High school football scrimmages always serve as great appetizers for the coming season. But when the scrimmages involving area teams get rolling next week, the level of talent expected to participate will turn the weekend into a full-course meal of pigskin.

At the Smithfield-Selma-hosted Spartanfest ‘08 on Aug. 14, as many as 10 Division I prospects will be in action, including the Spartans’ highly-rated duo of Justin Dixon and D.J. Bunn, who are both ranked in the top-25 in the state and have committed to North Carolina.

Others expected are Duke recruits and Durham Hillside standouts Desmond Scott and Corey Gattis and Southern Durham top prospects A.J. Marshal and Reese Wiggins.

The Spartans will host six teams in the event: West Johnston, Hillside, Southern Durham, Northern Durham, Fuquay-Varina and Middle Creek. West will be in action for the first time under new head coach Bennett Jones.

The action begins at 6 p.m. and admission is $5 per person.

North Johnston will hold a 10-team jamboree on Friday, Aug. 15, which includes Johnston County rivals South Johnston and Princeton. Among the most notable of other entrants will be defending 1-AA state champion James Kenan. Sanderson, Wilson Beddingfield, C.B. Aycock, Eastern Wayne, Rosewood and Southern Nash will also be in action.

South Johnston, which is coming off of a 10-2 season and the Cape Fear Valley 3-A Conference championship, will also participate in scrimmages at Northern Nash on Aug. 12 and at Rocky Mount on Aug. 14.

Clayton is in the Pigskin Preview at Wake Forest-Rolesville High School on Friday, Aug. 15. The Comets are in the 8-10 p.m. group of the 12-team event, matching up with the host Cougars and Leesville Road.