The dog days of summer are quickly passing. The Major League baseball season is coming down the final stretch towards magical October. Temperatures are slowly beginning to drop and before you know it the leaves on the trees will change their colors and we will be surrounded by that crisp autumn air. What does all of this mean? It means that high school football season is finally here!

Expectations are running high all across the Western Slope of Colorado from 1A to 5A. The Palisade Bulldogs return a majority of contributing players from last years semi-final run. The Montrose Indians have a quarterback returning for his third year as the starter. The Grand Junction Tigers have a new head coach. And the Central Warriors and Tigers are both making the jump from 4A to join the Fruita Monument Wildcats as the only schools on the Western Slope in 5A.

Keeping all of those factors in mind, myself and 11 Sports reporter Zach Kerker went ahead and ranked the schools in our coverage area from 1 to 10. We want you to make your rankings as well and tell us where we are right, and where we are wrong.

Sam's Rankings:

1. Palisade Bulldogs - I ranked them first for the reasons stated above. Palisade is a well coached team by John Arledge and two outstanding running backs in Zach Adair and Aaron Wagler. I expect this team to finish first or second in the Western Slope League and advance to the 3A State Championship game.

2. Montrose Indians - For me the Indians rank as high as they do because I really like the way Kirk English plays football for Montrose. He is in his third season as the starting quarterback and with head coach Todd Casebier at the helm, Montrose is always a contender to win the Southwestern Conference. This team has played in the state playoffs each of the past three years and this year I expect them to be there once again. The Indians will make it to at least the final eight and maybe to the semi-finals in 4A football this season.

3. Olathe Pirates - Ryan Corn came to Olathe as the head coach five seasons ago. After three years he took the Pirates to the state playoffs for the first time in years. He repeated the feat last season with nearly an entirely new cast of players. Once again this season, the Pirates don't return many key players from last seasons team, but you have to like the what Corn has done to a once irrelevant football team and has turned them into a perennial contender in the 2A state playoffs.

4. Fruita Monument Wildcats - I think the Wildcats could be one of the big suprises this year on the Western Slope. Head coach Billy Moore returns a cast of young players that were unexperienced one year ago but return this season a much more confident bunch led by Brett Nankervis at quarterback, and defensively by Huntyr Maclaskey at linebacker. Plus, the Wildcats are the only SWL team with 5A experience which should give them the edge against Grand Junction and Central.

5. Grand Junction Tigers - It is very hard for me to rank the Tigers any higher than fifth for this upcoming season, but I would be hard pressed to rank them any lower as well. To me the Tigers are a big question mark this season. They have a new head coach (Robbie Owens), new offense and defense, and return very few starters from last seasons team. Flip a coin with these guys, they could be great and they could be bad.

6. Hotchkiss Bulldogs - The Bulldogs are hidden away on the Western Slope football seen. Head coach Zac Lemon is in his second season at Hotchkiss, but the Bulldogs are making a change from 2A to 1A this season. I feel that change gives Hotchkiss the edge in the WSL having had experience against slightly bigger and better teams. Mark your calendars for September 19 when the Bulldogs face arch rival Paonia. That should be the Dogs biggest test of the season.

7. Delta Panthers - This is my sleeper pick of the year. Delta is in its second season under head coach Kirk McLaughlin and could already compete for a run to the state title game. The Panthers play in one of the toughest League's in the state with opponents like Palisade, Glenwood Springs, Rifle, and Steamboat Springs. If the Panthers beat these guys, they will be propelled high into the state rankings and could be considered a championship contender.

8. Central Warriors - Ch-ch-ch-ch-changin'! That is the theme for the Warriors this year. I don't like their chances much this season for a couple of reasons. Last year's starting quarterback Clay Kame has been moved to receiver. I like that move. I just don't know anything about new QB Holden Reed who could lack important leadership skills to lead the Warriors to the top of the Southwestern Conference. The other thing going against the Warriors is the move from 4A up to 5A. This is a three to four win team at best.

9. Paonia Eagles - I like the Eagles chances at winning the Western Slope League in 1A football this year. If they do that, then they will definitely compete for a State Championship. The eagles have a brand new head coach in Craig Cerese so all things really depend on how his players will respond to the new coach and his new style. They could win a lot, or could lose a lot.

10. Cedaredge Bruins - I ranke the Bruins last on my top ten because I really know nothing about them. I don't know who the head coach is. I don't know who plays for the Bruins. When I try calling the school, my calls go unreturned. I do know they produced one of the great defensive players at Mesa State College in Kurt Kissner. But that's about all I know.

Zach's Rankings:

1. Palisade Bulldogs

2. Montrose Indians

3. Olathe Pirates

4. Fruita Monument Wildcats

5. Hotchkiss Bulldogs

6. Paonia Eagles

7. Grand Junction Tigers

8. Delta Panthers

9. Central Warriors

10. Cedaredge Bruins