By JIM STEELE
mckenzierebels.com

Football jamborees are often good for getting the jitters out and allowing the players, coaches andd officials work under game-like conditions.

Saturday afternoon at the Back-to-School Brawl, McKenzie Middle School hosted 13 other teams for a sneak preview of the 2008 football season. A good crowd trickled in and out all day at Rebel Field. Here's how the action unfolded:

LEXINGTON 24, McKENZIE 8 - In the last pairing of the night, a speedy, strong and athletic Lexington football team played an improved McKenzie team and claimed a 24-8 victory.

Christopher Williams sprinted for a 63-yard TD run with 7:14 to play in the first quarter and added a 13-yard run with 4:01 to play in the second.

McKenzie's Bishop Williams displayed a lot of speed and had a lot of good runs, including a 30-yard run around the right side ith 1:16 to play in the pairing. Alec Akin adde the PAT.

Josh Williams caught a 36-yard screen pass with 4:50 to play in the first frame to lift the Minutemen to a 16-0 lead.

McKenzie coach Brad Chappell said he was pleased with his team's steady improvement. Three days after the first practice, McKenzie suffered the wrath of a strong Martin team. A week later, it got better against Paris-Inman despite suffering a 3-1 setback. Chappell said his team continues to improve steadily and called upon the silver-lining department when addressing his troops after the game.

"The rest of the way, we'll look across the sideline and we won't see anyone as good as what we've seen in scrimmages," said Chappell. "And we haven't lost a game yet. The season starts Thursday night."

The Rebels host Dresden 6:30 Thursday at Rebel Field.

"I thought we improve big time this week," said the coach. "I think we were a little shellshocked after that first TD. We weren't used to their speed and Lexington was very fast. After we settled down and adjusted to their speed, we did okay."

Chappell praised the efforts of Bishop Williams and the backfield.

"Bishop ran well and the backfield blocked well," said the coach. "We had protection at times. Now we go back to the film room and the practice field and get ready for the season."

The Rebels were 8-1 last year and are three-time defending county champions. McKenzie defeated Dresden 28-0 last season at Rotary Field.

McKENZIE 8, HENRY 6 - McKenzie scored early, tacked on the two-point PAT and then held off a late Henry charge in the next-to-last pairing of the day.

Rebel quarterback Grant Lowrance scrambled out of big trouble, rolled to his right and found a wide-open Zach Newman for a 13-yard TD pass. Collin Smith scored the try for two and the Rebels led the Pirates 8-0 with 6:12 to play in the first quarter.

After a series of defensive stands by both teams, McKenzie made a big stop with under five minutes to play. Henry's Deaton Mullins picked off a pass and the Pirates were in business. They drove down to the 10 before fumbling back to the Rebels.

But the field position helped Henry as it scored with :22 to play. Williams scored on a 24-yard reverse. McKenzie's Smith made a crucial stop on the conversion attempt to preserve McKenzie's victory.

"I thought our younger kids played well," said MMS coach Brad Chappell. "I thought Corey Tharpe and Collin Smith played well. Smith made that big stop on the PAT."

Chappell also was pleased with Lowrance's pass and Newman's catch for a score.

"Lowrance showed improvement and Newman did a good job getting in his line of sight."

Junior Chavez ran well and the coach said his implementation is in his thoughts.

"We need to get him running under his pads better and get him in the weightroom," said Chappell. "Junior showed flashes."

DRESDEN 0, WEST CARROLL 0 - There wasn't a lot of scoring, but there was plenty of physical football when the War Eagles and Lions battled Saturday afternoon. But for the War Eagles, this was a way for head coach Wade Maddox to evaluate his players.

"We wanted to get everybody in and they've worked so hard, so they earned a shot to play," said Maddox. "We playe hard and physical and got after them."

Turnovers were a problem for the War Eagles, but not too costly.

"Except for a couple of fumbles and a couple of holding calls, we were right there," the coach said.

There were some people missing because of some family concerns, but Maddox said he was pleased with the improvement of his team.

