The hottest days of summer are (hopefully) behind us, school is back in session or about to be for local students, and some day in the not-too-distant future, leaves will be falling and the season will be changing.

That can only mean one thing, besides the onslaught of pumpkin spice and Halloween decorations in all the stores — football is back in season.

Nansemond-Suffolk Academy already has kicked its season off with a disappointing loss to North Cross School, but the Saints and Coach Mike Biehl are looking forward to the rest of their schedule and looking to reach the state championship.

All three of the public schools get in action this Friday.

Lakeland High School will be under new leadership, with Joe Jones, a former assistant coach at the vaunted Oscar Smith High School program. The Cavaliers will be looking to redeem themselves from last year’s 2-8 record but still face an uphill battle as the smallest team in their district.

The King’s Fork High School Bulldogs will also be under new direction, that of Coach Kermit Buggs, most recently of Old Dominion University’s coaching squad. King’s Fork hopes to knock off enough teams to get back to the postseason as well and notch a winning season.

The Nansemond River High School Warriors come in under a second-year coach, Justin Conyers. They had an 8-5 record last year and are expecting more success this year.

For more information on local teams, check out the special section inserted in today’s paper with full schedules, games to watch and more.

Whichever team you cheer for this fall, we encourage you simply to get out there and support local sports. It’s a great way to build community spirit, boost schools and local youth, and enjoy the autumn air with one of autumn’s favorite pastimes.

Go teams!