The PIAA fall sports season officially begins Monday.
It is the first day of practice for student-athletes competing in football, boys' and girls' soccer, field hockey, boys' and girls' cross-country, girls' volleyball, girls' tennis, golf, and water polo.
The regular season for most PIAA fall sports will start Aug. 31. Golf contests may begin as early as Thursday, and girls' tennis matches may start Aug. 20.
The fall campaign will run through the weekend of Dec. 14, when the football championships are held at HersheyPark Stadium.
Among the area schools defending state titles this fall are Archbishop Wood (football, Class AAA), Conestoga (boys' soccer, Class AAA), New Hope-Solebury (boys' soccer, Class A), and Pennsbury (girls' cross-country, Class AAA).
In New Jersey, the start of fall sports for NJSIAA members is Aug. 15.
The regular season for most NJSIAA fall sports will begin Sept. 6. Girls' tennis will open Sept. 4, and football will kick off Sept. 7.
Contact Rick O'Brien at 610-313-8019 or robrien@phillynews.com, or follow @ozoneinq on Twitter. Read his blog, "The O'Zone," at www.philly.com/ozone
