Now that the calendar has turned over into August, area high school sports fans can soon look forward to seeing student-athletes excel on the softball diamond, football field, volleyball court and hills of area cross country courses.

Practices for football, softball, volleyball, cross country, boys soccer and girls golf will all begin Monday, Aug. 12 at the high school level with fall middle school sports starting their official practice sessions on Monday, Aug. 19.

For Owensville High School, fans will see different opponents to open seasons this year than how it has been the last several years.

Dustin Howard’s Owensville Dutchmen football team will not open their season against Highway 19 rival Cuba but will instead upgrade their schedule in a dramatic way.

Central’s (Park Hills) Rebels will visit Dutchmen Field for a week one showdown on Friday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m., to mark the start of the Labor Day holiday weekend.

CPH captured the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 3 football state championship at Faurot Field on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus.

After this fall’s set of MSHSAA Show-Me Bowl title games, the 2025 MSHSAA Show-Me Bowl football championship games will be played in St. Joseph on the campus of Missouri Southern University.

Howard’s Dutchmen will then welcome back a longtime rival to their schedule on Thursday, Sept. 5 when they head to Washington for a showdown with St. Francis Borgia’s Knights.

This will mark the first regular season meeting between the two schools since the fall of 2015.

Hannah Koppelmann’s Owensville Dutchgirl softball team will also experience a change of scenery to open their 2024 fall season on the diamond.

Competing in the Peoples Bank Back to School Softball Classic at Sullivan the last several years, the orange and black have opted to move north to the Moberly Softball Tournament over Labor Day weekend to open their season.

Up in Moberly, Owensville will face a pair of new opponents in Palmyra and Monroe City during pool play with the possibility of facing either Mark Twain, South Shelby or the host Lady Spartans after pool play.

Matt Candrl’s OHS cross country squad will also see a different season opener.

Normally competing in the Fleet Feet Classic prior to the New Haven Invitational, Candrl and his OHS harriers have opted to not compete in Arnold during the Fleet Feet Classic and instead open their season at New Haven which this year falls after Labor Day weekend on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Jamie Ridenhour’s Dutchgirl volleyball team normally has a match with Linn around the end of August.

With Linn joining the Central State 8, that means the Dutchgirls will open their season with a rare Wednesday home showdown against Washington’s Lady Blue Jays on Sept. 4.