LOCKPORT — It won't be long now before local high school football players hit the practice fields in preparation for their upcoming, respective fall, Section VI seasons.



The official opening day of practices throughout New York state is Monday, Aug. 13. Lockport High School head coach Greg Bronson said LHS varsity players will meet at the school at 7 a.m., run through outdoor conditioning and other drills from about 8 to 10 a.m., then take a break indoors, where players will lift and do other conditioning exercises, then it's back out on the field from about 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.



Other local schools that will open with practices on Aug. 13 are Barker/Roy-Hart, coached by Bill Bruning; Newfane, coached by Alex Haney; and Starpoint, coached by Al Cavagnaro.



Many of the players who are getting ready to compete have already participated in various local football and other camps this year.



Bronson said many of his players, along with squads from Lewiston-Porter, Starpoint and Wilson (head coach Bill Atlas) are finishing up a summer camp at LHS with some 11-on-11 scrimmages.



Among some of the changes in Section VI Football during the offseason, Niagara-Wheatfield has dropped out of its Class AA North designation to single A North, giving the Lions and just four other teams in that class (2011 division winner Kenmore West, Niagara Falls, Hutch-Tech and Riverside) with a jump from two to three non-league contests in 2012.



Section VI AA South maintains its six teams this fall, 2011 sectional and state AA champion Orchard Park, Jamestown, Clarence, Lancaster, Frontier and West Seneca West.



The Lions open their 2012 slate at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 1 hosting mighty OP. Their annual rivalry contest against Starpoint will be played a week later at Shirley Tudor Stadium in Pendleton at 2 p.m. on Sept. 8 then the Lions host Hutch Tech in their AA North opener at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15. The Lions lead their series with the Spartans three games to one and are riding a three-game winning streak.



LHS hosts Niagara Falls in another AA contest at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 22, then they host St. Joe's in a non-league contest at 2 p.m. on Oct. 6 at Max D. Lederer Field to round their regular-season games at the Max this fall.



Besides the rivalry game at Starpoint, the Lions hit the road two more times in 2012 with a game at Kenmore West at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29 and their sole Friday night contest, a game at 7 p.m. on Oct. 12 at Riverside.



Commenting on his tough non-league slate this fall, Bronson said he hopes it's a positive for his team, which has struggled in the playoffs for the last several years.



“That was part of our effort to increase competitiveness in our non-league schedule so we're more ready for the playoffs,” Bronson said.



“We've been making the playoffs, but we haven't won in the first round since 2009, so we're hoping that the increased competition with teams like Orchard Park and St. Joe's will better prepare us.”

SECTION VI FOOTBALL



Complete 2012 regular-season schedules for local high schools:



Friday, Aug. 31



Newfane vs. Buffalo East (at Wiley), noon; Barker/Roy-Hart @ Alden, 7 p.m.; Wilson @ Gowanda, 7 p.m.; Kenmore West @ Jamestown, 7 p.m.; Niagara-Wheatfield vs. McKinley (at Riverside), 7 p.m.; Lewiston-Porter @ Burgard (at All High), 7 p.m.; Medina @ Akron, 7 p.m.; Sweet Home @ North Tonawanda, 7 p.m.; Niagara Falls @ Lancaster, 7:30 p.m.; Albion @ Depew, 7:30 p.m.; Cheektowaga @ Tonawanda, 7:30 p.m.



Saturday, Sept. 1



Orchard Park @ Lockport, 2 p.m.; Willliamsville North @ Starpoint, 2 p.m.; Kenmore East @ Grand Island, 2 p.m.



Friday, Sept. 7



Medina vs. Barker/Roy-Hart (at Roy-Hart), 7 p.m.; Niagara-Wheatfield @ Alden, 7 p.m.; Tonawanda @ Lew-Port, 7 p.m.; V-UPrep @ Akron, 7 p.m.; East @ Albion, 7:30 p.m.



