The air remains thick, some days it’s sticky and hot, but the season has definitely changed.

Football season has made its yearly return to the River Parishes.

All of our local high school football teams began the regular season last night, and the road to the Superdome is now under way.

Just how our local teams will do this season remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure, football fever will continue to rise as the weeks progress, and fans across the area will cheer their favorite teams when the balls are kicked off. Football in the River Parishes pits neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend, and in many cases, family against family.

But it also binds the community. And when the final whistle blows, the community returns to one.

This sport gives us roots and strengthens our spirit. It’s a rite of passage, as familiar to us as a home-cooked Sunday dinner.

In the southern part of the country, Friday night football (and in some cases, Thursday and Saturday) is a way of life.

So here we are. Teams from East St. John, Riverside, St. Charles Catholic, West St. John, Lutcher, St. James, Destrehan and Hahnville worked hard during the preseason, and were more than ready to tee it up yesterday.

And as the year progresses, let’s all keep it clean, be good sports and support our players and coaches who are putting it all on the line.

Go River Parishes!