It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

No, it’s not Christmas. Well, I take that back. It is Christmas — if you are a prep sports fan.

Or writer.

It’s the fall sports season, which is my favorite stretch on the calendar.

There will be plenty of intrigue as the hot (well, hot-ish this summer) days of August turn into the late-fall chill of November.

Here are some of the things I’ll have my eyes on this fall:

How far can the Karns City football team go?

Sure, the Gremlins have some questions, like who will play quarterback and can Tristan Rhoades stay healthy and cash in on the sheer talent he has.

Karns City is deep and talented because the seniors this year who were sophomores two years ago during a season that saw more than a fair share of injuries and as a result played a ton of games.

That should pay off come November.

How far can the Freeport volleyball team go?

Pretty far. The Yellowjackets went 20-1 last year and won the WPIAL title and may be deeper and more talented this season.

It all starts with senior Zoe Pawlak, who is coming back from an ankle injury this summer. But Freeport has talented players at every position and can shuffle in more talented players off the bench.

Look out for the Yellowjackets this season.

What will Rob Densmore’s fate be at Butler?

Densmore is the fourth head football coach in eight years for the Golden Tornado and is saying all the right things.

The schedule also sets up nicely for a fast start for Butler — a 3-1 record come the end of September is a real possibility.

The question is, however, can Densmore build a program? The biggest question is will the administration at Butler give him the time to do it?

What will a new era for Karns City girls soccer hold?

Lisa Castiglione stepped down as head coach, but Tracy Dailey takes over with full knowledge of what KC soccer is all about — she played for the Gremlins in 1996 when they advanced to the state semifinals.

The Gremlins lost a slew of key seniors, such as Breann Wood and Morgan Deal, but also have loads of talent coming back. It should be an interesting year for Karns City.

Can Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic win another state title?

The Trojans have changed their address — moving into a spiffy new school in Cranberry Township — but the football team’s goal remains the same.

State championship or bust.

Who will win the Butler Eagle Scoring Trophy?

Mars fullback Josh Schultheis has an excellent chance at repeating, but if I had to pick one challenger it would be Knoch’s Cody Milsom.

The fun, though, is in seeing it all play out this fall.

Enjoy.

I know I will.

Mike Kilroy is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.