It’s the in-between time.

The trees have almost shed themselves of their summer coat as each day becomes shorter and shorter. The football playoffs have begun and each week less and less teams are competing beneath the Friday night lights. But there is hope for the fan and athlete alike.

The roundball is replacing the pigskin and fans are heading to the gym for the 2016-2017 basketball season which gets underway this week. Alba-Golden, Mineola and Quitman have moved from district 14 to district 12 and Hawkins and Yantis remain unscathed in UIL realignment.

Alba-Golden

The Alba-Golden Panthers are looking to make another run into the playoffs after coming off an 18-6 season and a loss to the Daingerfield Tigers in the regional quarterfinals. Alba-Golden won bi-district and area championships before meeting the Tigers.

“Coming off a great year last year from a regional quarterfinalist team, we plan on picking up where we left off,” said Head Coach Jeff Mason. “We are optimistic. The kids have bought into our program, have great attitudes, are unselfish players and the effort is there.”

The boys team opens their season Friday at home against the Hawkins Hawks.

The Lady Panthers are seeking another deep playoff run as well. The 2015-2016 District 14-3A, bi-district and area champions went 28-9 overall and 13-1 in district on their way to a regional semifinal game against Brock but fell to the Lady Eagles in the end.

Alba-Golden returns six players from last year’s team and will begin the season against tough competition at the Forney Tournament this weekend. According to Head Coach Blake Hamrick, the team may get exposed a little bit against the 5A and 6A schools but sees it as a good thing early on.

“It will be a good test of where we are at and what we need to improve on going forward,” Hamrick said. “We have high expectations this year. There are a lot of seniors gone from last year’s team, however, this year’s seniors have really stepped up to the plate and set their goals high. Overall, we are very excited about the upcoming season.”

Mineola

The Mineola Yellowjackets finished last season 17-8 overall and 10-3 in district play finishing third behind Edgewood and Alba-Golden. The Yellowjackets hope to repeat that success this year and return to the playoffs where their season ended last year in the first round against the Whitewright Tigers. The team’s opening game was canceled due to the majority of the team currently playing in the football playoffs.

The Lady Jackets finished last in their district last year and have nowhere to go but up after an 8-20 record to end the 2015-2016 season. The team will open the season Tuesday at Lone Oak.

Quitman

The Quitman Bulldogs ended the 2015-2016 season with a 10-19 record but will be much improved this season after graduating only one starter from last year. The Bulldogs open their season Friday at Fruitvale.

“We should be improved but still have unknowns due to youth and a few additions to the roster from last season,” said Head Coach Jim Reid. “We’ll still be young but have experience with one or two possible starters being seniors.”

The Lady Bulldogs also have work to do after a down season that ended with a 6-21 overall record. They open the season Tuesday at home against Wills Point.

Hawkins

The Hawkins Hawks are in a similar situation that a lot of teams are in and look to rebound from a disappointing season that ended with a 5-22 record. The Hawks escaped realignment so their usual rogue gallery will not change. The Hawks open the season Friday at Alba-Golden.

The Lady Hawks are hoping to make a return trip to the playoffs after falling in the first round to the Clarksville Lady Tigers. Hawkins opens the season Tuesday at Arp.

Yantis

The Yantis Owls finished 2015-2016 with a 17-13 overall record and a first-round loss to the Ector Eagles. The Owls finished third in their district and have hopes on taking the district for themselves. They open the season Tuesday at home against the Romeo Prep Blue Knights.

The Lady Owls found themselves last year with a losing overall record at 7-17 but a 6-4 district record and second place district finish put the Lady Owls into the playoffs. Yantis lost in the first-round against the Campbell Indians. The Lady Owls open their season Tuesday on the road against the Clarksville Lady Tigers.