Borger coach Duane Toliver looks on as his Bulldogs battle Palo Duro in a non-district game last week. [Ben Jenkins/ Press Pass Sports]
Thursday’s GameClass 5A
Palo Duro (4-0) vs. Tascosa (3-1), 7 p.m., Dick Bivins Stadium:
Nobody, except Coach Mims believed PD would be 4-0,
But man, the Northside Pride just grows and grows.
Fair to say PD’s opponents to date have been so-so,
That changes in No. 9 Tascosa, recently whipping Mojo.
I like this 2-5A D-I opener being full of hype galore,
Plunk gets win 100, Rebs option offense lets out a roar. … Tascosa 55, Palo Duro 14
Class 1A
Paducah (3-1) at Follett (4-0), 6:30 p.m.
Follett will have its handles full trying to contain an athletic Dragons team, but their defense has proved worthy. … Follett 55, Paducah 45
Happy (3-1) vs. Sterling City (3-1), 7 p.m., at Borden County
This one is the game of the night in Class 1A Division I as we see the Cowboys take on the defending state champions. The Eagles have been riding a ton of success, the Cowboys will do their best. … Sterling City 83, Happy 68
Darrouzett (0-4) at Claude (1-3), 7 p.m.
The Mustangs take on the Longhorns. Look for Claude’s Javon Lee will cause mayhem. … Claude 67, Darrouzett 14
Miami (1-3) at Silverton (2-2), 7:30 p.m.
Miami has had a rough go to start the season. The Owls are trying to prove they can compete. … Silverton 47, Miami 24
Lazbuddie (1-2) at Hedley (4-0), 7:30 p.m. History is what the Owls are looking to make and they continue building here. … Hedley 67, Lazbuddie 45
Friday’s games
Class 5A
Caprock (1-3, 0-0) vs. Amarillo High (3-1, 0-0), 7 p.m., at Dick Bivins Stadium
This game first played out way back in 1963,
This one is a 2-5A D-I opener I’m itching to see.
AHS opened eyes dominating Frenship last week,
The Sandies playing their best of 2021, starting to peak.
Caprock’s three losses by a mere average margin of 7.5,
To pull of this upset, The Horns must have offense arrive. … Amarillo High 34, Caprock 17
Lubbock High (1-3, 0-0) vs. Lubbock Monterey (2-2, 0-0), 7 p.m., Lowrey Field at PlainsCapital Park, Lubbock
The winner of this one snags the coveted Silver Spurs,
And, jumps to 1-0 in 2-5A, Division I, for sures.
Monterey has speed with wins over Odessa and Midland;
Lubbock High is scrappy, riding a W, and, oh what a band.
I see Monterey eventually wearing down Lubbock High,
So go with the Plainsmen, under a blue sky. … Monterey 32, Lubbock High 16
— Lance Lahnert
Last week: 2-1 (.666)
Season: 10-4 (.714)
Class 4A
Randall (2-2) at Dumas (2-1), 7 p.m.
These teams are headed In markedly different directions at the moment. Dumas has won two straight after dropping the season opener, and Randall has lost two straight, including squandering a 21-point lead at Pampa last week. With a win, Dumas coach Aaron Dunnam will move into fourth place alone on the school’s all-time win list in under 3 ½ seasons. That, and momentum, give the Demons the advantage. … Dumas 33, Randall 28
Dalhart (0-4) at Borger (1-3), 7 p.m.
Both of these teams are struggling and coming off decisive losses to unbeaten teams last week, as Dalhart lost at Friona and Borger fell to Palo Duro, and in both cases opponents dominated in the second half. A sense of urgency for both teams should make for an entertaining game, and more than likely, a close one. Since Borger did hang with 5A Palo Duro for a half, the Bulldogs have the slight edge. … Borger 21, Dalhart 20
Canyon (3-1) at Midland Greenwood (2-1), 7 p.m.
The Eagles make their longest road trip of the regular season to face a traditionally strong foe at Greenwood. After losing their opener under new coach Todd Winfrey, the Eagles have won three straight and appear to be hitting their stride. Playing on the road will be a challenge, but Canyon will prove up to it in a close contest thanks to a balanced offensive attack. … Canyon 28, Greenwood 24
Hereford (2-2) at Plainview (1-3), 7 p.m.
Following a pair of blowout losses at home last week, there’s plenty of incentive this week for both teams to get things moving in the right direction quickly. Hereford continued to struggle offensively in a 34-0 loss to Lubbock Estacado and Plainview also lost by 34 to Dumas. Hereford has shown some toughness defensively, so to with the Herd. … Hereford 27, Plainview 19
Levelland (1-3) at Pampa (3-1), 7 p.m.
