MOUNT ULLA — West Rowan’s football team welcomed A.L. Brown on Tuesday night for a 7-on-7 passing scrimmage.
Falcons coach Scott Young wasn’t expecting too many fans. It wasn’t in the stadium due to a new track being built. It was on the practice field.
But at 11:08 p.m., five hours after it started, Young texted, “I couldn’t believe the crowd.”
No one could. Cars filled the bottom parking lot and spread out into others.
Beautiful weather and nice temperatures had something to do with the support. But the bottom line is, everyone is simply ready for some football.
Forget baseball camps. Enough with the summer basketball.
“It’s football season,” new Carson coach Joe Pinyan said.
He’s so right. Football refreshes us. Even though the Aug. 23 opener will happen before the schools even open their doors, this is the time to renew friendships, figure out where you’re going sit in the bleachers, and begin wearing the colors of your Mustangs, Cavaliers, Raiders, Hornets, Falcons, Cougars and Wonders.
The crowd at West on Tuesday night proved that.
Heck, even the West band was putting on a show, running sprints in a parking lot. The band had to get in shape, too, you know?
Preseason is for coaches pumping up the kids and their programs.
For the record, West is ranked seventh in 3A, while North Rowan is ranked eighth in 2A.
North’s Joe Nixon talked about his Big Green Nation.
South’s Jason Rollins spoke eloquently of the love for his job and his Raiders during a relaxing Wednesday afternoon on the county’s best-looking practice field.
Danny Misenheimer smiled at the full practice field of talent at his youth camp, 75 more than last year. That’s what winning does.
West’s Young said he thinks his team can be really good. A.L. Brown’s Mike Newsome bragged a little about that famous green K, and why not?
It’s, well, famous.

He even had time to slip in a plug for the Wonders’ newest player, Yates Michael Newsome, his five-month-old son.
Carson’s Pinyan, who used to coach at Salisbury, and Ryan Crowder, who took over for him at Salisbury, joked about their opener against each other in Salisbury’s Ludwig Stadium.
Both run the wishbone so Crowder said it’s probably going to look like one of those old Salisbury practices, just with different colored jerseys.
Everyone has made a big deal about the Pinyan-Crowder matchup but the best opener may well be East’s matchup with North.
Misenheimer raved about Nixon’s talent and said the “countdown clock” was on.
“I’ve heard about the countdown clock,” Nixon smiled.
It’s going to tick a little longer, 23 days to be exact. Then, we can all celebrate.
Football season will be here.

•

Contact Ronnie Gallagher at 704-797-4287 or rgallagher@salisburypost.com.