The Miramar football team is off to historic Williamsburg, Va., and the Patriots have a lot of people to thank.

Seven months after winning the school’s first ever state football title, head coach Damon Cogdell and the Miramar football team showed 15 other elite programs and NFL stars Kevin Faulk, Vince Wilfork and Heath Evans that this is a program that is round to stay.

Last Saturday, the Patriots used a strong performance from senior receiver Sean McVay to win the Fifth Annual Heath Evans Foundation 7-on-7 tournament at The King’s Academy High School in West Palm Beach and earn a trip to the USA Today 7-on-7 championships on June 26-27 in Virginia.

The tournament, which featured BCAA foes Boyd Anderson and Ely, also featured teams as impressive as defending 5A state champion Tampa Plant, defending 4A state champ Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer, defending 1A state champion American Heritage Delray and defending 1B state champion Glades Day.

Other teams who were in the hunt on Saturday were The King’s Academy, Lake Worth Park Vista, Greenacres John I. Leonard, Royal Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade County powers Belen Jesuit, Carol City and defending tournament champion Booker T. Washington.

With so many receivers gone from the past two years, the Patriots have been looking for that big play athlete. In McVay, a transfer from McArthur, they may have found the right player to get the job done.

McVay has long been a prospect that some have been keeping a close eye on. His speed and ability to make the toughest catches has kept him high in the Patriots’ plans for the upcoming season.

“Sean, or as the kids call him, ’Sunshine’, is an exceptional football player who makes big catches,” said Cogdell. “He runs tremendous patterns, has very good speed and will outwork anyone out there.”

McVay’s decision to leave McArthur along with teammate Steven Montgomery, was tough, but one that started to pay dividends during the spring and made a major turn in the Heath Evans event.

Miramar certainly has plans on defending the 6A state title it won by blasting DeLand.

Carol City transfer Devonte Mathis (5-10, 175) and Cameron Hudge (5-8, 160), who both can play a number of positions, have battled for the starting quarterback position. Mathis also made an impact on Saturday as a receiver in the 7-on-7 event.

Along with McVay and Mathis, the receiver position will look to seniors Cam Jenkins (5-10, 175) and Jeremiah London (5-11, 175), rising junior Malcolm Lewis (5-10, 180) and rising sophomore speedster Tyrone Simmons (5-6, 155), things appear to be in very good hands.

Running back will be deep with rising juniors D’Vontis Arnold (5-9, 190) and Jaquan Dorsett (5-7, 190) among others who will be available.

Senior Jordan Burdi is back to anchor the offensive line along with Kevin Gonzalez (6-0, 265) and rising sophomore Mike Miranda (6-0, 275). There are a few other athletes who have also looked good in conditioning who are expected to compete for playing time.

On defense, senior linebacker Markies Hall leads an impressive group that saw plenty of playing time last season. Rising junior Mark Rucker (5-10, 210) and impressive sophomore Mike Fleurinvil (6-0, 220) also give this unit some quality athletes.

The secondary could also be as impressive as it was last year with Montgomery (5-10, 180), Carol City transfer Jeffrey Perry, rising sophomore safety Jermaine Grace (6-1, 155) and  junior Tracey Howard (5-11, 175), who may be one of the best young cornerbacks in the state.

Junior Clevonne Davis (6-0, 230) is a tremendous prospect on the line. So is Willie Paisley, a 6-5, 335-pound Carol City transfer, will be one of the players to look for on the line of scrimmage.

Most of the focus is on next season and highlighted by a trip to Dallas to play power DeSoto.

“That’s a trip everyone is excited about,” Cogdell said. “It’s part of that Texas-Florida series that all these young men have been working extra hard for.”

Miramar’s opponent in the title game, Glades Central, knows a thing or two about national 7-on-7 championships. Last year, the Raiders advanced out of the Miami Dolphins 7-on-7 event to the national title game in Minnesota, where the Glades Central won.

You can reach Larry Blustein via e-mail at Floridakids1@hotmail.com. Blustein is the co-host of the High School Gridiron Show each Wednesday night from 9-10 on WQAM (560 AM) or www.wqam.com.