WHEELING — There are a handful of annual events which build the kind of anticipation that seems to lift you up off the ground. Christmas morning. Midnight on New Year’s. The opening kickoff of football season.

While there’s still time yet before the former two, when it comes to the latter, Thursday will bring an end to the anticipation, and a start to the execution. Football is back, and nobody pulls harder for their local high school team than the Ohio Valley faithful.

Bellaire, Buckeye Local, Shadyside and Bridgeport play Thursday for their week one outings, with a full slate coming Friday. With the start of the season just around the corner, there’s one resource out there that can be a one-stop shop for the season firmly in our sights.

High school football careers fly by, and each year brings new faces to key spots on your favorite team. The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register’s 2025 Football Preview has you covered, going through each team in its entirety, from the offensive backfield to the defensive secondary. Inside today’s 50-plus page publication, find each team’s season schedules, read each coach’s thoughts about his new-look team, and find out who you can look forward to watching under the Friday night lights from now until the end of the year.

NEW FACES UNDER CENTER

It’s a question that inevitably comes when any team is brought up — “Who’s the quarterback?” The answer for dozens of area teams can be found inside today’s Football Preview, with an exciting mix of returning signal-callers and new players ready to sling it around the gridiron, many of whom are stepping into big shoes.

Oak Glen will make way for sophomore Maddox Bowen, while Steubenville will look to match their excellent 2024 season with junior Santino Haney under center.

In Barnesville, junior Cole Francis will take over for longtime stalwart Casey Carpenter. Martins Ferry junior Colby Kropka will steer the ship for the Purple Riders, while senior Sam McLean is the likely leader for the job in St. Clairsville. Junior Cooper Howell will take the mantle of Monroe Central quarterback from his graduated brother Tucker, and senior Colby Carpenter will move from a timeshare at quarterback for Union Local to being the sole man at the reins for the Jets.

Some schools have a yet-to-be-announced QB1, such as John Marshall, River and Buckeye Local. River is piecing through a four-man competition that includes senior Trail Thompson, junior Trey Larrick, and freshmen Lucas Bentley and Cam Abbott. Buckeye Local is deciding between senior Grant Dombroski and junior Tyler Schubert. John Marshall is observing a QB battle between senior Kayden Knapp and junior Jacob Cisar.

BACK FOR MORE

Back for more this year are several teams that put together great seasons last year and made noise in the playoffs, teams that would love to see more of the same in this coming season.

The Cameron Dragons are undoubtedly eager to try and get back to where they were at the end of last season – the WVSSAC Class A state championship game, where they fell to Wahama by one score.

Wheeling Park defeated Musselman in the first round of the newly-ordained WVSSAC Class AAAA in football, before falling to eventual state-semifinalist Huntington. With many returners in key spots, the Patriots may be looking at an even deeper postseason push.

Steubenville marched all the way to the Ohio Division III, Region 11 championship game. Big Red graduated a hefty senior class, and are out to prove themselves all over again.

Wheeling Central fell to Williamstown in the WVSSAC Class AA state semifinals, a matchup which certainly qualifies as a rivalry by now. The Maroon Knights are competing in Class A this time ’round.

St. Clairsville has a lot of new faces, but the Red Devils are coming off a season that included a trip to the Ohio Division IV, Region 15 championship game. St. Clairsville is playing in Division V this year.

Martins Ferry’s Purple Riders advanced to the second round of the Division V playoffs, as did the Union Local Jets.

STARTING WITH A BANG

There are big-time games on the slate most every week throughout the high school season, certainly in week one. Coming up in a matter of days, Bellaire will travel north to face local foe Buckeye Local, and Bridgeport will rematch Frontier on the road after the Bulldogs pulled off a narrow home win in last year’s season opener vs. the Cougars, 27-25.

Both of those contests are on Thursday.

On Friday, the Barnesville Shamrocks go for their 37th-straight regular season win at home against a strong-as-usual Fort Frye squad, while St. Clairsville has a season-opener rematch of its own, facing Norwayne after a hard-fought 28-21 win in week one vs. the Bobcats last year.