The Pampa Harvesters (0-6, 0-1) return to Zach Thomas Stadium on Friday night for a crucial District 2-4A matchup against the Hereford Whitefaces (2-4, 0-1). Both teams are looking for their first district victory of the season, making Friday night’s showdown an important game for both programs as they battle for playoff positioning. Following the Hereford game, Pampa travels to Dumas on Oct. 23 before returning home to host Canyon on Oct. 30, which will also be Senior Night. The Harvesters will wrap up the regular season on Thursday, Nov. 5, against the West Plains Wolves at Happy State Bank Stadium in Canyon. I sat down, as I do each week, with Head Coach Floyd White to discuss last week’s game against Randall, the team’s continued growth, and the preparations for this must-win district showdown with Hereford.
Looking Back at Randall
The Harvesters found themselves facing an uphill battle early against Randall after costly mistakes helped the Raiders build a commanding lead. While Pampa forced an early three-and-out, a muffed punt prevented the Harvesters from capitalizing on the opportunity. White acknowledged that the early mistakes changed the complexion of the game but emphasized the importance of moving forward after adversity.
“In every game you can play the ‘what if’ game. It would have been a tremendous boost for our team if we could have capitalized on the three-and-out. We made the mistake and we had to look forward to the next play. When mistakes happen, that is what you must do. If you dwell, the game will overtake you. The early mistakes changed the flow of the game,” White said.
Despite trailing 41-0 at halftime, the Harvesters refused to quit. Pampa came out with renewed determination in the second half, scoring 17 points while Randall scored 20. White said the message to his team centered on eliminating self-inflicted mistakes rather than worrying about the scoreboard.
“All week we talked about beating the us who beats us. When we started the second half, we made sure that we reminded ourselves about that. We said that we did not care about the scoreboard. We just wanted to stop beating ourselves. As you can see, we can play with anyone when we keep from beating ourselves. Randall did not sub in many guys in the second half. They kept their starters in until the end of the game,” White said.
The fight displayed by the Harvesters in the final two quarters provided a positive takeaway from an otherwise difficult night. White said the biggest challenge moving forward will be finding a way to play that level of football from the opening kickoff.
“The fact that we continued to compete in the second half was huge for us. We just want to keep from putting ourselves in those spots that early in the game. We just need to give ourselves a chance to play meaningful football in the second half. We do that by executing play after play on both sides of the ball,” White said.
While Pampa has shown flashes of strong football throughout the season, putting together a complete four-quarter performance remains a priority. White said his team must eliminate the stretches of mistakes that have prevented the Harvesters from staying competitive throughout games.
“Like I said before, we have to stop beating ourselves. We are our own worst enemy when it comes to putting an entire game together. We can’t just start fighting when the game is out of reach. We have to execute and continue to execute on every play throughout the game. Not just in the first half or the second half of games,” White said.
Must-Win Matchup
With both Pampa and Hereford entering Friday night’s contest at 0-1 in District 2-4A, the importance of the matchup cannot be overstated. With just five district games on the schedule and four playoff spots available, White acknowledged that Friday’s contest carries significant postseason implications for both programs.
“Every game is important, but when you play the teams that are in the same predicament as your team, it becomes especially important. This game is definitely a must-win game because it is a district game. We are both 0-1 in district. Going 0-2 makes securing a playoff spot in the district immensely harder,” White said.
Despite the importance of the playoff picture, White said the coaching staff continues to emphasize staying focused on the immediate challenge rather than looking ahead to the remaining district schedule.
“You never look forward to what lies ahead in this district. You need to be focused on the here and now. Looking forward is a bad plan. That is how we talk with our kids and keep them focused this week,” White said.
Scouting Hereford
Turning his attention to Hereford, White expects a physical battle against a Whitefaces team that presents challenges on both sides of the football. He pointed to Hereford’s size, strength and athleticism as some of the biggest concerns heading into Friday’s matchup.
“They are a big physical team with good skill kids. They always seem to have the size that a lot of teams in our district do not have. They fly to the ball defensively and they will use that size and strength to move you offensively. It will be a heck of a matchup,” White said.
Offensively, Hereford presents a variety of looks that will challenge Pampa’s defense. White said the Whitefaces are capable of attacking opponents through multiple blocking and running schemes, with several talented playmakers capable of making an impact.
“They are multiple on offense. They have shown a zone scheme, gap scheme and an option scheme. They are proficient at all of it. So that makes the defense’s job tough to defend all of it. It all runs through the QB, No. 9, Bennett Bell. He is an operator. They have two good backs in Nos. 23, Zach Galvan, and 26, Alex Avina. Both present different styles. They have a good receiver in No. 12, Brix Machen. He is big and can get to a ball in a hurry,” White said.
Defensively, the Whitefaces are equally versatile, utilizing multiple fronts and coverages to create problems for opposing offenses. White identified several Hereford defenders who have stood out during film preparation.
“Defensively, they have shown both an odd and even front with multiple coverages in the back end. They have a good end, No. 44, Lucas Harmon, who is difficult to block up front. No. 39, Quay Shugart, is a linebacker who is a good player. No. 12, Machen, is also a good player for them in the secondary,” White said.
Building on Success
After falling behind early against Randall, the Harvesters will look to establish a much stronger start Friday night. However, White said the issue is not necessarily a lack of enthusiasm or effort from his players, but rather the need to consistently execute their assignments.
“I do not think that energy is much of our problem. Our execution is what must improve. We continue to execute at the level we did in the second half of the Randall game and we will be just fine moving forward,” White said.
