Football Jamboree Offers Sneak Peek of Upcoming Season

Those looking for a sneak peek of the upcoming 2011 high school football season only needed to turn out to Dundalk High School and CCBC Dundalk on Saturday for the 14^th annual Baltimore County Football Jamboree.

The jamboree scrimmage includes all 24 Baltimore County high school football teams and more than 1,000 football players, making it one of the county's biggest events.

“The planning that goes into an event such as this is enormous,” said Ron Belinko, a consultant in the county's athletic department. “The planning starts at the end of the previous season. Kenwood's head coach Tony Ruocco, who is our District 6 director for football, contacts all the coaches about setting up the matchups.”

Before the scrimmage, Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Joe A. Hairston received a game ball signed by all the head coaches in attendance. Hairston, who played football in both high school and college, sees the jamboree and high school sports in general as an important part of the education process.

“You look at these kids out here today and you see them doing something very wholesome, and quite frankly, it builds character,” Hairston said. “It provides an opportunity for a positive social interaction and gives the students a moral and ethical code to live by.”

Overlea's athletic and aggressive defense led to turnovers in the scrimmage against Millford Mill, and shut down the running game of Kenwood.

“We seemed to lose some focus in the second scrimmage against Overlea,” said Kenwood head coach Anthony J. Ruocco. “We did not generate much offense against their fast and aggressive defense. We also gave up 1 big passing play, to Overlea a when we allowed their quarterback to break contain, and allowed a couple big inside runs against a team that should compete for a 1A North playoff spot.”

Sparrows Point coach Glenn Imirie saw the event as a way for his team to run plays against some of the best competition in the county. The Pointers scrimmaged state powerhouses Catonsville and Franklin, which advanced to the Class 3A state finals in 2010.

“The benefit is getting a full speed look against outside competition,” Imirie said. “The opposing defensive lineman isn't just going to absorb a block, he's trying to get to his gap assignment. The kicks and blocks are a lot tighter; the running backs hit the holes a lot faster.”