Editor’s note: For more information on the Bryan County and Richmond Hill football teams, please see the 2016 football special section in the Aug. 25 edition of the Bryan County News.

Opening night of the high school football season is a big deal. But opening the local season a night early and on television is an even bigger deal.

Bryan County is set to host Savannah Beach at 7 p.m. on Aug. 25 as the WSAV’s Thursday Night Blitz featured game and Athletic Director Keith Wright has been preparing for it all summer.

“Everyone is excited about it,” he said. “The players, the coaches, the students, the community. It’s going to be big.”

In an attempt to play up the “one Bryan” theme that is popular in the school district, Wright said players and coaches from Richmond Hill will attend to cheer on the Redskins. Bryan County will reciprocate the following night and cheer on the Wildcats as they open the season at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 26 by hosting Southeast Bulloch County.

Richmond Hill will be on the WSAV Blitz on Oct. 13 when it hosts Bradwell Institute on what is also military appreciation night.

Wright said he expects a much bigger crowd than usual next week.

“Everyone likes to come out for the first game of the season, plus all the schools that we and Beach play the rest of the season will want to come and scout us,” he said.

Wright is waiting on a new scoreboard to be installed, as well as play clocks in the corner of each end zone.

The parking and ticket booth are also being relocated to the east end of the football field.

“We’ve pretty much outgrown the parking lot by the middle school,” Wright said. “That will be reserved for coaches and media and such, but spectator parking will be moved to the large grass field at the other end.”