Despite the calendar reading May, football is back in Southwest Florida. High school teams around the area have returned to the gridiron for Spring ball — a month-long stretch where entire teams are allowed to practice together.

“It’s just exciting to be out here running around and hitting people,” Golden Gate football assistant head coach P.J. Gibbs said.

The Spring practices are crucial for younger players to show what they can do. It is the first time the coaches can see what their new roster looks like without the outgoing seniors.

“They see what kids like to have some contact, which kids don’t, and which kids need a little more coaching up,” Gibbs said.

Besides that, Spring ball is also an extremely important time for players who are trying to play at the next level. These practices are when college coaches are traveling across the country to recruit their next batch of players.

“I think we’ll probably have at least 50 schools in and out of the hallways during the eval period,” Gibbs said.

“Spring football is maybe even bigger as far as meeting coaches than the Fall,” Golden Gate football head coach Nick Bigica said. “They get to go face-to-face with a lot of coaches, which is huge for them.”

Those face-to-face meetings often result in scholarship offers on the spot. Golden Gate’s John Lee Honorat knows a lot about that. He’s already received 16 offers.

“It just really gives us a chance to show what we’re about, to show the coaches what we do in person,” Honorat said. “It really gives us a big opportunity to get those scholarships.”

The Spring season then culminates with teams around Southwest Florida scrimmaging against each other. The majority of those games are scheduled for late May.

The full high school football season in Southwest Florida begins in August. ABC7 will have full coverage every Friday night of the area’s biggest games and players.