Weather messing with jamboree schedules

The high school football season is scheduled to begin for one Wiregrass team in the next 48 hours.

A majority of other area teams are scheduled for tune-up jamboree games in the next couple of days.

All of it, though, is subject to weather conditions in relation to Tropical Storm Fay.

The storm was expected to hit the Wiregrass area sometime late Friday night or early Saturday, bringing a lot of rain with it.

Three jamborees on Wednesday were moved up to Thursday and another was cancelled because of the storm.

The jamborees moved up to Thursday were Ashford at Abbeville, Providence Christian and Houston County at Dale County and Wicksburg at Elba. All three are at 6:30 p.m.

Dothan officials, meanwhile, announced the Tigers’ planned jamboree at Jeff Davis Friday has been cancelled.

“The weather is supposed to come in and we would be traveling right through it and our school officials felt it was best to play it safe,” Dothan head coach Kelvis White said. “We (Dothan and JD staffs) tried to move it up to Thursday, but it was too short of notice.

“So now our focus is straight towards Eufaula.”

Fay notwithstanding, the season is officially scheduled to open Friday for one area team.

Taking advantage of a new Alabama Independent Schools Association ruling that allows teams to play an 11th week, the Abbeville Christian Generals will travel just across the Georgia line to face Randolph Southern a week before the regular season starts for most teams.

ACA and Randolph Southern will kickoff at 7 p.m. Alabama time in Shellman.

“The guys are ready,” Abbeville Christian coach Johnny White said. “We have been beating up on each other long enough. We are ready to play someone else.”

The Generals are coming off an 2-8 season, but feel confident this season with more experience and more depth.

Seven starters return on offense and eight on defense for the Generals, led by all-star candidates Gabe Newman and John Hewitt.

Newman, a 6-foot, 200-pound senior, returns after amassing 1,606 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns last season. Hewitt, a 6-foot-1, 205 pound senior, returns at fullback in front of Newman.

Though it picked up a game,  ACA will have only 10 games in 11 weeks. The Generals have an off week Oct. 3.

While Abbeville Christian is playing, other Wiregrass AISA teams elected not to have a game this week.

Jamboree time: Thirteen jamborees are scheduled tonight involving Wiregrass teams with seven more on Friday and one on Saturday.

As been custom in recent years, heavyweights Charles Henderson and Pike County play their annual grudge match in the preseason. Though unofficially in the record books, the game is a full-fledge one between the two nearby communities. This year’s game is in Brundidge.

All but 13 of the 47 Dothan Eagle coverage teams will play a jamboree. Eight teams in Alabama will not play one, while the five Florida teams in the coverage area can’t hold jamborees until next week.

Though it is not playing this week, Ashford Academy did play a jamboree last week against Randolph Southern. The Falcons won 27-14.

Season opens for most next week: While Abbeville Christian gets the jump on regular-season action this week, the majority of teams in the Dothan Eagle coverage area start next week

Teams in the AHSAA, AISA and nearby Georgia open next week. Florida teams in the coverage area don’t start until the following week.

Thursday night action: Four games are on tap next Thursday, headlined by the first-ever city battle between Houston Academy and Providence Christian. The two meet at Rip Hewes Stadium.
Also on Thursday are Ashford at Houston County, Slocomb at Cottonwood and Red Level at Kinston.

Jamborees
Thursday
Northview at Carroll, 6:30 p.m.
Lee County (Ga.) at Eufaula, 7 p.m.
Cottonwood at Rehobeth, 6:30 p.m.
Ashford at Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.
Providence Christian, Houston County at Dale County, 6:30 p.m.
Geneva at Luverne, 7 p.m.
Wicksburg at Elba, 6:30 p.m.
G.W. Long at Slocomb, 6:30 p.m.
Kinston at Samson, 7 p.m.
Barbour County at Ariton, 7 p.m.
Holtville at Goshen, 7 p.m.
Red Level at Pleasant Home, 7 p.m.
Terrell County at Early County, 6:30 p.m.
Friday
Charles Henderson at Pike County, 7 p.m.
Andalusia at Fairhope, 7 p.m.
Geneva County at Daleville, 7 p.m.
Montgomery Academy at Houston Academy, 6:30 p.m.
New Brockton at Florala, 7 p.m.
Crenshaw Christian at Pike Liberal Arts, 7 p.m.
Pacelli Catholic at Seminole County, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday
Mobile Christian at Straughn, 6 p.m.

No JamboreesDothan
Enterprise
Opp
Headland
Zion Chapel
Lakeside
Ashford Academy
Dixie Academy