Thursday’s games

Class 5A 

Tascosa (0-0) vs. Palo Duro (0-0), 7 p.m.
This game was first played in 1958 so it oozes Amarillo city football history. Palo Duro under second-year coach Eric Mims has the vibe alive on the Northside with numbers up in the program and a mindset of playoffs, playoffs, playoffs. But No. 10-ranked Tascosa is a rugged matchup with its triple option offense and a defense which may be the best in coach Ken Plunk’s 14 years led by TCU commit Avion Carter. And, Plunk is an eye-opening 12-1 in season openers at Tascosa. … Tascosa 35, Palo Duro 14

Class 2A

Shamrock (0-0) vs. Sundown (0-0), at Happy State Bank Stadium, 7 p.m.
Expectations are as high as they’ve been for a longtime in Shamrock as the Irish get set to do battle with a Roughneck program taking a new shape under first-year head coach Brandon Rodgers. … Sundown 26, Shamrock 20

Class 1A

Hedley (0-0) at Follett (0-0), 7 p.m.
Kyle Timmons picks up his first win as the Panthers coach behind a talented team. … Follett 57, Hedley 12

Amarillo PCHEA (0-0) at Miami (0-0), 7 p.m.
In their first year of ball no one knows what to expect from PCHEA but we do know what to expect from Haiden Thompson. …  Miami 64, Amarillo PCHEA 18

Lefors (0-0) at Wildorado (0-0), 7 p.m.
The Mustangs are looking to sink the Pirate ship and start the season off in style. … Wildorado, 54 Lefors 24

Friday’s games

Class 5A

Amarillo High (0-0) at Midland Legacy (0-0), 7 p.m.
The Sandies make their first of two trips to Midland in three weeks. This one being the tougher challenge of the two as legacy is picked by Dave Campbell’s to win District 2-6A and its fifth title in a row. AHS is hungry to prove it’s the real deal this year and has multiple weapons on offense including D-I prospect Jameson Garcia at wide receiver. But Legacy’s strength in the trenches will be a factor in this one. …. Legacy 31, AHS 17

Hereford (0-0) at Caprock (0-0), 7 p.m.
No football season in the Texas Panhandle is complete without the Battle of the Cattle – Whitefaces vs. Longhorns. Coach Adam Naron led the Herd to a playoff berth in year one and returns nine starters. Caprock made the playoffs as well last under veteran coach Dan Sherwood and return 12 starters. Both team have to replace key offensive starters. This one goes to The Rock at home with Jamal Acosta-Lewis have a big night. … Caprock 28, Hereford 24

– Lance Lahnert 

Class 4A

Lubbock-Cooper (0-0) at Dumas (0-0), 7 p.m.
This is one of the true highlights of opening week in the area between state semifinalist in Class 5A Cooper and perennial contender Dumas in which both teams will discover quickly how good they are. Cooper has the edge in terms of depth, but Demons will benefit from opening at home. … Cooper 24, Dumas 21

Bushland (0-0) at West Plains (0-0), 7 p.m.
A metro matchup between the two newest Amarillo metro high schools, with Bushland having a decade-plus advantage in terms of experience and tradition. The Wolves will enjoy opening their program at home, but the Falcons have too much experience for them to go home happy. … Bushland 31, West Plains 13

Randall (0-0) at Andrews (0-0), 7 p.m.
Randall, like fellow Canyon ISD school West Plains, will be making its 4A debut, although the Raiders have a far more experienced program. Andrews figures to be a tough road opener, which is just the way coach Gaylon Selman wants it for his team, and Randall will return home in a good mood. … Randall 28, Andrews 26

Pampa (0-0) at Big Spring (0-0), 7 p.m.
Like Randall, Pampa is taking a long trip to open the season to the Permian Basin, a big enough challenge in and of itself. Both teams would like to get some early momentum going to show they’ll be relevant in district. Pampa’s defense looks strong enough to establish that. … Pampa 24, Big Spring 9

Denver City (0-0) at Borger, 7 p.m.
With 16 returning starters, Borger will be much improved as coach Duane Toliver is building a solid foundation. But the Bulldogs will face a tough test against Class 3A contender Denver City who will be pumped to open at home. It will be close but no cigar for Borger. … Denver City 22, Borger 19

Canyon (0-0) at Clovis, N.M. (0-1), 7:30 p.m.
Canyon crosses the state line to open the season, and the Eagles will play with a new set of rules. Coach Todd Winfrey and quarterback Derrek Clements will establish their bonafides opening their second seasons at their posts and will help the Eagles fly home with a win. … Canyon 25, Clovis 20

– Lee Passmore

Class 3A

Perryton (0-0) at Dalhart (0-0), 7 p.m.
The Rangers have improved each year under head coach Kurt Haberthur. This is always a physical matchup between the two teams but expect Perryton’s offense to be the difference maker. … Perryton 34, Dalhart 21

Muleshoe (0-0) at Littlefield (0-0), 7 p.m.
Former Bushland head coach Jimmy Thomas starts his second season for the Wildcats. Thomas will face a tough test and even a tougher time trying to figure out how to slow down Muleshoe speedy receiver Irvin Torres. … Muleshoe 28, Littlefield 20 

Lubbock-Roosevelt (0-0) at River Road (0-0), 7 p.m.
The Eagles lost quite a bit off of last year’s history making state semifinal team. However, the Wildcats also lost star running back Elliot Brown. Both squads will rely on their heavy run games to get them going. … Roosevelt 33, River Road 16 

