SAN ANTONIO — Contrary to rumors, I have not been in hiding this summer.
You can ask the scores of high school football players and the dozens of coaches I spoke with as I traveled throughout the San Antonio area for much of the past three months. They'll vouch for me.
There's a simple explanation for why you haven't seen as many of my bylines as usual this summer. I was busy putting in windshield time, working on one of the biggest projects KENS5.com tackles each year.
All told, I gathered interviews, videos and photos at more than 50 high schools in order to compile the football previews currently posted on KENS5.com. As you can imagine, a project of this magnitude takes planning, a team effort and a big chunk of time.
As I start my 43rd high school football season as a sportswriter and 41st in San Antonio, where I've worked for KENS 5 since 2009, I'm reminded of how a game played by high school students appeals to young and old in every corner of Texas.
Here we are in 2019, and the game continues to have a powerful allure. It's not hyperbole to say that Texas high school football is like a precious family heirloom that's passed down from generation to generation.
If it's true that high school football is more a religion than a sport in the Lone Star State, then our stadiums could pass for secular cathedrals. They are places where people from all walks of life gather under the Friday night lights and watch the color and pageantry of high school football.
The game is the centerpiece, of course, but it's also a social event that binds a school's community, whether it's in a rural area or in the middle of a city. Game night involves so many more people than just the players. What would high school football be without the band, the cheerleaders, the spirit groups, the dance teams, the color guard and more?
As I worked on our high school football previews this summer, I visited schools in property-rich areas, others located in poor neighborhoods and some in the middle of the socioeconomic spectrum.
But wherever I went, the players and coaches at each school had at least one thing in common: They are passionate about high school football and highly competitive.
I want to thank the coaches – all of whom were highly cooperative – for allowing me to get video interviews with them and having their players available for photos whenever I dropped by their school.
There's another group I want to heartily thank: the athletic trainers at each school. Wherever I went, they all made sure I stayed hydrated as I watched workouts and baked in the sun.
Bring on the season. See you at the stadium.
2019 KENS 5 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEWS
RELATED: DISTRICT 26-6A PREVIEW: Judson solid pick to repeat as champ of S.A. area's toughest district
RELATED: DISTRICT 28-6A PREVIEW: Brandeis, defending champ O'Connor top picks in Northside ISD league