The two Bladen County high school football teams will have their first dress rehearsals this week with scrimmages scheduled.
East Bladen is slated to travel to Laurinburg on Friday, Aug. 8 with a series of scrimmages beginning at 6 p.m. Other schools participating are Scotland, Westover, Anson and Union.
West Bladen will participate in the Dennis Miller Jamboree in Bennettsville, South Carolina on Saturday, Aug. 9. The Knights are matched against Atlantic Collegiate at 6 p.m. at McAlpine Stadium. Other contests have West Columbus playing Wilson of Florence, South Carolina at 7 p.m. followed by host Marlboro County, South Carolina playing Northeast Guilford.
East Bladen’s second scrimmage is scheduled Thursday, Aug. 14 against Topsail at 6 p.m. at West Brunswick High School. It’s the first game in the two-day Bash at the Beach. Other scrimmages on opening night have Wallace-Rose Hill vs. New Hanover at 7:15 p.m. and Whiteville vs. Wilmington Ashley at 8:15 p.m.
The schedule for the second day of Bash at the Beach has South Columbus vs. North Brunswick at 5 p.m., South Stanly vs. Wilmington Hoggard at 6:15 p.m., South Brunswick vs. Wilmington Laney at 7:15 p.m. and Northside-Jacksonville vs. West Brunswick at 8:30 p.m.
West Bladen’s second scrimmage is scheduled Friday, Aug. 15 as part of the Sampson County Pigskin Jamboree at Clinton High School. The Knights are matched against Lakewood in the 8 p.m. scrimmage.
Other games in Clinton feature Union vs. Western Harnett at 5 p.m., Hobbton vs. Lejeune at 6 p.m., Midway vs. Triton at 7 p.m. and Clinton vs. James Kenan at 9 p.m.
Both Bladen football teams are scheduled to open the regular season on Friday, Aug. 22. West Bladen will host Pender and East Bladen will play at Heide Trask. Both games have 7 p.m. kickoffs.
In boys’ soccer, the annual Bladen Cup scrimmages are set for Saturday, Aug. 9 at East Bladen High School. There will be six varsity games played on the soccer field and six junior varsity games played on the baseball field.
The East Bladen varsity team plays Purnell Swett at 6:35 p.m. and Whiteville at 8:55 p.m. The Eagles JV squad plays Purnell Swett at 5:30 p.m. and Whiteville at 8 p.m.
The West Bladen boys’ soccer team defeated Lumberton 3-2 on Tuesday in a scrimmage.
The first regular season soccer games are scheduled next week. West Bladen will travel to Union on Monday, Aug. 11. East Bladen will play at South Columbus on Tuesday, Aug. 12.
Volleyball season also opens next week. West Bladen plays at Union on Monday, Aug. 11 and East Bladen at South Columbus on Tuesday, Aug. 12.
First matches for girls’ tennis teams have East Bladen at home against Rosewood on Monday, Aug. 11 and West Bladen at Pine Forest on Tuesday, Aug. 12.