The 13th Annual Azalea Orthopedic 7-on-7 Tournament will be held on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. at Buckeye Stadium. Participants will get to try out the stadium’s new FieldTurf, installed last month. And football-starved fans will get to see some of East Texas’ best players at the skill positions while counting down to the beginning of a new season in August.

Schools entered as of Tuesday included Gilmer, Sulphur Springs, Whitehouse, Daingerfield, Grace, Brook Hill, Tyler Lee, Quitman, Lindale, Mount Pleasant and Rockwall.

Rebel Jackson, who coaches the Gilmer Buckeyes in 7-on-7 competitions, sent the following tournament invitation to participating teams:

“I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to participate in the 13th Annual Azalea Orthopedic 7-on-7 Tournament on May 19 at Buckeye Stadium. There is a varsity, JV, current 8th, and current 9th grade division. The registration fee will be $15 per player/participant. All fees are due at the time of registration. Registration will begin at 7:30 in the field house. Each team is guaranteed three games and each player on championship teams will receive a t-shirt. You can get a copy of the rules at: www.texasfootball.com

“The tournament will also include a Lineman’s Challenge. The challenge will consist of two divisions:

Div. I – Students entering grades 11 & 12

Div. II- Students entering grades 9 & 10

The events will include:

Bench press for reps (D1 –195, D2-155)

Hang clean for reps (D1 – 155, D2 – 135)

Obstacle Course

QB Sack

"The entry fee for the lineman’s challenge is $10.00. First place medals will be awarded in each division. Registration will be in the varsity weight room from 7:30 – 8:30 on Saturday morning."

The Buckeyes traveled to Sulphur Springs Tuesday evening to play against the Wildcats in 7-on-7. See report here.

The night before the tournament here, the 2012 Gilmer Athletic Banquet will be held (Friday night, May 18, at 6 p.m. at the Gilmer Civic Center).