Local schools open the season with Jamboree

All four local high school football teams will open the season in jamboree action Friday with the West St. Mary Wolfpack hosting the Franklin Hornets in the West St. Mary Jamboree while the Hanson Memorial Tigers take to the road to face the Opelousas Catholic Vikings at Westminster and the Centerville Bulldogs going on the road to battle the Central Catholic Eagles in the Morgan City Classic at Tiger Stadium.
West St. Mary will battle Franklin in the annual jamboree contest Friday at Wolfpack Stadium with the jayvee teams opening action at 6 p.m. with the varsity game set to follow.
West St. Mary and Franklin will renew their friendly rivalry in the annual jamboree contest before squaring off again later in the regular season in what should be a stellar district contest.
Franklin Head Coach Brandon Small is excited about playing the West St. Mary Wolfpack in both jamboree action along with the renewed version of “Fire on the Bayou” later in the season.
“I’m excited about playing West St. Mary because of our familiarity with the team,” he said. “We are looking forward to playing West St. Mary in both the jamboree and “Fire on the Bayou” because they are a team we are very familiar with.”
West St. Mary Head Coach C. J. Armelin was equally excited about facing Franklin High in both the jamboree and regular season in hopes of renewing a healthy rivalry which offers an opportunity to break the 5-5 tie later in the annual “Fire on the Bayou” battle while also claiming bragging rights for a year.
“This is our first time hosting the annual jamboree and we look forward to playing Franklin in a healthy rivalry with our Sister School,” Armelin stated. “This is a healthy rivalry with a great atmosphere. Later in the year we look forward to playing in the “Fire on the Bayou” game which is currently tied at 5-5 since its inauguration with the bragging rights on the line for another year.”
Franklin junior varsity will take on the West St. Mary jayvee in the opening contest of the 2017 West St. Mary Jamboree at 6 p.m. Friday at Wolfpack Stadium. The second contest will pit the Franklin High varsity against the West St. Mary Wolfpack varsity at 7 p.m.
HANSON VS. OPELOUSAS CATHOLIC
Friday’s annual jamboree contest will send the Hanson Memorial Tigers and new-coach Chris Sanders to Opelousas to battle the Opelousas Catholic Vikings at Westminster High School at 6:30 p.m.
Hanson’s Sanders looks forward to leading his team into the upcoming season after nearly 12 years of coaching at other schools.
Sanders returns to Hanson Memorial as head coach after spending nine years coaching at Central Catholic in Morgan City prior to going to school at the University of Alabama. While in Alabama, Sanders coached one year of football and later received a call to take over the Hanson program.
Sanders, who put the Tigers through a scrimmage with the Loreauville Tigers last week, will lead Hanson into jamboree action on Friday against Opelousas Catholic.
Hanson will battle Opelousas Catholic on Friday in the annual jamboree game at 6:30 p.m. at Westminster High School.
CENTERVILLE AT CENTRAL CATHOLIC
Two members of District 7-1A will clash Friday in the annual Morgan City Jamboree when the Centerville Bulldogs square off against the Central Catholic Eagles Friday at 6 p.m.
Centerville eyes Central Catholic in the final pre-season contest before both teams open the regular season on September 1.
Centerville played its first scrimmage game on the road against the Houma Christian Warriors last Friday.
Centerville will square off against Central Catholic on Friday at 6 p.m. in the Morgan City Tiger Classic at Tiger Stadium in Morgan City.