As August comes to a close, there is just a hint of fall in the air – a hint in the form of the return of football season.

Although we all have our favorite college team – be it Auburn, Alabama, our nearby UNA Lions, another SEC school or even a team outside the conference – here in Franklin County, we also take pride in our high school teams.

We hope you have a local team you will cheer on this season. Whether you’re a Tiger, Red Devil, Wildcat, Bobcat or Golden Tiger, high school football brings our communities together, and supporting your team is a great way to encourage and lift up our young people. From the teams on the field, to the cheer squads and dance lines on the sidelines, to the bands in the stands and performing at halftime, hundreds of local students will be laying it all on the line for their schools this season, with passion and pride.

We want to commend these students for their school spirit and show them how proud we are of their hard work and good attitudes, and we hope you’ll join us in cheering them on.

We also want to show our appreciation to all those who have a hand in teaching these young people the work ethic, sportsmanship and teamwork that will carry them through not only football season but through life with success.

There are plenty of opportunities over the next couple months to don your team’s colors and spend Friday nights at home or on the road, losing your voice rooting for your team. Our Franklin County Football magazine has photos, profiles and schedules for this football season for each of our county schools, so be sure to check out all the great information inside.