Tested vs. untested

Six days after the rest of the area's Class 5A and 4A football teams took the field, Caprock will get in on the action tonight.

The Longhorns will face Borger at 7:30 p.m. at Dick Bivins Stadium.

While most of the other area schools were making their season debuts after the summer two-a-days, Caprock had a Week 0 bye, giving the Longhorns a rare early season breather.

That could be interpreted as an advantage in that the Longhorns are rested after Borger (1-0) survived a 45-43 shootout with Pampa last week. Or maybe it's a disadvantage in that they'll enter the game without any minutes under their belts.

Caprock coach Seth Parr doesn't think it matters much either way.

"It will all even out," Parr said. "Pretty soon you've got to play a game and you've got to go out and perform and get better."

That appears to be what Borger did against Pampa. The Bulldogs won a wild game as quarterback Trent Kirklin accounted for four touchdowns - two running (one an 85-yarder) and two passing (one a 75-yard play).

Yet, the Bulldogs come to Amarillo during a short week after an emotional win against a traditional rival, which first-year Borger coach Rusty Purser thinks could affect his team's preparation.

"It's been harder from the mental aspect," Purser said. "Our kids are all young as we had 20 to 30 kids play their first varsity game last week. It's just going to be a matter of focus and getting ready to play."

That will be an experience some Caprock players will have for the first time, and Parr thinks that will be his team's biggest test.

"No. 1, we want to win, but we've got to grow up as a team and get our juniors and sophomores under the lights at Bivins and get that out of the way," Parr said.