Local high school football teams will look to beat the heat Monday for the first official day of practice.

Over at West Orange-Stark, the Mustangs will face a tall task as a young group will look to carry on a great tradition that was put forth with a tremendous graduating class in May.

The Mustangs have been to three consecutive Class 4A Division II State Championship Games, including back-to-back State Championship crowns.

The Mustangs went a perfect 16-0 last season, outscoring their opponents by a whopping 811-69 margin.

Coach Cornel Thompson and Co. will be looking for some young guys to rise up in early practices as they look to fill some big shoes. The Mustangs return four starters off their offensive unit and just three from the defense.

WO-S has made at least the 4A Division II Region III Finals in all six seasons that Thompson has been a head coach and has won six straight district titles as well.

The Mustangs will meet at the fieldhouse at 7 a.m. Monday and will be in the baseball stands at 8 a.m. in what Coach Thompson likes to call “The State of the Union Address.” They will then run that traditional Mustang Mile, hit the weight room and the stands at Hooks Stadium.

The Mustangs will their Midnight Madness Aug. 11 at 12:01 a.m. and will have their Picture Day Aug. 12 at 9 a.m.

The Mustangs will host a potent Port Neches-Groves unit at home Aug. 18 with the freshmen starting at 5 p.m. followed by the JV (6 p.m.) and the varsity (7 p.m.)

Then it gets “real” Sept. 1 when the Mustangs open on the road with their 27-game winning streak on the line against a fired up Nederland squad under first-year head coach and long-time assistant Monte Barrow.

The Mustangs will not open their 2017 schedule until Oct. 13 on the road at Hamshire-Fannett.

The Little Cypress-Mauriceville Battlin’ Bears have made the postseason three times in the last four years and had a big surge in District 10-4A Division I play to snag the third-place playoff berth a season ago before bowing out to Henderson in the bidistrict round.

LC-M would like to end its long drought of not winning a postseason game. The Bears have not picked up a playoff victory dating back to 1997 when they advanced all the way to the regional finals against La Marque.

Coach Randy Crouch and his staff return five starters back on both sides of the ball.

The Bears will report to the fieldhouse Monday at 6 a.m. to start getting equipment and will hit the field around 8 a.m. for their first workout.

Team picture day will be Aug. 11 at around 10:30 a.m.

The Bears will host two scrimmages.

They will welcome Coldspring Aug. 18 with the freshmen starting at 9 a.m. followed by the junior varsity and varsity.

LC-M will then host Newton Aug. 24 with the freshmen starting at 5 p.m. followed by the junior varsity and varsity.

The Bears will open their 2017 campaign at home at Battlin’ Bear Stadium against Jasper and will start 10-4A Division I play Oct. 13 at home against Silsbee.

The Bridge City Cardinals will look to rise up again to compete for the District 10-4A Division I title as Coach Dwayne Dubois and staff welcome back several key components, especially on defense where nine starters return off last year’s 9-3 district champion.

The Cardinals went a perfect 5-0 in district play last year and went three-deep in the playoffs. The Cardinals ended an 11-year playoff win drought.

The Cardinals will hit the field shortly after 7 a.m. Monday for their first workout.

Team pictures and mugshot media day will be Saturday, Aug. 12 starting at 8 a.m.

The Cardinals will head to Buna for their first scrimmage Aug. 18 and will have a scrimmage at home against Kirbyville Aug. 24.

The Cardinals will start the season at home in the friendly confines of Ward Stadium against Hamshire-Fannett and will crank up 10-4A Division I play Oct. 13 on the road at Cleveland.

The Orangefield Bobcats (5-6) entered the postseason fray for the fourth time in five years last season and finished in a three-way tie for second in 12-4A Division II.

Coach Josh Smalley and staff has seen a major turnout throughout the summer and have been thrilled about that and the Bobcats do welcome back six starters on each side of the ball.

The Bobcats will report for the first day of practice Monday at 7 a.m. and will look to start their first workout by 8 a.m. Team picture and mugshot day will be Saturday, Aug. 12 starting at 8 a.m. followed by a scrimmage practice.

The Bobcats will have two home scrimmages. The first one will be against Shepherd Aug. 18 at 6 p.m. and the next one will be against Splendora Aug. 24 at 6:30 p.m.

Orangefield will open its season on the road Sept. 1 at old rival Buna.

The Bobcats will open 12-4A Division II play Oct. 13 at home against Liberty.