The First Jamboree

It has become an embedded part of the local high school football calendar. Although teams get all dressed up for just one-quarter of action, players and fans always look forward to the jamboree. It means football season is here! Coaches typically hold their breath the entire quarter hoping that their teams come away injury-free. The event is still important to coaches, because ticket sales help offset part of the cost of insurance for their players.

The Knoxville Orthopedic Clinic Kick-Off Classic takes place Thursday night at Central and on Friday at West. Fulton will face Hardin Valley in their jamboree quarter Friday night. Other games Friday at West include Farragut vs. South-Doyle, King’s Academy vs. West, and Gibbs vs. Bearden. Thursday night’s action features Campbell Co. vs. Halls, A-E vs. Powell, Central vs. Webb, and Karns vs. Carter. Games both nights begin at 7pm.

This will be the 58^th annual pre-season jamboree, making it one of the oldest in Tennessee. The TSSAA approved jamborees in the spring of 1960, and the first “KIL Jamboree” as it was known then was held on Saturday night, August 27, 1960 at the venerable Evans-Collins Field. KIL schools Central, Rule, West, South, Carter, Fulton, East, Karns, Bearden, and Young High participated in the inaugural event. The coaches drew for their opponents on the day of the game. The Knoxville News-Sentinel estimated that about 4000 spectators were in attendance on that night.

Fulton drew a match-up with Carter for their jamboree quarter. The Hornets were unbeaten in 1959, while Coach Ralph Hutchins’ Falcons only recorded two wins in the previous year. The Falcons dominated the quarter, holding Carter to only four yards of offense, but Carter held Fulton to a 0-0 tie. A 60-yard TD run by Fulton’s Jimmy Dukes was called back due to a penalty, and Fulton ran out of time with the ball at the Carter 20 yard line. Fulton had its best year under Hutchins in 1960, finishing with a 6-4 record and winning the Knoxville City Championship.

For what it’s worth, Fulton has a record of 27-12-18 in jamboree quarters. They have won their last four in a row, and defeated Hardin Valley 14-0 in 2014. 

Falcons Featured in the Daily Beacon and Previewing the Previews

   Practice in full pads for the Fulton Falcons begins on Monday, and as the anticipation of the season approaches, you will begin seeing more football season previews online, on the TV, and on the newsstands. The first preview article of the year is out on the Falcons thanks to Tyler Wombles of the UT Daily Beacon. You can read it here: Race for State: Falcons ready to reassert dominance. Thanks to the Daily Beacon for the coverage on high school football!

For many years, the gold standard of the Tennessee High School Football previews has been Murphy Fair's statewide publication. Murphy contacts every high school in the state, and the publication features a preview of almost every team statewide. Fulton QB Xavier Malone was named to his Class 5A Preseason All-State team. The magazine is no longer sold at a retail outlet in the Knoxville area, but information on ordering is available here: Murphy Fair's Tennessee High School Football

The oldest local magazine that covers area high school football is the Kick-Off magazine that is published by Sports Time Publishing. They are free and are usually available at Food City and other outlets around this time of year. I haven't seen this year's edition, but they are great collector's items.

New this year is the Gridiron Preview published by 1461 Media Productions. That company his headed up by former Fulton Football player Aaron Miller. We are excited about Aaron's new venture, and be looking for the magazine in a few weeks.

Don't forget that the annual News-Sentinel PrepXtra magazine will usually be released around the time of the jamboree. By the way, Fulton will face Hardin Valley in the 58th Annual Knoxville Orthopedic Clinic Kick-Off Classic at West on August 11th. Our friends at the Knox Focus always publishes an in-depth series of preview articles as well.

August 4th will be the date that the Northeast Tennessee Pigskin Preview will be released. It focuses on Region 1 teams, but there will some coverage of the Knoxville area. Xavier Malone and J'Coryan Anderson recently posed for this magazine picture.

Football time at Fulton is here! The Falcons will have their first scrimmage on August 1st at Anderson County.