Todd Agne is reminded by local high school coaches every year of how special the occasion is for their football players to come and play at Finley Stadium in the annual high school football jamboree.
For some players, the chance to play on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s college football field is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when considering only 6% of high school football players go on to play college football, according to CBS.
Finley Stadium is also the first and last stop of the football season for a lucky few, as the stadium that opened in 1997 will host the BlueCross Bowl TSSAA state championship games for the fifth year in a row this winter.
“There is a sense of accomplishment and feeling of being on the big stage when high school football players come to play at Finley,” said Agne, who is the Director of Top-Flight Sports, the coordinating partner of the 26th annual high school jamboree at Finley Stadium, now known as the Prelude to a Championship.
McCallie, Marion County highlight expanded prep football jamboree at Finley Stadium
“The kids quickly remind us of how exciting this is for them to play here. Championships begin here. This is where you can start and potentially finish a season if you work hard and good results follow. At the same time, a lot of kids never get to play college football. This is an opportunity for them to get that big-time experience.”
While the jamboree was traditionally played on three days from Thursday to Saturday featuring a handful of the area’s top teams, the format will have a new look this season.
Honoring the requests of local teams, the Prelude to a Championship (sponsored by Chattanooga State) will begin with two full scrimmages on back-to-back nights on Friday and Saturday, August 8 and 9.
On Friday, August 15, the typical jamboree format will include four games.
The field is a loaded one as the 13 local teams participating combined for 100 wins last season. Reigning state champions McCallie and Marion County highlight the field, which also includes state runner-up South Pittsburg.
Five other local teams in the field won at least eight games last season — East Hamilton, Silverdale Baptist, Ringgold and Whitwell.
The rest of the field includes Dade County, Hayesville (NC), Heritage, Hixson, Sale Creek, Tyner, Walker Valley and Warren County.
For the first time in jamboree history, a high school band will perform as Heritage’s 140-man band will play a 10-minute show for the scrimmages on August 9.
“We encourage all the schools to bring their middle school and youth football teams out to Finley Stadium and even join them on the sideline,” Agne said. “High school football is a community event. When I grew up in Columbus, Ohio, I had to play for the Northland Vikings. Even when I was 6 or 7 years old, that was the goal. The Prelude to a Championship is a way for the kids to be a part of something special.”
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.
Prelude to a Championship schedule
(sponsored by Chattanooga State)
Friday, August 8
Walker Valley vs. Ringgold, scrimmage, 6:30 p.m.
Warren County vs. Dade County, scrimmage, 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 9
Heritage vs. East Hamilton, scrimmage, 5:30 p.m.
Tyner vs. Hixson, scrimmage, 7:30 p.m.
Friday August 15, jamboree style
Sale Creek vs. Marion County, 6:30 p.m.
Whitwell vs. Silverdale, 7:30 p.m.
McCallie vs. Tyner, 8:30 p.m.
South Pittsburg vs. Hayesville (NC), 9:30 p.m.