High school football season starts tonight as Opelika High School hosts Troup County’s Callaway High School, the first of hundreds of dozens of local games this season.

In Chambers County, Lanett and Valley meet Friday night, and every local school will be back on the gridiron. The start of football season is one of the most anticipated local events of the year, and it’s worth preparing for.

For instance, you know traffic is going to be heavy around local schools on Friday night. We recommend getting to the stadium early, especially if you are attending Lanett-Valley, which figures to be standing room only.

And while that game specifically is between rivals, whatever the final score reads on Friday night, remember that we’re all part of the same community. That’s why it’s important to remain respectful, even in a competitive atmosphere.

It’s important to remember that this is the high school level.  Those are teenagers on the field playing and teenage cheerleaders and band members performing.

None of these coaches are making anything near the seven-figure salary the premier head coaches in the SEC or NFL are raking in. They’re doing it out of the love for the game, and they spend an absurd amount of hours preparing for it each day. The players, cheerleaders and band members are doing it because they have the passion to play and perform, not for any financial compensation.

That’s what makes high school football so great since everybody involved is participating out of love for the game.

Enjoy this season and good luck to all of our local teams. It’s going to be a fantastic season.