Football is in the air

I’m ready for some football. No disrespect to the other fall sports but I love football. The talk has turned to football and I’m giddy.

My Kansas State Wildcats have a new head coach and I’m excited to see where he takes us. My Kansas City Chiefs were right there a year ago with a less-than-stellar defense. Changes were made on that side of the football in K.C. to help hold up the defensive end to help a tremendous offensive squad.

First, let’s rein in the horses a bit.

Locally, our five Jasper County high schools are on the cusp of fall sports practices. Most of the sports at Newton, PCM, Colfax-Mingo, Baxter and Lynnville-Sully are holding team camps this week to build momentum going into full practices.

All fall sports teams — volleyball, cross country, girls’ swimming and football — officially open practices Monday.

Friday Night Lights is rushing toward beginning for the five Jasper County high school football teams. The 2019 football season begins Aug. 30 — three weeks away for four of the teams. Baxter’s Bolts kick off the season a week early — Aug. 23.

The final week of August will be chocked full of area high school sports action with volleyball, swimming and cross country competitions. Then the first full Friday night of high school football action.

More information on all the fall sports teams in Jasper County will be in The Newton Daily News’ Jasper County Fall Sports 2019 preview section, which will hit newsstands Aug. 22. You’ll also find the section in that week’s editions of the Jasper County Tribune and the PCM Explorer.

This week is the first full week of NFL preseason football action. Kansas City hosts Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday. We’ll get to see the new look defense for the 2019 season. The Chiefs could have as many as five new starters on defense under new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, including high-profile acquisitions Frank Clark at defensive end and safety Tyrann Mathieu.

The Chiefs are led by the reigning NFL MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who dazzled everyone with his first full year as the Chiefs starting quarterback in 2018. Travis Kelce, who is considered one of the best tight ends in the NFL, returns as Mahomes’ go-to-guy.

We know the Chiefs’ have the high-flying passing offense. It’s the rushing attack I’m looking at to see if Damien Williams can lead the running back corps to a strong productive season out of the backfield.

After four preseason games against the Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers, the Chiefs open the regular season at Jacksonville on Sept. 8.

Now, I’ll talk a little K-State Wildcat football. I’m surrounded by Iowa and Iowa State fans, which is to be expected because I’m in Iowa. But I’m true to my school and the Purple and White of K-State.

Chris Klieman is our man. I believe he has a vision to continue to build on the K-State football foundation laid out by the legendary and Hall of Fame head coach Bill Snyder. K-State had slipped a bit in the final couple years under Coach Snyder, but I still hold the man in high esteem as a coach and molder of young men. Snyder is a great ambassador for K-State.

Coach Klieman appears to have gone to Manhattan, Kan., and created a climate and culture of his own since January. From what I have read and heard, he has the Wildcat players buying into his vision of K-State football. They are working hard as a team.

There was some tearing down and building up to do. Klieman and his coaching staff and the players are doing that and I’m confident I as a K-State alumnus and a fan will be proud of the Wildcats in 2019.

Klieman is coming off his fourth FCS championship in his five seasons as North Dakota State’s head coach. Klieman was also part of three other titles as defensive coordinator for the Bison.

I’m excited to see what the man from Waterloo, can do with my Wildcats. I’ve seen the ugly of K-State football and the great of K-State football. I was a K-State football fan before it was cool to be a K-State football fan.

K-State kicks of the season at home on Aug. 31 against Nicholls State.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at jsheets@newtondailynews.com