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.