The 2021 high school football regular season is now 8 days away.

After a 2020 season marked by postponements, cancellations and uncertainty due to covid-19, teams are hopeful for normalcy this season.

While cases continue to force programs to reshuffle their preseason planning, coaches believe last year’s experience will serve them in navigating such challenges.

“We practiced normal so far this fall, but, you know, covid is still here,” said Lexington head coach Perry Woolbright, who had 3 games cancelled last season. “You see everyday somebody looking for a scrimmage because somebody cancelled and I think we know why...they’re losing teams. So it’s still here. It’s something we’ve got to confront, you know any day that something can pop up and we’ve got to make adjustments.

“But I think that’s what last year helped us prepare for. We can adjust and adapt and still be able to get a season in and get what we need to get done. It may not be ideal, but you know, a lot of things we’re living in right now are not ideal. So we make the best of it, but we showed last year that we can adjust if we have to.”

Friday the 13th will provide a plethora of preseason games at 3 Chronicle Country locations in preparation for Week 0. All of the contests will be played in 2, 12-minute quarters:

LEXINGTON COUNTY SPORTSARAMA (at Pelion HS)

•White Knoll vs. Batesburg-Leesville 6:30 pm

•Lexington vs. Swansea 7:30 pm

•River Bluff vs. Gilbert 8:30 pm

•Pelion vs. Estill 9:30 pm

JOE TURBEVILLE CLASSIC (at Irmo HS)

•Laurens vs. May River 6:30 pm

•Airport vs. Irmo 7:30 pm

AUN & MCKAY KICKOFF CLASSIC (at Chapin HS)

•Barnwell vs. Westwood 6 pm

•Newberry vs. Blythewood 7 pm

•Gray Collegiate vs. TBA 8 pm

•Chapin vs. Spring Valley 9 pm

The regular season kicks off Aug. 20 with 10 games.

Gilbert and WW King Academy will open play Aug. 27, while Northside Christian Academy will play the 1st of 5 junior varsity games this season. Look for the 2021 High School Football preview in next week’s Lexington County Chronicle.