VIDALIA, La. — Six area schools got their first taste of the 2000 football season Saturday in the Vidalia High School Jamboree. The Vidalia Vikings, Ferriday Trojans, Cathedral Green Wave, Block Bears, Sicily Island Tigers and Newellton Bears kicked off their respective seasons in six 12-minute scrimmages.

In the first local contest, Vidalia edged Block 6-0 on the strength of an 80-yard scoring drive lead by quarterback Jarrett Hoffpauir and tailback T.J. Banks. Hoffpauir rushed 33 yards on four carries, while Banks scampered for 38 yards on seven carries, including an 8-yard touchdown.

The second scrimmage was a meeting of opposites as the run-based Green Wave tied the pass-happy Sicily Tigers 14-14.

The Tigers dug their own hole early in the scrimmage, as two lost fumbles led to both of Cathedral’s touchdowns, two short runs courtesy of senior fullback Key Smith.

Sicily Island got it together in the second half of the scrimmage, however, and tied the game on two long passes thrown by junior Tommy Atkins, one a 20-yard strike to Donald Dunbar, and the other a 42-yard bomb to Greg Washington.

Big offensive plays plays led Ferriday to a 0-13 victory over Block in the third local game. A fumbled option was picked up early in the scrimmage by Ferriday’s Brennan Smith and run 40 yards before he was caught by defensive back Charles Branch. Running back Corey Gordon scored from eight yards out on the next play.

The Newellton-Cathedral match-up was a defensive struggle, with one big play deciding the 8-0 Bears victory.

Newellton wide-out Darium Clark hauled in a 48-yard touchdown pass for the only score of the scrimmage.

The tone for the Ferriday-Vidalia scrimmage was set on the first play of the game, as Ferriday’s Taylor hit wide receiver Lawrence Washington for a 63-yard touchdown en route to a 19-6 victory. Taylor and Washington also connected for a 25-yard score, and Ferriday’s Gordon added an 80-yard touchdown run.

Vidalia’s lone score came on a 1-yard quarterback keeper by Hoffpauir.