FERRIDAY — Shannon Morales admits that he’s anxious about lining up under center for Ferriday High School.

But the Trojans’ rookie signal-caller won’t be on an island when his team lines up tonight against Jena High School for a scrimmage.

“I’m kind of nervous,” Morales said. “I’ll be relying on (running back) Jarvis (Brooks) a lot. My coaches just tell me I have to grow up, stay calm and play.”

Morales and the rest of his team will travel to Jena for a 6 p.m. scrimmage, and Morales said he knows the Jena defense will present a challenge for him.

“I just have to play my hardest and let my team win,” Morales said.

While the final score won’t count as a regular-season game, Trojans head coach Cleothis Cummings said the scrimmage would serve as a great measuring tool for his squad.

“It gives us a basic starting point to see where players are,” Cummings said.

Ferriday also scrimmaged against Jena prior to last season, Cummings said, and he’s expecting to face a similar type of squad tonight.

“They’re running the double wing (offense) and a 4-3 defense, and we’re expecting some competitive kids,” Cummings said. “They gave us a pretty good scrimmage last year, and we think it will be the same this year.”

The first team offenses and defenses for Ferriday and Jena will go against each other, followed by the two school’s junior varsity teams squaring off. The scrimmage will end with a few red zone plays, Cummings said.

Fall camp has been a time to stress fundamentals for the Trojans so far, and Cummings said he’s not trying to overload his players with too much information early on.

“This is the seniors’ fourth system (to play under),” Cummings said. “We want to let them grow into it and not throw the whole thing at them right now.”

Ferriday will also compete in the Vidalia High School jamboree against Vidalia and Block High School Aug. 25.