FOR LOVE OF THE GAME: HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS ... THIS COULD BE A WILD RIDE

The Wild West.

The struggle for territory.

A time, a state of mind when a gunslinger was either quick or he was dead.

A period where outlaws went by the nickname Kid, or Wild Bill. And who could forget The Duke?

A place in history where a lot of folks just didn't like each other. The cowboys fought with the Indians. The sheriffs despised the outlaws. And everybody carried a gun.

Things were just a bit out of control, on the edge. But, oh, so exciting.

Football in Southeast Missouri figures to be much that way this year.

There are grudges. There's territory at stake. There's wide open fields waiting for battles. There will be shootouts. There will be surprises. There will be excitement.

There will be chaos.

"I don't know," Cape Central coach Lawrence Brookins said. "I run into other coaches from time to time. I don't know if one school is going to be dominant, especially in our conference and district."

So be prepared for anything.

Watch out for a few young (and new) Cape Central Tigers.

Beware of Sikeston's behemoths on the line.

Don't be surprised if New Madrid takes a shot at the Dome.

Be on the lookout for a wild Class 1A district and, by all means, don't miss the classic showdown between the area's top 5A schools in Week 10.

But more than anything, get ready for some old-fashioned, helmet-to-helmet rumbles.

For the first time ever, the Southeast Missourian and the Sikeston Standard Democrat joined forces this summer to bring you the biggest, most complete football preview in the history of these parts.

From one source, you'll get the scoop on 13 high school teams ranging from Perryville to Portageville to Poplar Bluff.

You'll find 32 pages of high school football previews, features, photos and advertisements. You'll find information on every team in the SEMO Conference, player profiles, players to watch, schedules, statistics and projected starting lineups.

You'll find out how teams plan to replace all the graduated quarterbacks and how coaches feel about the MSHSAA's ruling to grow to six class sizes next year.

You'll also find all there is to know about Southeast Missouri State University football, plus loads national college coverage. It's all right here.

We hope you find this preview to be entertaining and informative.

And we dare you to find better, more complete regional football coverage from any other media source.

Go ahead.

We'll even let you draw first.