The Marks Post: Resting up before a new season

Do you hear that?
It is the proverbial calm before the storm before high school football begins. This past weekend was the last weekend without high school football through December. Because of that, I stayed home this past weekend and caught up on some rest. We sports writers don’t get too many chances like this, so we take advantage of them when they come around.
Last Friday night, I stayed home and watched Dead Poet Society and fell asleep during 300.
Then, Saturday morning, I woke up rested and watched TV Westerns all day before watching The Three Stooges and Horror of Dracula.
Sunday was not much different. I took a nap after Mass and started watching Dallas. I had no idea Tina Louise, who played Ginger on Gilligan’s Island, played J.R.’s secretary on the first couple episodes.
Now, I am rested and refreshed for a new season of high school sports that begins this week as Oakdale scrimmages Welsh tonight at home and Oberlin travels to Port Barre for a scrimmage. The jamboree is next week, and the season kick off in earnest on September 2.
This season is filled with storylines that are finally not COVID related. The football previews will come out in next week’s paper, but I will touch on a couple key storylines now.
Kinder is now in Class 3A. Oakdale is now in the same district as Menard and Avoyelles, and Oberlin will not have to go through Grand Lake to compete for the district title.
These storylines will also continue on for the spring sports. Fairview was bumped down to Class C and is in the same district as Plainview and Reeves. How fun will that be?
Elizabeth’s district got shuffled too. The Bulldogs lost Fairview as a district rival but got Oak Hill. So they traded the reigning state champion in girls’ basketball for the state runner-up.
But, wait, there’s more. Glenmora is now in Class 2A and is competing in the same district as Oakdale.
Are you excited yet as I am?
Obviously, I am excited on covering all of these new and budding district rivalries. But, I am also excited on finding new places to eat. What is good to eat around Oak Hill?
As another season kicks off, let us all catch up on our rest because this season is going to be a fun ride.
To the athletes on the field this football season, remember these words from Dead Poet Society: “You see, gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? Carpe… Hear it? Carpe… carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”