You got to travel around and visit the local teams. What do you think? How does Maine compare to Washington when it comes to high school football?

Horton: As I understand football in Maine so far, touchdowns are worth six points, the forward pass is an acceptable form of advancing the ball and every coach thinks his team lacks size, so I’m sure things are mostly similar.

The biggest difference I’ve seen is that the number of schools that play football is much smaller in Maine. I did a quick count, and there are less than 75 football schools. I feel safe saying that Washington has more than 200 football-playing schools. And the smallest schools in Washington play eight-man football.

Tell me more about the football scene in the tri-county area. Is there anything newcomers like me need to know?

Kramlich: Well it’s good to know that Washington doesn’t go by Canadian Football League rules, with a 110-yard field and 20-yard end zones, not to mention only three downs. Although I’m sure some people in Washington might think Maine uses weird rules for football.

Eight-man football has been played in Aroostook County, but it’s never been a sanctioned sport by the Maine Principals’ Association. The MPA did some research, but there wasn’t enough interest. Makes me wonder if interest in it will ever grow enough for the state’s sports governing body to look at it again. It doesn’t sound like the worst idea to me.

The number of teams in the state skyrocketed 10-15 years ago, but some of those programs could never get their footing. Heck, I was a part of a new program at Gray-New Gloucester, and look how long it took for that program to find success.

As far as football in the tri-county area, just know that people like their football, whether it’s here in the Twin Cities or to more rural parts of our coverage area. And there’s no less pride for our Class D schools, which have some pretty good football histories.

You’re coming into what I think is a good area for football. It might not be the big-time schools of Texas and Florida, but the love for the teams by the locals is just as strong.

Have you sensed that this preseason? Are you excited yet?

Horton: I’ve noticed that there is a lot of pride. I asked Dirigo coach Jim Hersom about helping his shorthanded squad avoid using its lack of players as an excuse. He said, “Are you familiar with the area?” and then reeled off all the championship trophies the school has won in various sports. I was exposed as a newcomer, but I also was exposed to the Cougars’ tradition. And that was exciting.

I’m looking forward to more. I also can’t wait to experience the area’s rivalries.

Quick question: What’s a Red Eddie?