Clarksdale High School will be hosting a jamboree at Coahoma Community College Thursday night to kickoff the 2019 football season.
Coahoma County High School will play Leflore County at 5 p.m., and another game will be at 6 p.m.
There will be two 20-minute running clocks except for the last two minutes when the clock will be stopped. The last two minutes will be played like a regular game.
The Wildcats will play Horn Lake at 7 p.m. followed by a half of junior varsity football.
The varsity game will be like a regular contest except there will be no kicking and punting. The ball will be moved 35 yards on a punt and no teams will begin possession inside their own 20-yard-line unless they turn the ball over.
The Wildcats have hosted jamborees at CCC just before the season, but this is their first time putting together these scrimmages in the spring.
“We’ve just been trying to get teams to come to Clarksdale,” Wildcats coach Henry Johnson said. “We’ve always traveled in the spring and played at other peoples’ facilities. We just want to get some people to come to Clarksdale and give our kids an opportunity to have a home game in the spring.”
The Wildcats advanced to the second round of the Class 4A playoffs in 2018, but there are some holes to fill in 2019 beginning with the linebacker position.
Sophomore Justin Davis will be stepping in at middle linebacker.
Junior Matthew Mixon will be the new strong safety.
Junior Josh Hollins, already the punter, will double at linebacker and wide receiver.
Junior Tamera Allen Jr. will be the new quarterback. Cameron Matthews was the quarterback last season, but he was lost to graduation.
Allen’s only experience at quarterback is at the junior varsity level.
“He has no experience on this stage,” Johnson said. “Cam was the quarterback last year and the year before.”
The Wildcats have started upper classmen at quarterback since 2014.
“We’ve been building him (Allen),” Johnson said. “He’s the next quarterback in line. He’s played since seventh grade, peewee league. He’s a small kid, but he has a big heart.”
Horn Lake is the Class 6A state champion.
“Playing Horn Lake, 6A state champ, if we can play with those guys, we will feel really good going into our schedule next year,” Johnson said.
Johnson said youth is the Wildcats’ weakness going into the spring game.
“That youth turns it over into turnovers, mistakes, things like that,” Johnson said. “We understand that we may do some of that because of the youth.”
Johnson said there are veteran defensive linemen, defensive backs, receivers and running back.
Senior Queston Skipper and junior Sammie Ray are the two main running backs going into the spring.
“We’ve got a lot of experience coming back at key positions, also. So we don’t expect those guys to make mistakes,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the Wildcats will run the football approximately 70 percent of the time.
“I’m just looking forward to seeing the team get out and compete and give their best effort,” Johnson said. “We have nothing to lose. We just want to come out of this thing healthy. That’s No. 1. We don’t want anybody to get hurt.”
