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Baseball has cornered the market on opening day nostalgia. But for smells and sounds and experiences you cannot find anywhere else, high school football cannot be beat.

Here are three things we love about tonight — and every year's opener:

1. The newness of things.

Uniforms are right out of the box — or at least freshly cleaned. Shiny helmets lack scratches of a year's worth of games. On the sideline, a freshman sees his first game up-close, excited — yet scared to death — about the prospect of getting into the game.

And somewhere, a coaching staff's brand-spanking-new headset system will fail — and the coaches will wonder why they ever got rid of the old one.

2. The snack bar.

Carne asada at Sunnyside. Hot chocolate — preferably the Mexican variety — on a cold night. A cheeseburger grilled on-site, or a hot dog with $10 worth of free fixin's.

There is nothing better than football food — it is cheap, delicious, and the money goes to a good cause. And the snack bar has the best ambiance in town.

3. It is a dry run.

Sahuaro High School shares a fight song with Ohio State. Ironwood Ridge's uniforms are dead-ringers for Kansas State. Every band in town shares a few songs with the Pride of Arizona.

At some point tonight, just about anywhere in town, you will be able squint your eyes and picture yourself at a major college game. And you will smile to yourself, knowing the big boys start Saturday.

— Patrick Finley