veterans Park, College Station)

Amarillo High vs. College Station, 1:45 p.m.

Amarillo High vs. Coppell, 3:15 p.m.

Amarillo High vs. Houston Lamar, 4:45 p.m.

Bracket play Saturday, TBA

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Texas 7-on-7 state tournament: Amarillo High makes first appearance