By JOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

Finally, the wait is over.

The River Parishes Jamboree kicks off local prep football action this Thursday in Hahnville with a battle between St. John Parish’s West St. John Rams and East St. John Wildcats.

That match-up pits Class 1A WSJ and 5A ESJ. And with a small squad of less than 40 players on this season’s Rams team, head coach Laury Dupont knows that he has his work cut out for him.

&#8220We’ve only got 11 male seniors enrolled this year,” he said of West St. John’s class of ‘07. &#8220We got eight of them out here on the field, but we’ll get out there and see where we are right now. But that’s okay. There’s nobody that we’re scared to line up against.”

Led this season by returning running back Daron Bartholomew, the Rams are a squad with a much different look than last year’s squad that reached the playoff quarterfinals.

Gone are starters Nathan Weir, Jordan August, Josh Roussel Gordan Pierre, Kendall Harris and Joseph Thomas. This year’s offense

(See JAMBOREE, Page 10A)

sive attack features freshman quarterback Dray Joseph lining up in the back field with Bartholomew. Together, with Carday Barnes and Raynard Thomas in the slotback position, WSJ will be facing up against a stout ESJ defense.

Boasting one of the top linebacker prospects in the state in Stafoin Francois, the Wildcats are again a pick to reach far into the post-season.