Last year was the first time The Valley Times-News had an online vote to determine who would grace the cover of the Gridiron preview. The Facebook-only competition brought in a total of 447 votes.

Entering the final day of voting this year, the top cover had 1,034 votes alone. The top two covers nearly received four times as many votes as last year’s total as well heading into the final day of voting.

The type of support received for the contest was absolutely jaw-dropping and the staff wants to give a huge thank you to everyone who participated.

Having a representative from every school and every program allows all of our schools — regardless of size — to get recognized.

While many would argue that football players are the main draw to local stadiums, the magic that is high school football in the south doesn’t stop there.

The boosters, the volunteers who take tickets at the gate, the band providing the nights’ soundtrack, the concession stand volunteers, the trainers making sure the players are healthy and the security guards making sure the night is as safe and enjoyable as possible, also make it special.

We felt it was important to recognize the band members who spend as many, and in some cases, more hours in the sun and elements during summer, fall and winter rehearsals.

It’s important to recognize the cheerleaders, who spend countless hours a week to get chants and routines in sync.

And it’s important to recognize the players, who sacrifice so much time to put on shoulder pads, helmets and jerseys and to play with pride.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s cover contest. Look for the 2019 Gridiron Preview in the August 22 edition of Valley Times-News.