High school juniors commit to new workouts — 7-on-7 style

Farmington Hills— Latham Donald sprints through his passing drills as the sleet hits his face on a cold spring afternoon.

It's spring in Michigan, and yes, football is being played.

But it's not your typical spring football practice, like the ones taking place in Ann Arbor (Michigan) or East Lansing (Michigan State).

It's high school football, and it's 7-on-7 football.

"It's game time," said Donald, an all-conference running back at St. Clair Shores Lakeview. "I haven't received any (scholarship) offers. I'm definitely excited to be here. I want to see where I stack up. I'll gain experience competing. At the next level everybody is great. I want a head start."

In its infancy in Michigan, 7-on-7 football has been all the rage in the South, where football is king on states like Florida, Alabama and Texas.

The sport is for underclassmen — most are juniors who are entering their senior season in the fall.

"You hear so much about kids down South," said Mill Coleman, who along with Ron Rice has organized the two Michigan Elite 7-on-7 teams. "They look the same. Ron and I talk about it all the time. We want the kids to compete against kids from around the country."  (read more)