The "newness" to the start of another high school football season was very prevelant Thursday at Northside Christian Academy.
The satisfication with last year's SCISA 8-man runner-up finish was replaced by the anticipation of moving up to 11-man football in the program's third year. There was also the excitement of holding the first preseason practice on the field of the new recreational complex located behind the main building. 
"I love it," fullback/linebacker Noah Powell said. "I'm glad that we've got our facilities built. I'm glad Northside built us a really nice facility and I'm ready to play on it."
Powell and his 13 teammates spent over 90 minutes working on fundamentals in helmets and shorts. Stressing the "process" of preparing for the Aug. 17 season-opener at Hilton Head Prep, head coach Stacy Bell focused mostly on conditioning and installing basic offensive sets on the first day.
The 13 Chronicle Country high schools will open preseason practice Friday. 
Gilbert vs. Gray Collegiate
opens WACH 57 schedule
The third season of high school football on WACH-57 will feature two Lexington County teams coming off their most successful seasons in school history.
Gray Collegiate Academy will visit defending Region 5-3A champion Gilbert on Aug. 17. The matchup kicks off WACH's Sonic Friday Night Rivals. 
The War Eagles are coming off a 7-win season, while the Indians posted a school-record 12 victories, won its first-ever region title and advanced to the third round of the Class 3A playoffs.
Gilbert's lone loss was to eventual state champion Dillon. 
The contest also features two candidates for the cover of the 2018 Lexington Chronicle High School Football Edition. Gray Collegiate quarterback Hunter Helms and Gilbert running back Cody Temples are the leading vote-getters in the contest which ends Aug. 3. 
The Indians will appear again on WACH Sept. 7 when they visit Airport. A week later, Lexington and head coach Perry Woolbright pays a visit to his former team Batesburg-Leesville. 
On Sept. 21, Pelion will make an appearance when they face Columbia at newly-refurbished Memorial Stadium. Region 5-5A gets into the spotlight when WACH 57 airs the matchup between White Knoll and Chapin.
The television schedule winds down on Oct. 26 when Sumter visits W.C. Hawkins Stadium to face Irmo and their former head coach Reggie Kennedy.
This is the fourth year WACH Fox will be televising high school football. Games will be shown on WACH 57.2/Spectrum Cable 1250 and streamed on www.wach.com and the WACH Fox App. The station also will carry the Classes 3A, 4A and 5A title games at Williams-Brice Stadium.
WACH sports anchor and former Gamecock/NFL standout Cory Miller will handle play-by-play duties. Stacy Hough, who co-hosts The Zone on 94.9 FM in Columbia, will be the color commentator. Lena Pringle will be the sideline reporter.