Introducing the New York vs. New England 7-on-7 All-Star Challenge

It is my pleasure to announce the inaugural New York vs. New England 7-on-7 All-Star Challenge taking place this summer in Stamford, Connecticut on Saturday, August 1st.

The premise of this event is to give the very talented high school football players of this area a chance to represent their home state, compete against the best in the region, and gain exposure in front of recruiting analysts and media members.

Teams will be selected from the Class of 2016 and 2017, one representing New York and the other representing New England in a nod to the well-established professional sports rivalry between the two. Each roster will consist of about 20 players for the 7-on-7 format (quarterbacks and skill position players on offense, linebackers and defensive backs on the other side).

We already have some of the best players in the region committed to participating in this showcase! The New England roster includes:

- Linebacker Koby Quansah, the top-rated player in the state of Connecticut from Kingswood-Oxford who recently committed to Duke.

- 3-star tight end Scooter Harrington from Greenwich, Connecticut, who is heading to Boston College next fall.

- Dudley, Massachusetts tight end Sean McKeon, who has committed to Michigan.

- 3-star defensive back Tahj Herring, from Suffield Academy in Connecticut. Herring recently committed to UConn while holding offers from Vanderbilt, Virginia and Temple.

There are more big names from New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut expected to attend, players with offers and interest from Penn State, UMass, Maryland, Syracuse, Rutgers, North Carolina, Northwestern and more. We're still working on confirming everyone.

The day's schedule will start with registration, player photos, measurements and opportunities to speak with the assembled media which will be on hand. Then the players will take the field to warm-up, break out into positional groups for drills and skills contests before lunch.

After lunch, they will break out into their respective teams to install offensive and defensive strategies and then take the field for the 7-on-7! The All-Stars will be working with some of the most established and successful coaches throughout the event.

Lunch will be provided, as well as uniforms and gear. Players should bring their own socks and cleats.

The event is being organized by myself individually, with no direct affiliation with Rivals, in conjunction with ForttSports LLC, former organizers of the very popular Northeast 5-star Challenge. Though Rivals is not directly affiliated, many Rivals writers will be in attendance to cover the event.

Please send all inquiries and requests to UConnRivals@gmail.com. We're also on Twitter @NYNEChallenge, give us a follow!