It’s that time of the year again when fields are full and courts are packed with action. 

After a long summer offseason, high school sports are back this week, with football, volleyball, golf, cross country, tennis, swimming and competitive cheer competitions officially being held. 

I’ve been counting down the days for the past month, ready to return to the sidelines to deliver you all the important local sports news. Many teams and athletes will be in the spotlight this fall as the season goes on. 

Attempting to defend their state titles this fall are the Dutch Fork football team, the Lexington girls golf team, the Lexington cheer team, and the Chapin cheer team. Each brings back a solid group of returning athletes, which should help in their quest for back-to-back championships. 

Plenty of other teams who weren’t in state title contention last season are expected to be competitive this year. I can’t wait to tell you about them in the coming weeks. 

I’ll also have new Grind features released monthly to highlight some of the county’s most exceptional athletes and how they spend their time on and off the field. Last season, we got to know some great kids, and I’m excited to share even more stories. 

In the next few days, I’ll be getting back out there covering our local teams as they go on their season-long journey. If you see me out and about, feel free to say hello.

Be sure to check our website throughout the week for constant Lexington County sports updates. Also visit every weekend to vote on the Athlete of the Week. 

Good luck to all 15 of our schools and their teams as the 2026-27 high school sports year gets underway.