On to state; Yoemen breeze through Burnet SQT

On Saturday, the Cameron Yoemen competed in their third 7-on-7 state qualifying tournament of the year. The third time proved to be the charm as Cameron went a perfect 4-0, qualifying for the state tournament later this month.

The Yoemen were not initially included in the original group of teams, but a late drop out by Hearne on Friday left Burnet tournament directors scrambling to find a replacement. Cameron was there to fill that void, and the late entry ended up paying off.

“What I'm maybe most proud of is the kids in the last minute,” said Brashear. “I called them last night and said we just got into this tournament and can you be here. It was overwhelming with a bunch of them saying yes, let’s go. That is real good to see when your kids want to compete and go play. I am proud of them for that.”

Cameron managed to go a perfect 3-0 in pool play, taking down Mason (27-0), Bandera (39-18) and Gatesville (34-21). Gatesville had qualified the week before in their own tournament.

Cameron drew Academy in the semifinals. The Bees had upset host Burnet, a traditional 7-on-7 power, to advance to the qualifying round.

Cameron left no doubt, building a 33-7 halftime lead before cruising to the 46-20 final. This now marks the eighth time Cameron has advanced to the state tournament since the 2009 season. The only absence was in 2014.

“These kids want to go because it is a good atmosphere and good experience,” said Brashear. “The biggest thing is they are getting more and more reps. It took three times for us to get there this year, but in the big scheme of things, that is probably good for us because we got more reps.”

The Yoe offense once again saw the Zack Andress to Iverson Westbrook and KeAndrew Moore connections pay dividends the entire day, with 10 total touchdowns between the trio. It’s a good sign for a Yoe offense that likes to spread the ball around the field at all times.

“We have multiple weapons and we can throw it all around the field,” said Andress. “We have had some people step us this year that were not here last year.”

Westbrook caught the first TD pass of the day from Andress, and ended with a total of six, including one interception return for a score.

“It's a special feeling being out here with all of your teammates,” said Westbrook. “Overall, we played as a team and we won as a team and that is what matters at the end of the day.”

Moore also had a big day with 5 TD receptions. The soon-to-be senior knows he will have a bigger role in this year’s offense.

“I am trying to step up as a younger guy and be a target around the field so we can spread out the defense,” said Moore. “Knowing that I'm a starter and going to state, if feels good.”

Defensively, Cameron stepped up their game this week, not giving up a touchdown until game two. Yoe linebacker Garrett Roeder knows that these experiences will only make them better once the games start to matter in the fall.

“The big deal is communicating all of our coverage and learning the advantages that the offense has and overcoming those,” said Roeder. “I know when he texted us yesterday, everyone wanted to be here. We love coming out here and competing and football is our life.”

Levi May, which is one of four players returning in the Yoe secondary, says each game is beneficial to that unit. “It helps us work on our coverage's,” said May. “We get good work out of it because we cannot press them and it helps develop your skills.”

This year’s state tournament is back in College Station at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex. The Yoemen will compete in pool play on Thursday, June 29 with bracket play scheduled for Friday.

Locally, China Spring, Gatesville, Giddings, Lorena, Lexington and West have already qualified for the tournament. State tournament pools will be released a week before the event.