Nagata jamboree stays on Thursday

The Joe Nagata Memorial Jamboree committee planned to hold the 2014 jamboree on Friday night, Aug. 29.
The St. Landry Parish jamboree is also scheduled for that night - which forced a change of plans.
Eunice High principal Mitch Fontenot said St. Landry Parish School Board athletic director Jerome Robinson informed him that neither Port Barre or Eunice High would be allowed to split their squads or staff between the two jamborees on the same night.
“We have to live by the superintendent’s wishes,” Fontenot said. “They feel it will split the fan bases and be a disservice the parish jamboree.
“They want to keep the parish jamboree viable.”
The committee discussed of the possibility of moving the Nagata jamboree to Saturday which would go against the opening weekend of college football.
But in the end, the group voted to hold the Joe Nagata Memorial Jamboree on Thursday, Aug. 28 at St. Edmund.
St. Edmund will take on Port Barre at 6 p.m. followed by Eunice High - DeRidder at 7:30 p.m.
The assistant coaches who were on staff at Eunice High and St. Edmund with Coach Nagata will be honored at this year’s jamboree.
Nagata spent 1963 to 1973 at EHS with a 52-47-6 record with the Bobcats.
Nagata then moved on to St. Eds, where he remained until 1985, compiling an 83-43-1 record.
Nagata finished his career with a 135-90-7 record, including six district titles, four district runners-up, and led the Blue Jays to the Class 1-A runners-up in 1978 and 1979.
Nagata was the district Coach of the Year five times, St. Landry Parish Coach of the Year three times, LHSAA Class 1-A Coach of the Year in 1979, the LHSCA Coach of the year in 1981 and was Eunice’s Citizen of the Year in 1978.