By KYLER ROWDEN-STUM
Tiger Media Network
The lights were on, and the energy was high.
That was the atmosphere Friday night as Thomas More Prep-Marian hosted its football jamboree at Fort Hays State University’s Lewis Field Stadium, bringing together area schools for a final tune-up before the 2025 season begins.
The jamboree gave teams the chance to run plays against live competition without the pressure of a full game. Other schools taking part included Plainville, Ellsworth and Larned.
TMP Activities Director Drew Labertew said the event is especially valuable for smaller programs.
“It’s a great way to get area teams together and put on a little scrimmage,” he said. “Especially as smaller schools, you have a tough time scrimmaging against each other sometimes with the numbers you have out for football. This is a way to go good on good and try to get some good looks before we kick off the season next week.”
For TMP, the night was about more than just sharpening the varsity squad.
Head coach Grant Stephenson said the jamboree allowed him to see contributions across the roster.
“We have a varsity and a JV session, so that gives us the ability to not only analyze our varsity players, but also see some of the guys that we haven’t gotten many looks at in practice,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity for both the varsity and the JV.”
On the field, the Monarchs showed flashes of what could make them dangerous this fall. Stephenson highlighted the defensive effort as a bright spot.
“I thought our defense did phenomenal,” he said. “They flew around and tackled well. I was really, really happy with the way the defense played tonight.”
With eight seniors on the roster, TMP is leaning on veteran leadership as the regular season approaches.
Labertew and Stevenson agreed that staying healthy will be key to making a strong run this year. Injuries hampered key players last fall for the Monarchs.
TMP opens its season at 7 p.m. Thursday against Russell at Lewis Field Stadium in Hays.
This story was written as part of INF 322: Sports Writing, a course in the Department of Informatics at Fort Hays State University.