Jamborees kick off prep football season

Friday, January 1, 1904

High school football fans can get their first glimpse of area teams beginning tonight with the annual jamborees.

While most teams play just one quarter each, the two-day Best of Preps city jamboree at Finley Stadium is enough to whet the appetite with six periods each night.

Baylor, which narrowly lost in last year's Division II-AA state title game, returns 10 starters to each side of the ball and will face Central and new coach John Allen tonight at 7:30 at Finley, after Grace Academy opens the event at 7 against new Georgia school Coahulla Creek.

Chad Voytik, rated among the nation's top six pro-style quarterbacks, leads Cleveland against perennial playoff contender Boyd-Buchanan at 8, and 2010 Class 2A state champion Signal Mountain, led by junior quarterback Reese Phillips and transfer running back Tim McClendon, will play Bradley Central at 9.

The Sequatchie Valley jamboree is the oldest in the state, and each team will play two quarters in Dunlap. Marion County opens the night against Lookout Valley at 7 EDT and plays county rival and defending 1A state champ South Pittsburg in the third period. The Pirates also face defending District 7-AA champ Bledsoe County in the third quarter and Bledsoe ends the night playing rival Sequatchie County.