PROVEN COMMODITY: Last weekend's 7-on-7 championship was an opportunity "to prove that I could play quarterback with any receiver," said Dunbar's Jonathan Perry, who threw eight scoring passes in six games.
(See videos below of previous highlights of players in action-- Tavon Austin, Jonathan Perry, Michael Campanaro, Malek Redd, Leon Kinnard)
River Hill's
running back-defensive back Michael Campanaro, Dunbar running
back-defensive back Tavon Austin, and Loyola's quarterback Leon Kinnard led a group of mostly Maryland-based players to the overall team title in the Scout.com's New Level North East 7-on-7 Passing Tournament at the University of Akron, Ohio, over the course of this past Saturday and Sunday.
"This was just about some of the best players in Maryland getting together and going up against some of the best players from around the East Coast," said Campanaro, who led River Hill to a 14-0 record and the Class 2A state title last fall.
The Maryland-based team went 5-1, emerging from pool play to defeat Pennsylvania's team, 14-12, in the championship game.
"It was fun to show that guys from different divisions could all come together and work together to win a championship," said Campanaro, who caught a team-high eight touchdowns. "This felt like we were an all-star team. Everyone on the same level, just flying around and having fun."
The team, coached by River Hill assistant Attillio Campanaro, Michael's father, and Thomas Johnson assistant Darrick Scott, who is D.J. Scott's father, also featured among its team members, River Hill's Malek Redd and Leron Eaddy, as well as Austin's Dunbar teammate Jonathan Perry.
"I think every one looked at us as the underdogs, but we really liked it. We didn't talk or say one word, we just played our game," said Austin, who caught four touchdown passes of 8, 15, 30 and 38 yards.
"All of us came together as one, and it seemed like they didn't know what to do with us," said Austin, who has 92 career touchdowns for Dunbar, which he led to its second straight Class 1A state title with a 14-0 record.
"At the beginning of the game, Mike [Campanaro] would get them, and at the end of the game, I'd hit him," Austin said. "Then, it would be vice-versa. Jonathan and Leon were great quarterbacks. I never thought all of us could be on one team. We opened a lot of eyes to the talent that's in Maryland."
In the victory over Virginia, Austin's 30-yard scoring catch was the Maryland's team's second of the game. Austin turned a simple, 10-yard pass from Perry into an electifying 30-yarder during which he eluded several wood-be players in the two-hand touch event.
Following the play, Austin was mobbed by teammates in the endzone, said Attilio Campanaro.
"This was about exposure, and I just wanted to expose myself and to prove that I could play quarterback with any receiver, whether or not I had played with them before -- that was my motivation," said Perry, who, like Kinnard, threw eight scoring passes over the course of the event.
"At Dunbar, I had [Dunbar receiver] Sean Farr, and people always said that I just threw the ball up in the air and let him go and catch it," Perry said. "I feel like my footwork has gotten better. I've been in the weight room, and my arm has gotten stronger, and I was making some throws that I didn't realize I could make."
In addition, D.J. Scott and Nickolas Forbes of Thomas Johnson of Frederick County; Alex Lemon of Arundel of Anne Arundel County; Austin Lewis of Severna Park of Anne Arundel County; E.J. Scott of Good Counsel of Montgomery; and Jeremy Grove of Urbana High of Frederick County played in the contest.
Lemon, who led Arundel to a runner-up finish in the Class 4A state title game, caught a 10-yard pass from Perry, and another 10-yard pass from Kinnard.
"There were some top-of-the line D-backs out here, so it was a lot tougher than playing at home because of all of the different areas they were from," said Kinnard, who is 19-2 as a starter at Loyola, which he has quarterbacked to consecutive Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference titles.
"Tavon is a great athlete, who is real quick," said Kinnard. "He could basically shake the whole team. I was able to dump it off to him whenever I coudn't find someone else downfield."
Anthony Young-Wiseman of Walt Whitman of Montgomery County; Courtney Bridget of Calvert Hall in Towson; and Deon Long of Dunbar of Washington, D.C. were also members of the team comprised mostly of Maryland players.
E.J. Scott, D.J. Scott, Eaddy and Bridget keyed the defense, which was critical during a 28-0 shutout of Virginia, the team Attilio Campanaro said "was the favorite to win the tournament."
Virginia, Attilio Campanaro said, had "The No. 1 receiver recruit in Logan Hiestie," who has commited to play for West Virginia, as well as Taja Boyd, who is considered a top five quarterback recruit nationally and who also is committed to play for West Virginia.
"In all honesty, it seemed like we had the fastest team up here, and that the other teams really couldn't keep up with our speed," said Dunbar assistant football coach Travis Blackston, who accompanied Austin and Perry on the trip.
"Mike Campanaro did a good job, and I don't think he dropped a pass all day," said Blackston, who is Dunbar's offensive coordinator. "Jonathan threw the ball real well. He had a lot of zip on the ball. His arm looked really strong, and i think he opened a lot of people's eyes. The defense, with Leron Eaddy playing safety, to get two shutouts is really hard to do in 7-on-7 passing leagues."
Pool Play
Maryland 24, New England
12
Mike Campanaro 45 yard pass from Leon Kinnard
Tavaon Austin 15 yard pass from Jonathan Perry
Deon Long 45 yard pass from Perry
Malek Redd 20 yard pass from Kinnard
Ohio No. 1 20, Maryland 14
Campanaro 24 yard pass from Kinnard
Austin 8 yard pass from Kinnard
Maryland 8
Ohio(2) 6
Campanaro 38 yard pass from Perry
Bracket Play
Maryland 28 Virginia 0
Campanaro 45 Yard deep score first play from Kinnard
Austin short dump off pass from Perry (10-yard pass, Austin eluded a crowd over 30 yards to score)
Campanro 25 Yard Strike from Kinnard
Alec Lemon 10 yard pass from Perry
Maryland 20 Illinios 18
Campanaro 28 Yard Pass from Perry
Austin 38 Yard from Kinnard
Campanaro 8 Yard from Perry
Championship Game
Maryland 14
Pennsylvania 12
Campanaro 30 yard pass from Perry
Lemon 10 yard pass from Kinnard