Games to watch: New quarterbacks to lead Abernathy, Childress football in season opener
One of the biggest games of the opening week of the high school football season came about almost by accident.
Abernathy and Childress both struggled to find teams willing to play them in Week 1, so they decided to play each other. What's usually a bi-district playoff game will open the 2022 campaign with the Bobcats visiting the Antelopes on Friday night at 7 p.m.
Friday will be the first game of Bo Helm's head coaching career. Having spent time as Childress' defensive coordinator, Helm has had to adjust some of his habits, namely paying attention to all three aspects of the game. He also expects some nerves to hit as the game gets going, but he's ready.
"I do feel like once the game kicks off, everything starts flowing, I'll settle into that role pretty well," Helm said. "I've got a lot of confidence in those coordinators to call a great game. I've got a lot of confidence in this new leadership."
Helm and his counterpart, Abernathy head coach Justin Wiley, will both be breaking in new quarterbacks after the graduation of two of the best QBs in the state.
For Abernathy, it'll be 6-foot-3 senior Kaleb Harrell stepping in. Harrell is a different type of quarterback than Jess Hoel was for the Antelopes, which means Abernathy will have a bit of a different look on offense this year.
"He has a different skillset," Wiley said of Harrell, "but we've tried to tailor our offense to fit our kids and he's done a good job with what we've given them so far."
Likewise, Childress is looking to replace Colin Bishop.
Initially, it was Scout Smith getting the nod. However, Smith suffered an injury in last week's scrimmage and is considered week-to-week. This will give the 6-foot-1 Seth Taylor the start in Friday's opener.
"He's an extremely good competitor," Helm said of Taylor, who is also a starting linebacker for the Bobcats. "We're excited to have depth there, which is not something that a lot of schools our size can say."
Sophomore Jake Rabe has been called up to the varsity has a "just in case" option for Childress.
Childress holds an 8-3 record over Abernathy all-time, the latest game being in the 2020 bi-district round. Both teams will look significantly different since that 28-21 Bobcat victory, but Wiley expects Childress to be about the same as it always is.
"They've always got a good group of linebackers that really fly to the football," Wiley said. "They'll always be athletic in the secondary and they got some big ol' linemen up front."
Helm also expects Abernathy to continue doing the things that the Antelopes have done well for years.
"They look big," Helm said. "They look very physical. It looks like the two scrimmages, they're a team that will not beat themselves. They're very well coached. So we're gonna have to play really, really well to win this game.
"But it's also good for us. I feel like we'll learn a lot about who we are early in the season."
On the Radar
►Lubbock-Cooper at Dumas — The Pirates hit the road for a unique matchup with the Demons. These teams have only played each other twice (2015 and 2017) with Lubbock-Cooper winning a pair of tight games.
► Levelland at Plainview — Last year's encounter was literally decided in the last second. Plainview hasn't won a season opener since 2006. Will the Bulldogs get their revenge after last year's setback to the Lobos?
► Trinity Christian at Albany — The Lions are putting themselves to the ultimate test, kicking off the season against the top-ranked team in Class 2A Division II.
► Seagraves at Lockney — A couple teams looking to make an early statement on their new identities. Both teams want to throw the ball more than they have in the past. How will that look in the first week?
► Roosevelt at Amarillo River Road — Fresh off the best season in team history, how do the Eagles replace the majority of last year's state semifinalist team? And how will they look in their first game as a new-look team?
Childress at Abernathy
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Antelope Stadium
Last year's records: Abernathy 12-2, Childress 9-1
Coverage: Follow @NathanGiese for in-game updates, post game recaps, stories and video and @cboltphoto for pictures to appear at lubbockonline.com and amarillo.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: New quarterbacks to lead Abernathy, Childress football in season opener
