Eight Teams Set for 9th Annual Moncks Corner Lions Club Football Jamboree
Football season is almost back, and Berkeley County is getting an early taste of Friday night lights.
The 9th Annual Moncks Corner Lions Club Football Jamboree returns Friday, August 14, 2026, bringing eight high school football programs to Berkeley High School for four preseason matchups.
Gates are scheduled to open at 5 p.m., with football beginning at 6 p.m. at Berkeley High School in Moncks Corner. Berkeley High Athletics has officially listed this year’s jamboree for August 14.
This year’s field is bigger than the six-team lineup used in 2025, giving fans a chance to see programs from across the Lowcountry and Pee Dee before the regular season gets underway.
2026 Moncks Corner Football Jamboree Matchups
Four matchups are scheduled for Friday night:
Game 1: Andrews vs. Stratford
Game 2: Philip Simmons vs. Colleton County
Game 3: Goose Creek vs. Timberland
Game 4: South Florence vs. Berkeley
The matchups were announced in July by the Moncks Corner Lions Club and have also been reported locally ahead of the ninth annual event.
That lineup gives the jamboree a mix of Berkeley County programs and visiting teams, while the final two matchups provide especially interesting early-season tests.
Goose Creek and Timberland Meet Again
Goose Creek and Timberland won’t be unfamiliar with one another when they step onto the field Friday.
The two programs met in a preseason scrimmage earlier this week, with Goose Creek coming away with a 22-13 result. They’ll get another look at each other only days later at the Moncks Corner jamboree.
Timberland enters the season coming off a 9-3 campaign in 2025, while both programs will use Friday’s shortened action as another opportunity to evaluate players before games begin counting in the standings.
Berkeley Gets a Strong Test Against South Florence
Host Berkeley will close out the jamboree against South Florence.
Both programs enter the preseason with some expectations attached.
High School Sports Report’s July 29 preseason rankings placed Berkeley No. 10 in Class 5A and South Florence No. 6 in Class 4A.
That makes the night’s final matchup an intriguing early measuring stick for the Stags in front of their home crowd.
Stratford Gets Two Quarters to Prepare
Like most jamborees, Friday isn’t designed to replicate a full regular-season football game.
Stratford coach Dennie McDaniel recently said his Knights will have two quarters of action at the jamboree and that the goal is to make those quarters as game-like as possible while cleaning up mistakes ahead of the season.
Stratford is coming off a 10-win 2025 season that included a trip to the third round of the playoffs, but the Knights are replacing several starters entering 2026.
Their matchup with Andrews will provide one of their final competitive tune-ups before the regular season begins.
A Moncks Corner Football Tradition
The Lions Club jamboree has become an annual part of the preseason football calendar in Berkeley County.
Last year’s event featured Stratford, Timberland, Goose Creek, Andrews, Philip Simmons and Berkeley, with each matchup consisting of two quarters.
The jamboree has also provided a community gathering around Berkeley County football. In 2024, six teams participated at Berkeley High, with Stratford, Goose Creek and Berkeley each leaving with victories.
For the ninth edition, the field has expanded to eight programs and four matchups.
What to Know Before You Go
The 9th Annual Moncks Corner Lions Club Football Jamboree takes place:
📅 Friday, August 14, 2026
🚪 Gates open: 5 p.m.
🏈 Football begins: 6 p.m.
📍 Berkeley High School — 406 W. Main St., Moncks Corner, SC 29461
🎟️ Admission: $10 per person, cash only at the gate
👧 Children 5 and under: Free
The event flyer also states that SCHSL passes will be accepted, while Berkeley County senior citizen passes and BCSD employee badges will not be accepted for admission.
Elementary and middle school students must be accompanied by an adult, and BCSD’s clear bag/no bag policy will be enforced. Weapon screening is also expected at stadium entrances.
Those security and admission policies are consistent with the procedures Berkeley County School District published for the 2025 jamboree.
Friday Night Football Is Back Around Charleston
The Moncks Corner jamboree won’t be the only major preseason showcase happening Friday.
The Dorchester County Showdown is also scheduled for August 14 at Ashley Ridge High School, featuring Ashley Ridge, Summerville, Fort Dorchester and Woodland.
Between the two events, football fans around the Charleston area will have an early opportunity to see 12 different high school programs in action on the same Friday night.
In Moncks Corner, the spotlight belongs to eight teams, four matchups and another year of a community football tradition.
Who are you pulling for Friday night?