Saturday, Sept. 8



Wilson @ JFK, 1:30 p.m.; Kenmore West vs. Hutch-Tech (at All High), 1 p.m.; Lockport @ Starpoint, 2 p.m.; Depew @ Newfane, 2 p.m.; Jamestown @ Niagara Falls, 2 p.m.; North Tonawanda @ Grand Island, 2 p.m.; Kenmore East @ Sweet Home, 2 p.m.



Friday, Sept. 14



Lewiston-Porter @ Amherst, 6 p.m.; Depew vs. Barker/Roy-Hart (at Roy-Hart), 7 p.m.; Fredonia @ Wilson, 7 p.m.; Niagara Falls @ Riverside, 7 p.m.; Cleveland Hill @ Akron, 7 p.m.; Newfane @ Medina, 7:30 p.m.; Alden @ Albion, 7:30 p.m.; Maryvale @ Tonawanda, 7:30 p.m.



Saturday, Sept. 15



Hutch-Tech @ Lockport, 2 p.m.; Starpoint @Grand Island, 2 p.m.; Sweet Home @ Kenmore West, 2 p.m.; North Tonawanda @ Williamsville North, 2 p.m.; Niagara-Wheatfield @ Kenmore East, 2 p.m.



Friday, Sept. 21



Grand Island vs. Hutch-Tech (at All High), 7 p.m.; Kenmore East @ North Tonawanda, 7 p.m.; Tonawanda @ Lackawanna, 7 p.m.; JFK @ Akron, 7 p.m.; Albion @ Batavia, 7:30 p.m.; Medina @ Depew, 7:30 p.m.



Saturday, Sept. 22



Niagara Falls @ Lockport, 2 p.m.; Starpoint @ Niagara-Wheatfield, 2 p.m.; Barker/Roy-Hart @ Newfane, 2 p.m.; Wilson @ Cleveland Hill, 2 p.m.; Riverside @ Kenmore West, 2 p.m.; Lewiston-Porter vs. South Park (at Riverside), 2 p.m.



Friday, Sept. 28



Barker/Roy-Hart @ West Seneca West, 7 p.m.; Akron @ Wilson, 7 p.m.; Lewiston-Porter @Maryvale, 7 p.m.; Medina vs. East (at Riverside), 7 p.m.; Amherst @ Tonawanda, 7:30 p.m.



Saturday, Sept. 29



Lockport @ Kenmore West, 2 p.m.; Albion @ Newfane, 2 p.m.; North Tonawanda @ Starpoint, 2 p.m.; Hutch-Tech @ Niagara Falls, noon; Grand Island @ Williamsville North, 2 p.m.; McKinley @ Kenmore East, 2 p.m.;  Niagara-Wheatfield @ Sweet Home, 2 p.m.



Friday, Oct. 5



Barker/Roy-Hart @ Albion, 7 p.m.; McKinley @ North Tonawanda, 7 p.m.; Cheektowaga @ Lewiston-Porter, 7 p.m.; Tonawanda vs. Burgard (at All High), 7 p.m.; Fredonia @ Akron, 7 p.m.; Alden @ Medina, 7:30 p.m.



Saturday, Oct. 6



St. Joe's @Lockport, 2 p.m.; Starpoint @ Kenmore East, 2 p.m.; Wilson @ Newfane, 2 p.m.; Kenmore West @ Niagara Falls, 2 p.m.; Grand Island @Niagara-Wheatfield, 2 p.m.



Friday, Oct. 12



North Tonawanda @ Tonawanda, 6 p.m.; Lockport @ Riverside, 7 p.m.;  Newfane @ Alden, 7 p.m.; Niagara Falls @ Orchard Park, 7 p.m.; East Aurora @ Wilson, 7 p.m.; Albion @ Medina; Lackawanna @ Lewiston-Porter, 7 p.m.; Akron @ Gowanda, 7 p.m.



Saturday, Oct. 13



East vs. Barker/Roy-Hart (at Barker), 1:30 p.m.; Sweet Home @ Starpoint, 2 p.m.; Kenmore West @ Kenmore East, 2 p.m.; Williamsville North @ Niagara-Wheatfield, 2 p.m.; Grand Island vs. McKinley (at Riverside), 3 p.m.