One of my biggest pet peeves is when fans and media proclaim that “football is back!” when NFL Training Camp begins in July.
It’s not. At least, not yet.
It’s just the next step of a long buildup process that will culminate with the opening game of the year, the Dallas Cowboys vs. the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 4.
For the most part, I feel the same way about high school athletics.
Today marks the first day of official practice for boys golf and football. The 2025-26 high school athletic year officially begins today. We’re not “back” (yet), but we are beginning.
It’s the sports equivalent of the first day of school and I’m pumped.
This marks Year 4 of coverage with Colorado Preps operating under the Mile High Sports banner. This is my 12th full year covering high school sports at the state level.
Time flies when you’re having fun.
As I look back at the evolution of Colorado Preps since Mile High Sports prez Nate Lundy brought them under the same umbrella, it’s been a staggering to see both what has been accomplished and what is planned for the future.
This year might produce the most significant “shift” in our coverage style, and I say that in a good way. We have big things planned (that I can’t talk about yet), and some of the same old products that have made Colorado Preps the best website when it comes to high school sports coverage throughout the state.
Our football scoreboard will continue to provide the most up to date information on Friday nights. As a part of that, Kevin Shaffer will continue to play the same role he has for over 20 years (and we’ll highlight that ahead of Week 0).
We’ll have more roundtable discussion with high school reporters throughout the state so that we can be better about celebrating kids and highlight the big games and performances from Grand Junction to Burlington and Wellington to Trinidad.
We’ll make sure that everyone hears the rumors of a massive offensive line in Limon that might even make CSU-Pueblo football coach Philip Vigil jealous.
We’ll track McClave’s quest to repeat as the Class 1A girls volleyball champion as the Cardinals return three of their top four hitters.
Defending 4A boys golf champion Brayden Destefano (Cheyenne Mountain) still hits the ball really far.
Niwot’s Addison Ritzenhein is still one of the best runners in the country, let alone the state of Colorado.
These stories represent the tiniest of slivers of stories that we’ll be tracking throughout the course of the year. We plan on evolving our storytelling and promoting our media partners and friends across the state.
I fully plan on this year being the best year of high school sports coverage on Colorado Preps. I will stand by the work that we will put into the kids starting today and ending on May 30, 2026 when the final baseball state champion is crowned.
In a couple of weeks, we’ll be “back.” But for now, we’re just getting started.
