By DAN BISER

“We have a lot of work ahead of us.”

No high-school football coach has ever gone without making the above statement during the month of August.

Those words again came up frequently Tuesday at the press luncheon for the 20th BB&T Football Jamboree at the Elks Club in Wilmington.

All 10 head coaches of the participating teams in Friday’s Jamboree event at Wilmington’s Legion Stadium stated that their teams are a long way from where they need, but that all are looking forward to Friday night.

“Our kids all get a big kick out of it,” said South Columbus coach Joey Price. “To come to Wilmington and play in front of the big crowd really helps make it an exciting pre-season.”

Price’s Stallions, who have won seven of the last eight Waccamaw Conference championships, will go against New Hanover Friday at 6 p.m., in the first of five scrimmages during the evening.

Whiteville High coach Mark Little said that the Jamboree is a big “on-field” help for coaches in evaluating their personnel prior to regular-season play.

“It gives us a pretty good idea of where we stand,” said Little, whose Wolfpack will take on Ashley in the third scrimmage of the evening. “Everybody gets pumped up for it. It’s a great atmosphere.”

The event will get underway Friday at 5 with the Cheerleader Showcase.

South Columbus and New Hanover will kickoff the scrimmages at 6. The rest of the scrimmage schedule has West Brunswick going against Laney, Whiteville taking on Ashley, South Brunswick tangling with Hoggard and Wallace-Rose Hill meeting Jacksonville.

Each scrimmage will consist of two, 12-minute quarters.

Advance tickets are selling for $3 and can be obtained at BB&T outlets in communities of participating schools. Tickets at the gate will sell for $5.

Once again, part of the proceeds will go toward providing scholarships to three participating seniors (football players and cheerleaders) from each school with the remainder of proceeds being evenly divided among the 10 schools.

Whiteville High was a member of the original six-team field in 1987 when the event was inaugurated as the UCB Jamboree.

South Columbus joined the Jamboree in 1994 when it expanded to eight teams. Two more teams were added in 2001.

“We continue to grow and the enthusiasm increases every year,” said BB&T executive Randy Huggins, who is the director and co-founder of the event. “We’re really pleased to have seen it progress like it has for 20 years.”

Tuesday’s Jamboree luncheon featured a keynote address by Carlester Crumpler, who achieved legendary status as a high-school and college player in North Carolina during the 1960s and 1970s.

Crumpler was the first bona fide African-American high school football star in North Carolina following school desegregation in 1965. At predominantly white Fike High School in Wilson, Crumpler paced the Cyclones to three straight state 4A championships from 1967 to 1969 as the team’s top running back.

He went on to a stellar career at East Carolina and on to a short career in the NFL. Two of his sons, Carlester Jr. and Alge, have followed in his footsteps. Alge is currently an All-Pro tight end for the Atlanta Falcons.

Crumpler spoke of the many people in his life who had guided his way and he also explained how failing the fourth grade had actually turned out to be a blessing for him.

“Coaches have much more responsibility now than they did during the time that I was in high school,” he said. “There have been so many changes in our schools and in our young people. It is a very strong challenge.”

Price said that while his Stallions are virtually having to rebuild their entire offense, a good number of starters return on defense. Many of his top returnees are juniors.

Coach Little said that Whiteville has several holes to fill on both sides of the ball, but that several new faces on the WHS varsity are making their presence felt.