Tyler Morning Telegraph Sports Editor Phil Hicks, right, speaks with a Chapel Hill player at a photo shoot for The Zone magazine on Tuesday in Tyler.

It may not be football season yet, but anticipation is building for what many East Texans call the best time of the year.

Tuesday was all about getting ready for the season, as players suited up and put on their best game faces for the first of two The Zone Magazine Photo Shoot events.

Student-athletes and coaches from nearly 40 area schools gathered at Tyler Legacy High School’s indoor athletic facility for the shoot, organized by the Tyler Morning Telegraph and Longview News-Journal sports departments.

The photos will be featured in The Zone, a 150-plus page glossy magazine with breakdowns of all East Texas football teams ahead of the upcoming season. The publication will feature exclusive content including photos of the teams, schedules, rankings, predictions, stats, records, and more.

The Zone will be released on Aug. 21 and is available only to paid subscribers, who also get access to area-wide coverage of all sports throughout the year. The magazine can also be viewed online with a digital subscription.

The Zone photo shoots are supported by presenting sponsor Christus Trinity Mother Frances and tailgate sponsor Peters Chevrolet of Longview, who were both on site Tuesday. A second shoot will be held in Marshall on June 21 and include 24 schools, including Longview.

For more information on The Zone subscriptions specials, call Steven Briggs at 903-237-7768 or email circulation@tylerpaper.com .