"We did pretty well today," said Maddox. "We played physical, hard-nosed football today, so I'm pretty happy."

The War Eagles hit the road to Obion County when they face Hillcrest 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

MEDINA 14, HUNTINGDON 8 - Medina had speed and size but had to hold off a late Huntingdon rally to claim a slim victory Saturday.

Carlos Walden, who has McKenzie roots (his mother is a McKenzie alumna), scored on TD runs of 22 an 58 yards for Medina.

Huntingdon got the jump on Medina when Dylan Hyman scored in the first quarter. Taylor McCarty added the deuce and the Mustangs were up 8-0.

In the second frame, Medina used its speed and strength, but Huntingdon had chances late in the match-up. A fourth-down stop by Medina's Nathan Morton sealed Huntingdon's doom.

Still, Huntingdon coach Paul Carroll was pleased with his team's improvement from the start of pre-season camp.

"Medina is a good team, but I was surprised that we were able to do some of the things we were able to do," said the coach. "This was a good lesson for the kids."

Carroll was disappointed with the fact that his team sort of let down after a quick score in the first quarter. From that point, Medina scored twice to take the lead.

"I hope we learn from this," he said. "I hope we learn that we have to play all four quarters, or in this case two quarters."

Improvement has been evident since the beginning of scrimmages this year.

"We've gotten better, but we're still putting the ball on the ground too much and we still have to practice. "We have a lot of improvement to do before we play Milan."

The Mustangs face the Bulldogs on Aug. 26.

HOLLOW ROCK-BRUCETON CENTRAL 28, PARIS-LAKEWOOD 0 - Trezden Tharpe score a pair of touchdowns as the Tigers impressively dismantle Lakewood in Jamboree action on Tuesday.

The effort by Central made its second-year coach, Chris Wall, giddy afterward.

"We moved the ball well and that surprised me," Wall said, with the enthusiasm of a kid at Christmas. "This group of guys has given me more effort every single day at practice and it shows."

Central got the drop on the Eagles with 5:48 to play in the first when quarterback Paul Ulderich scrambled out of trouble for a 19-yard touchdown. The deuce failed but Central led 6-0. In the second frame, Tharpe burst the goal line with 8:30 to play for the first of his two scores. Just over two minutes later, Tharpe scored again, this time from 14 yards. He added the two-pointer and Central held a 20-0 lead.

With 8.7 seconds to play, Douglas Wortham tacke on a 10-yard score and ran in the PAT as well for the final margin.

"This will be a big confidence builer going into the season," Wall said. "Most of our line is seventh graders and we fired off the ball well. I thought our younger kids did well. We only have six eighth graders, so if our seventh graders step up, we'll do well."

MARTIN 14, CAMDEN 0 - For the Lions at the McKenzie Middle School Jamnboree, it was Deju Vu all over again.

The Lions had faced Martin in a scrimmage last week and then lined up against those same Panthers Saturday in the McKenzie Back-to-School Brawl Jamboree. Despite giving up 14 points, Camden coach Chad White said his team's defense had gotten better.

"Martin has a real good team and we saw them last week," White said. "We improved defensively from last week to this week."

Camden was beset by three interceptions, but White shouldered the blame for that. He was experimenting with his offense.

"I'll take the blame for those," said White. "But when we tried to throw it, Alex Kee was open."

Kee also made a big stop on a conversion attempt.

Lion running back Cody Hassell had sizeable yardage running the ball, averaging 15 yards per carry in the first quarter.

"He's a kid who can carry the load for us," said White of Hassell. "He is physically tough."

Antonio Hogard, whose father and uncle were top-flight running backs for Westview in the late 1980s and early 1990s, scored twice for the Panthers, once on a 54-yard pass reception and the next on a 4-yard TD run with 3:37 to play in the second.

Camden was knocking at the door when a Hogard intereception ended the Lions' march.

"Our offensive line did well, but we have to stay on our blocks," White said. "We are one block away from a lot of big plays, but we'll clean that up."