The Texas Panhandle will be well represented at the 25th annual 7-on-7 State Football Tournament which begins on Thursday at Veterans Park in College Station.

Dumas, Childress and newcomer, Sunray, make up the Amarillo-area that compete across three divisions of 128 total teams.

All three teams will compete in pool play on Thursday, and then move to a championship one-game elimination bracket on Friday.

The Demons are certainly no strangers to College Station as Dumas makes its fourth straight trip to the state tournament. The Demons fell in the Division II quarterfinals last year but did advance into the semifinals in 2021.

“We’ve really embraced 7-on-7,” Dumas head football coach Aaron Dunnam said. “We love that it gives our guys a chance to compete and it’s an extension of our season. We use this as summer conditioning and use it going into August and we feel it makes us better.”

While Dumas is the only Division II school competing from the Texas Panhandle Childress and Sunray will show off their skills at the Division III level. Like the Demons, Childress is very familiar with the 7-on-7 State Football Tournament.

The Bobcats are making their third straight appearance in College Station and Amarillo-area best sixth overall showing in school history. Childress was the state runner-up of Division III in 2021.

“What I love is it gives us the summer to stay together and play together,” Childress head football coach Bo Helm said. “We run a lot of the same stuff we do during the season on both sides of the ball and I feel that gives us some advantage. I just want to see us go down there and compete and make it a fun trip. We all stay together, and it really helps team morale.”

New to the 7-on-7 State Football scene is the Sunray Bobcats. With a dangerous set of skill players returning including one of the state’s top passers in junior-to-be quarterback Armando Lujan (4,476 passing yards, 51 TDs in 2022), head coach Wes Boatmun knew this was a great time for his team to get their chance to compete at the state level.

“This is going to be a great experience for us,” Boatmun said. “Sunray has never participated in the 7-on-7 State Football Tournament. It really gives us a chance to work on our skill set and timing. It wasn’t easy to get there but we really look forward to it.”

Dunnam, Helm and Boatmun also appreciate the fact that their respective teams get to see competition from across the state. An opportunity that’s hard to get at the 11-man level.

“It’s always fun to go down there and see other programs,” Dunnam said. “I think seeing them in person it makes your program feel like you belong. These are athletes we never see and teams we don’t see, so we love this opportunity.”

Boatmun agreed.

“I think it gives us a chance to step up to a level playing field,” Boatmun said. “Getting to see different teams gives us a chance to relax and know we can compete with those across the state.”

Texas Panhandle 7-on-7 State Tournament Schedules

All games at Veterans Park, College Station 

Division II

Dumas Demons pool play 

Thursday’s games

Dumas vs. Anna, 1:45 p.m.

Dumas vs. Silsbee, 3:15 p.m.

Dumas vs. Goliad, 4:45 p.m.

Division III

Childress Bobcats pool play

Thursday’s games

Childress vs. Eastland, 1 p.m.

Childress vs. Groveton, 2:30 p.m.

Childress vs. Three Rivers, 4:45 p.m.

Sunray Bobcats pool play 

Thursday’s games

Sunray vs. Sonora, 1 p.m.

Sunray vs. Hawley, 2:30 p.m.

Sunray vs. Elkhart, 4:45 p.m.