Nashua North players were doing drills during last year's preseason practices. Players all over the state will be doing the same thing for this season beginning today. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

Welcome 2025-26 local high school sports season.

The school athletic year begins not only around the area but around the entire state today as this is the first day high school football teams can officially begin practices.

They’ve had captains practices, 7 on 7 competitions in leagues, weight lifting sessions, etc., but none with all the players and coaches on the roster, etc. Teams are allowed a walk-through or classroom time for one session, then a regular practice for another in a day. Padded practices, however, won’t be allowed to begin until sometime next week.

The area had two state champions last season: Souhegan in Division II and Campbell in Division III. This year there are three new head coaches: Former Panthers assistant Josh Porter takes over for longtime and now retired Nashua South coach Scott Knight. Knight is now an assistant coach at Plymouth State.

“It’s awesome,” Porter said on the official start of the season. “It’s been a long off-season. We’re ready for some real football.”

New Alvirne AD Justin Hufft is also the Broncos’ new head football coach as last year’s head man Matt Lee has moved on to Windham after guiding the Broncos to the playoffs in his two seasons in Hudson. Alvirne won its first Division I playoff game ever last year beating Concord in the prelims before giving Bedford a scare in the quarterfinals, leading 14-0 before bowing 24-14. South, meanwhile, beat Bishop Guertin in the prelims before losing at Londonderry in the quarter. The Panthers have several returning from that team.

And finally, Hollis Brookline ushers in a new era with former Westford (Mass.) Academy head man Patrick Gendron taking over the Cavs program after Milt Robinson coached on an interim basis for the winless 2024 season.

The regular season kicks off on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 5 and 6.

Monday all the other fall sports – bass fishing, boys and girls soccer, field hockey, golf, boys and girls cross country, and girls volleyball are allowed to start their practices.

Some golf, soccer and field hockey teams open as early as two weeks from now.

But this weekend, beginning today, belongs to football. And after two months off, high school sports are back for another 10 months.