If you’re like me, this time of year you start pining for crisp fall air and the melodies from the marching bands.

Whether it’s baseball or hockey each opening night provides its own thrills and chills, but there is something different about football.

Here in the South, football is king.  Whether you’re a fan of high school, college or professional, football can be a year-round obsession. Starting in the spring, high school and college squads hold spring practice giving fans like us just enough to hold us over until the middle of summer.

Once August hits, teams are on the field preparing for what they hope is a successful season.

As a child it, was this time of year that made me the most excited. Knowing teams were on the field was like looking at gifts under a Christmas tree that weren’t to be opened until Christmas morning.

I would spend hours on team websites and watching preview shows just trying to get a big enough bite to hold me over until the next day.

In school, my friends would compare schedules and argue whose favorite team was going to have the best season. It always ended in a stalemate.

After a few short weeks of school, the excitement intensified, and high school football was here. Players donned their jerseys and cheerleaders their uniforms. During the final hour of day you would pack the gym for the pep rally where you would hear how hard the boys worked this summer and how much it would mean to them if you came out to show our support.

The fight song blared, the team broke through the sign and we were under way.

And once the excitement of high school opening night came and went it was time for some college football.

Opening day of the college football season always began sitting on the couch watching College Gameday on ESPN, as Lee Corso dawned the headgear of the team he thought would win the big game.

Despite my mom’s disappointment, instead of doing chores around the house, my day was full of watching Minnesota, Alabama, Auburn and Troy on a weekly basis.

Even though I am now older and I can’t spend time watching every football game, I still get anxious this time of year. Troy kicks off their season in less than three weeks and the Pike Patriots officially gets the season underway tomorrow night. Charles Henderson, Pike County, Goshen and Zion Chapel high schools will follow in the coming weeks.

I can already imagine the crisp fall air and the sounds of marching bands welcoming their teams on the field. Football is here.