It's already here, football fans. Another high school season begins this week and there is plenty to talk about. Let's get started.

The Class 1A Spring Garden Panthers saw Alabama High School Athletics Association (AHSAA) realignment in name-change only, as they went from Region 6 to Region 7. The Garden will still have to contend with cross-county and region rivals Cedar Bluff and Gaylesville, as well as Gaston and Collinsville.

There will be a new man calling the shots since Jason Howard left over the off-season to take the head coach's job at Ohatchee. Long-time assistant John McKay will try to continue Howard's habit of putting a consistent contender on the field.

Displaying a fundamentally sound base, Howard's troops clawed their way into back-to-back playoff appearances in 2008 and '09. McKay will use that base as a springboard.

Spring Garden will bookend their season with a pair of foes from Class 2A. In Friday night's opener they travel to Ranburne, and on Oct. 29 they wrap-up at home against Sand Rock. The key to the Panthers' season will likely lie in the results of their Region 7 road trips.

Over in Gaylesville, fans have high expectations this season. The Trojans have been a part of the playoff picture in three of the last four years. Although not a top-ranked team in 2010, the Trojans (6-5 a year ago) received several votes in the preseason Alabama Sportswriters Association (ASWA) poll.

Coach Brian Clowdis will quickly caution anyone who asks that the Trojans must wade through their tough 1A Region 7 competition before thinking about a playoff appearance. Luckily for the Trojans, they will face tough region opponents Gaston, Spring Garden and Cedar Bluff at home.

The 2009 state title brought a wave of excitement and momentum to the Piedmont community that continues to resonate into 2010. The Bulldogs will be looking to fill huge offensive voids left by lineman Seth Reedy, and offensive backs Christian Cantrell and Chase Childers.

Still, fans would be hard-pressed to find a coach at any level that can identify and develop talent better than Steve Smith, last year's Class 3A Coach of the Year.

Smith is working with junior Chris Strott and sophomore Cade Bradley at the quarterback slot and has not ruled out the possibility of using two or more players at that position in a game.

Strott and Bradley will likely rely heavily on Jamaal Johnson to ignite the offense. Johnson will be a threat wherever he lines up on the field.

Defensively, any opponent will have to account for 308-pound defensive lineman Mickey Jackson. The 2009 First Team All-State performer will be a disruptive force.

The Bulldogs (ranked No. 4 by the ASWA) begin their defense of the state title at Region 6 newcomer Hokes Bluff. The Eagles drop down from 4A and will provide an early evaluation for both teams Friday night.

Piedmont gets no rest as they face Susan Moore in week two. A year ago, Susan Moore was the 3A 2009 Region 6 top dog – until they were ousted by Piedmont in the second round of the playoffs. On Sept. 24 the Bulldogs will get the always-tough Glencoe Yellow Jackets at home.

Piedmont will take a real road trip on Oct. 7, when they travel to Class 5A Gulf Shores. The game against the Dolphins won't be a day at the beach and the following week will be no a picnic either, as the Bulldogs welcome Saks – another team that drops into the region from Class 4A. Oct. 29 will be a rematch of the '09 season opener against Cherokee County. /span>

The Cedar Bluff Tigers are No. 10 in the preseason rankings. While no stranger to rankings or playoffs, coach Jonathan McWhorter knows just how critical attention to detail will be for every team in 1A Region 7. /span>

The Tigers open Thursday night with the renewal of an historic rivalry against Cherokee County. The real test for the Tigers will be during a four-week stretch in October. The Tigers host Collinsville, travel to Spring Garden, host Gaston and then end region play at Gaylesville.

Marcus Reese is the lone All-State starter, as he garnered honorable mention recognition as a defensive back in 2009. Sophomore quarterback Levi Mintz will have a variety of targets to choose from.

McWhorter's 23-5 record over the last four years in region play indicates that the Tigers may be the team to beat in Class 1A Region 7.span>

Atop Lookout Mountain, Sand Rock looks to bounce back from an up-and-down 6-4 2009 season in which the Wildcats missed the post-season but did manage to end on a high note by helping long-time head coach Russell Jacoway notch his 200th career win.

Fans are already talking about Sand Rock as the sleeper in their region, and a week two battle on the road at No. 4-ranked Ider will likely be a test of the Wildcats' ability to return to the playoffs.

Sand Rock also has road games against North Sand Mountain, Section and Fyffe. They'll cap off the season on the road at Spring Garden./span>

After the loss of last year's starting quarterback due to a move across the state, Jacoway expects senior wide receiver Brandon Burt to take over behind center and not miss a beat for the Wildcats.

"He's runs a 4.4 40-yard dash and is really mobile," coway said. "And he throws the ball well."

Sand Rock kicks off the season Friday night when Pleasant Valley comes calling. Another highlight is the Sept. 10 home game against Glencoe.

Coverage of the 2010 season in The Post begins Monday, with reports from Cherokee County vs. Cedar Bluff and the Hokes Bluff vs. Piedmont, complete with photos provided by Garrett Sport Shots.

The Post will also have live scoring updates from various games on Twitter and Facebook.