HS FOOTBALL: 10th annual tour AROUND THE CAMPS set to kick off Monday

The 2019 high school football season is here.

Media Day at The Regal Room gets things started on the final day of July. Now that the calendar flipped to August, summer is officially over for football players.

It also means the start of the 10th annual tour AROUND THE CAMPS. This journey in the late summer started as a way to “spice up” and do something different from the usual preseason coverage of high school football. Now, it’s evolved into a multi-media frenzy with video, stories and blog posts.

On the first day back in 2010, I jumped into my car, carried a 10-pound camera bag and tripod, used a microphone, a notebook and my daughters hated having to leave the house. They were of course only 10 and 6 years old at the time. Now Meghan is at Hofstra University and Grace is a sophomore. (They stay home now).

I am on my third car in that time. Coaches have come and gone, players from that first season are probably 27 years old now and I have a bigger waistline and a lot less hair.

Now, I visit the summer practices with only my iPhone, a portable charger and hope that I don’t pass out.

So, this year’s tour begins early Monday morning. And for the first time, I will visit Dunmore High School practice for a season where Jack Henzes is not the official head coach. He could not attend last season because of his procedure, and this spring, he retired after 48 of the most successful years among the Lackawanna Football Conference programs. I admit, it will feel different.

When I started this maddening career, and in particular, the tour AROUND THE CAMPS, coach Henzes opened his arms, allowed me to work within the parameters of practice, and even stopped the session to have his players be interviewed. He made me so comfortable, and I will be forever grateful.

 

QUICK NOTE

 

The Dunmore community will salute the legend and Hall of Fame coach and educator. Here is the information:

 

 

 

 

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AROUND THE CAMPS

 

OK, I will be visiting all 19 teams in the LFC over the course of eight days. When I return home, there will be a video and blog post from each program’s practice.

 

Here is the 2019 schedule:

 

 

 

 

 

WEEK 1

 

MONDAY
9:30 a.m.		Dunmore Bucks
2 p.m.		Scranton Knights
4:30 p.m.		Lakeland Chiefs
TUESDAY
11 a.m.		North Pocono Trojans
4:30 p.m.		Delaware Valley Warriors
WEDNESDAY
9 a.m.		Lackawanna Trail Lions
1 p.m.		Susquehanna Sabers
THURSDAY
10:30 a.m.		Valley View Cougars
6:30 p.m.		Old Forge Blue Devils
FRIDAY
9 a.m.		Mid Valley Spartans
11 a.m.		West Scranton Invaders

WEEK 2

AUGUST 12
9:15 a.m.		Abington Heights Comets
10:30 a.m.		Riverside Vikings
2 p.m.		Scranton Prep Cavaliers
AUGUST 13
10 a.m.		Honesdale Hornets
1:30 p.m.		Wallenpaupack Buckhorns
3 p.m.		Western Wayne Wildcats
AUGUST 14
1 p.m.		Montrose Meteors
3 p.m.		Carbondale Area Chargers

 

 

 

ENJOY THE TOUR!

 

 

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SCRIMMAGE SCHEDULE

 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17

Abington Heights at Lakeland, 10 AM

Mid Valley at West Scranton, 10 AM

Dallas at Dunmore, 10 AM

Honesdale at Hanover Area, 10 AM

North Pocono at Old Forge, 10 AM

Valley View at Riverside, 10 AM

Athens at Susquehanna, 10 AM

Tunkhannock at Carbondale Area, 10 AM

Wallenpaupack, Western Wayne at Lackawanna Trail, 10 AM

Bethlehem Liberty at Delaware Valley, 11 AM

Towanda at Montrose, 11 AM

Scranton Prep at Scranton, 12:30 PM

 

 

IMPORTANT DATES AHEAD

 

• August 5: First day of mandatory 5-day heat acclimatization period.

 

• August 12: First official day of summer practice (Two-a-days).

 

• August 17: First official day teams can scrimmage a team from another school.

 

August 18: FOOTBALL 2019 in THE SUNDAY TIMES

 

• August 23-24: Week 0 of the PIAA season calendar or Week 1 of the LFC season.

 

 

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