It's not to early for football

Although the weather report says it’s still summer, high school football season is just around the corner.

The 2012 season will actually open next month as the season begins on August 31 and many of the season’s biggest games will actually be played in August.

In Class AAA, August 31 will see Hopewell visiting defending champion Montour, West Allegheny hosting Blackhawk, and New Castle hosting Central Valley in three matchups of former champions.

In Class AA, Beaver Falls will host Riverside in a rematch of a recent WPIAL semifinal and, in a non-section tilt, Ambridge will host Aliquippa in a battle for currently-closed bridge.

In Class A, it’s not the matchups that draw the attention but the coaches making their debuts – although both debuts will occur on Saturday, September 1. South Side’s Glenn McDougal will return to the sidelines after a 10-year absence at Richard Ashcroft Athletic Complex when the Rams host Laurel. It’s not even known yet who will be making their debut with Sto-Rox when the Vikings travel to Shenango that Saturday night. Ron Butschle resigned last week due to family reasons and no successor has yet been named.