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          Web site of the Daily Star, Hammond, Louisiana :: Search Archives: Search Classifieds: Local teams start final preparations for season | | | Text Size By Mike Kiral Thursday, August 28, 2008 9:44 AM CDT CORRALLING A CUB—St. Thomas Aquinas linebacker Jarred Morales tackles University’s Ben Ortego in the Falcons’ scrimmage last Friday. STA plays Ponchatoula in the Hammond Jamboree tonight. Photo by John Lenz Area jamborees give local teams have one more pop quiz before the real tests start next week. Tonight's Hammond Jamboree at Hammond High's Tornado Alley. features two games - Ponchatoula takes on St. Thomas Aquinas at 6 p.m., and the host Tors face Springfield at 7:30 p.m. "We're excited to get on the field, excited to get our season started and excited we're at home," Hammond head coach Rusty Barrilleaux said. Also tonight, Albany will be heading to Gonzales to play Donaldsonville in the Livingston/Ascension Challenge at East Ascension tonight. The action continues tomorrow night at the Tangilena Jamboree in Loranger, with games between Jewel Sumner and St. Helena Central, Kentwood and Independence and Loranger and Amite. ADVERTISEMENT Each participating team in both the Hammond and Tangilena jamborees are selling advance tickets for $6 and will get to keep the proceeds from those tickets. The four teams at the Hammond Jamboree will split the revenue from all tickets sold at the gate. Tickets at the gate at Loranger will be $7. The jamboree against St. Thomas Aquinas comes in the middle of a challenging string of games for Ponchatoula. The Green Wave, coming off a 3-7 record in Mike Baiamonte's first year as head coach, scrimmaged Independence last Thursday and travel to Woodlawn next Friday. "It's another St. Thomas team that people keep talking high about," Baiamonte said. "We've seen a little bit on them on film and boy, people are right. It's going to be another challenge for us and that is going to be good. Our district is going to be a challenge. The earlier we get challenged, the better off we will be in the long run." St. Thomas head coach John White is also expecting a battle. The Falcons return 19 players from a squad that went 7-4 and won the District 9-2A title in 2007. "They're a good football team," White said of Ponchatoula. "They're strong and big and well-coached. We have our work cut out for us. We'll have to have our kids in the right place in order to make plays." White, whose team travels to Kentwood in the season opener, is looking forward to seeing his special teams perform live for the first time. This will also be the first time this season the coaches will not be on the field. Like Ponchatoula, Hammond is starting a tough stretch. The Tors, who went 3-7 last season, scrimmaged Thibodaux last week and play at Class 5A regional finalist Catholic in week one. "Springfield has some good athletes and some tough kids," Barrilleaux said. "We're going to have to bring our 'A' game to get a win tomorrow night. "We're trying to prepare for Catholic. We have a tough test in week one. We want to see how well our kids do in our basic stuff and add a few things." Springfield introduces new head coach Ryan Serpas after going 9-3 and advancing to the regionals in 2007. The Bulldogs open the regular season against Loranger. "We're still trying to come together, offensively and defensively," Serpas said. "And this will be the first time we get to see our special teams which is one-third of the football game. We'll get them work and see what we need to improve on to become a better football team." Serpas said the key for his team tomorrow night will be containing Hammond's running game. "They have a good-looking fullback and a speedy halfback," Serpas said. "They're going to try to get the edge on us and run right at us. We have to contain them. Defensively, they fly to the football." Albany, which scrimmaged West Feliciana last Friday, will be facing a Donaldsonville squad that went to the Class 2A quarterfinals last season. The Hornets, who were were 0-10 in Brad Ficklin's first season, host Episcopal (B.R.) in week one. "They told me you can have either Dutchtown, East Ascension, St. Amant or Donaldsonville," Ficklin said. "The first one I didn't want Dutchtown. I don't know if I got a good deal with Donaldsonville. They're good and they're going to be fast. I told the guys that West Feliciana was going to be a measuring stick to district team. This is no different with the guys Donaldsonville got." While the slate will be clean for every team following this week, Serpas said they go into the jamboree looking to win. "We still want to put our best foot forward and give the kids a little more confidence going into week one," Serpas said. Comment Blog - Note: All Comments Subject To Approval Comments are limited to 200 words or less. 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