Bryan would seem to have plenty of advantages over Temple going into their District 12-5A football game at 7:30 tonight at Merrill Green Stadium.
The Vikings have a 4-3 overall record to the Wildcats' 2-5 mark, and Bryan is 3-1 in district to 1-3 for Temple.
The Vikings own the positive momentum of a two-game winning streak, including a 34-20 home win over defending district champion Copperas Cove and a stellar fourth-quarter performance to prevail 39-29 at Killeen Ellison last Friday.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats are needing to shake off the negative effects of their 29-28 overtime home loss to Harker Heights, a defeat that put a huge dent in their quest for a third consecutive playoff berth.
And, of course, it's a home game for Bryan, meaning it's Temple's first game on a grass field in more than two years.
But despite all of those anti-Temple factors, remember this: Beware of a wounded Wildcat.
Why? Because Temple knows it's faced with the situation of having to win its final three games to have a shot of advancing to postseason play.
Talk about having a sense of urgency.
"We know it's a big game with our back to the wall," Wildcats coach Bryce Monsen said.
But as for his players trying to play harder or with greater urgency, Monsen said that's pretty much a moot point.
"We expect (their best effort) every week," he said. "We expect our kids to compete every week."
Cove improved to 4-1 in 12-5A with a win Thursday, and Belton, Bryan and College Station A&M Consolidated all enter tonight's games at 3-1.
For Temple to work its way into one of the league's four playoff berths, it almost certainly will have to win out and have at least one of the current top four teams to finish with four district wins.
The Wildcats' remaining games are against Bryan, rival Belton in next Thursday's nationally televised duel at Wildcat Stadium and at winless Killeen Shoemaker in Week 10. So with a couple of head-to-head matchups followed by a seemingly sure-fire win left, Temple has an opportunity to claw its way back into the race.
gwille@temple-telegram.com
