While losing about five pounds today mowing the lawn, I had plenty of time to think about what will be a wild upcoming month.

PILOT PEN TENNIS

This is our biggest event of the year. No one's allowed to take vacation. All hands on deck. We even borrow the business editor and Register funny man and entertainment editor Patrick Ferrucci for the week.

We will have plenty of wild card news this week and special features and fan guides Friday.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Sept. 16 will be our high school football preview section.

Once again we'll have schedules, 2008 results and capsules for every team in the state.

We have a photo shoot for our cover story set up for next week and questionnaires have been sent to each football coach in the state. Mike Pucci is already typing in the shells for each of the capsules.

We think you'll enjoy the topic: A look at how teams select their starting quarterback.

There will also be more online components so keep yours eye out for those.

In the meantime, check out Mike Pucci's high school football blog.

He's breaking down Top 10 topics pertaining to high school football.


COLLEGE FOOTBALL

This is right around the corner, with Southern Connecticut kicking off the season looking for its sixth straight trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs.

UConn opens at Ohio Sept. 5 and New Haven is back in the mix, with two road games before a season-opener at its "almost blue" field Sept. 19 against Bentley.

Word is Boise State is not happy the Chargers have a similar color turf.

Yale opens at Georgetown Sept. 26, but then has three straight home games (Cornell, Lafayette and Dartmouth).

And The Game is at Yale Bowl Nov. 21.

Already have the photo set for that special section. The captains get together each year in May at the site of the home team. And we've been lucky enough the past decade or so to join in and get photos.

Beginning Sept. 1, we'll also introduce you to some of the top homegrown talent in college football.

NEW HAVEN ROAD RACE

A Labor Day tradition and the national championship for the 20K.

We've reporters working on feature stories that will run the week leading up to the event.

Dick Conrad, an employee here, has once again volunteered to generate results so we can post them in the paper the day after the race.

For more information visit the Road Race Web site.