Fall-ing for football

Just when you thought summer couldn't get any more quiet, then you hear the sound of shoulder pads crunching in the distance.

The high school football season is just around the corner, and right before it is football practice. Football is a sport like no other, how that the season compliments the sport as much as the sport compliments the season. I believe everyone likes the long-forgotten feeling of the brisk fall air hitting us on an overcast night, and there are three noises that let you know it is here:

-The ring of a school bell.
-The sounds of birds squawking overhead as they fly south for the winter.
-The crunch of a shoulder pad.

And there is nothing better than when we stand there on a Friday night and just feel it hit us. The brisk air swirls around us as birds fly overhead, the high school band cranks out its fight song, and young Jimmy and ol' Terry fist dollars over the concession stand counter for nachos. And then the team runs on the field.

It really is a magical sports season, unlike no other. You likely already know that my favorite sport is baseball, and spring is a great time for the same reason, but it still doesn't hold up to football in the Fall.

Get ready for an exciting upcoming football season in Moultrie County. Arthur-Lovington coach Dale Schuring is up to his same tricks, carving out a disciplined football team, and Sullivan-Okaw Valley fans are eager to see their new coach, Nate Lorton, in action. Lorton is happy to be here in Sullivan and he tells me he and his family feel welcome, which is great. After working with him after a few training camps this summer, it is obvious to me that he is very much an X's and O's kind of guy, and stresses a lot on the little things, rather than the flashy, and that's what is going to help build a winning program.

I'm sure I'm not alone here, but I can't wait for this season to get started already.