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Having been at Boyle County last Thursday and planning a visit to Ironton, Ohio, this Thursday, the George Rogers Clark Cardinals football team has stayed busy through the summer.

With the regular season opener just one month away, they showed no signs of slowing down over the weekend.

With nineteen varsity and sixteen junior varsity teams present for a 7-on-7 competition and fifteen teams appearing for a Big Man Challenge, Cardinal Stadium hosted the Battle on Boonesboro on Saturday morning and afternoon.

“Coach [Jordan] Ray did a fabulous job of putting this event together,” said GRC Head Football Coach Joe Chirico. “It’s exciting to see this many teams in our facility.”

The Cards, returning from a 7-4 season, hosted teams from throughout the state and Ohio.

Among them was defending 6A state champion Bullitt East High School out of Mount Washington.

“We heard some positive feedback about this tournament specifically, and just thought, Wwe want our kids to come here and get some good work in’,” said Bullit East head coach Keegan Kendrick. “[We’re] just trying to be here and help our kids get better.”

In addition to the host GRC Cardinals and Bullitt East Chargers, other schools competed, including Louisville Central, Southwestern, Nelson County, Bryan Station, Western Hills, Simon Kenton, Berea, Hazard, West Jessamine, and Anderson High School of Cincinnati.

Multiple fields, including the school’s softball field, accommodated the many teams participating in 7-on-7.

During 7-on-7, quarterbacks and receivers – sometimes running backs playing the position – work on passing and route running.

Although there is no tackling, defensive backs and linebackers try to prevent pass completions.

Each team has four downs to travel 25 yards to the endzone.

Afterward, the other team’s offense has an opportunity to try scoring.

Junior running back Kalen “Jaws” Washington spoke of the offense.

“We’re about sixty percent run [and] forty percent passing, but I think this year we’ll pass the ball a lot more,” Washington said. “We’ve got a couple new [routes].”

Senior linebacker Hayden Heath spoke as well.

“We’re just going out and competing [and] trying to get better and better each day”, he said.

Ryle High School from Union took home the prize as 7-on-7 winner.

Linemen from various schools partook in competition in another area of the complex.

Specifically, the Big Man Challenge event featured athletes from different teams in competitions such as the sled push, bench press and Farmer’s Carry.

The top six teams faced each other in the sprint bike workout.

Not only were the Cards a competitor, but the offensive and defensive line showed strength and skill by finishing in first place.

Senior offensive guard Brian Crawford, who has switched after playing tackle last season, explained.

“I just love the competition and how much hype there is,” Crawford said. “We’re like brothers at this point.”

With just weeks remaining before the Cards’ home and season opener on Friday, August 18 at 8:00 p.m. against Central Hardin,  Chirico continually uses such opportunities to look for player development.

“It’s just to get good competition against some of the best around,” he said.