Mainland crowned ‘King of the Beach’ at Bethune-Cookman's 7-on-7 football camp

The Buccaneers defeated University Christian in the final; three Mainland linemen were in the final five of the Big Man Camp competition.

  • By Michele Meyers
  • | 11:00 a.m. July 3, 2025
  • Ormond Beach Observer
  • Sports
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Mainland was crowned King of the Beach after a tight 18-12 win against Jacksonville University Christian at Bethune-Cookman University football coach Raymond Woodie Jr.’s 7-on-7 football tournament held at B-CU on Friday, June 27.

This was the second straight year Woodie has organized the tournament. A Big Man Camp was also part of the event.

Mainland head coach Jerrime Bell said he knew when the Buccaneers showed up at the B-CU campus, it was their tournament to lose.

After a loss in the quarterfinals at the University of South Florida 7-on-7 camp on what Bell said were a couple of questionable calls and then losing in the semifinals on a misplay at Florida State, his players brought focus to their last 7-on-7 camp of the summer. 

“I could see the joy in them all day long,” Bell said. “They were really finding their love for the game of football. No matter what the situation, they would relax and were their same, old selves — having fun. I knew they weren’t going to be stopped.”

Twenty-five teams from as far north as Grovetown High School, just west of Augusta, Georgia, and as far south as Miami Southridge signed up for the B-CU tourney. Volusia County teams Atlantic, Spruce Creek, Deltona and University High also participated.

Seabreeze High graduate Dante Jones coached the Atlantic Sharks. His high school coach, Pat Brown, is now the co-special teams coordinator/running backs coach at B-CU. Brown spent the day as a referee with help from Mainland grads Marquis McCants and Kwasi Kwaku, who now play for B-CU.

“It’s been really good having Pat back and helping community relations,” Bell said. “He likes to come back and show love to the local high schools because he was a successful high school head coach here for years. It adds a little bit more stability and credibility into the community when you see guys who have been here now wearing the Bethune logo and helping local kids.”

Bell said he always supports B-CU and Woodie’s vision to turn the Wildcats' program around. That is why, Bell said, he will be at the next 7-on-7 tournament and Big Man Camp and every other year it is offered.

“It’s Bethune,” Bell said. “They’re the hometown team. If anybody’s going to show love, it needs to be Mainland High School — the biggest brand in the area.”

Teams played three games each in pool play before the lunch break. In their first game, the Bucs defeated Deltona 31-18, beat Grovetown 46-12 and lost to Umatilla 17-15. 

“Only by two points — that was the wakeup call we needed,” Bell said. “We coasted through the first two games. The kids were smelling themselves a little and we lost that game — the game we shouldn’t have lost.”

I could see the joy in them all day long. They were really finding their love for the game of football. No matter what the situation, they would relax and were their same, old selves — having fun. I knew they weren’t going to be stopped.
— JERRIME BELL, Mainland head football coach

In their first game of the single-elimination tournament, the Bucs defeated Palm Beach Gardens 33-16 in the quarterfinals.

Mainland quarterback Sebastian Johnson said his favorite game was the 28-20 semifinal win over Miami Southridge, facing three-star quarterback James Perrone.

“It feels great winning in our hometown — bringing it back,” Johnson said. “We fell short last year and came up this year — won it all. We played against a great team [in Southridge]. They fell short and we came up. We told them [teammates] just “next play”— [have a] “next play” mentality. That’s what we talked about all day. Eventually it just works out for you.” 

Bell said Johnson looked like one of the best quarterbacks out there even though there were multiple teams with three- and four-star quarterbacks. 

“He took a back seat to no one,” Bell said. “His poise and ball placement, all day long, stood out.”

Mainland’s Chris Butler led the Bucs in receptions and Jaden “Melo” Parks, also known as “Hollywood” for his post-touchdown dances, had the most touchdown receptions.

Butler received an offer from B-CU after the Bucs beat University Christian in the final. Parks had already received an offer from the Wildcats in spring. Incoming freshman Ray’Shawn Jeffries also caught the eyes of B-CU coaches with a touchdown catch while being closely defended in the end zone. Jeffries had just celebrated his 14th birthday in May.

Three Mainland linemen were in the final five of the Big Man Camp competition — incoming freshman Trayce Rinehart, sophomore Ke’Andre “Baby Hulk” Jackson and junior Brandon Nelson.

Senior defensive back Jahvin “Bubba” Westbrook returned this year following knee surgery last summer. Bell said Westbrook plays with the same energy and drive he had before his injury.

“The whole camp was saying don’t throw the ball to Bubba Westbrook where he is going to get an interception every time,” Bell said. “I keep telling all these college coaches they better come get him.”

This is the second year Mainland’s roster has had a plethora of underclassmen. Johnson and Christian Cooper are the only senior quarterback-receiver duo on the team. Cooper said “as the older guy,” he needs to step up and take the role as leader. Immediately following the playoff game loss last season, the two made a commitment to put in extra time perfecting their passing and receiving techniques.

“That 5-6 record last year really hurt,” Cooper said. “Right after the clock hit double zero, we lost the first-round playoff game and went under .500. That really hurt both of us so we decided to get in that grind.”

Bell said he believes the lessons his players have learned from last season and the 7-on-7 tournaments will lead to a much better regular season this fall. 

“Our goal is to have home field advantage throughout the first couple rounds of the playoffs, if not the entire playoffs,” he said. “I don’t want to make any record predictions but I’m lookin forward to a great season — a better season than it was last year.”

 

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