It may be 100 degrees outside but the boys of fall are descending on Foley Sports Tourism’s fields June 29-30 for the Foley High School Showdown. The 7v7 football tournament will feature 16 high school teams vying for the top spot, but that’s not all the event has to offer.
“Our tournament is unique in that we also have an Offensive Line / Defensive Line competition as well as the 7 on 7 event,” said Foley High School Head Football Coach and Tournament Director, Tad Niblett. “When we decided to start this, we wanted to offer something for every player in the program.”
Now in its third year, the Foley Showdown continues to grow, and Coach Niblett is looking for ways to further set it apart from other competitions. The event offers freshman and junior varsity divisions, though only varsity squads signed up this year. Their vision for the future is a three-day event hosting 28 to 30 teams.
With 16 teams attending this week from four states, Niblett knows his event dreams can become reality, in part because of the location.
“When we began this event two years ago, we wanted to start small and make sure that it was a well-organized experience for all involved” Niblett explained. “Our vision was always to move to the Foley Sports Tourism site due to the number of fields, the event center, the hotel, and the OWA park. Everything is centrally located and within walking distance. David Thompson and the city have been great in helping us get to this level. I can’t thank David enough for his support in this endeavor.”
Thompson, the city’s Director of Recreation and Sports Tourism said the department is committed to helping Coach Niblett reach his goals for the Foley High School Showdown.
“This partnership is one that lets us not only achieve our mission of bringing visitors to Foley, but also helps us showcase our hometown team,” Thompson said. “We want to see all areas of our city thrive. The high school football program is no exception. We know Foley athletes will benefit from playing against teams they may not normally get the opportunity to see.”
Fans hoping to cheer on the hometown boys can do so beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday June 29. The offensive/ defensive line competition is set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. Admission is free and spectators can follow their favorite teams by clicking here.
For more information on the Foley Showdown or any FST event check out our events page.
