It may still be summer, but if you have been by any of the area’s high schools lately you have probably seen some football players running around and maybe a few soccer balls being kicked around. With the new school year just a few short weeks away, local fall sports teams have begun their preseason practices.

Last year, the Gorham football team played for its first-ever Class A state championship. The Rams were defeated in the finals by Lawrence and this year’s squad is sure to be anxious to get back to Fitzpatrick Stadium.

The Bonny Eagle football team failed to capture the state championship last year. Coach Kevin Cooper has turned a once downtrodden program into one of the state’s elite. Look for the Scots to be one of the top teams again this fall.

The Westbrook football team struggled a bit last year. But with a healthy group of veterans and some of the best community support around, the Blue Blazes could contend for a tourney berth this year.

The Gorham girls’ won their third straight state championship last year in a 1-0 win over Mt. Ararat. The Rams will have to get used to being without team leaders Kelsey Griffin and Caitlin Butterfield, but the always-explosive Rachele Burns is back and the Rams should contend again.

The boys soccer team at Gorham blew through their regular season schedule last year but were ousted from the tourney by a hot Westbrook team. The Rams should be strong again.

Bonny Eagle’s soccer teams will once again be contenders for a tournament berth. And Westbrook’s boys team is returning many starters from last year. The Westbrook girls could make some noise as well.

In field hockey, the Gorham Rams captured last year’s western title. They will look to be back in the title game again. But they will have to get through an always-tough Bonny Eagle team. Westbrook could also show some improvement, they nearly outlasted Sanford in a hard fought semifinal round match last fall.

The Gorham cross-country team should be one of the best in the state, drawing from a very large group of runners. Westbrook also has a big team and is in position for a solid season. Bonny Eagle doesn’t have the biggest team around, but they have a solid core of young, talented runners.

The local golf teams and volleyball teams have also gotten underway. The fall sports season officially begins on Aug. 31 with nearly every team in action that day.