For the past three weeks, under an unforgiving August sun, they have sharpened their skills in eager anticipation to the start of another season.

Yes….it’s that time of the year, one where a perfectly manicured field of green – complete with crisp white stripes and numbers – becomes alive with the sights and sounds associated with the sport of football.

Beginning Friday, Aug. 23 and hopefully – at least for our local teams – lasting until the green grass turns brown thanks to a killer frost, high school football teams across the Roanoke-Chowan area will welcome the start of the 2019 season. And their fans will as well!

Thanks to the success of many of our local high school teams over the years at the state play-offs – to include several crowned as North Carolina champions – football maintains a powerful presence among the players and fans at all of our schools here in the R-C area.

Friday nights remain special in the hearts and minds of the players, their coaches, and their fans.

When it comes to displaying our loyalty to our favorite teams, we cherish their hard-fought victories and express sadness over bitter losses. We even play the role of armchair quarterbacks on Saturdays through Thursdays, devising ways our teams can perform at a higher level.

When the referee toots his whistle to signal the beginning of the season on Aug. 23, we encourage those reading these words to be seated in the stands of your team of choice and offer encouragement towards victory.

Opening night games in the R-C area include Gates County at Hertford County; Bertie at Riverside; Northampton at Roanoke Rapids; and Northeast/Hobgood at Wayne Christian.

We wish each of our local teams success on the gridiron for 2019.

– The Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald