COVID-19 aside, NJ high school football is ready for the season

If you listen to my show for any amount of time over the years, you know that I am not a football fan. But what you may not know is that I think that high school football season is one of the most magical times of the year.

Growing up, my family was always felt a sense of camaraderie around football season since we were a community minded family. It wasn’t even about the love of the game as much as it was about the excitement and the competition. I remember sitting in the stands at Asbury Park High School watching our Blue Bishops play our arch rival, Neptune High School.

You can’t even compare that experience to watching an NFL game, to which you have no emotional connection. NJ has always been nuts about HS football, ao it feels surreal that after last year, you can finally spend a Friday night screaming amongst your friends in the stands.

While teams may have had a year off from competing, that doesn’t mean they skipped out on practicing. Jersey is home to some of the most motivated players in the country, and they are ready to dominate the field.

Another huge component of football is college. Many of these players are hoping to receive scholarships and credibility this year, and there is no doubt the competition will be fierce.

In addition to getting to play on the field, all five conferences will continue playing this season, meaning regionals are back on.

Friends and family members who don’t even bother to catch an NFL football game say that they love HS school football.

I’m not even a football fan per se, but driving by the local high school this morning announcing football tryouts got me excited for the sense of community that high school football brings. It’s always made me very nostalgic.

High School football has always excited a lot of New Jerseyans more than pro games because the players can be even more competitive. These players have only gotten taller and stronger over the years and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.

Now, you may be wondering how your local team may be doing, or what exactly the season is going to look like. This information can all be easily in your local newspaper.

With sixteen division titles being given out this fall, there are plenty of games to tune into, and plenty of players to become a fan of.

This generation of athletes is some of the best America has seen and New Jerseyans look forward to all of the coverage they will get this fall.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco. Any opinions expressed are Judi Franco’s own.