What to watch for from the Kitsap Sun as high school football season opens

The calendar reaching the start of September signals the return of high school football games in West Sound.

It's Friday Night Lights — with a bit of a twist in 2022.

Due to a referee shortage that's been brewing for several years and continued to be an issue during the COVID-19 pandemic, games are no longer strictly reserved for Fridays. Each of the nine football teams in West Sound will play one or more contests on either Thursday or Saturday during the upcoming nine-week regular season.

Take Week 1, for example. Olympic opens its season on the road Thursday on the road against Class 1A power Eatonville, six West Sound teams kick things off Friday, and defending Olympic League 2A champion North Kitsap hosts Mount Tahoma on Saturday.

Personally, I don't mind seeing games scheduled outside the typical Friday night window. As the lone sports reporter at the Kitsap Sun, it allows me to catch more than one game some weeks and lightens the load slightly on Friday nights.

Hopefully readers have enjoyed what we've produced so far this preseason: training camp review stories for each team, five thoughts on the 2022 schedule and a look at the top returning players in the area.

Now that Week 1 has arrived, here's what you can expect in terms of coverage this season:

Leading up to each week's games, we'll run a schedule of games with yours truly and a guest (or guests) making predictions on the winners. We'll keep a running tally throughout the season.

On our website Friday nights, you can find a live scoreboard with game updates and final scores. Follow me on Twitter (@jeffgrahamKS) if you want the latest updates on the game I'm covering. (In addition to covering Olympic's game at Eatonville on Thursday, I'll be attending the Bremerton-Central Kitsap matchup Friday in Silverdale).

Each Saturday, I'll be recapping all the action in a column that will appear online Saturday evening and in print Sunday. On Monday, we'll update our online schedule and provide standings for each league.

Additionally, I've got a few features planned for the next two months, including one looking at what it's like to be in a referee's shoes on game night.

I don't know about you, but after two-plus weeks of preseason practices, I'm ready for the real thing. Here's hoping the warm August temperatures and dry conditions last well into the fall. There's nothing worse for a sports reporter covering a game on the sidelines than wind and rain. Maybe that's not true — I've never been smacked in the head with an errant throw or steamrolled by a player sprinting out of bounds. Let's hope that streak continues in 2022.

Here's some leftovers from things I learned during training camp:

— For spectators attending games this season, it may not be as simple as handing over cash for a ticket. Some schools, like Olympic and Central Kitsap, are only offering online tickets.

Olympic High School athletic director Nate Andrews said the idea behind going paperless for tickets is to expedite the check-in process at games. For Central Kitsap's home game Friday against Bremerton, Cougars athletic director Rob Clements said the school plans to have support personnel on-site to assist with the new ticket-purchasing process.

North Mason and Kingston are offering online tickets purchased pre-game and on-site, but will also accept cash at the gates. At North Kitsap, Vikings athletic director Matt Stanford said his school isn't offering online sales at all. Tickets can be purchased via cash or check on game night on-site.

— Every team in the Olympic League 2A will play seven league games this season except for Bainbridge and Kingston. Buccaneers athletic director Ed Call said Kingston opted out of the game because Bainbridge is a 3A school. Kingston went winless last fall.

"With the Kingston program still in a deep rebuild and having just restarted the feeder program at (Kingston Middle School), I agreed with many in the community that this game was one that may be a safety concern for our athletes."

— For North Mason's homecoming game against Sequim on Oct. 14, the Bulldogs plan to honor the school's 1982 state championship football team. North Mason defeated Woodland to claim the Class-A title under former coach Phil Pugh.

Jeff Graham covers high school sports for the Kitsap Sun. Contact him at jeffrey.graham@kitsapsun.com or find him on Twitter @JeffGrahamKS. 

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Kitsap Sun's coverage plans for high school football season