GAYLESVILLE – Several area high school football teams will have one last dress rehearsal this Thursday before the 2011 regular season begins next Thursday and Friday.

Gaylesville High School is hosting an 8-team fall football jamboree. In addition to the Trojans, teams featured include Sand Rock, Cedar Bluff, Spring Garden, Hokes Bluff, Fyffe, Geraldine and Ohatchee. The event begins at 5 p.m. Price of admission is $6.

The event, rotated every year by four Cherokee County schools, is usually a good moneymaker for the host school, plus it gives fans an opportunity a preview of what's to come for the upcoming season.

“The good thing about it is you get to see a lot of football,” Gaylesville head coach Brian Clowdis said. “It’s about as good as it can get as far as a jamboree goes. We’re excited to host it.”

For Gaylesville fans, the jamboree is doubly exciting. It gives them an extra opportunity to see their team play. The Trojans only have four home games scheduled in 2011, including next Friday against Class 4A Douglas.

Clowdis said the Trojans will treat the jamboree like a real game.

“I don’t care about the winner or the loser of it, but I want a lot of people to play,” he said. “The big thing about it is special teams are not going to be live, but at the same time you get to do the long snapping and all the kind of stuff that can get you beat in Week 1. That’s what I like about it.”

Each game will last two quarters, with each team having one timeout per quarter. Quarters will be 12 minutes with a running clock. The last two minutes of the last quarter will be a regulation clock.

Gaylesville gets things going by taking on Geraldine at 5 p.m. Sand Rock will then take on Geraldine at approximately 5:30 p.m. Sand Rock and Cedar Bluff will tangle at 6 p.m., followed by Cedar Bluff and Fyffe at 6:30 p.m.

Fyffe and Hokes Bluff do battle at 7 p.m., then Spring Garden battles Hokes Bluff at 7:30 p.m. Spring Garden takes on Ohatchee at 8 p.m., then Gaylesville and Ohatchee close out the jamboree at 8:30 p.m.

One other area football team also plays in a fall jamboree on Thursday. Class 3A Piedmont battles Class 4A Jacksonville at Jacksonville State University.