High school football practices, like this one at Milford last September, are slated to start on Friday, Aug. 13, about a month earlier than last year's pandemic-related start to the season. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

August is in the midst of arriving this weekend, which usually makes yours truly wince as it means the summer is well more than half over.

But after the mainly lousy July we’ve had weather-wise, forcing all sorts of game reschedulings, etc., maybe a fresh month is a welcome site.

So hello, August. Here’s what to look for this month:

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WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY, AUG. 4-8

The Northeast Senior American Legion Regionals, always a good take, will take over Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field in Worcester, Massachusetts. It’s always an eye-opener with New Hampshire teams going up against championship teams from other states, as it was two years ago for the Nashua Legion team.

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FRIDAY-TUESDAY,

AUG. 6-10

Yes, more baseball, as the state Junior Legion Tourney will be hosted at Manchester’s Gill Stadium. Nashua is definitely in the double-elimination event, and it appears Hudson will be, too, and Merrimack was vying for a spot. There is a Northeast Regional Aug. 13-15 in Utica, New York. Some good talent at this younger level.

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SATURDAY, Aug. 7

Fittingly, we have more football, as this is the month for it, the annual New Hampshire-Vermont Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl Game. It will be at Castleton University in Castleton, Vermont, and of course, there are several locals in it. In fact, word was some players begged off the CHaD game rosters to compete in this one, which certainly hasn’t been the norm. Kickoff is 12:30 p.m.

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THURSDAY, AUG. 12

This is circled for two key reasons: One, it will be the first New England Patriots exhibition game, vs. the Washington Football Team, and the first game for the Patriots in front of fans since that January 2020 Sunday that signaled the end of Tom Brady’s Patriot career, a Wild Card playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans. Wow, a lot has happened since then, hasn’t it?

Second, it’s the final regular season home game for the Nashua Silver Knights 2021 season, and the way it looks now, there won’t be any playoff home games. The likely playoff-bound Brockton Rox will be the opposition, with the Knights wrapping things up at Worcester the following night, Friday Aug. 13.

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FRIDAY, Aug. 13

Speaking of which, this is a big day, locally. As it stands now, it’s the beginning of high school football practices around the state. Yes, back to a normal schedule, with everyone keeping in mind we’re better off, but still not out of the woods yet with the pandemic.

But the teams will have a full three weeks before their first games on Labor Day Weekend. And look for a Telegraph special football preview section to come out the last weekend in August.

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MONDAY, AUG. 16

Welcome back all the other high school fall sports: Soccer, golf, field hockey, cross country and volleyball, as they can begin practices on this day. Yes, a clear signal the summer is coming to an end. The fall is interesting – it’s a season that begins often in sweltering heat, ending in tournament games that can be in freezing tundra like temps.

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SATURDAY, Aug. 21

An event we don’t usually see around here, an MAA extravaganza at the Hampshire Dome in Milford – NEF 44: Back in Black, with both mixed martial arts (MAA) and kickboxing fights. It begins at 7 p.m., and NEF (New England Fights) is a fight events promotion company. Check out NewEnglandFights.com for more info, including tickets, etc.

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WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, AUG. 25-27

Ready for the high school sports season to officially start? It begins with some schools starting golf matches on Wednesday, Aug. 25, and some teams open up with soccer and field hockey on Friday Aug. 27. Wow, it will be here in no time.

Welcome, August. You can’t be as bad as July was, can you? But we know that you’ll keep us just as busy, if not busier, than the last 31 days.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on twitter @Telegraph _TomK.

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