Small changes can make a big difference.

And this year’s football season is full of little changes that could impact local teams’ seasons and create a wide-open contest for the Wesco North postseason.

For example, the new high school in Snohomish. While both Arlington and Marysville-Pilchuck will meet Glacier Peak on the field, their team is unlikely to make a big impression on either school in their first year. As a member of the Wesco South conference, a win or loss against Glacier Peak won’t count against the Eagles’ or Tomahawks’ conference record, which determines their playoff prospects.

Additionally, the team is without a Class of 2009, meaning their impact on the talent pool of a perennially tough Snohomish team probably won’t be felt as strongly until after this spring when Snohomish graduates its last united senior class.

But it will play out in one major way.

The introduction of Glacier Peak throws the Western Conference into realignment in football.

For just the football calendar, Wesco will break down into three leagues. Everett, Lynnwood, Shorecrest, Glacier Peak and Meadowdale will form a 3A playoff league. Only Everett aligns with the north, but since they’ll play regular season games against their 3A opponents this season, they don’t appear on M-P or Arlington’s calendar in 2008.

Additionally, for the football playoffs only, a tough Cascade crew that snapped up the third Wesco North district slot last season will dance with the south this fall.

For Arlington, which moves back up to 4A this season after two years in 3A, and Marysville, who went four and five in the conference last season, there’s more good news.

While Snohomish will have their complete senior class, they are without last year’s all-conference running back Derek Jones. And additionally, their sophomore and junior talent has been split with the new Glacier Peak High School.

And last year’s league champion and 2006 state champion Oak Harbor has been dealt twin blows as well, losing all-conference quarterback Johnny Encinas to graduation and league coach of the year Dave Ward to Archbishop Murphy.

“It could be anyone’s year,” said M-P coach Brandon Carson.