The rain may have cancelled most of the jamborees scheduled for the weekend, but the West Lincoln Bears were still able to suit up for their games against the Magee  Trojans and Collins Tigers Friday.

The Bears took the field against the second units of both teams for two quarters and head coach Charlie Jackson said he felt like his team performed well.
The Bears tied with Magee and defeated the Tigers 8-0. Jackson said he saw a lot of good things from his team in the game, but that his defense especially impressed him.

“Defensively, we did really well,” he said. “We had a lot of guys getting after it and really pursuing the ball.”

Primetime 23 receiver Chase Owen and linebacker Julian Anderson stood out for the defensive unit.
Owen caught an interception and Anderson was in on several tackles for the Bears.

Though the games were not rained out, the weather still played a factor in the jamboree as Jackson said his team struggled to handle the wet footballs during the games.

“We need to improve our ball handling, snaps, and things like that, but of course that stuff comes with having to deal with a wet ball,” he said.

Jackson said he saw positives from his offensive unit as well as they battled the elements.

“Our offensive line has gotten a lot better,” he said. “Fundamentally, they are making better steps.”

Le’Darrius Jones stood out for the offense as he registered the team’s lone touchdown on a short reception he managed to turn into a big play. Owen reeled in the two-point conversion for the Bears.

Despite the strides Jackson saw his team make in the jamboree, he said they still have some things to improve on.
“We have to work on tackling,” he said. “A few times there were guys in position, but they missed tackles.But, all in all we had a good day and we made it out of these games without injuries. There wasn’t anything that happened that is not fixable.”

With the jamboree in the books, Jackson and his team will prepare for the first week of the regular season.
The Bears open the 2016 season Friday with a visit to Mt. Olive.