Photos courtesy of Charla Shults
The Pampa Harvesters (0-3) will make the trip down Highway 152 Friday night for one of the most anticipated games on the schedule as they take on the rival Borger Bulldogs (0-3). The game will kick off at 7 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium in Borger.
The Harvesters enter the Week 4 matchup following a 34-14 loss at Perryton, but head coach Floyd White continues to see signs of progress from his team despite the early-season record.
Perryton
One of the biggest positives White saw against Perryton was a team that continued to battle regardless of the circumstances.
“What I saw was a group that did not quit. Things that were encouraging were that we moved the ball on them all night. We averaged five-plus yards per play on offense,” White said. “On defense, we only gave up 250 yards and 14 points. We still must continue to emphasize taking care of the ball and cleaning up the special teams issues from last week.”
Thomas, Rose, Baca Play
Several Harvesters provided big moments during the game, including senior Gunter Thomas on a kickoff return and sophomores Colton Rose and Ramiro Baca stepping up when their opportunities came.
“The thing that shows up every week with our guys is that they are resilient and they do not give up. That is different from years past,” White said. “The great thing is that most of these young men are coming back. Both Colton and Ramiro are showing that they are ready for a bigger role in what we are doing offensively and defensively.”
White said Thomas, one of the seniors on this year’s team, provided exactly the type of spark Pampa needed.
“Gunter is a senior who is making plays that seniors need to make in games like these,” White said. “His return gave everyone a shot in the arm to keep playing hard all night.”
Getting younger and less experienced Harvesters meaningful varsity snaps has also become important as Pampa continues through its nondistrict schedule.
“It is huge for us going forward because it allows them to see the speed and intensity that it takes for them to win on any given Friday night,” White said. “There is definitely a jump in level from JV/freshman football to the varsity level. Any experience they gain is a huge benefit to them.”
Pampa Offense
Pampa’s offense showed signs of returning to what it did successfully in the season opener. The Harvesters scored 14 points and consistently moved the football against Perryton, but finishing possessions remains an area of emphasis.
“We got back to what we were doing from Week 1. Week 2 was an adjustment on our part because of the loss of a few starters,” White said. “We had to adjust our scheme to brand-new guys, and it showed. We were able to implement more of our original offense but tailor it to the personnel we had.”
One statistic White pointed to was the fact that Pampa was forced to punt only twice during the game.
“Most people don’t realize we only had to punt twice on Friday night. We moved the ball,” White said. “We just have to capitalize on those possessions.”
Pampa Defense
The Harvester defense also created opportunities, forcing three takeaways while holding Perryton to a 33 percent conversion rate on third down and making three fourth-down stops.
“We played a decent game, defensively. We created three takeaways, they only converted on 33 percent of third downs, and we also had three fourth-down stops,” White said.
The biggest concern remains preventing explosive plays in obvious passing situations.
“The big area that we need to clean up this week is third-down coverage. We have given up two passing touchdowns on third-and-long situations the last two games, and that has to be fixed,” White said. “The one passing touchdown from this game was 70 yards. That one play was 25 percent of their offense. When we clean that up, things will look a lot different.”
An 0-3 start is not where the Harvesters wanted to find themselves entering rivalry week, but White said he has seen something encouraging from his senior class — accountability.
“The thing that I see is that our seniors are finally holding each other accountable,” White said. “It’s easy to hold the younger players accountable. It’s a lot harder to hold your peers accountable for things during practice. That is how you can tell they are all still in the fight together.”
Highway 152 Showdown
That fight will be tested Friday night in a game that carries a little extra meaning on both sides of Highway 152. Pampa and Borger need little introduction to one another. The Highway 152 Showdown has long been one of the biggest rivalry games on the schedule, and White does not have to spend much time explaining its importance to his players.
“This game doesn’t need a whole lot of explanation when it comes to our kids. They understand what is at stake every time we play them,” White said. “The 152 Showdown is one of those games that requires the kids to lay it all on the line to win. Our kids are ready to show up and play.”
And when it comes to where the game is played, White said the location would not change the intensity between the two rivals.
“We could play this game on a field, in a parking lot or in a pasture, and both sides are going to play their hearts out,” White said.
Borger Offense
When Borger has the football, Pampa will prepare for a spread offensive attack that also incorporates a physical running game.
“Borger runs a spread system with a couple of power run schemes that make things tough for the defense to adjust to,” White said. “They do a good job of working schemes to get their playmakers open in space.”
White identified several Bulldogs who will demand Pampa’s attention, beginning with Borger’s offensive line and quarterback.
“They are tough up front. They get on you and stay glued to you,” White said. “They have a quarterback, No. 11, Christian Garcia, who is good at dealing the ball to their weapons.”
Borger also has weapons at running back and receiver that the Harvester defense will need to account for throughout the night.
“They also have a back, No. 2, Raul Rodriguez, who runs the ball well. We are really going to have to work to keep him in check,” White said. “They have a receiver, No. 4, Malaki Whitfield, who is their big-play guy outside. We have to always keep secondary eyes on him.”
Borger Defense
Defensively, the Bulldogs operate primarily from a 4-3 scheme and have impressed White with their discipline.
“They are a well-coached 4-3 scheme. They are where they need to be when they need to be there,” White said. “It will be difficult to find the easy yards. We will need to work our tails off to make yards where there are not yards to make.”
Borger also has several individual defenders who have stood out during Pampa’s preparation.
“They have two tough defensive ends in No. 7, Ashton Garcia and No. 9, Noah Ramos. They make a lot of chaos happen,” White said. “They have a middle backer, No. 22, Dyllon Yankee, who runs the show. It is hard to play a 4-3 Mike backer, and he does a good job in there.”
The Bulldogs’ Whitfield will also be a player Pampa has to locate before the snap.
“They also have No. 4, Malaki Whitfield, who is a cornerback. He does a great job of taking away routes to his side,” White said. “We are going to have to know where he is.”
Keys to the Game
For Pampa, White believes one of the biggest keys Friday night will be maximizing possessions and protecting the football.
“Ball possession for us is paramount. When we don’t turn the ball over, we are a very good team,” White said. “We must create more possessions for our offense. So, we will need to concentrate on creating takeaway situations, then taking advantage of those situations.”
Defensively, getting all 11 Harvesters around the football will be another major emphasis.
“We also have to get all 11 defenders to the ball,” White said. “If no extra yardage can be found, we will be in great shape Friday night.”
You can find HSN on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@HarvesterSportsNetwork/. You can also follow them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HarvesterSportsNetwork. Lastly, there is a Twitter/X page: www.x.com/PampaHSN. Mike Mitchell and Troy Schwiegerath will be calling the game. The game will also be broadcast locally on 103.3 FM KRXZ Radio. That station will be piped through the YouTube feed. The pre-game show will begin on YouTube and 103.3 FM at 6:45 p.m. and kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
