That was quick. The 2015 exhibition football season came in with a whimper on Thursday night with a preseason game featuring the new look New Orleans Saints missing some its star players from last year — bringing us one step closer to the River Parishes sporting fans’ favorite time of the sporting year, football season.

While the final score of the game was close with the Baltimore Ravens nudging ahead of the Saints 30-27, it was mostly a dismal performance by the Saints whose “first team” did not feature quarterback Drew Brees and was missing a few key players from last year, most notably pro bowl tight end Jimmy Graham who, as everyone knows by now, will suit up as a Seahawk in 2015.

You hear it every year from coaches, players and analysts alike that it is difficult to judge a team’s talent pool based off of preseason. But let’s be honest — it still hurts to see your team perform poorly in exhibition games and, conversely, you still do get a bit of a heart flutter when one of your favorite players, that would be Saints underrated running back Khiry Robinson for me, makes a big play and are ready to anoint them player of the year.

Similarly the River Parishes is going to experience a series of big exhibition football games Thursday and Friday. Here is the roundup of the local high school exhibition games:

6 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 20 — East St. John vs. Edna Karr at Joe Keller Stadium in LaPlace

5 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 20 — St. Charles Catholic at University Lab in Baton Rouge

6 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 20 — West St. John at Lutcher

5:30 p.m.. Thursday, Aug. 20 — St. James  at Patterson

5:30 p.m.. Friday, Aug. 21 — Riverside vs. Vandebilt Catholic at home in Reserve

5:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 21 — Hahnville at Northshore in Slidell

6 p.m., Friday, Aug. 21 — Destrehan vs. Salmen at home in Destrehan

L’OBSERVATEUR will be providing a preview of the scrimmages in Wednesday’s edition as well as post game coverage in next Saturday’s paper.

I do promise we will be kind. Unlike the Saints players who get paid a fortune our boys on the prep level mostly play the game for fun with a handful of them eying a future in college ball. If I had to pick between which level I’d rather watch, I would go with the high schoolers every time. These are the kids who help make our community what it is and what they are learning right now through sports and implementing in other aspects of their lives are building blocks for the future of St. John the Baptist Parish.

So while you may have been disappointed with the Saints performance, like I was, I encourage you to come out and see the next generation of St. John leaders in action.

Even if the final score doesn’t count in the record books, showing up to one of these games to provide our kids with the community support they need and deserve will make difference.

Kyle Barnett can be reached by phone at 985-652-9545 or email at kyle.barnett@lobservateur.com.