Individual efforts highlight jamboree
Published 12:00 am Friday, August 13, 1999
PORT GIBSON – Despite the agonizing heat, fans and coaches alike were treated to great individual effort at the Wildcat Jamboree hosted by Chamberlain-Hunt Academy.
In the first contest, Trinity was pitted against the upstart Huntington Hounds, looking to rebound from last year’s losing season.
From the opening possession, the Saints marched 70 yards in impressive fashion.
The well-balanced drive featured a few nice runs from halfback Scott Maggio and 10-yard receptions by Hunter Dale and Kellen Jex.
Chad Ridley would cap the drive on a determined 14-yard sprint to paydirt, putting Trinity up 6-0.
Offensively, Huntington tried to establish a running attack spearheaded by Collin Taunton and Kenneth Clayton.
However, Trinity’s defense did not cooperate as the Hounds were limited to less than 10 plays in the whole playing period.
The Saints would strike again as Willaim McGehee found Kris Thomson for a 53 yard strike as the final score read 12-0.
The victory was bittersweet for the Saints however, as William Foley sustained an undetermined knee injury and was checked by doctors immediately following the contest.
Early indications were that Foley may have torn an ACL, but further tests were being done.
Trinity looked to make it two for two against the WCCA Rams under new head coach Tom Nickens. But the inspired Rams dominated the smaller Saint line en route for a 12-0 victory.
The Rams established a crushing ground game early with runs of 15 and 35 yards by Stephen McVea, with the latter putting WCCA on top 6-0.
Two Trinity fumbles spoiled great efforts by McGehee and Jex, when it seemed like the Red and Black were wilting in the unforgiving summer heat.
The Rams added the last score with a brilliant 35 yard catch-and-run by Josh Prince.
“We looked good against Huntington, but we were outmanned against WCCA,” said Trinity coach David King. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. We have to work on conditioning and repetitions.”
As the Saints left town, the Rams
See Jamboree, Page 2B
were left to face home favorite CHA. Wildcat backs Sam McLemore and Mathew Burrell set the tone early with bruising runs.
However, a CHA fumble ruined the drive and disappointed the large partisan crowd in Port Gibson. WCCA would be as equally charitable with a turnover which led to more magic by McLemore and Burrell.
The drive was capped by a 44-yard scoring sprint by Burrell with CHA up 6-0.
As the Wildcat defense was putting the Rams on ice, CHA senior Derek Greer would break free in route to a 60-yard reception. Burrell would had his second score from one yard out putting the hosts up 12-0.
Late in the game, WCCA’s Stephen McVea continued his eye-opening night with a 67 yard scoring catch which closed the game out resulting in a 12-8 CHA victory.
“We looked awful last week (Huntington scrimmage), but that probably did us more good than this jamboree did,” said WCCA coach Tim Nickens. “It showed us what we had to work on.”
ACCS defeated Huntington 6-0 in the fourth game as Ryan Porter passed to Hayden Wadsworth for the score.
The Rebels defeated CHA 14-0 in the final game.
ACCS scored twice, the first coming on a 40-yard draw by Porter. Porter passed to Wadsworth for the conversion.
Ty Smith passed to David Ellis on a 45-yard line Smith scored on quarterback sneak for the score.