Turn on the Friday night lights
 

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ASHEVILLE — This morning, about 1,000 teenagers woke up with that special tingle, the realization that opening night is just hours away.

The anticipation that has been building since last autumn is over, the hours of offseason work put in, four weeks of preseason practice in oppressive heat completed, tonight the sacrifices pay off.
High school football, played around here for about 100 years, kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
A total of 29 Western North Carolina teams will play in 18 games that count — no more jamborees or scrimmages, these go down as a win or loss after 48 minutes of conflict.
Today, all players, coaches and fans climbed out of bed unbeaten and not scored upon, dreams of what could have been not yet replaced by the cruel reality that some will be outplayed by others.
The end of one season erases records and memories for those who would prefer to forget and look hopefully ahead to better times.
Right now, Enka and North Buncombe believe they can be as good as Asheville and Reynolds, Cherokee thinks it can unseat Murphy and Swain.
Every team has questions to answer, goals to achieve, injuries to avoid, destinies to define.
Band members by the thousands, cheerleaders by the hundreds are also ready to provide their services to the games.
The tubas will gleam under bright lights dimmed since last year, as shiny as the wide smiles of the girls with ribbons in their hair and temporary patch tattoos on their faces dancing on the tracks surrounding the fields.
Fans will gather, reverting to their habitual Friday night routines of mid-August to early November, the weekend starting with traditions performed last year and to be repeated again next season.
Even the weather recognizes the change from summer to football — the last couple of days offering a hint of cooler breezes, a reminder that soon blankets will be part of the pregame packing plan for mom.
The helmets have been polished, the shoes cleaned, the uniforms washed, eagerly awaiting the scratches, tears and grass stains inflicted as soon as that first whistle blows.
Teams will warm up on immaculate fields with catchy tunes blaring from press boxes, as fans file in, buying their tickets, programs and 50-50 raffles.
The talk will be of new quarterbacks and coaches, returning players who look bigger and stronger with another year on them, the belief that this is the “wait till next year” season when the balls bounce our way, when referees’ calls and coaching decisions all fall in our favor.
Some will be satisfied or even overjoyed with what they see, others will quickly slip into the “it’s too early to tell” or “it’s just the first game” mode as the fumbles, interceptions and missed tackles start adding up to defeat.
Either way, they will cheer.
Win or lose, buoyant or dejected, the important role this weekly four-month ritual plays in our lives is back, and it feels good, feels right.
Time to play ball.

Scrimmage game tonight. The way things are shaping up it's going to be a perfect evening (check local listings).

Season opens next Friday (8/24) in Illinois.

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My first clinic and scrimmage are tomorrow.

My uniform arrived yesterday. It's like waiting for Christmas.

Have fun with that! And get your damn whistle out of your mouth, you basketball official, you!

+1

I had a scrimmage last night that was very brief and a scrimmage this morning. Then it is on next week with a rivalry match-up. Been talking football since early June (camps and classes) I am really ready to get it on.

Peace

HL -- you guys starting GAMES already?? Middle of August is way too early in my view for games, but...

We started some scrimmages yesterday -- I had one in the morning. Most every team has one next week then the season starts the week after. Its raining today, which has cooled us off quite a bit. I hope, but I'm not terribly optimistic, that the 100 degree days are gone for the year.

Yeah, I know. NC has played with the schedule several times of the last 15 years. Our state finals used to coincide with the NC-SC Shrine Bowl weekend in December so that was one move to avoid that, then we added an extra round of playoffs so there's another week up. An 11th endowment game is available to schools if the school agrees to kick a percentage over to the state endowment fund.

Add in the basketball coaches were miffed that some of their players were still rambling through the playoffs and we now start in mid-August, a full two weeks earlier than when I was in school.

We have no spring practice season in NC but they can hold summer workouts and 7 v. 7 scrimmages. The practice season used to officially start on 8/1 but the state has modified it some to fit the calendar from year to year so they don't practice one day and then have to take off for Sunday. Inter squad scrimmages can begin on the 11th practice day.

The last official week used to be the first Friday in November but we're in Round 1 of the playoffs now.

I worked a clinic yesterday (beautiful weather in the high 70's), and have 2 scrimmages this coming week.

First game the last Friday of August! Excited is an understatement.

Had a regular season game the other night. So good to be on the field but it does seem early.

First game in the books on Friday night, almost Saturday morning. 98 minute weather delay had us walking off the field at 1145 pm.

Lightning?

Yep, then waited a little longer for the downpour to let up.

Scrimmages are going this week, Zero Week is next week.

Maybe it's all the summer baseball I've been doing, but its still too warm in my mind for football. Not that it's any different in this part of the country but I don't feel ready for football to start.