By Thomas Jones, Sports Editor

Based on the records of past 7-on-7 champions, expect 2009 trophy holder Stony Point to contend for a Class 5A state title this season.

Or not.

Such ambiguity goes hand-in-hand with the ever-growing 7-on-7 state football tournament that concluded last week in College Station. Stony Point, a talented team that dots preseason polls, beat Cy Fair 33-31 and drew gushing praise from the hundreds of football fans and media members desperate for a taste of pigskin. It’s no coincidence that Rivals.com, the nation’s largest recruiting news service, hosts 7-on-7’s official Web site.  

Keep in mind, of course, that 7-on-7 offers glorified touch football. There are no big uglies dishing dirt in the trenches. There are no fullbacks, no pads, no sinus-clearing smacks upside the head that can remind many gifted athletes why they just run track.

In other words, it’s not really football.

But some darn real football teams have succeeded in 7-on-7. Celina and Tyler Lee won 7-on-7 titles in 2000 and 2004, respectively. Each won a state championship in December that same year. Of the 22 teams that have reached the top-division title game since 7-on-7 officially began in 1998, 15 qualified for the playoffs in the same season.

Of course, that achievement doesn’t carry the weight of years past, considering that almost half the high school football teams in Texas reach the playoffs.

On the flip side, five 7-on-7 finalists failed to qualify for the postseason in the same year. Last year’s finalists – Richland and Mesquite – went a combined 0-1 in the 2008 Class 5A playoffs.

What does all this mean for Westlake, which made a rare foray into 7-on-7 this summer but failed to advance past the qualifying round? 

Check back in December for the answer.