The start of a new football season is now less than a week away for county schools with Canton, Edgewood, Fruitvale, Grand Saline, Van and Wills Point all set to hit the field Aug. 27.

Familiar faces will fill the sidelines with only one school, the Edgewood Bulldogs, undergoing a coaching change.

Canton

Prior to the start of the 2020 season, Casey Hubble noted that navigating the year ahead would prove to be an interesting challenge for everyone involved, including coaches.

Those words would prove to be prophetic as Canton was forced to do juggle its schedule multiple times midseason due to coronavirus issues with competing teams. Canton still managed to finish the season on a high note, finishing with a deceptive 3-7 record that included multiple close games and a bi-district round playoff loss to the Gilmer Buckeyes.

Canton will kick off its season at home, playing host to the Mineola Yellowjackets Aug. 27. Mineola got the better of the Eagles last season, scoring a 30-14 win on their way to an 11-2 season that included an appearance in the Regional Quarterfinals.

Edgewood

The Edgewood Bulldogs enter the 2021 season on new ground, welcoming Alex Guerra to the sidelines to serve as top dog.

The Bulldogs were a model of consistency over the past five years under Kevin Bachtel, posting a combined record of 40-17 with a district title and multiple playoff wins on their resume.

In 2020, the team finished its season with a 6-5 mark overall, including a 38-12 loss to Bells in the bi-district round.

Guerra, most recently the defensive coordinator of Sulphur Springs, will look to keep Edgewood’s success going when he leads the program against Commerce at home Aug. 27.

The Tigers got the better of Edgewood in the most recent matchup between the two programs, scoring 42-12 win in Commerce last season.

Fruitvale

The Fruitvale Bobcats continue to be the biggest outlier among Van Zandt County football programs, competing in six-man while Canton, Edgewood, Grand Saline, Van and Wills Point all play the 11-man game.

The Fruitvale Bobcats made strides last season under the direction of first-year head coach Trent Taylor, finishing the year with a 3-6 record including a district win to their credit.

Taylor and company will have an opportunity to take another step forward this season, opening the season with a three-game homestand that will include games against Fannindel Aug. 27, Longview Christian Sept. 2 and Greenville Christian Sept. 20.

Fannindel was one of the top six-man teams in the state last season, powering their way to an 11-1 record that included a 45-0 shutout win over the Bobcats in week one. Things should play out differently this season with the Bobcats having the benefit of a full offseason under Taylor’s direction.

Grand Saline

The Grand Saline Indians showed plenty of mettle during Coach Joe Drennon’s first year calling the shots, bouncing back from an understandably slow start to clinch a playoff berth.

That outcome seemed far from certain in the early going as the Indians struggled to find a rhythm while implementing a new offense and new defense without the benefit of a full offseason.

Grand Saline would hits its stride down the stretch in a stacked district, qualifying for the playoffs and a matchup with perennial power Daingerfield. Expectations are high for a faster start in 2021 with Grand Saline scheduled to return nearly its full compliment of weapons from last year’s playoff qualifiers.

The Indians will have the chance to set the tone early, opening play at home against a talented Cooper Bulldogs squad. Cooper got the better of the Indians last season, jumpstarting an 8-2 season with a 54-0 shutout win over the Indians.

Van

Despite being able to play all 12 of their games as scheduled, without any postponements or cancellations in 2020, the Van Vandals Head Football Coach Jared Moffatt, his staff and players would like to see a return to normalcy for the 2021 season. The Vandals ended the 2020 season with a 7-5 overall record including a runner up finish in District 7-4A Division 2, a Class 4A Bi-District championship over Liberty-Eylau and an appearance for the Class 4A Area round game where they fell to Caddo Mills.

Van will open the new season on the road, traveling to Palestine for a battle with the Wildcats Aug. 27. The Vandals made it look easy when the two teams clashed in 2020, scoring a convincing 33-7 win.

Wills Point

The Wills Point Tiger football program was dealt as tough a hand as any county program prior to the start of the 2020 season, welcoming an almost brand new coaching staff without the benefit of having a full offseason due to restrictions put in place due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The results were not entirely unexpected as the Tigers scuffled their way to a 1-7 record overall with a roster heavy on players without much varsity experience.

After suffering two shutouts in the first three weeks of the season, Wills Point began to gain some traction with stronger showings against Athens, Paris North Lamar and Farmersville.

Unlike last season, the Tigers will open the season with a game on the road against Bullard Brook Hill Aug. 27. The Guard posted mixed results on the field in 2020, going 4-4 overall including a 1-2 mark in district play.