Pickens' Perspective: Five storylines for the Fall season

It's time.

Little League is over. Beach season ends this weekend, it's already getting dark before 8 p.m.

Face it, the Fall high school sports season is here.

That means practices, games, rivalries, excitement and stories are all in the air. Can you feel it?

"I can't wait," Notre Dame football coach Dawon Dicks told me on Wednesday.

In officially kicking it off, I'll offer my five key storylines to watch in Fairfield this season.

1.) Football. You all love football. I love football. Friday nights, pageantry, rain...ur... did I mention football? The questions are abound around here. Is this the year Prep can return to SCC and state prominence? Can Warde rebound from losing 20-plus seniors? How will Notre Dame respond under new Dicks?

Will Ludlowe win a game?

And those are just the Fairfield storylines. The rest of the state should be up for grabs.

2.) Can Ludlowe volleyball re-load? The Falcons should have their swagger back after an un-Ludlowelike 12-9 campaign. Meghan Skelton told me last year the 2012 season would be one to watch for her squad. I'm interested to see if she's right.

3.) Can Prep soccer repeat as SCC champs? The team returns a bunch, including last year's starting goalkeeper Will Steiner, top scorer Austin Sims and tough-midfielder David Bruton. Prep's always talented and dangerous, even for state championship, this could be the year.

4.) Runners! Harry Warnick, Patrick Corona and Connor Rog are all off to run at DI colleges, meaning the boys side is wide open. Meanwhile, on the girls side, look for Warde's Sophie Flay and Caroline Keough to rise to the forefront.

5.) New faces. Sophomores have become upperclassmen. Upperclassmen have become captains. New head and assistant coaches are in the fold. Last year's a distant memory and this year anything can happen. Everyone starts 0-0.

Do you think I missed anything? Let me know. But I hope you're all as ready as I am.

ppickens@bcnnew.com; twitter.com/Pat_Pickens