After no spring practice, new school Rockvale finally gets competition in passing tournaments

Things have been moving pretty fast for LaMarious Nelson and the rest of his Rockvale football teammates over the past few weeks.

Nelson, the quarterback on the Rockets' first squad this season, has used recent 7-on-7 tournaments as a quick learning guide as practice in pads approaches near the end of the month.

"It's been good," the sophomore said of his progress since the team began playing in the passing tourneys. "Our first 7-on-7, at Franklin, I had never done one. I just tried to lay low and just throw and trust people. From there to now, it's gotten a lot better. The team has gotten a lot better."

The Rockets were one of more than 20 teams that competed at Riverdale Thursday in the Tate Mathews 7-on-7 Tournament. Blackman won the tourney, defeating Shelbyville in the final.

Rockvale, which will compete in Region 3-6A, was not allowed a spring practice, so 7-on-7 tournaments were the first competition for the young team.

"As of today, I've had my kids 19 days," said Rockvale coach Rick Rice, who enjoyed success at Wayne County prior to taking the helm of the Rockets. "That's crazy in 6A football, especially in Rutherford County.

"Being able to go against someone else has been good for us. We're behind the 8-ball, so (7-on-7 tournaments) have benefited us more now than any of these other teams."

Normally Rice isn't a fan of 7-on-7 tournaments, but realizes that the players enjoy it and it can be good for building chemistry.

"It can help the passing game, but it helps you in the secondary and defensively more than anything," Rice said.

Nelson came to Rockvale from Riverdale, where he was a wide receiver on the  freshman team last season.

He hasn't played quarterback since he was in sixth grade.

"Going from wide receiver to quarterback, you have a lot thrown at you," Nelson said. "You know people are counting on you to do the right thing."

Despite his lack of experience, he was a logical choice to take the position, Rice said.

"We didn't know any of our kids," Rice said. "The first day, we kind of noticed him. He's a great kid and a great athlete. We didn't have a quarterback, so we took our best athlete and put him there.

"He will be able to run the option, and that's what I like to do. He likes running it.

"We have a great quarterbacks coach in (Richard) Eberlei, and he's coached him hard. We don't make it easy on him. I like (Nelson) and the kids like him. And they know, with him at quarterback, we have a chance at moving the ball."

The tough love is just fine with Nelson.

"I'm throwing and listening more," Nelson said. "That's what you have to do as a quarterback. You have to listen to understand it."

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.