Pads are poppin' all around the Mountain State. Pumpkin-spiced products are already on the shelves of grocery stores. Folks, football season is here.
The high school season opens in just over a week with Riverside at Capital here in the Kanawha Valley. The colleges get underway a week later. If you're a football fan, there are some must-see games inside our state's borders this season. Here are 10 that caught my eye, although some days have multiple options. Plan travel accordingly.
Friday, Sept. 4 - Wheeling Park at Bridgeport
Week 2 of the prep football season is loaded with marquee games. Two-time Class AA defending state champion Bridgeport hosts 2014 Class AAA quarterfinalist Wheeling Park, and it should be a dandy. Park has won the last two meetings - 17-14 in 2013 at Bridgeport and 14-10 last season in Wheeling - and that is notable because they stand as Bridgeport's only losses the past two seasons. Yep, the Indians are 26-0 against all other competition the past two seasons. This game will also have standout players Savion Johnson, a Park running back who missed last season with a knee injury, and Dylan Tonkery, Bridgeport's running back who is verbally committed to play football at WVU.
Friday, Sept. 4 - Capital at South Charleston
This is a rematch of December's Class AAA state championship game, a 55-15 win by Capital. In fact, the Cougars outscored cross-county rival SC by a score of 100-36 over eight quarters last season. Those games were on Capital's turf during the regular season and in Wheeling, and this season's Week 2 matchup is at South Charleston High School. Capital is still loaded without Kennedy Award winner Kashuan Haley, with WVU pledge Tyrhee Pratt at quarterback and linebacker Dorian Etheridge, who has been offered by WVU, back to anchor the defense. The Black Eagles have senior quarterback Kentre Grier, the 2014 Gatorade Player of the Year in West Virginia, and versatile Derrek Pitts, a 4-star prep prospect who has scholarship offers from the likes of Auburn, Clemson, Louisville, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee and WVU. Expect to see plenty of college recruiters on hand to watch the top two Class AAA teams in the Gazette-Mail's preseason poll.
Sunday, Sept. 6 - Purdue at Marshall
The unusual Sunday afternoon placement on Fox Sports 1 is a bonus for those who can't make the game, but those who attend will see the first-ever Big Ten Conference team to visit Huntington for a football game. Purdue is also a Power Five conference team, something that lacked from Marshall's oft-criticized 2014 slate. The Thundering Herd could make a run at the Top 25 again this season, and that could be buoyed by a good home win to open the season.
Saturday, Sept. 12 - Charleston at Shepherd
If a team is going to knock Concord off its Mountain East Conference perch, it might be UC or Shepherd. The Golden Eagles were picked third in the preseason MEC poll, and the Rams were voted second. The winner here will have the upper hand in the MEC race. UC lost this matchup 24-15 in Charleston last season. This year's game will be played at Ram Stadium in Shepherdstown, and should set the stage for a heavyweight matchup later in the season.
Saturday, Sept. 26 - Maryland at West Virginia
The Mountaineers don't have to leave their home state during the month of September, and the border rivalry with Maryland should be the best of those three non-conference games. WVU could enter October undefeated if it can continue its dominance of the Terps. Maryland has lost eight of nine in the series, including last season's 40-37 decision that ended with a game-winning 47-yard field goal as time expired.
Thursday, Oct. 1 - Concord at Charleston
Like the Sunday afternoon Purdue-Marshall matchup, this non-traditional date adds a little spice. If UC can navigate September unscathed, it'll welcome the defending league champions and preseason title pick Concord for a game under the lights at University of Charleston Stadium. Remember: Concord finished the 2014 regular season 10-0 and won by an average margin of 28 1/2 points. UC lost 24-20 on the road, and it took a go-ahead touchdown inside of two minutes left in the game for the Mountain Lions to survive. This should be a wild rematch.
Saturday, Oct. 10 - Oklahoma State at West Virginia
The Mountaineers' Big 12 schedule has five road dates and four home games, with the top three teams in the league's preseason poll - TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma - all avoiding trips to Morgantown. That makes Oklahoma State the top conference opponent to visit the Mountain State this season. The Cowboys were picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 - two spots ahead of WVU - and have a two-game losing streak in the series. Remember the last time Oklahoma State visited Morgantown? The Cowboys entered as the No. 11-ranked team, but lost 30-21.
Saturday, Oct. 10 - Cabell Midland at Huntington
Marshall hosts Southern Miss on Friday, Oct. 9, so this game was moved to Saturday. It features teams that collided in last season's Class AAA quarterfinals, a 28-21 win by Huntington. They split for the season, though, as Midland won 31-26 in the regular-season clash. They're predicted to be even again, as Huntington was voted No. 5 in the Gazette-Mail's preseason poll and Cabell Midland just behind at No. 6.
Saturday, Nov. 14 - Florida International at Marshall
This isn't about the quality of the matchup - especially considering the Herd won this by 32 points on the road last season - but it's the date that is significant. Marshall hosts FIU on the 45th anniversary of the crash of Southern Airways Flight 932 in 1970. The plane crash killed all 75 aboard, including 37 members of the Thundering Herd football team. Marshall will host a game on this date for the first time since 2009. Go.
Saturday, Nov. 14 - Texas at West Virginia
The Longhorns make their second-ever trip to Morgantown after having defeated WVU in consecutive seasons. Texas was picked fifth in the Big 12's preseason poll, one spot ahead of the Mountaineers. It took Charlie Strong two seasons to get rolling at Louisville, but expectations are up after a 6-7 season at Texas in 2014.
Now, make a list and hit as many as possible.