Believe it or not, it's here.
The high school football season unofficially opened Monday - or at least tried to - with the start of two-a-day practices. Some were delayed or pushed back or had time on the field cut short by lightning in the area. Any sign of lightning is a 30-minute delay under OHSAA rules.
Even with the day being cut short in many instances, it was nice to see coaching staffs back together, orange pylons on the practice field and players getting geared up for the fall of 2010.
It's fun to see returning players, new faces and everyone in between on the opening of two-a-days. It is just a different feel than any other day on the prep calendar. Just like the day after Thanksgiving signifies the beginning of the Christmas season, so Aug. 1 was the unofficial kickoff for this high school football season.
Bring it on, huh?
Some quick thoughts from a day peeking in on camps Monday:
n Mentor was on the field all of 5 minutes in the morning when the lightning flashed and sent everyone running off the turf at the JTO. It was a crowded locker room and a crowded weight room with nowhere else safe to be outside.
n South was forced off the practice field by the weather, and just outside the Athletic Director's office, a tree was struck by lightning Monday morning.
n North coach George Burich gave his team a "brunch" break in the morning to kill time waiting for the weather to pass.
n Riverside coach Dave Bors was hopeful to get a second session in after the storms as the sun came out in Painesville after noon.

- Bill Tilton