MFL MarMac to host regional youth football scrimmage
By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor
Over 1,600 people are expected to converge in Monona on Saturday, Aug. 27, as MFL MarMac hosts a regional youth football scrimmage.
The jamboree, which will begin in early morning and go into the afternoon, is run through the Youth Sports Foundation (YSF), said Jo Berns, with the MFL MarMac Booster Club, who’s helping to organize the event.
“Our fifth and sixth graders play with pads and helmets, and YSF is who we go through to get equipment,” she explained. “They’re also who sets up the schedule.”
Berns said the jamboree scrimmage takes place at the start of each season and rotates around to different communities, with MFL MarMac selected this year.
Twenty-two teams from two different conferences will participate this year, Berns said, including MFL MarMac, of course, along with Elkader, North Fayette Valley, Postville, South Winneshiek, Turkey Valley, Waukon, Cresco, Decorah, New Hampton and Sumner Fredericksburg.
“We’ve set it up to do [games] on the football field,” Berns said, noting that the field will be split in half, with a scrimmage on each side, allowing four teams to play at once. “Another scrimmage area will be on the practice field.”
Berns said each team will play twice. Some schools have two teams, including MFL MarMac.
“We have enough for two teams,” she said. “There are 34 kids out.”
Both teams are assured to play twice, without having to scrimmage against one another, she mentioned.
Berns said each child pays $100 to participate for the whole season, with regular games held on Sundays. The Booster Club kicks in another $50 apiece, which is earned through fundraisers.
“[The jamboree] will be a good opportunity for the Booster Club to earn some money,” Berns shared.
She said Monona restaurants have also been notified about the extra influx of people.
“Hopefully people will visit some of our businesses,” she added.
