Nagata Jamboree will have plenty of local flavor

The Eunice Bobcats and St. Edmund Blue Jays have benefited from hosting the Joe Nagata Memorial jamboree for the past to seasons.
This year promises to be even better with Sacred Heart of Ville Platte and the Notre Dame junior varsity joining in on the festivities.
The third-annual jamboree is set for Aug. 28 at the Bobcat Field.
St. Edmund will face Notre Dame at 6 p.m., while Eunice High will entertain Sacred Heart at 7:30 p.m.
House United chairman Tony Fuselier is excited about this year’s line-up.
“Sacred Heart and Notre Dame both have great fan bases,” Fuselier said. “Eunice is close enough to draw good crowds from both schools.
“We should have a large crowd,” he said. “There are four teams competing who will help build an exceptional jamboree.
“We have a unique setting with the two local schools involved,” Fuselier said. “Now we are adding two premier programs to join this – it is great to see this come together.”
The jamboree was held on Thursday night the first two years but has moved to Friday this year, a factor Fuselier said will have a huge impact.
“It will not be on a school night,” he said. “The attendence from the out of town participants was very low because it was on a school night the first two years.”
Eunice High and St. Edmund will join together for the House United booster club meeting on Aug. 26 at the Northwest Community Center.
The social starts at 6 p.m. with the meeting set for 7 p.m.
The comittee has raised more than $129,000 the first two jamborees, according to Fuselier and both St. Edmund and Eunice High received checks that totalled $45,000.
“It is a great night for the two local athletic programs.” he said.
“We have a very big push the closer we get to the jamboree,” Fuselier said.
“We contact all the past sponsors but we are trying to build a large base of general membership that is $100.
“A general sponsor receives two meal tickets to the House United booster club meeting as well as two tickets to the jamboree.”
If 200 people join, that would generate $20,000 to the jamboree fund.
“We are honoring the past players from Eunice High and St. Ed’s who played for Coach Joe,” Fuselier said. “That should bring in a lot of interest and people.”
Nagata’s former players will be recognized between the two games.
Fuselier said he would be thrilled to see a football field full of former players wearing Bobcat green and Blue Jay blue shirts.
“It will be great to see any former players come back to town,” he said.
“We are thrilled to see St. Edmund and Eunice High benefit from this jamboree,” he said.
“Some thought in the beginning this couldn’t be done but now they are suppporters.
“This is building for a great future for this jamboree,” he said.