High school football teams take the field for first practices

Here’s a sure sign that summer’s almost over: On Monday, high school football players in Johnson County and across Kansas donned their helmets and took part in the first practices for the upcoming season.

It was the first day of practice at Bishop Miege, where the Stags will be vying for a fourth consecutive Class 4A Division-I championship. They have some talented seniors to replace from last year, but the Stags do have back senior quarterback Carter Putz, who will be starting for a third-straight year and has a 24-2 career record.

This was also the first day for other local powers. Mill Valley, a state champion last season, began its quest for a third-straight Class 5A championship. Blue Valley, which made it to the Class 6A title game and handed Miege its only loss last season, Shawnee Mission East, a Class 6A semifinalist, and St. Thomas Aquinas, a Class 5A semifinalist, are also expected to be contenders again this fall.

The first Friday night of the football season for Kansas schools will be Sept. 1. That’s the third week of the season for Missouri schools, which began practice July 31 and will play their first games on Friday night.

This story was originally published August 15, 2017 at 10:33 AM with the headline "High school football teams take the field for first practices."