Bowie
The Jackrabbits will open the season at home against Godley. The Wildcats are a bigger school, classified as 4A division II, and coming off a 9-3 record with an exit in the area round of the playoffs.
“They have big, physical kids,” Coach Dylan Stark said. They have a real athletic receiver. They are coached by a former Bowie coach, Duke Dalton.”
Dalton coached in Bowie back in the early 2000s. The Wildcats have two good running backs and wide receiver Easton James on the outside. The team plays out of the spread formation and plays a standard 4-3 defense.
Stark knows playing a bigger school coming off a playoff run is a tough challenge and that is exactly what he wants to see his team face.
“It will be a real good test for us at the start of the year, kind of see where we are at,” Stark said.

Nocona
The Indians open the season on the road at Boyd. A 3A division I team coming off of a 3-8 season, the Yellow Jackets feature a lot of up and coming freshman and sophomores Nocona will have to deal with.
Despite the youth, Coach Brad Keck has said Boyd has more than held their own in their scrimmages against Bridgeport and Godley the last two weeks. Keck knows one of the keys will be trying to stop their quarterback Kody Risenhoover from making plays.
“Their quarterback from last year is a really good athlete,” Keck said. “He throws the ball well on the run. He does a real good job of scrambling around and keeping his eyes down the field to his receivers.”
Keck knows the key will be the size and experience the Indians will have up front on the offense and defensive side.
“We can’t have stalemates up front,” Keck said. “We need to be pushing on them pretty good.”

Saint Jo
The Panthers play division II team Fannindel to open the season at home. Sharing the same district with old rivals Forestburg and Gold-Burg, the Falcons are picked to win that district from outsiders.
Coach Derek Schlieve knows his team is up for a challenge Friday night. “They have a whole lot of speed,” Schlieve said. “We have to try to bottle that speed up, contain it and make the tackle when we get to that spot.”
Fannindel was a 5-5 team last year and finished second in their division I before losing in the first round of the playoffs. Their quarterback Layne Miller threw for 25 touchdowns last year and running back Dayton Dunbar ran for 23 touchdowns.
Saint Jo is a bigger school and will have more fresh bodies to throw at the Falcons to stay fresh all game.
“We are going to need to play physical at the point of attack,” Schlieve said. “We are going to have to hold our blocks whistle to whistle. We have to make sure we take care of the football.”

Gold-Burg
The Bears play private school power Wichita Falls Notre Dame at home.
Coming off a down year where the Knights missed the playoffs after consecutive years in the state title game, Notre Dame is looking to bounce back this year.
“They have got two players that can really run,” Williams said. “We are going to have to do a good job of bottling them up because if they break one tackle in the open field or outside, it is a touchdown.”
The Knights still have some players from those title game appearances and that experience will be a huge test for Gold-Burg.
“I feel like we can run the ball on them to keep possession and take time off the clock,” Williams said.
Knowing the value of home field advantage, Williams hopes the familiar playing site along with the support from home fans will give his team the edge it needs to beat such a good program.
“Everyone feels so much more prepared for the first game this year compared to last year,” Williams said. “We feel ready for the season.”

Forestuburg
The Longhorns head into their opening game at home against private school Lone Star North banged up.
Several players are fighting through injuries that plagued the team in their two scrimmages.
It also is a team that is still trying to figure things out and has unproven players stepping into big shoes.
Coach Kyler Roach feels he still has the personnel to execute his game plan.
“I feel like our offense is like a second defense,” Roach said. “I’m a big believer in ball control. The more we have it, the less time they have to score.”
Lone Star North has some fast kids, but Roach hopes the physicality and toughness his team has will be the difference for the Longhorns.
“I am preparing for a close game,” Roach said. “Friday night is going to come down to who is tougher.”

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News. All games scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.