ROYAL PALM BEACH – Two teams from Palm Beach County and one from Broward County – Atlantic Northeast and Palm Beach Gardens – have accepted invitations to fill out the field in the seventh annual Heath Evans Foundation 7-on-7 Championship on Saturday, June 9th.
The invitation-only tournament, which traditionally features many of the top programs in the state, will be held at The King’s Academy, Evans’ alma mater.
The trio will join 13 other teams, including reigning Class 8A champion Tampa Plant and Class 8A runner-up Miramar, who had previously accepted invitations to participate in one of the premier summer 7-on-7 tournaments in the country.
The Heath Evans Foundation 7-on-7 Championship, presented by Hulett Environmental, provides a glimpse at almost 100 major college prospects.
The talented field includes several teams who advanced deep into the 2011 FHSAA playoffs, including Dwyer, a Class 7A semifinalist; Miami Central, the Class 6A finalist, and Miami Booker T. Washington, the Class 4A finalist.
Also playing will be first-time participant Tampa Wharton as well as Cypress Bay, McArthur, Vero Beach, Miami Carol City, Ely, Chaminade-Madonna and host King’s Academy.
Teams will be split into divisions and play a round-robin format beginning at 9 a.m. After a lunch break, there will be single-elimination competition in the afternoon with the semifinals set for 3 p.m. and the championship game scheduled for 4 p.m.
In addition to the skill players, high school linemen will have their own competition.
The Chick-Fil-A Lineman’s Challenge features a series of events, including a combine-style bench press, an agility challenge course and head-to-head tire flip over a 30-yard course. An individual champion will be crowned as well as an overall team champion. Last year there was the Fastest Man Challenge, a 40-yard dash featuring one representative from each team.
The Heath Evans Foundation 7-on-7 Championship, presented by Hulett Environmental, is open to the public. Tickets are $5 person and available at the gate. The King’s Academy is located at 8401 Belvedere Road, approximately one mile east of 441.
Proceeds from this tournament will benefit the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Heath Evans Foundation, which is dedicated to fostering hope and healing in the lives of children and families affected by sexual abuse. It is committed to breaking the cycle of abuse through healing the psychological, physical, and spiritual wounds inflicted on innocent children.
One in four girls and one in six boys before the age of 18 are sexually abused, according to national statistics.
“We want this to be a showcase event for the players but also to bring awareness to the epidemic of childhood sexual abuse,” said Evans, who played 10 years in the NFL as a fullback for the Saints, Patriots, Dolphins and Seahawks and is currently an analyst on the NFL Network.
For more information, visit www.HeathEvans.org.
