Worthing High School

COLLEGE STATION — As the ball spiraled through the air, Deshaun Laurent sped past a pair of unsuspecting Plano West defenders toward the front corner of the end zone.

 

Whether they misjudged the impressive speed of the diminutive senior receiver from Worthing or they thought quarterback Kyle McDonald had put too much on the ball, it was clear they were shocked by the events that unfolded — perfect pass, perfect catch — touchdown.

 

"I know if I throw it up there, he's going to either overrun it or catch it," said McDonald, who is entering his fourth season as the starting quarterback for Worthing. "Most of the time, it's on the money."

 

McDonald and the 5-5 Laurent connected several more times throughout the first day of the Fox Sports Southwest Division I state 7-on-7 tournament, and though a handful of highlights would be all the Colts could muster (they went 0-3 in pool play), they proved to be a capable bunch.

 

Class 4A Houston ISD teams in the state 7-on-7 tournament are a rarity. Several 5A schools from the district have made annual trips to College Station, but only one other HISD 4A squad — Yates in 2002 and 2004 — has had the privilege of playing in the state tournament.

 

'Hard work pays off'

 

This season was the first the Colts played in a state qualifying tournament. Worthing alum Terry Hayes, who spent six years as a teacher and assistant coach at Chavez but is now retired, approached football coach Brandon Ellis about getting the Colts together for 7-on-7 in an attempt to make it to state.

 

Ellis agreed, and Hayes became the team's coordinator. With the help of parents, the school's alumni association and a few others, the Colts raised the money and began entering state qualifying tournaments around the Houston area.

 

After entering the Dulles state qualifying tournament, Worthing made it to the championship game before falling to Bush, but it was good enough to reach state.

"It has been a great experience," Laurent said. "It shows us that hard work pays off."

 

Optimism high for 2010

 

Ellis is pleased with what he has seen and is excited about the Colts' prospects this season, with a veteran quarterback in McDonald and a go-to receiver in Laurent, who boasts 4.4-second speed in the 40-yard dash.

 

Plus he has spotted others who could contribute.

 

"I see a lot of athletes out here that we weren't thinking about," Ellis said. "We're finding out who can get the job done, run routes and make catches."

 

The players are thankful for the experience, playing out-of-area teams at the state tournament that they otherwise wouldn't get the chance to face.

 

"It's pretty cool seeing all these different schools and playing different teams from around Texas," McDonald said. "It's giving us some good experience."

sam.khan@chron.com

 

Division I

Beaumont West Brook (2-1), Cypress Creek (2-1), Cypress Falls (2-1), Dawson (3-0), Friendswood (2-1), Klein (3-0), Lamar (2-1), Manvel (2-1) and Pearland (2-1) were the local teams that advanced to the championship bracket after a day of pool play.

 

Dawson and Klein won their pools.

 

Championship bracket play begins at 9 a.m. today. Consolation bracket play begins at 8 a.m.

 

The title games are 4 p.m. (consolation) and 5 p.m. (championship) at Kyle Field.

 

Division II

 

Brownwood defeated Cameron 34-32 in the final to claim the Division II state championship. Graham defeated Burnet 36-29 in the consolation championship.