By Jim Lockwood
Staff Writer

The board members of the Hooksett Hurricanes Pop Warner football program thought they had everything ready to make this year's second annual Hurricane Kickoff Classic the biggest and best-ever jamboree - and a solid start to the youth football season.

Members of the Hooksett Hurricanes Jr. Midget Pop Warner football team are hard at work during a sit-ups drill at a practice on Thursday, Aug. 11, at Donati Field. All of Hooksett's Pop Warner squads are scheduled to begin another season on the gridiron when the 2005 campaign commences on Sunday, Aug. 21. The Hooksett program is set to host the second annual Hurricanes Kickoff Classic at Donati, with scrimmages beginning at 8 a.m. (Jim Lockwood Photo)

Then came news that many New Hampshire youth football programs were leaving the Pop Warner landscape for American Youth Football.

Many teams scheduled for the event at Donati Field on Sunday, Aug. 21, had to back out.

"The biggest challenge (of planning the event) was the unknown," said Pat Bigg, president of the Hooksett Hurricanes. "You think you plan for everything, and you hope you plan for everything."

Still, there was no way Bigg and the rest of the board could have planned for what transpired this past spring and summer.

Originally, the board thought it might have to host a smaller jamboree than originally anticipated, with 40 of the roughly 60 teams attending.

The Hurricanes already had commitments from the two other New Hampshire teams remaining with Pop Warner - Derry and Hampstead. They also knew several teams from Massachusetts would attend, thanks to the efforts of Hooksett coach Jason Patch, who used to coach in the Bay State.

Late entries from teams like Lawrence and Fitchburg, Mass., ensured this year's jamboree would still be the biggest in the nation, according to Bigg.

Approximately 6,000 people in all are expected to attend.

Even though fans and players associated with specific teams will likely leave after their particular game, parking is expected to be an issue.

This year, shuttle buses will run from Tri-Town Ice Arena and Memorial School.

Sixty-five teams from New Hampshire and Massachusetts representing all Pop Warner divisions are scheduled to compete.

The festivities will begin with Mighty Mite scrimmages at 8 a.m. The Midgets, the last group to take the field, aren't expected to finish until around 9 p.m.

Bigg wondered whether the way everything fell into place was good luck or good planning - or even a little bit of both.

Each team will play about three to four scrimmages, the equivalent of a full game, during the course of the day.

However, scrimmages of 10 offensive plays for each team will only scrape the surface of the event's anticipated highlights.

There will be a silent auction for an autographed Curt Schilling baseball, a life-size cardboard cutout of Johnny Damon, plus New England Patriots pictures.

During the intermissions after each age group finishes playing, there will be performances by the 24 spirit squads scheduled to attend.

Also scheduled to attend is Jon Butler, the national director for Pop Warner and the New England region staff.

"We initially did it because we thought it was fun for the kids," Bigg said of the jamboree. "It would be preparation for the season in a controlled atmosphere."