Pampa’s offense found more success in the second half against Randall, putting 17 points on the scoreboard. White said the Harvesters were able to do several positive things throughout the contest, but their execution became more noticeable once those drives began resulting in points.
“Offensively, we did a ton of great things throughout the game. It was just magnified during the second half because we scored points. We need to continue to execute what we do at a high rate. That keeps the ball in our hands and out of their hands,” White said.
On the defensive side of the football, White said the Harvesters demonstrated their ability to slow down a talented Randall offense. The challenge now is maintaining that level of play regardless of the score or circumstances.
“We found defensively we can stop even the most explosive offense. We must continue to do it even when we are down. It keeps us in the game,” White said.
Keys to Victory
With Hereford bringing a physical team to Zach Thomas Stadium, White believes controlling the line of scrimmage will be one of the most important factors in determining Friday’s outcome. He said Pampa has the offensive playmakers to create problems for opponents when the offensive line executes, while generating pressure on the quarterback will be critical defensively.
“All games are won up front to begin with. When we get on people offensively, we are very difficult to stop. We have good skill kids who can make people pay. Defensively, when we are pressuring the QB, we are as good as it comes. We have to make sure that we give ourselves a chance to dominate in this game by winning the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball,” White said.
Another major emphasis throughout the week has been cleaning up the mistakes that have plagued the Harvesters this season. White said the coaching staff continues to dedicate time during practice to limiting turnovers, penalties and other costly errors.
“It is of the utmost importance to stop beating ourselves. Getting the game cleaned up is something that we really concentrate on during the week. We work to eliminate the penalties and turnovers on a constant basis. We understand that if we do not get that fixed, then we will continue to struggle every week,” White said.
Offensively, White emphasized ball security and sustaining drives as two major priorities against Hereford. He said the Harvesters have made strides in executing their offense, but turnovers and penalties can quickly derail promising possessions.
“Offensively, we can’t turn the ball over. In a game like this one, the ball is precious and we must make sure that we keep control of it. We also have to execute when we have the ball. We are doing a much better job with the execution. We have to keep with it. We also have to eliminate the penalties that stop drives. That is a tough hill to climb when we get behind on an offensive possession,” White said.
Defensively, the Harvesters will need to improve their ability to make open-field tackles while finding ways to create additional possessions for the offense. White said both areas have been points of emphasis during practice.
“Defensively, we must be able to make tackles in space. That is a weakness that we have identified and we work on daily. We have to create more takeaways. The more we can give our offense the ball, the better off we will be,” White said.
Special teams could also play a significant role in a matchup between two teams desperately searching for a district victory. White acknowledged that Pampa’s punting game has been inconsistent at times this season and said controlling field position will be especially important Friday night.
“Special teams always play a big role in games like this one. We have to work especially hard to make sure that when we punt, we get the field flipped. Punting has been an Achilles’ heel for us this year at times. That hidden yardage is huge in the grand scheme of things,” White said.
Leadership and Focus
Despite the Harvesters’ difficult start to the season, White remains pleased with the leadership demonstrated by his seniors and team captains. He said those players have been instrumental in keeping the team together and focused on improving despite the adversity they have faced.
“Our seniors and captains work hard every week to help keep the ship going in the right direction. We all understand that things have not gone exactly how we want them to go. We all realize that we play a role in how things have gone to this point. We are also doing our part to correct the direction of things. Our leaders have been tremendous in keeping everyone in lockstep versus the adversity we are facing,” White said.
With Friday night’s matchup carrying major implications for the district standings, White said the coaching staff is working to balance the urgency of the situation with keeping the players relaxed and focused. Rather than allowing the importance of the game to become overwhelming, White wants his team concentrating on winning each individual play.
“It’s truly a difficult balance because you want your players to lock in to what is at hand for our team. You just don’t want it to be the end-all, be-all. That makes you tight and therefore not able to play your best. We stay within our processes and not focus on everything else. We talk about playing hard for six seconds at a time. That is the average time of one play. When we win each individual battle, plays and scores take care of themselves. That is what keeps us grounded in what we have to do,” White said.
Crowd Support
With cooler temperatures expected Friday night, the Pampa Harvesters will need the warmth of a passionate hometown crowd as they take the field at Zach Thomas Stadium for a crucial district showdown with the Hereford Whitefaces. Despite a difficult start to the season, these young men continue to battle, and the support of the Pampa community could provide an important emotional boost as the Harvesters fight for their first victory. As the Voice of the Harvesters, I want to emphasize just how much a packed stadium and a loud, enthusiastic crowd can mean to the players, especially when they need that support the most.
“I don’t care how chilly it gets Friday night, I want to see Zach Thomas Stadium PACKED for this must-win district game! I want to hear that crowd loud, on their feet, and cheering for another HARVESTER FIRST DOWN! These boys need this community behind them now more than ever. I don’t think people truly realize how much it means to these young men to look up into those stands and see a stadium full of people supporting them with all their hearts. That kind of atmosphere can motivate a team more than you know. It’s easy to show up and cheer when things are going great, but it’s when times are tough that our kids need us the most. Win or lose, these are OUR boys, OUR team, and OUR HARVESTERS! They’ve continued to fight for that Green and Gold, and now it’s our turn to show up and fight for them from the stands. I know I’ll be there cheering with everything I’ve got, and I hope the entire community will be right there with me. Bundle up, wear your GREEN AND GOLD, and let’s pack Zach Thomas Stadium Friday night! GO BIG GREEN!” Green said.
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.
