MJC Passing Tournament will test 15 district football teams

Footballs won’t be the only things launched on Saturday at the annual Modesto Junior College Passing Tournament.

Chances are the Stanislaus District’s next must-see talent will emerge, too, taking flight in time for the 2015 season.

The high school season won’t officially get underway until Aug. 28, the date of the first games. But try telling that to the players and coaches Saturday.

Losing won’t sit well, even if the setback comes on a short field in an abbreviated 7-on-7 scrimmage.

The MJC Passing Tournament has long been a proving ground for district teams and their aerial attacks. The event tests a quarterback’s command of the playbook and ball, their connection with their receivers and, of course, the offense’s ability to make plays at full speed.

Quarterbacks won’t have to worry about a pass rush. On the other side of the ball, linebackers and defensive backs won’t have to account for a ground game.

“The environment has been competitive but cooperative,” Modesto Junior College coach Rusty Stivers said. He and his program will be coordinate the event, in its ninth year. “Coaches, they want to compete and do their best, but they also know 7-on-7 isn’t real football.”

But if you play it right, MJC Stadium can be used as a launching pad.

Last summer, the tournament announced the arrival of then-senior P.J. Wilson, the undersized quarterback who led Downey to its third consecutive Modesto Metro Conference championship.

Wilson, a dual-threat type, shared time under center as a junior. He solidified his role as the Knights’ starting quarterback for the 2014 season at MJC, where he led Downey to a 21-20 victory over Turlock in the final.

Now a freshman at University of the Redlands, Wilson connected early and often with two-way talent Jakob Magana, who would finish his senior season ranked second in the nation with 14 interceptions.

Downey overcame an early interception in the final to edge the Bulldogs, foreshadowing another banner season for the Knights and coach Jeremy Plaa.

With Wilson playing at an MVP level, Downey reached the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs. Wilson and Magana were named to the South roster for the Lions All-Star Football Classic, confirming the potential they showed on a summer Saturday at MJC.

All of which begs the question: Who’s next?

This Saturday’s field feature 16 teams, including two entries from Downey. The teams have been split into four pools: North, South, East and West. The winner of each pool will play each other in a semifinal – North vs. South, East vs. West – and the winners will tangle for the championship at 12:25 p.m. inside the stadium.

Beyer, Turlock, Atwater and Downey B will compete in the North pool, while Downey A, Sierra, Gregori and East Union fill out the South. The East will be comprised of Los Banos, Escalon, Livingston and Riverbank, while Sonora, Ceres, Orestimba and Turlock Christian make up the West.

Games will be 20 minutes and played on four 50-yard fields, spanning the stadium and the Pirates’ practice facility.

Teams will be forced to play with pace, a style familiar to MJC football fans.

Under Stivers, the offensive coordinator turned coach, the Pirates ranked in the top 10 in the California Community College Athletic Association in total yards (sixth, 458.3), rushing (sixth, 225.5) and first downs (ninth, 23.3) last season.

“The quick games force teams to speed up their play calling. They’ve got to get in and out of the huddle to take advantage of the time,” Stivers said. “A lot of teams like that approach. It’s the modern talk of football right now.”

This story was originally published July 9, 2015 at 5:40 PM with the headline "MJC Passing Tournament will test 15 district football teams."