The day is here

This is one of my favorite days of the year, from a job perspective, as high school practices for the fall sports season are now officially underway.

It's been a quick summer for me. Between covering two successful American Legion baseball teams, the success of the Pirates and the upcoming NFL and college football seasons, we've stayed busy for sure. Of course, Natalie Dell's bronze medal at the Olympics made things so much better. Throw in a little vacation with my wife and other family, and mid-August rolled around the corner easily.

Look for a couple of first day practice snapshots in Tuesday's Bedford Gazette, and remember to check out our annual Football Preview on August 31 and our capsule previews of the other fall sports in the coverage area around the end of the month.

For a refresher, here's a look back at our local fall sports champions in 2011:

Football
Northern Bedford - ICC South Champions (5-0 in divisional play)

Boys Soccer
Bedford - LHAC Co-Champions with Somerset (12-1-2 in league play), defeated the Golden Eagles in the District 5-6AA championship game

Chestnut Ridge - Regular Season SHL Co-Champions with Fannett-Metal (9-1-2), but the Tigers defeated the Lions in the District 5-A title game, winning the league as well because SHL bylaws state that if co-champs meet in the postseason, the winner gets the league crown

Volleyball
Chestnut Ridge - SHL Champions at 11-1

Girls Tennis
Bedford - LHAC Champions, was 12-0 in league matches