Football practices have begun and school is now in session, which means the 2008 season isn’t that far away.
In order to prepare for the upcoming season, several area teams will be holding fall jamborees.
Cedar Bluff will be hosting county schools Sand Rock, Spring Garden and Gaylesville along with Glencoe, Wellborn and Donoho on Aug. 21 at 5 p.m.
The scrimmages will be two quarters each, beginning with Donoho and Gaylesville at 5 p.m. The Trojans will then take on Spring Garden at 5:45 p.m., followed by Spring Garden and Glencoe at 6:30 p.m.
Sand Rock will take on Glencoe at 7:15 p.m. followed by Sand Rock and Wellborn at 8 p.m. Cedar Bluff takes on Wellborn at 8:45 p.m. to end the night.
Collinsville will also host a six-team fall jamboree on Aug. 21 beginning at 5 p.m. Teams participating in that jamboree are Hanceville, North Sand Mountain, Alabama School for the Deaf, Skyline and Woodville.
Piedmont will travel to Wedowee to meet Randolph County in a jamboree game on Aug. 22 at 7 p.m.
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Eight veteran officials were recently honored for distinguished service at the annual AHSAA Officials Awards Luncheon attended by more than 300 people at Renaissance Center in Montgomery. The eight individuals – Tom Amick of Semmes, Avon Bosarge of Enterprise, Carl Davis of Birmingham, Craig Kelley of Hoover, Pat Martin of Glencoe, Charles McKinney of Tuscaloosa, Johnny Robertson of Montgomery and William Sigler of Mobile – have a combined 293 years officiating experience.
Davis has been officiating for 42 years while Sigler has been officiating for 40 years. Their years of service put the duo in an elite group of AHSAA officials. Since the Distinguished Service Awards were instituted by the AHSAA in 1990, a total of 19 have been recognized for 40 or more years of service. Two of that select group, Ed Balzi (1991) and Bill Henderson (1990) recorded 50 or more years experience.
In a special presentation made by AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese, longtime officials supervisor Sam Short of Birmingham was honored for his more than 55 years of service to officiating in Alabama. Short, who was inducted into the National High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2007, announced plans to retire.
Short’s service has included officiating state championship football and basketball games, serving on NFHS National Rules Committees as well as aiding in training high school officials in Alabama.
Short’s years of service also include 39 as a high school coach and administrator.
The 2008 AHSAA State Officials of the year were also announced along with 2008 AHSAA District Officials of the Year. The state officials honored were Craig Kelley (Baseball), Vincent McCaskey (Basketball, Mark Wehrwein (Football, Laureanne Bond (Soccer), Sonny Jackson (Softball), Houston Young (Track), Sybil Ingram (Volleyball) and Ryan Hagan (Wrestling).
Those individuals honored from the Northeast Alabama District were Chuck Ellis (Baseball), Robert Chaney (Basketball), Mark Wehrwein (Football), Mo Price (Softball), Margaret Helms (Volleyball) and Willie Staggs (Wrestling).
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The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently announced that fishing and hunting licenses for the 2008-2009 seasons will go on sale August 27. The license year starts annually on Sept. 1, but this year that day falls on Labor Day.
Because many people will be fishing during the busy holiday, anglers won’t have to interrupt their weekend activities to purchase their new annual license.
A resident annual freshwater fishing license costs $12; resident annual saltwater fishing licenses are $29. All recreational annual licenses, regardless of the date purchased, will expire August 31, 2009.
The August 27 sale date will allow customers to purchase all the licenses they will need throughout the year at one time and place. In addition to vendors such as retail stores and probate offices, licenses will also be available for purchase with a credit card at
www.outdooralabama.com
and by telephone at 888-848-6887.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Parks, State Lands, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries.
To learn more about ADCNR, visit
www.outdooralabama.com
.
