Nashua North football coach Chad Zibolis will be talking once again to a whole new group of players beginning with today's first practice as high schools all around the state begin official preparations for the start of the season Sept. 1. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

The unofficial workouts become official today.

High school football is baaaaaaack….

Area teams, many of whom have had players doing agility drills, captains practices, playing in 7 on 7 leagues, etc. will now get down to the nitty gritty of preparing for their season openers in three weeks, Thursday-Saturday Aug. 31-Sept. 2.

Most schools are having two sessions daily, but one is usually a chalk session or walk through. For example, Nashua South will have upperclassmen report for a walk through from 8-10 a.m., then all classes will practice 2:30-5:30.

Nashua North will begin with a full on-field practice from 8-11 a.m. Then the Titans will have meetings, classroom work and a walk-through from 2-4:30 p.m. Milford has practice from 3 to 6 on Friday, then 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Two new coaches will begin their tenures locally — Bishop Guertin’s Anthony Nalen and Alvirne’s Matt Lee. Lee was the defensive coordinator a year ago at Greater Lowell Tech, while Nalen was the head coach at Lunenberg (Mass.) High School.

Merrimack will begin looking to improve on a quarterfinal finish a year ago, while in Division II Souhegan begins its quest to return to the finals after falling to Pelham a year ago. And, of course, the Campbell Cougars will begin preparing for their Division III title defense.

Either way, it all begins, and area teams are set to open the season on either Friday, Sept. 1 or Saturday, Sept. 2. A couple of teams, Pinkerton and Exeter are opening at home on Thursday, Aug. 31. Schools have been urged to play an occasional Thursday game due to a shortage of football officials.