Well, it’s almost over.

The leaves are nearing the end of their color cycle, the cool Texas breeze is beginning to morph into a bone-chilling wind and football is winding down. For me this has been a gratifying season of pigskin prognostication and fan frenzy.

Before I accepted this job I researched what I would be greeted with in terms of athletic prowess. I found all of Wood County’s schools had something to offer and the Mineola football team was a selling point for me.

An opportunity to cover arguably the best 3A football team in the state of Texas? Count me in.

And it has paid off in spades. The enjoyment I have felt traveling East Texas under the Friday night lights cannot be understated. It truly is the passion of Texas that has been written about and portrayed in film.

As I write this, the Yellowjackets are slated to play in their third straight state semifinal game this Friday. With a win, they will advance to the title game for the second time in three years. I find myself fortunate to be able to witness and encapsulate this historic season in words. I have never seen a football team on a high school level with as much love for their teammates as these Yellowjackets. The seniors have pushed this program into powerhouse status and the underclassmen are aware of the standard they must uphold.

But that’s not the only Texas team that’s playing at the top of their game. The Dallas Cowboys have crossed the desert with their own Moses. Tony Romo brought respectability back to Big D after a longer than expected time in the NFC basement but he will never see the promised land with a star on his helmet. He has entrusted the fate of Cowboys faithful to Joshua…excuse me…Dak Prescott.

If you wonder why an Alabama boy would mention the Cowboys, it is because I am a fan. I was 10 years old when Jimmy Johnson won his first Super Bowl with the ‘Boys. My pro football heroes were Aikman, Irvin and Little E. And it brings me joy to see them competing for a Super Bowl with a quarterback I personally witnessed play for four years in the SEC.

Finally. How about that Crimson Tide?

My alma mater has now completed an undefeated regular season and secured the top seed in the College Football Playoff. This team is without peer but also flawed. And it’s in the flaws that this team continues to improve and dominate opponents throughout the year.

The defense is unparalleled. They’ve scored 10 defensive touchdowns and can also boast three more non-offensive touchdowns on special teams. The offense is loaded with five-star athletes and is led by an exciting true freshman from the state of Texas.

I guess all I can ask for now is that the Jackets continue their march to Dallas for a title – it would be awesome to cover that game in Jerry World as my only visit was Alabama’s beatdown of USC in the season opener – and the Crimson Tide complete the first 15-0 season in college football history and capture our 17th national title.

Oh. And Bowl Season. Behind the college football regular season and March Madness, the bowl season is one of my favorite times of the year. It’s football almost every day while continuing to consume leftovers from Christmas dinners and battling those afternoon naps.

The fall may be over but it’s certainly becoming the most wonderful time of the year.