Football opens fall prep sports season

Athletes have survived most of the summer, and as the calendar hits August, football is set to return to the busy schedules of athletes’ households this week, kicking off the string of fall sports practices around the state and locally.

Northland Pines football and Three Lakes-Phelps 8-player football teams got stretches of practice in both June and July before officially starting the season this past Tuesday. Usually, the 11-player and 8-player start dates were a week apart from each other, but the WIAA changed it to start both at the same time.

The Northland Pines program enters year two of the Justin Nimsgern era, which energized the program last year and this year. Numbers are also up, which is a good sign. The Eagles had a productive offseason and summer, with six practice sessions in June before the team traveled to Minnesota for a team camp. They then finished the summer with three days of camp in late July before hitting what they call “dead week”, which is the week ahead of the first official practice where no organized football activities can take place. Northland Pines will practice and compete in a team scrimmage in Merrill on Friday, Aug. 14. The first regular season game will be at Antigo on Friday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m.

Three Lakes-Phelps held camp in late July, with new Head Coach Pat George getting the chance to work and evaluate the team’s talent this season. George returns to the Bluejays after being an assistant coach and leading the defense for many years before retiring from the role back in 2023. Some of the seniors ready to lead the Three Lakes-Phelps team this year actually played under George before he left the program three years ago. The Bluejays also have a scrimmage at Assumption High School on Friday, Aug. 14, and will kick off the regular season at home against Florence on Friday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m.

After football practice started this week, all other fall sport athletes will have to wait a few weeks for their respective seasons to officially start. Volleyball, boys soccer and cross country can all start practices on Monday, Aug. 17.