MEXIA, Texas (KXXV) — Mexia football is getting ready for the fall by taking part in SMU's seven-on-seven tournament.
"We got to just get better and compete and get ready for the season and just build a bond with our teammates," senior Steven Mius said.
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"It's a good tool for kids to to compete and get better, you know, both sides of the ball, just another way to get reps and, you know, the real season kicks off August 4," head coach Aaron Nowell said.
It's a packed house in the tournament as the Blackcats face tough competition in Dallas, like High School powerhouse Highland Park.
"We get to see one of the best teams in 5A compete with them, improve, and we compete with anybody around here," Mius said.
"It's a pretty neat deal because we'll play anywhere from, 6A teams to 2A teams. This is kind of a hodgepodge. SMU, started it last year, and we decided to go back this year," Nowell said.
Playing in the seven-on-seven tournament is to help the team improve, and Mexia is looking to make the most of its experience.
Updated Times for the SMU 7v7 Tournament tomorrow in Dallas! #WEKAT #BeTheStandard pic.twitter.com/IcegKzzx7s
— Mexia Blackcats (@Mexia_Athletics) June 12, 2025
"To an extent, you know, it's still t-shirt Olympics a little bit, right? It's not real football. You know, we don't do anything 7-on-7 like as far as our offense or our defense, we're gonna go run what we run. I think when you take that mindset to it and that approach, that it's a good tool for kids and for teams," said Nowell.
The tournament is scheduled for Friday, and other teams competing are Rouse, Sanger, and Hawkins.
