Football: Kennett, Malden set for Friday jamborees

The 2023 high school football season takes one dramatic step forward to realization this coming Friday.

Both Kennett and Malden will participate in jamborees that night. Each jamboree will begin at 6 p.m.

Kennett will travel to the Cape Central jamboree, which also will feature Scott City and New Madrid County Central.

Malden High School�s football team spent the early part of Tuesday�s practice on special teams situations, including punt block and punt return. Quamareous Farmer attempts to punt while Jonah Halliburton blocks. R.J. McClain is in the background. Democrat photo by Eric Viccaro, staff

“We need to go up there and execute our fundamentals,” Kennett head coach Andrew Webster said. “We need to work on us.”

Webster said players are competing for certain spots, who will be starters and who will come in as key reserves.

The Cape Central jamboree features four salty programs.

“Every team up there will be good, and every one of them has made a playoff run recently,” Webster said. “Every team has some good players.”

The Class 3 Indians are coming off a 7-4 season, with a playoff exit thanks to Valle Catholic. Class 2 New Madrid was 9-2, also reaching the second round of the postseason.

Cape Central, in Class 5, went 10-4, reaching the state semifinals before bowing out versus Fort Osage. Scott City was 9-2, losing to Portageville in the second round of the Class 1 playoffs.

Malden ventures to Charleston, with Doniphan and Chaffee also as participants. Malden and Doniphan are coming off winless campaigns.

Charleston was the best of this bunch last season, compiling an 8-3 mark, also falling to Portageville in the postseason. Chaffee went 2-8.

“Playing Charleston will be a good opportunity to see where we are at,” Malden first-year head coach Shane Kearbey said. “Hopefully, we will learn things from playing in the jamboree.”

The weather is expected to cooperate, with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the low-80s. That means severe heat won’t be a problem, a rarity in these parts in mid-August.

Since these will be jamborees, they will follow a specific format in accordance with Missouri State High School Activities Association guidelines.

That means no kicking game will be permitted. Sorry about that, special teams fans.

Since both the Indians and Green Wave will participate in four-team scrimmages, the maximum number of plays per offensive period is 12. That means there will be 24 plays per round, with varsity squads taking the bulk of repetitions.

Game officials will be used, which allows the referee and his crews a chance to work out the kinks before openers on Friday, Aug. 25.

At the Cape Central scrimmage, Kennett will wear white jerseys, New Madrid County Central green, Scott City blue and the Tigers either will wear black or orange.

Cape Central Jamboree

Here’s the schedule for the Cape Central jamboree.

The field will be split by north and south zones.

Round One

Cape Central vs. Scott City, south

Kennett vs. New Madrid, north

Round Two

Cape Central vs. New Madrid, south

Scott City vs. Kennett, north

Round Three

Cape Central vs. Kennett, south

New Madrid vs. Scott City, north

Charleston Jamboree

The schedule for the Charleston jamboree is as follows:

Round One

Charleston vs. Doniphan

Chafee vs. Malden

Round Two

Charleston vs. Malden

Chaffee vs. Doniphan

Round Three

Charleston vs. Chaffee

Malden vs. Doniphan

Both jamborees are free of charge.

Cape Central is offering full concessions while Charleston will have drinks and snacks.

Players and coaches will receive a sack supper and water at the end of the Cape Central jamboree.

Charleston athletic director Jordan Williams is encouraging fans to bring their own lawn furniture due to limited seating.