Friday nights’s two jamborees involving the four Webster Parish teams had a little bit of everything, even a site change.
Because of the heavy rain Thursday night and Friday morning, the b1 Bank Apache Jamboree was moved from Glenbrook to Loyola College Prep’s Messmer Stadium in Shreveport.
Messmer has an artificial turf field. The Apaches didn’t want to risk having their natural grass field torn up before Friday’s season opener against Magnolia School of Excellence.
The Pineland Jamboree at Lakeside started about 45 minutes late because of a scheduling mixup involving game officials. It ended at 11:30 after many big plays and some exciting finishes.
As usual, there were also plenty of penalties and mistakes in both jamborees that will need to be cleaned up before the season openers.
But for the most part, the performances should give all four head coaches reason for optimism.
The good news is everyone is still 0-0, but they do keep score at jamborees.
In the first two 15-minute “games” at Lakeside, Minden fell to Homer 19-14 and Haynesville 21-7.
North Webster edged Homer 9-7 in the third game. Lakeside put up a good battle in a 7-6 loss to Haynesville in the fourth.
In the finale, North Webster defeated Lakeside 14-0.
At Messmer, Glenbrook fell to Loyola 14-0 and Montgomery 8-0 in 12-minute “games.”
Despite the losses, Glenbrook did some things well.
The Apaches had good drives going against both opponents.
Against Montgomery, new starting quarterback Ryan Reagan ran the ball well. He had a long run deep into Montgomery territory that gave the Apaches a scoring opportunity but they couldn’t punch it in.
Montgomery then drove 89 yards for a touchdown, scoring with 30 seconds left.
Loyola hit a couple of big pass plays for scores.
Glenbrook Head Coach Greg Tibbitt was impressed with the Flyers, a member of District 1-4A.
“I think they’re a very good football team,” he said. “Probably as good a team we’re going to play all year. (We) had a good drive going, had a turnover and that kind of set us back.
“Same thing against Montgomery. Had a really good drive going early and had a holding call that put us behind the sticks. We’re doing some things just to find out who we are right now.”
Connor Bolton intercepted a pass in the end zone against Montgomery.
Tibbitt believes the mistakes the Apaches made are fixable.
“We keep saying we’re a young team,” he said. “Things like this help us. The more experience we get the better we’ll get. Chance to get things on film and figure things out.”
At Lakeside, the Minden-Homer game was filled with big plays.
The Crimson Tide’s Kameron Harris returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown. Caylien Aubrey set up the second touchdown with an 85-yard kick return.
Minden led 14-7 with 7:33 left. Homer got within one on a 77-yard pass from Kevin Williams to Jerzyon Levingston. Harris blocked the PAT.
The Pelicans scored the go-ahead touchdown after picking off a pass. They scored on a pass with 52 seconds left.
The Tide still had a chance to win reaching the Pelicans 33 on a pass from Hudson Brown to Harris to the Homer 33. But Brown was sacked on the final play.
Minden’s touchdown against Haynesville came after Treshun Young recovered a fumble and returned it to the Tors 11.
Kaiden Shine ran to the 2 and Caylien Aubrey gave the Tide a first down inside the one. On second down, Brown sneaked into the end zone. Braxton Glover’s PAT tied it at 7 with 7:45 to play.
The Minden defense actually gave up only one touchdown on a long run by Ethan Henderson. Haynesville also scored on an interception return by 6-5, 345-pound Andrea Brooks and a punt return by L’Travious Brooks.
Lakeside’s defense didn’t allow a touchdown against Haynesville. L’Travious Brooks returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown.
The Warriors had one of the most exciting offensive plays of the night against the Tors.
With Lakeside backed up against its goalline, Kentravion Miller took a handoff from Brock Case and burst through the line. He ran about 95 yards before the ball was punched out from behind. But running back Jaden Clark, trailing the play, recovered the fumble and scored. The PAT failed, though.
Late in the game, Lakeside recovered a fumble and reached the Tors 22 with 4 seconds left. But a Case pass into the end zone fell incomplete.
If any team could benefit from a good performance in the jamboree it was North Webster and the Knights got one.
Things didn’t start well against Homer, though, as the Pelicans’ Michael Wilkins returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown.
North Webster bounced back quickly. Jameson Harden had a good kickoff return and followed that with some strong runs. Sophomore quarterback Justin Stewart took the ball to the 5. Ja’Myrian Jackson scored but the PAT failed.
Second-year Head Coach Christopher Wilson used both Stewart and Braylon Washington at quarterback and both played well.
Christian Whitlock kicked a 38-yard field goal with 2:13 left to give the Knights the lead.
Homer had a chance at the end. The Pelicans hit a long pass and eventually reached the 15. But the North Webster defense stopped them just short of the goalline as time expired.
The Knights continued to run the ball well against Lakeside. Jackson was particularly effective churning up the yardage.
Harden scored on a shovel pass with 8:12 left.
After North Webster recovered a fumble at the Lakeside 19, Kaylon White ran for the final touchdown.
Linebacker Jeremiah Washington had a big hit and was one of the leaders on defense.