It’s possible that nobody in the area is playing with more confidence than Pampa right now. The Harvesters have won three straight under first-year coach Cody Robinson, most recently rallying from a 21-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Randall 29-28. Levelland is coming off a blowout loss to Lubbock High. The math adds up to a Pampa rout. … Pampa 45, Levelland 13
— Lee Passmore
Last week: 4-1 (.800)
Season: 16-5 (.761)
Class 3A
Spearman (3-1, 0-0) at Childress (3-0, 0-0), 7 p.m.
This is a heck of a District 3-3A Division II opener that’s been circled since the summer. Spearman has a stingy defense, but the Bobcats offense is a juggernaut. … Childress 35, Spearman 20
Dimmitt (2-2, 0-0) at Friona (4-0, 0-0), 7 p.m.
The Chieftains are rolling with one of the top offenses in the Texas Panhandle averaging 47.7 points a game. Don’t expect Friona to slowdown Friday. … Friona 42, Dimmitt 12
Highland Park (0-4, 0-0) at Tulia (3-1, 0-0) 7 p.m.
The battle of the Hornets takes place at Younger Field. Tulia’s offense led by QB Travon McCaslin presents too much buzz for HP. … Tulia 35, Highland Park 8
Perryton (1-3) at Bushland (2-1), 7 p.m.
The Falcons are flying high after back-to-back wins over Canadian and Stratford, but don’t count out a physical Ranger team that hits teams in the mouth physically. … Bushland 27, Perryton 16
Muleshoe (2-2) at Seminole (1-3), 7 p.m.
These two teams boast two talented quarterbacks in Zach Hasley of Muleshoe and Blake Flowers for the Indians. Which defense makes the key stops is the question. … Seminole 30, Muleshoe 22
Sanford-Fritch (1-3) at River Road (2-2), 7 p.m.
The Wildcats run game will wear down the Eagles resulting in a happy Homecoming. … River Road 35, Fritch 7
Class 2A
Vega (3-1) at Bovina (1-3), 7 p.m.
No doubt the Longhorns are going to want to bounce back after a tough loss to Spearman last week. … Vega 40, Bovina 14
Quanah (0-4) at Clarendon (4-0), 7 p.m.
The Broncos have found their offense piling up 100 points over the last two games. Good luck, Quanah. … Clarendon 48, Quanah 12
Farwell (4-0) at Sundown (2-2), 7 p.m.
This is a big matchup for the Steers. Last season, the Roughnecks beat Farwell twice including ending its season in the playoffs. No question a matter of redemption will be on the minds for coach Darren Kelley’s squad. … Farwell 32, Sundown 19
Shamrock (4-0) at Gruver (3-0), 7 p.m.
It’s a battle of unbeaten teams going down at Greyhounds Stadium. Are the Irish for real? How improved are the Greyhounds? We’ll know a lot more by the end of Friday night. … Gruver 29, Shamrock 20
Panhandle (0-3) at Stratford (3-1), 7 p.m.
The Elks showed a lot despite a loss at Bushland. Panhandle had a week off to regroup after an 0-3 start. But the Elks aren’t who anyone wants to face when trying to find your first win of the year. … Stratford 38, Panhandle 21
Sunray (2-2) at Wheeler (3-1), 7 p.m.
Both the Mustangs and Bobcats are still figuring it out after losing so many key players from last year. Right now, Wheeler holds a slight edge. … Wheeler 34, Sunray 20
Wellington (1-2) vs. Jacksboro (2-1), 7 p.m. Frederick, Okla.
It’s the second time across the state border for Wellington in a month. This time the Skyrockets leave the Boomer state W. … Wellington 33, Jacksboro 14
Booker (0-3) at Memphis (1-3), 7 p.m.
Both of these teams are struggling and are in need of a win. Expect a four quarter battle with the Cyclones edging it out. … Memphis 23, Booker 18
— Kale Steed
Last week: 12-3 (.800)
Season: 53-16 (.768)
Class 1A
McLean (4-0) at Groom (2-2), 7 p.m.
Whatever happens the Tiger will be victorious in this one. Groom is trying to find a way back to success, while McLean has been steady to start the year. This ones closer than most think. … Groom 72, Mclean 68
Nazareth (2-2) at Valley (3-1), 7:30 p.m.
Both teams are set behind preseason favorites to win the district. Which of these teams can cause more problems? Give me the Patriots. … Valley 58, Nazareth 34
Springlake-Earth (3-1) at White Deer (1-3), 7 p.m.
The Wolverines are on a tear this season, and it seems there’s aren’t many teams in this region standing in the way. … Earth 58, White Deer 30.
Amherst (2-1) at Wildorado (3-1), 7 p.m.
The Mustangs had a hot start smoldered to Follett. Expect Wildorado to rebound. … Wildorado 49 Amherst 45
— Tommy King
Last Week: 6-4 (.600)
Season: 30-9 (.769)
