CARLSBAD — La Costa Canyon High School Mavericks football team were the victors at the Red Bull Game Breakers San Diego Qualifier held in East County June 12.
The Red Bull Game Breakers tournament is a competitive 7-on-7 high school football action, featuring the best young talent in the country. The 7-on-7 tournament, consists of 10 regional qualifiers (New Orleans, Houston, Austin/San Antonio, Tulsa, Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, Fort Worth, Birmingham and San Diego), 174 football teams, 3,100 high school athletes, and one all-star studded final in Dallas July 11 through July 13 at Jesuit College Preparatory School.
The top two teams, La Costa Canyon High School and Helix High School, from the San Diego qualifier are now invited to compete in the Red Bull Game Breakers Finals at Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas, “to prove who really is a shot-caller, play-maker and game-breaker.”
Eight San Diego County teams competed with La Costa Canyon High School beating Helix High School. In the semi-finals, La Costa Canyon High School first lost to Helix. Then in the Losers bracket, La Costa Canyon beat Vista and came back in the finals to beat Helix High School twice in the championship.
In the finals, the game went into Sudden Death as Helix High School scored on the fourth down to be able to go for the extra point. Helix choose to go for two points from the 15-yard line instead of one point from the 10-yard line, and Helix dropped the ball in the end zone to lose the game 5 to 6.
Voted La Costa Canyon High School’s Most Valuable Player, Jake Mann said, “The team won the championship today by getting open in the goal line and taking short stabs. Our team has great chemistry and we all know the routes perfectly. It was a team effort today and I am proud of where our team is today.”
Coach Ben Palmer said, “The team has been really hungry and our team motto this year is ‘Leave No Doubt’ and today we left No Doubt. Helix High School was the State Bowl Champion last year and they are the team to beat every year, but we came out today and left No Doubt. It was a great start to our season.”
