The 2008 high school football season begins in earnest tonight with five games under the lights ? including one at Manning Field, with Lynn English playing Beverly.
All games begin at 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs begin the season with a new coach ? Peter Holey ? and a regular quarterback ? Jesse Fowler.
Last season, Fowler and Justin Young alternated throwing passes, but this year, Young will be catching them and Fowler will be throwing them.
English is looking to rebound from a 2-6 record last season
Other games on the docket: Ipswich at Marblehead, Newton South at Bishop Fenwick, Danvers at Salem, Medford at Revere and Gloucester at Winthrop.
Fenwick got the jump on the rest of the area, having played Methuen, from the tough Merrimack Valley Conference, last week, losing 17-0.
Winthrop got off to a tough start in 2007, but won its last four games, including a Thanksgiving thriller over Revere. The Vikings feature one of the area?s premier players in Chris Beranger. Gloucester won the Division 2A Super Bowl last season, going unbeaten in the regular season.
Marblehead was 4-7 last season, and the Magicians hope to continue the upward trend this fall under coach Doug Chernovetz.
Like Winthrop, Salem also features one of the area?s marquee backs, Melikke van Alstyne, who has already made The Item?s football all-star team twice. The Witches will also have T.J. Larivee calling signals this fall. Danvers is trying to rebound from a winless 2007 season.
Revere had its share of victories last season, but the Patriots are still smarting from a tough Thanksgiving Day loss to Winthrop, where they felt they were on the wrong end of a controversial touchdown call.
Tomorrow, the slate continues with Dorchester at Lynn Tech (10:30), Newburyport at Saugus (11), Swampscott at Winchester (6), Lynnfield at Hamilton-Wenham (1) and Peabody at St. John?s Prep (1:30). See the “Sports” section of today?s www.itemlive.com for a complete preview of tomorrow?s games.