By Brannon King / For the FCT

After months of anticipation, the 2018 high school football season is finally here.

The players, coaches, cheerleaders and band members have put in many long days of work to prepare for game night in Franklin County, and it’s time for them to take the field in front of parents and fans.

There’s a new sense of excitement surrounding the Russellville program with the hiring of head coach John Ritter. He and his coaching staff will lead the Golden Tigers onto the field at RHS for the first time Friday night for a jamboree game versus the East Limestone Indians.

After weeks of practicing against teammates, the Ritter said the squad is looking forward to lining up against an opponent from another school. “It’s been a long summer and a long fall camp, and we’re very excited to see what we do against somebody else,” said Ritter.

As with any new season, there are always some areas that will need improvement early-on, and a jamboree game in Week 0 can serve as a good opportunity to correct some mistakes before the games start counting for real in Week 1.

Ritter is experienced as a head coach, and he said he knows some mistakes are to be expected, and some assignments will be missed, in the jamboree. With that being said, important things he will be looking for against East Limestone will be how his team communicates the call on both offense and defense and how quickly they are able to line up and make plays.

Fans can expect the Golden Tigers to play at a fast pace with good effort.

The jamboree contest will be the usual four quarters in length, and all of the players dressed out for the game should see plenty of playing time. “We’re going to play the older varsity guys the first quarter, the younger JV guys the second and the third and everybody else, the fourth,” Ritter explained.

As to what Ritter wants to share with the community before the season begins, he has a solid thought in mind: “Let’s set the tone for 2018 in the jamboree and show north Alabama that the Russellville community and Russellville High School are excited about football again.”

Russellville season tickets and parking passes are still available, and those interested should contact Angela Malone at RHS for more information.

After hosting the jamboree Friday night, the Golden Tigers’ 2018 varsity home schedule will feature regular season home games against Deshler, Hayden, Lawrence County, Hamilton and Dora. “I think that we’re going to put a good product on the field that people can be proud of,” Ritter said.