Cyclones impress at 7-on-7 tournament

The Eastern View football team was a member of the Battlefield District in name only last year.

That’s all going to change with the coming of the 2009 season, and head coach Greg Hatfield knows it isn’t going to be an easy transition.

“Football in the Battlefield has been good for years,” Hatfield said. “I think it’s one of the best AA districts in the state.”

Eastern View burst onto the scene with a 12-4 record in Hatfield’s first season but — while the Cyclones did face tough teams like Madison, Louisa and Martinsburg High School (W.Va.) — Caroline was the only Battlefield team they played.

The Battlefield boasts perennial powerhouses like Courtland and Chancellor, and James Monroe is coming off a state title in 2008.

That’s one reason Hatfield said it was so important to get his team on the field in Saturday’s 7-on-7 passing tournament — which pitted the Cyclones against several Group-AAA schools and one district foe in Spotsylvania.

“It (Battlefield District) has tough, physical football,” the former coach at Central and Fauquier high schools said. “You know you’re going to see solid defense and explosive athletes every week. We’re going to be young so we’ve got to be ready.”

The Cyclones faced seven of the 12 teams that made the trek to Eastern View Saturday morning, including Group-AAA schools Riverbend, North Stafford, Stafford and Brooke Point.

EVHS also faced Rappahannock and Monticello and finished the day lining up against the Spotsylvania Knights.

Even though no official scores or stats were kept, Hatfield said his squad performed admirably against tough competition.

“We did really well,” he said. “We were down a couple games and ended up coming back. It was nice showing the team that if we do what we need to do, we can compete with those guys (AAA teams).”

The 7-on-7 drill is really designed for quarterbacks and wide receivers, but they weren’t the only ones braving the heat to put in work Saturday.

“It’s real nice to be back out here on the football field,” said Bilial Williams, a rising junior linebacker at EVHS.

“This is a good opportunity for us to show our stuff because a lot of people don’t think we can compete in the Battlefield.”

Wide receiver Matt Case showed off his speed with a nice catch over the middle in the Cyclones’ final game and Connor Settle put his hands on display with a nice short touchdown catch in the same contest.

But the Eastern View fans who lined the sidelines in lawn chairs were probably more focused on the young men taking snaps from under center.

Junior Cody Jenkins and sophomore Simon Pendleton seem to be the frontrunners to replace graduated Cody Whitlock as the Cyclones quarterback, and both got equal playing time Saturday.

“They both looked good today,” Hatfield said of his duo of signal callers. “They have a really good competitive relationship. They push each other but they also help each other.”

Jenkins showed off a strong arm — hooking up with Verdel Ivory on a 20-yard touchdown pass against Spotsy — while Pendleton showed nice patience in pocket, waiting for coverages to unfold and receivers to come open underneath.

Hatfield said neither player really distanced himself from the other Saturday, and he was quick to point out that quarterback isn’t the only hotly contested position.

“The quarterback battle is the one most people are going to look at,” he said. “But we have a team full of competitors and spots are up for grabs all over the field. Heck, we have at least 10 wide receivers right now.”

The Cyclones got a taste of success last year and Hatfield said his team in hungry for more.

While EVHS only faced the Cavaliers last season, the team will end this one with seven straight Battlefield District contests.

Williams isn’t worried, though.

“We just have to come out with energy,” he said. “We just have to have confidence when we step on the field and compete.”