From Murphy to Manteo, from Waynesville to Wilmington, and all points in between, players, coaches, and fans are all preparing for this week’s opening games of the 2021 prep football season.

The excitement level is at a fever pitch as most schools are playing fall football for the first time since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic that halted action for many states in 2020. While we were able to play a shortened 2021 spring football season, in many areas the excitement just wasn’t there as most fans were unable to attend games in-person due to state-mandated attendance regulations.

While COVID-19 numbers are steadily creeping up, and we’re seeing spikes in hospitalizations across the state and the nation, the season is still taking place. However, at this moment, ten high school programs in North Carolina have been forced to pause practices and enter the COVID protocol.

While those teams only account for about 2.4 percent of all programs in the state, they aren’t programs that are clustered closely together in the same city, they represent the mountains, the Piedmont, and coastal regions.

The one thing that I feel is a constant with this upcoming season will be change and adaptation. We’re already seeing schedules change and coaches reach out to schedule new opponents on the fly. I feel that this is something that will continue as it’s highly likely that more teams will be temporarily forced out of action due to the virus.

Now to some more exciting news, it’s a brand-new season. Everyone is undefeated, everyone has a chance, and everyone has dreams and visions of going to the state championships. The road to the playoffs will begin on Thursday as the action officially kicks off the season.

We are lucky to have some incredible games taking place in this opening week. I applaud the head coaches and athletic directors for aggressively scheduling some incredible non-conference opponents. These great games that we’re going to be treated to are going to make for an awesome start to the season.

Whether you are in the mountains, the coast, or somewhere in between, there are great games everywhere. It’s also amazing to see the season kickoff in the newly renovated Memorial Stadium, which sits right in the heart of Uptown Charlotte. It’s one of the crown jewel locations for some of the best prep games ever played in this state.

So go out, buy a ticket, and support your local teams. I encourage everyone to arrive early, of course, bring a mask if you need to, but go buy a t-shirt or hat from the boosters, order dinner for the family at the concession stands, and do whatever you can to help these schools because they need the money and support. Do it for the kids!

And remember, I still contend that High School Football is the best entertainment value for a family that there is. Even if ticket prices were to rise to $8 or above, it is still cheaper than going to the movies!

Here’s a look at the Top-25 games of Week 1.

Chambers at Cardinal Gibbons

Hough vs. Myers Park (Thursday)

Richmond County at Mount Tabor

Clayton at Grimsley

Mallard Creek at Butler

Eastern Alamance at Eastern Randolph

Charlotte Christian at Weddington

Tarboro at Rocky Mount

Charlotte Catholic vs. South Mecklenburg (Thursday)

Terry Sanford at Glenn

Wake Forest at Southern Durham

Pisgah at Crest

Jacksonville at Southwest Onslow

A.C. Reynolds at West Forsyth

Shelby at Kings Mountain

East Lincoln at Hibriten

Chase at Mountain Heritage

Western Alamance at Reidsville

Draughn at Thomas Jefferson

Lee County at Northwood

Monroe at Marvin Ridge

Asheville at Robbinsville

Wallace-Rose Hill at East Bladen

Havelock at Croatan