WHEELING, W.Va. — While it’s true the calendar tells us that fall doesn’t begin until Sept. 23, here in the Ohio Valley we have our own official reminder.
The leaves have yet to turn and the weather may still produce sweat from our bodies, but the return of high school football Thursday night in Steubenville kicks it off for many folks up and down both sides of the Ohio River.
A month’s worth of work in the August sun will culminate for Steubenville, Cleveland JFK, Toronto and Wellsville, when they take to the Harding Stadium turf tomorrow night. The majority of Ohio Valley Athletic Conference schools get under way the following night.
With the return of football comes The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register’s 2015 Football Preview, which will appear in Thursday’s editions. The huge volume is chock-full of previews of any team you may root for. It’s 140 pages of information overload that includes in-depth breakdowns of every OVAC team including predicted finish, as well as West Liberty, Bethany, West Virginia University, Ohio State, Ohio University, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Penn State and Marshall. In addition, there are conference previews – including predicted order of finish – for the Mountain East, Big 12, Big 12, ACC, Conference USA and SEC.
In simpler terms, it’s the most comprehensive magazine you will find anywhere, not just in West Virginia, but the entire tri-state region. The West Virginia Press Association agreed, as the 2014 edition was named the top special section in Division 1, which includes the largest newspapers in the Mountain State.
With that designation comes a certain level of responsibility, and we’re more than willing to live up to the billing. We’ll follow up the most comprehensive preview with the area’s top coverage during the season.
Many have referred to our publication as the “Bible of High School Football,” noting that it’s a magazine they use throughout the season. While that may be a bit much, we hope that you not only enjoy the preview but use it as a point of reference during the fastest 10 weeks on the calendar.
Buckle up.
Football is back.
To read more from The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register, subscribe here.