This year's 37th Annual Herald Football Jamboree will offer more than an early taste of the game for area fans.
It will include two new coaches, an old coach at a new school, a coach coming back to coach and two new teams.
The Jamboree will be split into two nights. The first will be played Aug. 9 at York Comprehensive High School's Pratt Field and will include six teams.
Indian Land plays Andrew Jackson, Fort Mill plays South Pointe and the night will conclude with Great Falls playing York. The home teams are listed last.
Eight teams will compete the next night at District Three Stadium in Rock Hill.
The lineup is Lewisville playing Nation Ford, Clover against Weddington (N.C.), Chester versus Rock Hill and Lancaster playing Northwestern in the nightcap.
The new teams are Nation Ford, Fort Mill's second high school, and Weddington, coached by former Buford coach Phil Williams.
The new coaches are Rusty Jester, who left Fort Mill after one season to coach Nation Ford. Ed Susi, who coached at Weddington last year, took over for Jester at Fort Mill.
And of course, there is Jimmy "Moose'' Wallace, who stepped down as full-time athletics director at Northwestern two years ago but decided to return to the sidelines this year after Michael Allen resigned.
Each team will play two 12-minute quarters and the Jamboree will be conducted by the referees as if it were a regular game. Each team will get one timeout per quarter. There will be a coin toss when two new teams come on the field to start a quarter.
A running score will be kept at each site and at the conclusion of the Jamboree at District Three Stadium, they will be added to determine if the Visitor or Home is the overall winner.
Last year, the first night was held at South Pointe's District Three South Stadium. It led to one of the closest Jamborees in history. Chester, the visitor, beat Northwestern 18-9 in the final game at District Three Stadium, but the Home held on for a 53-52 victory.
The Jamboree will also include cheerleading competitions at each site. At the conclusion of each portion of the Jamboree, one Home squad and one Visitor will be chosen to receive a Jamboree Spirit Award trophy. The winners will be selected by an impartial panel of judges.
Admission is $5 each night and tickets will be sold at the gate. Come early to avoid long lines. Gates at York will open at 5:30 p.m., with the kickoff slated for 7 p.m. Gates at District Three will open at 5 p.m., with the kickoff at 6:30 p.m.
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