The official start of practice for high school football is Monday, and that includes the eight local/area schools in this area.
For Sidney, the season will see a big change in the league schedule, with the addition of Tipp City to the Greater Western Ohio Conference. The Yellow Jackets will play at Tipp City on Oct. 7.
With Stebbins also being added to the conference, it’s meant a change in not only the division alignment, but also in the division names.
Sidney will be in the American North Division this season, along with Vandalia, Greenville, Piqua, Tipp City and Troy.
The American South Division will include Fairborn, Stebbins, Trotwood, West Carrollton and Xenia. The National East Division will be Beavercreek, Centerville, Fairmont, Springfield and Wayne, and the National West Division will be Lebanon, Miamisburg, Northmont and Springboro.
The Jackets will again open with St. Marys, this year on the road, and play Bellefontaine in week two again, this year at Sidney Memorial Stadium. In all, Sidney will play three new opponents this year, as in addition to Tipp City in league play, the Jackets will play at Dayton Carroll in week three and host Xenia in week four.
And as was announced a while back, the annual game with rival Piqua will be played on a Thursday night (Sept. 29) and be televised.
• Lehman, meanwhile, will play the same schedule as last season, when the Cavs went 6-4 and advanced to postseason again.
This year they will open against a defending state champion in Fort Recovery, which won the Division VII crown last year.
Lehman has five home games and four of them will be played at Sidney Memorial Stadium. The lone game at Piqua’s stadium will be against Riverside on Sept. 30.
• Fort Loramie, also a playoff team last season under coach Whit Parks, will play the same schedule as last season, ahead of a dramatic change for the 2017 season. That’s when the Redskins will become part of the Cross County Conference for football only, so this will be their final season competing in the Northwest Central Conference.
Loramie and fellow NWCC member Lehman will alternate opponents in the first two weeks. Lehman will play Fort Recovery and then Minster. Loramie will open with Minster again and then travel to Fort Recovery.
• Anna will be trying to bounce back from its three-win season of a year ago and it will be against a slightly different schedule. The Rockets face the same non-league foes in Arlington and Brookville, but the MAC schedule is different and does not include defending small-school state champion Fort Recovery this year. However, the Rockets will play Versailles, which was not on the schedule last season.
Minster’s schedule is also a bit different, with Delphos St. John’s replacing Parkway this season. The Wildcats went deep into the playoffs last year and finished at 10-3.
2016 football schedules
SIDNEY YELLOW JACKETS
PRESEASON
Aug. 13 — At Edgewood with Milford, Clinton-Massie, 10 a.m.
Aug. 18 — Chaminade, 7 p.m. at Sidney Memorial Stadium
REGULAR SEASON
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
August
26 — at St. Marys, 7:30
September
2 — Bellefontaine
9 — at Dayton Carroll
16 — Xenia
23 — at West Carrollton
29 — Piqua
October
7 — at Tipp City
14 — at Troy
21 — Vandalia
28 — Greenville
——
LEHMAN CAVALIERS
PRESEASON
Aug. 9 — Miami East, 6 p.m.
Aug. 13 — at St. Henry, 10 a.m.
REGULAR SEASON
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
August
26 — Fort Recovery (S)
September
2 — at Minster, 7:30
9 — at Graham
16 — Upper Scioto Valley (S)
23 — Lima Perry (S)
30 — Riverside (P)
October
7 — at Hardin Northern
14 — Fort Loramie (S)
21 — at Ridgemont
28 — at Waynesfield
(S) — Sidney Memorial Stadium
(P) — Piqua Alexander Stadium
——
FORT LORAMIE REDSKINS
PRESEASON
Aug. 9 — at Indian Lake, 6 p.m.
Aug. 18 – Ponitz, 6 p.m.
REGULAR SEASON
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
August
26 — Minster, 7:30
September
2 — at Fort Recovery, 7:30
9 — at Bluffton, 7:30
16 — at Riverside
23 — at Hardin Northern
30 — Waynesfield
October
7 — Ridgemont
14 — at Lehman
21 — Upper Scioto Valley
28 — Lima Perry
——
ANNA ROCKETS
PRESEASON
Aug. 9 — at Tri-County North, 10:30
Aug. 12 — Mechanicsburg, 5:30
Aug. 19 — at Covington, 7 p.m.
REGULAR SEASON
Games at 7:30 unless noted
August
26 — at Arlington, 7 p.m.
September
2 — Brookville
9 — Versailles
16 — at New Bremen
24 — at Delphos St. John’s
30 — Marion Local
October
7 — St. Henry
14 — at Parkway
21 — Coldwater
28 — at Minster
——
MINSTER WILDCATS
PRESEASON
Aug. 9 — at Bellefontaine with Vandalia, Belmont, 10 a.m.
Aug. 13 — at Franklin, 10 a.m.
Aug. 19 — at Wapakoneta, 7 p.m.
REGULAR SEASON
All games at 7:30
August
26 — at Fort Loramie
September
2 — Lehman
9 — at Delphos St. John’s
16 — Marion Local
23 — at Fort Recovery
30 — St. Henry
October
7 — Coldwater
14 — at New Bremen
21 — at Versailles
28 — Anna
——
NEW BREMEN CARDINALS
PRESEASON
Aug. 13 — Ansonia, 10 a.m.
Aug. 19 — Indian Lake, 6 p.m.
REGULAR SEASON
All games at 7:30
August
26 — at Bradford
September
2 — Holgate
9 — at St. Henry
16 — Anna
23 — at Parkway
30 — Delphos St. John’s
October
7 — at Marion Local
14 — Minster
21 — at Fort Recovery
28 — Versailles
——
VERSAILLES
PRESEASON
Aug. 12 – at Van Wert, 6 p.m.
Aug. 19 — at Greenville, 7 p.m.
REGULAR SEASON
Games at 7:30 unless noted
August
26 — at Celina, 7 p.m.
September
2 — Valley View
9 — at Anna
16 — Delphos St. John’s
23 — at Marion Local
30 — Fort Recovery
October
7 — Parkway
14 — at Coldwater
21 — Minster
28 — at New Bremen
——
RIVERSIDE
PRESEASON
Aug. 13 — Troy Christian, 10 a.m.
Aug. 19 — Northeastern, 7 p.m.
REGULAR SEASON
All games at 7 p.m.
August
26 — Arcanum
September
2 — at Mechanicsburg
9 — at Cedarville
16 — Fort Loramie
23 — Ridgemont
30 — at Lehman (Piqua)
October
7 — at Upper Scioto
14 — Lima Perry
21 — at Waynesfield
28 — at Hardin Northern