Newsletter #51...Welcome back
We're back.
Football.
Soccer.
Field hockey.
Volleyball.
Oh my.
The 2026 season began for many teams yesterday and virtually everyone will be underway by the end of the weekend.
If Opening Day is any indication, buckle up.
It's going to be memorable.
Hopefully, you're well prepared for the upcoming season after the release of our previews earlier this week.
In case you missed anything...
The five previews wound up weighing in at 76 teams, 76 coaches quoted, 676 athletes mentioned and 24,839 words.
But who's counting?
Now, it's time to focus on the games themselves and I already have one under my belt:
Reigning champ Westbrook holds off Cheverus in opener
That was the first of what I expect will be something in the range of 225-250 game stories over the course of the school year.
Thank you
Before we move on to a new year, I'd be remiss to not thank the 100 of you who have subscribed in the past two weeks and the rest of you who have been along for all or part of the past year-and-a-half of this journey since I launched Hoffer's High School Sports.
None of this would be possible without your support and I'm eternally grateful.
Media news
Wednesday evening, for the 13th time, I was fortunate to join Travis Lee for the Blitz8 High School Football Preview Show. We covered a lot of ground in a fast-paced 30 minutes. If you missed it, here are the links:
Part One, Eight-Man and Class D: https://wmtw.com/article/blitz-8-special-part-1/73599106
Part Two, Classes B and C: https://wmtw.com/article/blitz-8-special-part-2/73599098
Part Three, Class A: https://wmtw.com/article/blitz-8-special-part-3/73599092
My first WJAB radio spot will be later today, 11 a.m. 96.3 FM, 1440 AM.
Spots on on WGAN will resume Sept. 15.
Podcast news
The first HHSS Podcast, with yours truly and Tim Eisenhart, will post within hours. It's a preview of the upcoming fall sports season.
Moving forward, podcasts will be a regular, but no longer weekly feature.
Thoughts on the Patriots
A new NFL season is about to get underway and what a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, we were just hoping for a competitive season, with a winning record and a playoff spot seemingly out of reach.
Of course, the Patriots wound up in the Super Bowl.
It didn't end well, but what a magical ride that was.
The off-season wasn't dull and results have mixed in the preseason (of course we don't know anything about most starters, who didn't play a solitary second).
I know, I know, the schedule will be vastly more difficult this year and there will be a bullseye this time around.
I believe the Patriots are going to be a better team, but the record won't reflect it.
I'm guessing 10-7, second in the division to Buffalo, with a trip to the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
My Super Bowl pick is the Rams over the Ravens.
For years I've posted my popular, prescient Patriots pick on Twitter and I'll start doing that here now as well. I went 14-7 a year ago.
Week One:
Seahawks 27 Patriots 20
More (hopefully better) predictions
Turning to high school football, here are my picks for this week's games.
Last year's record was 85-26 (77 percent).
Here goes nothing:
Cheverus over Westbrook (played Thursday)
Kennebunk over Falmouth (played Thursday)
Cape Elizabeth over Gray-New Gloucester
Deering over Edward Little
Freeport over Mattanawcook
Lawrence over Gorham
Greely over York
Portland over Lewiston
Bonny Eagle over South Portland
Thornton Academy over Scarborough
Windham over Oxford Hills
Yarmouth over Lake Region
A lot to look forward to
Looking ahead, next week will see the return of several features on the site, as there will be fresh content just about every day, in addition to all the game stories.
On Monday, HHSS, in conjunction with partner cPort Credit Union, will name a "Player of the Week."
On Tuesday, you can look for our weekly polls.
Every Friday brings a new newsletter.
Enjoy the weekend, everyone. See you right here, next Friday.
Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffersports@yahoo.com
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