NEC-GBL jamboree on for next Friday

EVERETT – Both English and Classical will be at Everett Stadium Friday, Aug. 29, for the first-ever Greater Boston League-Northeastern Conference football jamboree.The eight teams involved will play two 12-minute quarters each.The GBL, with the departure of Cambridge this year, is down to four teams, and they will all be represented. The NEC, on the other hand, is back up to 12, with Saugus petitioning for – and receiving – permission to leave the Cape Ann League after a year and be readmitted to the league it belonged for decades.A merger proposal to unite the two leagues failed last year.The evening opens at 5 p.m. with Medford taking on Salem, followed by Somerville vs. English (6), Malden vs. Winthrop (7) and Classical vs. Everett (8).The jamboree works out well for English as its annual Friday-before-Labor Day scrimmage has been discontinued.”It works out well for us,” athletic director Gary Mola said. “When (Everett coach John) DiBiaso called me about it, I jumped at it.”Molea, who is still an assisted at English under Peter Holey, says Somerville will be a good test for the team.”We used to scrimmage them, back in the days when they had that big lineman (Gosder Cherilus, now with the Indianapolis Colts). They’re a tough, rugged team.”Both English and Classical are looking to rebound from tough seasons that saw key players on both sides lose games to injury. Everett is also looking to rebound from a rare year where the Crimson Tide were not in the state Super Bowl. They lost to Central Catholic – the eventual Division 1 winner – in the state semifinal.Although the jamboree will be at Everett this year, Molea hopes it can be at Manning Field – possibly even next ear.”We’re going to try and see if we can get it there,” he said.