Sports
Land O’ Lakes Gators Dig Deep into USF Sling and Shoot
The Gators surprised a lot of people by going deep into the 52-team, 7-on-7 competition.
The Gators are big. They’re not necessarily known for being fast. Seven-on-7s are all about being fast. Still, somehow Land O’ Lakes managed to do very well, in its own eccentric way.
Only the Land O’Lakes Gators would show up to the University of South Florida's Sling and Shoot in traditional football uniforms. They must have been stiflingly hot, as opposed to the under armor, sweat-wicking shirts that are all the rage in competition. No, the Gators showed up in their pickup trucks with their cowboy and boonie hats all geared up.
They opened up hot by beating Chamberlain and . Then they lost to Admiral Farragut, and got them on an Antonio Crawford pass deflection that would have likely been a touchdown to Kent Taylor and a win.
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The Gators came back and beat Sebring and Westwood, then split their last two group games to make their record 5-3.
They then beat Cavalry Christian to reach the round of 16, where they lost a tough one to Countryside.
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Countryside has a lot of size at receiver and Land O’ Lakes matched up pretty well.
The Gators will be very strong at tight end this year. Seniors Kent Taylor and Jackson Canon could be a professional wrestling tag team.
Taylor is no stranger to the tight end spot and he presents a tower of a target, while Canon also plays middle linebacker, so fatigue will probably keep him from being a full-time tight end opposite Taylor but it looks nasty when they line up.
Maybe most importantly, it gave first-year starting quarterback Ryan Bird valuable experience.
“We had four starters that didn’t play today. I think it helps us not have to focus on certain guys,” said Bird. “It’s more like anybody can get the job done.”
“This was a great opportunity for us to get better with our team,” said head coach Brian Wachtel. “Those type of reps, you can’t simulate in practice.”
Bird had ample opportunities to work with his whole depth chart of receivers and in a competitive setting.
“It helped me learn our plays, helped me develop accuracy and test my arm strength,” said Bird.