Inside Arizona State's 7-on-7 high school football camp

As Chandler and American Leadership Academy Queen Creek kicked off their clash in the first round of pool play, two head coaches -- Arizona State's Herm Edwards and Northern Arizona's Chris Ball -- stood near the back line of the end zone.

A few feet to their right was Marvin Lewis, the NFL coaching veteran who serves as a Special Advisor to the Sun Devils' head coach.

They were far from the only college representatives in Tempe on Thursday for the Sun Devil Football Passing Academy and Big Man program.

"They're out here for a reason," Basha head coach Chris McDonald said. "They host these events for a reason. They want to get eyes on Arizona kids."

With 18 high school programs in attendance, coaches and assistants from universities including ASU and NAU spent multiple hours on the Kajikawa Football Practice Fields and inside the Verde Dickey Dome, watching as passing plays developed and linemen took part in agility and blocking drills.

The event, held for the first time in a few years, provided a different environment than some of the other seven-on-seven competitions that will take place at local high schools across the state this summer.

"The reason why we come to this one and the reason why we'll go to NAU next weekend -- and we don't really do a lot of the other ones where it's not at college campuses -- is because the stakes are higher for our players," Saguaro coach Jason Mohns said. "If they play well, they're going to have coaches evaluating them and have eyes on them."

Chandler is following a similar plan by attending tournaments at NAU, the University of Arizona and San Diego State in the coming weeks.

"I get our kids in front of college coaches," Wolves coach Rick Garretson said. "... That gives us four times of competing and getting a little better in the summertime and getting eyes on our kids."

Teams also used the showcase as an opportunity to prepare for the upcoming 2022 season.

In a matchup between Saguaro's No. 1 team and Boulder Creek, Mohns and his coaches paid close attention to the Sabercats' defensive formation, giving players feedback on how to stop certain matchups and personnel groupings.

Shouts of "Lock in" and "Communicate" were yelled on Field 7 right before the Jaguars' quarterback took the snap. Seconds later, Saguaro middle linebacker Trey Morrison deflected the pass, causing celebration and compliments from teammates including cornerback Cole Shivers.

Two plays later, quarterback Devon Dampier found his wide receiver for a touchdown.

"That's what good teams do," said Mohns, whose Sabercats squad won the Open Division title last season. "When you face adversity, the other side of the ball has to pick you up and if the other side of the ball picks you up, then the other side has to come back and make a play."

Related: Saguaro spring football shows recruiting is back on track, but portal makes navigating different

To Perry coach Joseph Ortiz, the camp represented another opportunity for his program to improve and embody this season's theme: "Day by Day."

In his first season with the Pumas after coaching at Cactus High School, Ortiz didn't put additional pressure on his team because college programs were in attendance. Rather, he wanted players to focus on showcasing their skills, which he believed could potentially help them get noticed by a coach.

Senior quarterback Jack Amer heeded this advice to help Perry advance to the passing academy's quarterfinals.

"It's definitely in the back of everyone's head (that) there's guys watching," Amer said. "But personally for me, we're just out here playing football. It's the same thing as being on a Friday night where 5,000 people are watching."

Read more: Arizona high school football 2023 recruiting tracker

Multiple players received ASU offers following the academy, including Basha quarterback Demond Williams Jr., Chandler wide receiver Jaxon Branch, Chandler defensive back Kennedy Urlacher and Basha wide receiver Mason Arhin.

Williams, who is taking visits to USC, Arizona, Alabama and Georgia later this month, displayed his abundant arm talent Thursday night, fitting throws into tight gaps and finding receivers deep downfield on various routes.

There to capture it all with a camera was Cole Martin, Basha's top cornerback who is committed to Oregon.

For subscribers: The Republic's high school football position rankings for fall 2022: Top 10 quarterbacks

Instead of playing deep in the secondary, Martin -- who is sidelined with a hamstring injury -- stood near the line of scrimmage to snapshots of his teammates.

"I love taking pictures," he said. "I started taking pictures probably two months ago and I've been doing it ever since."

But sometimes, his camera went out of focus and pointed towards the air. That's because when Basha made a big play, Martin sprinted down the field to celebrate.

He wasn't the only one to observe these moments, as college representatives including Sun Devils running backs coach Shaun Aguano stopped by the Bears' seven-on-seven matchups.

"It's all motivation," Martin said. "When your teammates already got their plan set, are already ready to go to the next level, it pushes everybody else to get to the same spot. The players love it. The coaches love it. It helps our team out tremendously."

Basha made a run all the way to the finals of the Passing Academy before falling to Chandler, led by five-star quarterback and Ohio State commit Dylan Raiola.

Read more: Behind QB Demond Williams Jr., Chandler Basha football ready to take next step as an elite program

Meanwhile, offensive and defensive lineman honed their skills inside the Verde Dickey Dome, ASU football's practice facility. They received guidance on blocking techniques, tested their speed during cone drills, and eventually, faced off one-on-one.

The top performers of the night were eventually selected for additional one-on-one matchups, with higher stakes. A loud crowd of coaches, players, and parents gathered in the middle of the dome's field to see if a defensive lineman could reach the pad representing the quarterback, or if the offensive lineman would stop him.

Caleb Wikoff was one of the linemen who took part in the circle. The Boulder Creek senior used a "dip and rip" technique to defeat a Saguaro player in the tackle position.

"It ups the tempo for sure," Wikoff said. "You want to raise your level if there's better coaches here."

Top 100: The Republic's best Arizona high school football recruits in 2024 class

Some of the coaches in attendance from ASU, NAU, and other programs may be visitors to multiple Arizona high schools during the fall. During those games and practices, they will potentially see lessons learned at the Sun Devils' seven-on-seven camp come to fruition.

"This is where the chemistry and bond begins," Chandler outside linebacker Dominic Hanger said. "Trusting each other, building relationships within each other. This all means something and works towards the first game."

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Inside Arizona State's 7-on-7 high school football camp