Count down to football season has started

I find myself thinking more and more about football season these days.

My spare time is spent planning our upcoming Football 2010 publication. I’ll be talking with our coaches soon about the upcoming deadlines and coordinating all that goes into getting the finished product to press.

I already have the schedules for Baker and Crestview and I’ve got an idea of what games to cover. I’m hoping to see each team play seven times, and that includes the Kickoff Classics that will be played on different nights and the second annual Bulletin Bowl between Crestview and Baker.

I’m even hoping to make a quick trip up the road to Montgomery, Ala., in late September to see some former local players in action when Birmingham-Southern takes on Huntingdon College.

It will be interesting to see how the season unfolds.

There are always more questions than answers going into a season. The teams that find the answers the quickest are the ones that are usually in the hunt for the playoffs.

It is hard to imagine that Baker will go 0-10 again this year. The big question is how improved will the Gators be?

Can Baker contend for the District 1-1A championship? Who will step up a spearhead the Baker offense? Will the Gators find a stopper on defense?

There seem to be fewer questions at Crestview, but things are always wild in a small, but competitive District 2-4A.

The Bulldogs play seven home games this season, and will face district foes and Okaloosa County rivals Fort Walton Beach and Niceville at Jack Foster Stadium.

A strong case could be made that this is the best home schedule the Bulldogs have played in several years.

In addition to visits by the Vikings and the Eagles, Crestview also hosts Baker, West Gadsden, Navarre, Milton and Leon.

The Dawgs travel to Mosley on Oct. 22 for their only district road game.

Crestview will get a couple of early road tests at Tate on Sept. 17 and the following week at Catholic.

By the time Fort Walton Beach comes calling on Oct. 8, everyone should have an idea of how good both the Bulldogs and the Vikings are.

Niceville and Mosley also play Oct. 8 and two teams will emerge as the favorites in the District 2-4A sprint.

At this point in the summer it is too early to start picking the players that could shape the district races. In a military community like this one, there can always be a last-minute transfer that comes in and shakes things up in leading an underdog to victory.

Yes, teams have been working out all summer, but it’s now only three weeks until the official start of practice as allowed by the Florida High School Athletics Association.

Teams can start practice Aug. 9 and go in pads Aug. 12.

In the weeks to come the above questions will be answered.

The best time of the year is almost upon us.

Yes, soon football will arrive.