By DAN BISER

WILMINGTON – With the BB&T Jamboree scheduled a week earlier than usual this year, it meant that all 10 participating teams came into the event with a full less week of pre-season practice than they have had in the past.

But still, the 20th year of the jamboree event held at historic Legion Stadium was a big night for all the teams and their supporters. What was projected to be a rather stormy evening turned into one of the most pleasant nights for watching football in Jamboree history.

The South Columbus Stallions and Whiteville Wolfpack once again were the Columbus County entries, and South Columbus got the evening off to a good start by out-scoring New Hanover 13-6 in the first of five two-quarter scrimmages. Whiteville went against Ashley in the third scrimmage with Ashley coming out on top 14-7.

In the other scrimmages, Laney bumped West Brunswick 21-2, Hoggard shut out South Brunswick 17-0 and Wallace-Rose Hill topped Jacksonville 7-0.

South Columbus coach Joey Price came away with mixed emotions about his team’s effort against New Hanover.

“Defensively we did a pretty good job,” Price said. “The defensive side of the football is where we have most of our experience returning and we made some stops.”

While South Columbus put up two scores in the second quarter, including a 61-yard touchdown pass from Justin Duncan to Derrick Clay, it managed to make only three first downs and lost to fumbles.

“We’re having to rebuild our offense,” Price said. “It was good to see us go and get a couple of scores like we did, but we just need to get a lot better there.”

The South Columbus defense came through in a big way late in the first quarter after New Hanover recovered a Stallion fumble at the SCHS 20. New Hanover got the ball the 12-yard line, but South Columbus came up with the big play on fourth down when Dakota Piver intercepted a fourth-down pass and returned it to the SCHS 39 as first quarter clock ran out.

On the first play of the second quarter, Duncan hit a wide open Clay on a slant pass at midfield and Clay sprinted all the way for the touchdown. Donovan Watts kicked the extra point.

A big defensive stop by the Stallions set up their next score as they took over possession at the New Hanover 35. South Columbus used six running plays to get its second touchdown, an eight-yard blast by fullback Justin Smith with 7:20 left in the second quarter.

New Hanover came right back with its lone score of the night. A 40-yard run on a third-down play by Cedric Baker gave the Wildcats the ball at the South Columbus 25. Two players later. Cameron Clinton rambled his way to the one-yard line and Baker scored on the next play.

On Thursday evening, South Columbus had played host to West Brunswick in a scrimmage.

Whiteville came out strong against Ashley, scoring on its first possession while marching 66 yards on nine plays. A 19-yard run by Jarrod McKinney keyed the set and the Wolfpack got the score on a 15 yard pass from Harrison Jordan to David Mosely. David Hodgson kicked the extra point.

On its next possession, Whiteville moved the ball from its own 48 to the Ashley 26 where it was stopped on fourth down.

The momentum swung Ashley’s way in the second quarter as Loid Atkinson led the Screaming Eagles on a seven-play scoring drive that covered 65 yards. Atkinson got the touchdown on a one-yard sneak and Ashley added the PAT.

Later in the quarter, the Screaming Eagles moved the football 83 yards in 11 plays for the go-head score. The running of Dustin Nicholson and Kenny Morton were big factors in the drive. The touchdown came on a 26-yard pass from Atkinson to Daon Jones.

Whiteville got to the ball to midfield on its final possession, but desperation pass by Harrison as time expired was intercepted.

Whiteville had scrimmaged Lumberton High on Thursday morning at Lumberton.

Whiteville, which posted a 9-3 record last season, will open its season this Friday when it plays host to West Bladen.

South Columbus, which finished last season with a 12-2 record, will open its 2006 season on Aug. 25 when it returns to Wilmington to take on Laney.

Other area scrimmages this past week had West Columbus traveling to play Green Sea-Floyds on Thursday and then playing host to Purnell Swett Saturday morning.