Well, well, well. It's finally here, the first day teams across the county were allowed to bring out footballs and helmets. Pads come next week, but for me, this is the first official day of high school football season.

Optimism reigns everywhere this time of year, but I'm going to go ahead and drink the Delano Kool-Aid, at least for right now. Find out why below.

DELANO TIGERS

Coaches: Steve Brown/Mario Millan (co-head coaches, first year)

2007 record: 7-5 (3-3 East Yosemite, 3-3 home)
Average points: 31.5
Average points allowed: 15.2
Average rush yards: 299.4
Average rush yards allowed:130.2
Average pass yards: 85.5
Average pass yards allowed: 113.4
Best win: Delano 14, Tulare Western 12
Worst loss: Porterville 30, Delano 28

Key players: Alex Cabalona, sr, RB/DB; Ruben Juarez, sr, FB/LB; Mychael Quiddam, sr, RB/LB; Mario Abundes, sr, OL; Francisco Failano, sr, OL

Key losses: Tyler Perigo, RB/LB; Rene Gonzalez, QB/DB; Daniel Valladarez, FB/DL; Erik Guerrero, TE/LB; Raul Villa, FB/DL; Adalberto Solano, WR/DB

Offense: Millan is the offensive coordinator, and those of you who know where he came from (Bakersfield High) know what that means. No. 1, the Tigers will run a pistol option formation with zone reads, a dangerous system that can wreak havoc on ill-prepared defenses (see, Florida, University of, or, High School, Bakersfield, for examples). The personnel, of course, has to be there for any offense to work, but Millan thinks it will be. Josh Vasquez, who backed up Rene Gonzalez at quarterback last year, is smart and savvy enough to please Millan, and the coach has also been pleasantly surprised at the emergence of some play-making receivers.

Defense: Also like BHS and many other teams, Delano will run the 30 stack as its base defense. Quiddam had four interceptions last year, and the coaching will be solid, too: Brown was a standout at Oregon State.

Outlook: The tandem head coaching thing is unique, and it worries me just a little bit. Both Brown and Millan will have to swallow their ego at some point this year (not to say either has a big one, but it's inevitable that they'll disagree somewhere along the line). But if it doesn't become a distraction, it could be a real blessing for Delano. I think the Tigers might be the best team in the jumbled East Yosemite League besides Tulare Union, which should compete for a Division II Central Section championship. Delano might do the same in D-III.

Schedule: Sept. 5 BYE
Sept. 12 at Shafter
Sept. 19 North
Sept. 26 Hanford West
Oct. 3 at Visalia-Golden West
Oct. 10 vs. Porterville-Monache at Granite Hills
Oct. 17 Porterville
Oct. 24 Porterville-Granite Hills
Oct. 31 at Tulare Union
Nov. 7 vs. Tulare Western at Tulare Union
Nov. 14 Chavez

Prediction: 7-3, 5-1 East Yosemite League

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEWS INDEX

July 29: Lighthouse Christian, Immanuel Christian, Maricopa
July 30: Boron, Burroughs
July 31: Desert, Rosamond
Aug. 1: Frazier Mountain, Kern Valley

Aug. 2: Mojave, McFarland

Aug. 3: César Chávez

TOMORROW: The new schools (Independence, Mira Monte, Delano-Kennedy)