Seminole, Okla. (0-0) at Canadian (0-0), 7 p.m.
Expectations are once again sky high in Canadian in hopes for a deep playoff run. The Wildcats cruise in the season opener. … Canadian 35, Seminole 13

Childress (0-0) at Abernathy (0-0), 7 p.m.
What a matchup to open Week 1. A year ago, this was easily a matchup any fan could have seen in the state quarterfinals. Both teams look a little different this season, but this is still a marquee Class 3A Division II matchup. … Childress 27, Abernathy 22 

– Kale Steed

Class 2A

Dimmitt (0-0) at Memphis (0-0), 7 p.m.
Both teams are hoping to rebound after tough seasons in 2021. Give the edge to the Bobcats in this season opener. … Dimmitt 30, Memphis 13 

Spearman (0-0) at Stratford (0-0), 7 p.m.
The Elks used this game last year to catapult a magical run to a Class 2A Division II state championship. Will the Lynx line be physical enough to hold up with Stratford is the question. … Stratford 29, Spearman 21 

Tulia (0-0) at Highland Park (0-0) 7 p.m.
There’s a lot of buzz around this contest between the battle of the Hornets. Both teams have new head coaches and look a lot different on the field than a year ago. … Tulia 27, Highland Park 24

Farwell (0-0) at New Deal (0-0), 7 p.m.
This looks more like a second-round playoff matchup than a season opener. The Steers will have to play their best to grab a W. … New Deal 35, Farwell 23

Clarendon (0-0) at Panhandle (0-0), 7 p.m.
This is a matchup involving two of the top players in the Texas Panhandle. Clarendon standout and Texas Tech commit, Jmaury Davis, going up against Panhandle’s star Landyn Hack. What a treat for the fans in the stands. … Panhandle 32, Clarendon 26 

Sanford-Fritch (0-0) at Gruver (0-0), 7 p.m.
This is going to be a very physical battle between two teams that love to mash in the trenches. The Eagles may be a surprise team in 2022, while the Greyhounds hope to turn an even bigger corner. … Gruver 22, Sanford-Fritch 13

Hale Center (0–0) at West Texas High (0-0), 7 p.m.
Hale Center head coach returns to Stinnett where he was an assistant football and head baseball coach for three years. This should come down to the wire. … Hale Center 23, WT High 13 

Booker (0-0) at Wheeler (0-0), 7 p.m.
The new-look Kiowas and first-year head coach Nic Williams make their way to Mustang land. Give the edge to Wheeler in a tough battle. … Wheeler 26, Booker 12

Boys Ranch (0-0) at Ropes (0-0), 7 p.m.
The Roughriders made huge strides in 2021, but it could be a tough night on the South Plains to open the year. … Ropes 28, Boys Ranch 12

Sunray (0-0) at Hooker, Okla. (0-0), 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs are a very physical football team, but will they be able to slow down the explosiveness of the Bobcats offense led by QB Armando Lujan. … Sunray 27, Hooker 21 

Bovina (0-0) at Vega (0-0), 7 p.m.
This is a possible playoff preview down the road. This time around the Longhorns have too much firepower for the Mustangs to hang with. … Vega 36, Bovina 16

Wellington (0-0) at Frederick, Okla. (0-0), 7 p.m.
A strong run game and toughness up front will be the difference in a Skyrocket victory. … Wellington 27, Frederick 14 

– Kale Steed

Class 1A 

Valley (0-0) vs Garden City (0-0), 6 p.m. at Jayton
No Blake Beard but don’t expect the Patriots to roll over. In a great matchup Garden City takes control in the second half. … Garden City 56, Valley 44

White Deer (0-0) at Groom (0-0), 7 p.m.
This game will tell us a lot about each team. White Deer will have to shut down Stephen Kuehler to get the win and their size gives them the advantage. … White Deer 50, Groom 46

Claude (0-0) vs. Roby (0-0), 7 p.m. at Matador
Look for the Lions to come out roaring under former S-E coach Israel DeLeon. …  Roby 66, Claude 27

McLean (0-0) at San Jacinto (0-0), 7 p.m.
Both teams return a large number of starters, but the Tigers will have the upper hand in this one. … McLean 55, San Jacinto 42

Silverton (0-0) at Petersburg (0-0), 7:30 p.m.
An intriguing matchup for the Owls as they look to prove they are a team to watch. Expect Sawyer Francis to put up some big numbers. … Silverton 64, Petersburg 44

Whiteface (0-0) at Nazareth (0-0), 7:30 p.m.
No one mentions the Swifts as a contender in Region I but that’s a mistake. Look for Naz to ride Luke Schulte to a big victory. … Nazareth 56, Whiteface 13

Saturday’s games

Darrouzett (0-0) vs. Chillicothe (0-0), 11 a.m. at Groom
The Longhorns would love to start the season with a win, but the Eagles will fly high at the end of the day. … Chillicothe 38, Darrouzett 20

Happy (0-0) vs. Westbrook (0-0), 8 p.m. at Jayton
A rematch of last year’s semifinal game for the Cowboys against the defending state champs. This is the marquee matchup in Six-Man and you can guarantee it will be a slobber knocker. … Westbrook 48, Happy 36

– Craig Sperry