The pages of the calendar fly by in rhythm with escalating air conditioning costs during the dog days of summer when we allow vacation to steal our worries, but now it's August again and occupational gravity brings us back . The heat won't be letting up any time soon, and the days pass at a slower rate in the face of anticipation.

Although, there is one gleaming hope that sustains a positive outlook in every Texan. It's August, and football is back.

Students and teachers alike may find themselves preoccupied with returning to school; returning to work and authority and responsibility, but it is all bearable because football is back.

Monday morning finds consolation in Friday night as communities all over the state gear up for another season of football. Grown men turn giddy at the prospect of a new season, a new opportunity for the local boys to make the neighborhood proud and bring home the prize. A district championship will do it for some, a state championship ring will do it for others.

August means its time to forge a new team, and optimism is at an all time high. The anticipation felt by the adults triggered by their own high school nostalgia has nothing on the players themselves. After a summer dedicated to training, lifting, eating, and growing, their purpose is finally present.

The adrenaline kick comes as they first strap on their pads, a familiar ritual abandoned during their off time comfortably coming back. It's the beginning of the cycle, a time for firsts. The satisfying smack of helmet on helmet and the first hits of the season prepare what autumn has in store.

After a couple of days the novelty wears off and the work ahead is all too apparent to the players. Two-a-Days can sap morale from a team like sweat from the heat, but they push on and grow in the face of adversity. They know why they suffer and they relish in it, reinventing themselves as a team. Go in soft, leave hard weeks later, and all the while the neighborhood buzz picks up momentum.

August means a spark, a ray of light struck from flint in order to build the fire come September. Soon the banners will be up, the band will be playing, and newcomers will receive that pristine jersey with their number, their new identity. Welcome to varsity, son.

August will turn to September and Friday nights approach. The stadiums will fill up with people, but more importantly with happiness and pride. The lights turn on, and the crowd goes wild.