SALEM, Ore.–  With 12 days until the start of the Fall Camp and a little more than four weeks until their Season Opener Versus Estacada, Stayton had one final seven-on-seven before they look ahead to those.

But, it was like maxing out in the weight room with who they were facing against:

The Defending 6A, Greater Valley Conference Champions in South Salem.  The Saxons finished 10-1 and 8-0 in league and were Top 10 in State at the end of last season.

And they took it in stride.

Breaking up passes defensively, making plays offensively, all to cap off a already strong Summer Training Session.

“I thought it was pretty good,” said Jacob Jungwirth. “I’m kinda curious to see when we play in the jamboree, it feels pretty good.”

“You know really well, we’ve improved quite a bit. And by having our kids, we do a lot of discussion and we have our kids talk about things that we did well, things we can improve on; and it seems like we, as coaches and players are all on the same page.

“So we’ve improved, night and day where we can take this team and where this team can take this team, so we feel good moving forward.

For Jungwirth, he likes how this team has came together as a team to this point as they look to carry this momentum into two-a-days.

“Guys (are) showing up, trusting each other.  We’re more of a team, (more of a) team feel.  It’s kind of hard because some of us work, but we try to bond when we get to the games

Campbell points out the team has improved from their own sort of way and it’s slowly molding the bigger picture of things entering camp.

“You got some kids who are physically impressive; we’ve got some kids who really worked on attitude, leadership,” started Campbell.  “I would just say, as a whole, with our team, the way we’re attacking leadership and the way we’re attacking team chemistry.

“That’s been our biggest improvement and in order to win that, it has to be everyone chipping in and it can’t be one guy or two guys.  So that’s been the biggest improvement I would say as a whole, if you punched in, you got better.”

As the Junior Varsity and Varsity converged together after the seven-on-seven wrapped up, Campbell spoke to the team about, ‘Champions Before Their Champions, Do you Know Your Champions?’ and what it takes to be a Champion.

“That’s where we have to take our program and where we’re taking our program, it’s a process,” said Campbell.  “We need to feel like Champions before we’re Champions and understand what Champions are before we’re ever be a champion.

“And we’re trending in that direction.  We have some growth we have to do over the course of two-a-days and the course of Fall.  But I think we can put ourselves in a position at the end of the year where if we want to be in what we’re working for.”

With the team loading up in the cars and looking ahead to the Youth Camp Wednesday Night back at Stayton, the foundation is in place for what is to come for these Eagles to soar.

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SOME PHOTOS FROM WEDNESDAY’S 7-ON-7 (PICTURES BY JEREMY MCDONALD)