A new Shore high school football season is here. Why it's 'an exciting time for everybody'

They’re the sights, sounds and smells of the season at the Jersey Shore.

I’m not talking about colorful umbrellas dotting the beach, screams from a roller coaster or what sausage and peppers sizzling on a flattop grill does for your appetite, although they’re all part of the spectacular local backdrop.

Instead, think about what a fresh-cut grass field smells like before the first chalk lines of are laid down, the frenzied atmosphere on each sideline as the opening kickoff of the season approaches, and the rise in a PA announcer’s voice following a long touchdown run by the home team.

Because as the approach of Labor Day weekend signals the final days the summer season, it also means the Shore Conference high school football season is ramping up. The new season's schedule kicks off Thursday, Aug. 29.

More: Shore high school football summer coverage: player/team rankings, previews, must-see games

Championship trophies get raised, hearts get broken all part of high school football

The level of anticipation’s rising for all 43 schools, including newcomer New Egypt, with the compelling storylines that play out each fall define teams and cement legacies - as championship trophies get raised and hearts get broken along the way.

It all plays out in front fans, family and friends throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties, as long-time observers measure the current stars against those from the past, and young kids get to witness what playing under the Friday night lights is all about.

'Everybody has put a lot of time into this'

“If I had a dollar for every time I was asked how we’re looking over the last three months I’d be a rich man,” said Shore Regional High School head coach Don Klein, who shifts to his alma mater this season after 17 years at Ocean Township. “There’s just a lot of interest around the Shore in high school football, whether it’s alumni, teachers, parents, friends. Everyone is excited and looking forward to the Friday night lights.

“I think it’s an exciting time for everybody across the Shore Conference, and the state of New Jersey. Everyone has put a lot of time into this, from offseason strength and conditioning, to 7 on 7s and stuff like that. Everybody has done a lot of work and can’t wait to see the development.”

Take the 2023 campaign:

• No one could have predicted Holmdel would get off to a 9-0 start, including a record six straight shutouts, after going 1-9 in 2022, but that’s why hope abounds throughout the offseason.
• It was a common thread. Marlboro had its best season in 29 years, reaching the South Group 5 final and setting a program mark with a third straight winning season. Monmouth Regional tripled its win total from a year earlier, going 6-4.
• Who will be this year’s Toms River South, which won its first division title since 2002? Freehold Township won just its second NJSIAA playoff game ever in 2023, and returns the Shore’s leading passer in Nick Cardone.

There will be stories that have themes that ripple throughout the state, as Toms River North looks to make it a three-peat by winning Group 5 again and Red Bank Catholic tries to defend its Non-Public B title, while the departure of Middletown South head coach Steve Antonucci and Shore Regional’s Mark Costantino means the loss of their combined 430 career wins.

Will there be another 'Miracle in the Mud' in the Shore football season?

And there’s guaranteed to be some incredible drama to rival last season’s “Miracle in the Mud,” when Brick Memorial’s Nicco Maribo scooped up a fumble on a rainy night and returned it 33 yards for the winning score with 48.9 seconds left to beat cross-town rival Brick Township and improve to 9-0.

While the year’s schedule includes a return to more traditional local rivalries, time also marches on. Long Branch and Red Bank Regional ended their 100-year-old Thanksgiving Day rivalry last year, although the two will still play during the regular season.

In the end, it’s the sum of all the moments that make high school football so absorbing. From the attentiveness of the crowd at a Point Borough football game, both while the Panthers are running their triple option offense and the marching band is on the field at halftime, to the parade and bonfire in Manasquan the night before the Thanksgiving Day showdown with Wall, and the atmosphere at Borden Stadium behind Rumson-Fair Haven High School on the night of a big game.

As players grind through the heat of summer practices, it’s all with the goal of playing in late November and beyond, when NJSIAA titles are at stake.  And it’s all about to unfold, one play at a time, building on the rich history of high school football at the Jersey Shore, while making memories that will last a lifetime.

Stephen Edelson is a USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey sports columnist who has been covering athletics in the state and at the Jersey Shore for over 35 years. Contact him at: @SteveEdelsonAPP; sedelson@gannettnj. com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: A new Shore high school football season is here. Why it's 'an exciting time for everybody'