Highlighted by the 50th anniversary of the Sequatchie Valley Jamboree, 36 teams compete in three jamborees in three cities as high school football kicks off tonight and Saturday.

(Editor's Note: this weekend's full schedule of games at sites is at end of story)

Friday

Sequatchie Valley Jamboree – Marion County HS … eight schools play two quarters each beginning with Lookout Valley vs. Sequatchie County at 8 p.m. EDT

Due to severe weather the Sequatchie Valley Jamboree has been postponed to Saturday night.

 50 Years Ago - The first Sequatchie Valley Jamboree was held Aug. 19, 1962 at old Whitwell High School

 “I played in the first jamboree (Aug. 1962) when I was a senior at Sequatchie County High School and 50 years later this jamboree is still going strong,” said Sequatchie County principal Tommy Layne.

"We only had 13 players on the team my senior year so I played quarterback, guard, defensive back and a few other positions.  We could stay with most of our opponents for a half, but would wear down in the second half due to lack of players.”

Jamboree at Tellico Plains HS … Six schools play in this second annual jamboree which rotates host schools each year … Opening quarter is Meigs County vs. Polk County …

Tellico Plains first year coach John Mullinax is not new to high school football as this is his 33rd season on the prep sidelines ... Copper Basin (5), McMinn County (19) and Armuchee (Ga.) (8).

Chattanooga Jamboree - Finley Stadium – Five quarters on Friday starting with McCallie vs. Soddy Daisy, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday - Chattanooga Jamboree – Finley Stadium – Six more quarters of action starting with Brainerd vs. Walker Valley at 7 p.m.

This is 7th year that the Chattanooga Area Jamboree has been held at Finley Stadium

53rd Chattanooga Football Jamboree ... The first two Chattanooga area jamborees were played at the University of Chattanooga’s Chamberlain Field, 1960, 1961 with proceeds going to the schools to pay for players insurance… the jamboree moved to Red Bank in 1962 and then to Brainerd for several years.

 Since the beginning, the proceeds have been divided among the participating schools.

Chattanooga Football Jamboree History

First Year - Aug. 25, 1960 - Chamberlain Field, U. of Chattanooga (tickets were $1)

Hixson def. Ooltewah, 7-0

Tyner def. Soddy Daisy, 7-0

City and Central, 0-0    note: this was the first time since 1950 that these two teams had played .. they would also play a regular season game in 1961 with Central winning in a bowl game.

East Ridge def. Notre Dame, 13-7

Red Bank def. Bradley Central, 14-0 ... Tommy Sullivan has two touchdown runs of 86 and 4 yards for the Lions

1961 - Chamberlain Field ... Six games were played with Brainerd and McMinn County added to the schedule ... In its first action as a varsity program, Brainerd defeated Notre Dame, 6-0

Moves to Red Bank ... Jamboree was at Chamberlain Field for two years then moved to Red Bank HS in 1962 to save stadium rental costs ...  Sequatchie Valley holds first jamboree at old Whitwell HS .. the Hamilton County Interscholastic League (HIL) was also formed for the 1962-63 school year.

Pete Potter's First Season ... the jamboree was back at Chamberlain Field in 1965 with 4,000 in attendance as Brainerd hired a new coach in Pete Potter

1966 - Chattanooga Jamboree moved to Brainerd HS with games on Friday and Saturday

1968 - Sequoyah Conference also holds a jamboree at McMinn Central

1975 - by 1975, there were 40 teams playing in four jamborees ...

Southeastern Tenn. Athletic Conference (SETAC) held a jamboree

Brainerd hosted the Hamilton County Interscholastic League (HIL) Jamboree on two nights

Madisonville hosted the Sequoyah Conference Jamboree and South Pittsburg hosted the Sequatchie Valley Jamboree

1980 - Brainerd again hosted a two-night jamboree for the City and the SETAC ... Sequatchie Valley Jamboree was at Marion County

1984 - first year of the City-County Jamboree

1990 - by 1990 several cities were hosting jamborees including Loudon and Cleveland ... City Jamboree was still two nights at Brained and Sequatchie Valley Jamboree was still at Marion County

1991 - Hixson hosted the Chattanooga Jamboree, Aug. 29-30

2000 - by the new millennium the Chattanooga Jamboree had moved to Red Bank, Aug. 18-19

2001 - Hixson hosted the Chattanooga Jamboree

2006 - First Year at Finley Stadium ... Velocity hosted the event with Ted Gatewood, Rick Butler and John Woods as organizers

2007 - Stump Martin and Rick Butler organized the jamboree at Finley in 2007 and Martin and Agne head the jamboree for the next five years (2008-2012)

2012 - 11 games in two nights at Finley Stadium  

2012 Football Jamboree Schedule

Chattanooga Jamboree - Finley Stadium

Friday (7:30 p.m.)

McCallie vs Soddy Daisy

Bradley Central vs. Red Bank

Tyner vs. Rhea County

Signal Mountain vs. Chattanooga Central

Baylor vs. McMinn County

 Saturday (7 p.m.)

Brainerd vs. Walker Valley

Grace Academy vs. East Ridge

Silverdale Baptist vs. Hixson

Notre Dame vs. Boyd-Buchanan

Howard vs. Cleveland

East Hamilton vs. Franklin County

Sequatchie Valley Jamboree

Friday, (7 p.m. EDT)

Lookout Valley vs. Sequatchie County

Grundy County vs. Whitwell

South Pittsburg vs. Bledsoe County

Marion County vs. Chattanooga Christian

Lookout Valley vs. Bledsoe County

Grundy County vs. Chattanooga Christian

South Pittsburg vs. Sequatchie County

Marion County vs. Whitwell

Jamboree at Tellico Plains

Friday (8 p.m.)

Meigs County vs. Polk County

Sequoyah vs. Sweetwater

McMinn Central vs. Tellico Plains

 

contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net