The sweet sounds of high school football practice are finally back in the Capital Region after a 15-month absence.

For seniors like Troy’s Xavier Leigh, it's a chance to wear the uniform one last time.

“It would have been a bummer if we hadn’t been able to play our last year in a Troy High jersey," Leigh says. "Like Coach [Bob] Burns always says, you can’t take these things for granted, so just being out there with these guys feels good.”

In a condensed season, a shot at a state championship is out the door for every team. But Leigh knows what’s a stake. Bragging rights are still on the line,and a shot to prove who is the best in the section, even if it's not an official title.

“Our main goal every year is to win the section, so us getting those two playoff games at the end of the year is good, so we won’t take that for granted," Leigh says. "Every game this year, we’re going to go in with a chip on our shoulder and play as hard as we can.”

For Leigh, these next few weeks will be crucial for his college decision after decommitting from the University of Massachusetts in January.

“I’m not really trying to rush into anything right now because of the situation that just happened. I’m just going to let everything play out like it's supposed to," he says. "We still have some colleges that are playing in the spring, so I’m just waiting to see what will happen with them.”

Leigh says there are a handful of schools interested in his talents. Some are close to home, others farther away. Whatever happens, playing college football is a dream for him, and one he can’t wait to fulfill.

“It means a lot because of what I have going on here, so Coach Burns and everyone here on the coaching staff definitely prepared me to play college football," Leigh said.