Myrtle Beach uses prestigious passing league to prep for season

If one listens closely enough, the faint sound of a football coach’s whistle breaks the silence of a humid July morning, officially marking the start of summer drills.

Less than two weeks remain before high school practice fields around the Palmetto State are again bustling with activity, coaches and players beginning their quest toward what they hope is a state title.

But if you ask them, the process of building toward next football season has long been in the works. For the past several months, players have engaged in more than their share of weight room sessions and camps, and – for programs located along the Grand Strand – the opportunity to utilize the beach as a means of preparing athletes for the grind to come.

However, Myrtle Beach head football coach Mickey Wilson believes few things helps prepare teams for game-type situations like summer 7-on-7 passing leagues. And oddly, his team was granted a berth in one of the most renowned 7-on-7 passing league tournaments in the Southeast, if not the nation.

The Seahawks were one of 20 teams invited to this past weekend’s Palmetto State Showdown 7-on-7 tournament in Duncan. Hosted annually by Byrnes High School, it has become an event highly sought after by programs regionally, hoping the enhanced competition and valuable reps serve as a springboard into the upcoming season.

“This is one of the most best tournaments around the country,” Wilson said. “We’ve been coming for about six years now, and they do a tremendous job. It’s just a great opportunity to not only play against some of the top teams in the State of South Carolina, but also some of the best from around the country.

“We get better every time we come up here, and that’s what it’s all about: getting better for the fall and getting better for the upcoming season.”

In its nine years of existence, a who’s who of talents have taken part in the event. Among the most notable include former Byrnes High and University of South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore, and more recently current Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson.

According to the event’s lead organizer Tony McAbee, being a breeding ground for the stars of tomorrow has made luring potential participants rather easy.

“We’ve been able to meet a lot of folks, gain a lot of friends, and just build relationships with coaches,” he said. “This tournament is unique in that you’ve had Marcus Lattimore play here, Nick Jones, Chas Dodd, and the Heisman Trophy candidate we thought would win it last year in (Watson).

“… All these guys are just getting ready; these are the last few days of their summer. They get this last tweaking in for their skill players, so hopefully you take some of the good things they’ve done this summer and match it with what the linemen have done and you have a good year.”

Most certainly, expectations were high for home-standing Byrnes, in part due to its reputation for a prolific aerial attack. But it wasn’t only the Rebels showcasing their wares over the course of the weekend, as Boiling Springs, T.L. Hanna, Woodruff and Bergen Catholic (N.J.) fared well during the tournament.

Myrtle Beach finished with a 5-7 record at the Palmetto State Showdown 7-on-7 tournament, falling to Byrnes’ A-team in the second knockout round. In the end, however, Wilson emphasized to his team that none of the weekend’s results carry over to the next gridiron season.

What he does hope his players take with them from the Upstate, however, is a better indication of what coaches are asking them to do, along with having a better familiarity each other.

“We could care less (about passing league records). We’ve been in some tournaments and won them, and been in others and not performed well,” Wilson said. “The biggest thing with us is just getting better, whether it be every rep or every game we play.

“We talk a lot (at Myrtle Beach) about getting better for November and December, getting better in an effort to make a push for the playoffs. This is just a baby step in getting to the playoffs and getting to that championship level.”

OF NOTE

Conway also was busy this weekend, taking part in the Powerade 7-on-7 tournament in Charlotte, N.C. Following a 4-2-1 record in the first day of competition, the Tigers lost 2 of 3 games on Saturday, being eliminated from competition by North Carolina powerhouse Shelby.

This story was originally published July 16, 2016 at 7:59 PM with the headline "Myrtle Beach uses prestigious passing league to prep for season."