By Randy Whitehouse,Staff Writer

It’s the return of the high school football season, but there’s a lot more back than football.

The bands are back. So are the hot dogs and coffee from the concession stand. The sound of cowbells will compete with whistles, cheerleaders and hoarse coaches for our ears’ attention. Young men will display the school name or colors painted on their chests without risking hypothermia. Public address announcers will earnestly mispronounce players’ names before being corrected by understanding parents.

There is so much to take in in the first week of football season that it sometimes distracts from what is going on on the field. But fans would be wise not to give the Week 1 action short shrift, because this weekend’s games can be crucial in determining who’s in and who’s out come November.

• Wells at Mountain Valley, today 7 p.m.

Mountain Valley opens defense of its first state championship with a team many believe will be their most formidable challenger in the Campbell Conference. The Warriors return only five starters but still have plenty of talent, including state sprint champion Justin Vigeant. The defense, led by linebacker Nick Laude, could be the most physical the Falcons face this year.

The Falcons have a pretty good linebacker of their own in Travis Fergola, and will be tough to run against up the middle. The key will be keeping Wells’ speed from getting outside and into the inexperienced secondary. Offensively, they have enough experience coming back along the line that they could afford to move Fergola from guard to fullback. There, he will escort diminutive dynamo Aaron Arsenault and gain the tough yards inside for their ball-control offense.

• Bangor at Lewiston, today, 7 p.m.

Many observers expect Lewiston to take a step up in the Pine Tree Conference this year, and there’s no better way to test that theory than against the defending PTC champions. The Rams open up with a new backfield in QB Alex Gallant and tailback Ben Silver. They could have the edge in a close game because Tyson Barron is one of the top kickers in the state.

Lewiston has a considerably more experienced backfield, with QB Chris Ford now in his third season calling the signals and tailback Jared Turcotte coming of a 1,000-yard sophomore campaign.

• Bucksport at Jay, today, 7 p.m.

The first crossover game of the season between Eastern and Western C is a tantalizing rematch of last year’s state final. No longer can Bucksport rely on Fitzpatrick Trophy winner Nick Tymoczko to make big plays, but the Golden Bucks may still boast the best player in the state. This year, it’s Deven Eaton, a senior tight end/defensive end who terrorized former Jay QB Justin Wells all night in the state game.

Speaking of Wells, the Tigers are adjusting to his graduation and that of most of last year’s stellar receiving corps. Mike Nemi takes over at quarterback and is joined in the backfield by Trevor McCourt, who led the Tigers in rushing and touchdowns as a sophomore and will be expected to carry more of the load this year. So will the defense, which is led by an outstanding linebacking group led by McCourt and Ryan Bourassa.

• Livermore Falls at Lisbon, Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

A vital Campbell Conference showdown between two of the most physical teams in Class C. The Andies pulled out a 14-13 thriller at home last year, and will try to do the same at what no doubt will be a very hot Thompson Field with a ball-control offense led by fullback Ryan Webster. A win would be huge given that the Andies have Foxcroft, Boothbay and Winthrop coming up in the next three weeks.

The Greyhounds are anxious for a strong start themselves.Chris Brunick takes over for Chris Kates and QB and will try to get the versatile Levi Ervin involved in both the running and passing games. Two-way star Elijah Trefts leads the defense.

• There are plenty of other interesting games if the gas prices have fans looking for something closer to home. Mt. Blue travels to Oxford Hills Friday night in a match-up of two of the league’s top passers, Mason Barker and Ben Ryerson. In PTC Class B, two projected playoff contenders will clash when defending Eastern B champion Winslow hosts Leavitt on Saturday. In Western B, Gray-New Gloucester makes its varsity debut by hosting Greely Friday night. And in Western C, Old Orchard Beach goes to Winthrop Friday night in a contest featuring what could be the two most improved teams in the league this year. The Edward Little Red Eddies travel north to take on the Cony Rams.