There’s just something about the start of the high school football season.

Maybe it’s the smell of the fresh cut grass or the smell of something special cooking up on the grill.

Regardless of which high school football stadium you travel to next week for the start of the season, you’re just about assured to run into someone you know. Better yet, you’re just about assured to run into someone you haven’t seen in years.

In the South, in many communities our size, the social calendar during the fall surrounds small stadiums that surround the same size field.

In each community — regardless of economic means or racial breakdown — the field is the same size and the rules the children play by are nearly as identical.

In addition to the rules, the field and the atmosphere, the stands — regardless of where you are — are filled with proud parents, doting grandparents and small children playing their own football game behind the stands, more times than not, using a crumpled up cup as a football.

Yep. There’s just something about the start of the high school football season.

Luckily for us in the Black Belt — unlike many other places in Alabama — our passion for sports is not limited, or displayed, during the football season.

Show up on a mid-season Tuesday night in December at any high school gymnasium and you might find as many people crammed indoors as were there for a early season football game, played outdoors.

All of this goes to show that we live in a special area with special passions. Regardless if our children attend the smallest school or academy in the county or go to the largest school, we all start the season undefeated; we all start the season with high hopes.

Make sure to go out to a local stadium this season, support our children — those who play on the field, march in the band, cheer on the sidelines or run water to the players during timeouts — you just might find someone you haven’t seen in years.

And, even if you don’t, you’ll at least have a great time in the process.