The McComb football team will host a jamboree to open the 2016 season for the second consecutive year when three schools come to town Friday night.
Hazlehurst will plat Natchez at 5:30 p.m. Friday, while McComb will go against Wilkinson County at 6:45.
The teams will play 12-minute halves, and there will be no kicking game other than PATs. The ball will automatically be moved 40 yards down field when teams choose to punt, and offenses will start at their own 20-yard line after touchdowns and to begin halves.
“It’s a good thing because the fans get to come out and preview the team and just get a feel for them,” Tigers first-year head coach Jeffery Gibson said. “It’s football season. The excitement is built up, so it’s a good thing to have it here at McComb.”
With McComb scheduled to open the season at home against Columbia at 7 p.m. Aug. 19, Gibson said the jamboree would provide him film showing him areas that need to be corrected.
“I just want to make sure we’re hustling, just trying to eliminate mistakes,” Gibson said. “I know there will be some mistakes. It’s the first game of the year or jamboree live against someone else.”
Most of the athletes on the offensive side of the ball are experienced with senior quarterback Venchenza McCray (6 feet, 3 inches, 220 pounds), who is a three-year starter, senior wingback Ali Henson (5-7, 160), senior center Ulyses Brown (5-11, 275), senior right guard Edward Howard (5-11, 237) is the right guard, senior right tackle Jehdiel Harrell (6-1, 210), senior left tackle Rollin Young (6-2, 260) and junior left guard Emmanuel Allen (5-10, 229).
Junior Vincent Jones is at running back, but Gibson said going against the Wildcats would tell him more about younger athletes at that position.
Some of the defensive players are four-year starter senior nose guard Lucky Davis (6-2, 330) and senior linebacker Dorian Coney (5-9, 182), who had nine sacks last season.
Gibson said defensive coordinator Dedrick Johnson would have his athletes ready to play.
“I’m confident in our kids,” Gibson said. “They’ve been in the system for so long. With defense Coach Johnson does a great job of plugging those kids in for the next season making sure those guys mesh together.”
Gibson said he looked forward to seeing the offense continue to mesh.
“You’ll see a few other things that we’ll just have to wait and see,” he said.
McComb is a 4A school, while Wilkinson County is 3A. However, Wilkinson County lost to eventual state champion Collins in the second round of the playoffs last season.
“I know Wilkinson County — they had a really good passing attack last year,” Gibson said. “We’re just making our secondary guys aware they like to pass the ball also. We’ll just come out to play, just let the team know we’re going to get everyone’s best and do the small things correctly.”
McCray also plays the cornerback position.
Gibson said he planned to play backups during the game, but first he wants to see his starters come together.
“I just want the community to come out and support us,” he said. “The kids are going to work hard.”
“Meet the Tigers” is at the football field at 6 tonight.
