High school football is back Expect expanded coverage ahead

If there was an emoji to sum up the offseason for high school football, ?mind blown? would be apt. 
 
With regard to the change of class management and distribution. For the transfers. For the NIL news. Works best for the movement of coaches. It is for that reason that we run around like headless chicken in euphoria when today’s first fall practice knocks on the door. 
 
Yes, football is back. So what's new? Well, everything. 
 
Baker, with 2020 state champion Matt Brunson back as the coach, is the only area 1R SC team from among the new classification change that swapped the metro and suburban grouping system for 1A-7A and rural classification. 
 
Rocky Bayou has left the umbrella of FHSAA, as for Destin it is independent as well. Freeport, South Walton, and Walton compete with the district 1-2A while the heated rivalry between Choctaw and Fort Walton Beach escalates in 4A. Niceville is the lone 5A school on an island and Crestview and a Garrett Bagley-led Navarre are district opponents in 6A. 
 
Speaking of new homes, Choctaw has several transfers, none could be as significant as Auburn bound Dante Core from Fort Walton Beach and the Reese brothers from Niceville. Niceville, however, is not looking backward at the defeats after embodying the top running backs in the area in Eddie Love Jr. , a transfer from Fort Walton Beach, and Connor Mathews, a transfer from Navarre. 
 
If that was not enough, NIL has now extended to the prep level with student-athletes permitted to be paid for their name, image, and likeness. Offseason has perhaps never been as busy as it has been this time. Monday was a day when all was kicked off. 
 
Guaranteed, no one has been waiting for the season to begin more than I have now that there have been no games in 2020 This, is my 17th season of high school football, starting back in 2008 with a Smith-Cotton team from Sedalia, Missouri that scored 49 points in the first quarter alone. The first game that I will be calling is Niceville vs South Sumter on the 23rd of August at the Eagle Stadium will be my 250th game. I can hardly wait. 
 
I have served for 13 years in this place and have produced nine football tabs and many season previews. I have primarily written football with Brandon Walker, Travis Mewhirter, Devon Golden, Josh Hyber, Sam Grubenhoff, and Lorenzino Estrada at my side and the pictures of Nick Tomecek, Devin Ravine and recently Michael Snyder to capture the moments. 
 
This year, the goal for prep football coverage is clear: As many names should be printed in the paper as it is possible. Not the Dandy Dozen by 2024 it will be twenty-four. Instead of highlighting the specialty positions, we'll take a look at the names to watch for every key position: Quarterback Qb, running back rb, wide receiver wr, offensive line ol, defensive line dl, linebacker lb, defensive back db and the kicker K yes w’ll even give some love to the snapper. 
 
It will start with preseason player of the year polls and a list of fearless predictions for the area. Daily, there will be tens of video interviews and photo galleries. In other words, this preseason will be anything but starved for football content. Let's have some fun.