Golfers and football players report Monday as the first Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association athletes to begin official practices in the 2023-24 sports year.
The drastically different nature of the two sports makes for two different preseasons.
Golf will enter competition within days while the steps of practice go through stages for football.
The other fall sports do not start practicing for another week, beginning official workouts Aug. 14.
A look at the start of the season in the PIAA, with in the Wyoming Valley Conference and specifically at Pittston Area and Wyoming Area:
GOLF
Golf teams are allowed to begin competing with other schools as early as Thursday and the WVC will jump right into action then.
Pittston Area hosts Dallas and Wyoming Area is at Tunkhannock in Thursday Division 1 openers.
FOOTBALL
Monday is the start of heat acclimatization practices for football teams, which move into full practices on Aug. 14 when other sports start up. They can scrimmage other schools Aug. 19 before the first legal playing date of Aug. 25.
Wyoming Area is at Tunkhannock in a WVC Division 2 game Opening Night while Pittston Area is at Hazleton Area.
Pittston Area does not begin its Division 2 title defense until Sept. 15 at home against Hanover Area.
GIRLS TENNIS
The other sport, which has a shorter time from first day of practice to first competition, opens in the WVC Aug. 21.
Wyoming Area hosts Tunkhannock and Pittston Area is at Wyoming Seminary that day.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
The WVC schedule begins Sept. 1, including Tunkhannock at Wyoming Area and Pittston Area at Lake-Lehman.
FIELD HOCKEY
The conference schedule opens Sept. 5.
Pittston Area is at Nanticoke in a Division 2 game on Opening Day.
Wyoming Area, coming off a state championship game appearance last season, begins its Division 1 schedule at Dallas Sept. 6.
BOYS SOCCER
The WVC also has its two divisions begin on consecutive days in soccer.
Wilkes-Barre Area is at Wyoming Area in a Division 1 game Sept. 5.
Berwick is at Pittston Area in Division 2 Sept. 6.
GIRLS SOCCER
The divisions open in the opposite order from the boys and the two Greater Pittston schools are in the opposite divisions.
Wyoming Area is at Wyoming Seminary in Division 2 Sept 5.
Pittston Area is at Hanover Area in Division 1 Sept. 6.
CROSS COUNTRY
The WVC will continue to use a cluster meet schedule.
The teams that will run together each week will only be scored against each other in the opener.
Pittston Area, Wyoming Area, Wyoming Valley West and Wilkes-Barre Area will run together against other schools on a weekly basis after competing with each other in a quad meet Sept. 6 to start the conference schedule.
