“It was fun. I liked it,” said East Chapel Hill all-conference wide receiver Omar McFadden. The field was still hot, even as the sun set Thursday, but McFadden was without a hint of heat stroke. He meant it.

And Wildcat coach Darian Harris was also smiling, liking what he saw as East Chapel Hill and Southern Vance went through about two hours of a seven-on-seven passing scrimmage Thursday.

“I saw a lot of good things out there,” he said, though he had some reservations.

“Too many mistakes, way too many mistakes, some dropped balls, but we did a lot of good things too,” Harris said.

Seven-on-seven “games” are a growing trend among North Carolina high school teams, with most prep teams now trying at least one during the summer. They allow teams to get in some work while keeping the mood light.

“These are good for building competition,” Harris said. “We get to see how guys compete against one another, their effort, their desire to play football.

“We get to try different concepts, different passing ideas … work on the timing between quarterbacks and receivers.”

Played without any interior linemen except the center — just a quarterback, receivers and backs — seven-on-seven usually resembles a practice more than a game. Teammates stand along the edges or behind their teammates; coaches often enter the huddle and stand just behind their team as plays unfold. There is seldom a running clock or score kept.

But, as McFaddden would say, it beats a real practice.

“It’s like those guys over there playing baseball,” Harris said, indicating the Summer League baseball game on the adjacent field at East Chapel hill. “They’re getting playing experience. We’re doing the same thing. We’re getting guys some experience and trying to have some fun.”

East Chapel Hill will go to Southern Vance on July 7 for another seven-on-seven, then attend a two-day series of such games July 17-18 at Catawba and a major one-day confab July 19 at the University of North Carolina’s multi-team camp in Chapel Hill.

Harris was especially pleased to draw Southern Vance into a series. The Raiders went 13-2 last year, reaching North Carolina’s East region final in the state playoffs, where they fell to state champion Reidsville.

“Southern Vance is a quality, well-coached team. Coach (Mark) Perry has built a tremendous team, and I’m glad they were willing to come down here and play us seven-on-seven,” Harris said.

“We’re getting some work in, but it’s important to remember that it’s a game and we want to have fun, too. Right now, this is just fun.”

East Chapel Hill will pen its season Aug. 22 against Northwood, which Southern Vance beat in last year’s 2-A state quarterfinals.

Contact Sports Editor William Elliott Warnock at chnsports@nando.com or at 932-8743.