Due to the stifling heat dome that continues to grip Oklahoma Friday night’s season opening football game with Lindsay at Conger Field has been moved back to a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

Purcell Head Coach Aaron Dillard expects a heavy dose of Leopard ground game.

“They are going to come in here and try to run the football,” Dillard said. “They are pretty balanced offensively.

“We don’t have a lot of film on them other than their scrimmage against Sulphur,” the coach continued. “They graduated some good receivers but they have quality backs returning and a senior quarterback that is a dual threat.

“If we can force them to throw, I like our chances,” Dillard confirmed.

The Dragons are coming off last week’s scrimmage with Dibble where a number of players caught the attention of the head coach.

“Cooper Selman and Cash Cook ran the ball well and both our quarterbacks Easton Resendiz and JJ Hitchcock moved the ball with the ones down the field,” Dillard said.

He mentioned the offensive line play of senior Brian Cazares.

“Liam Cummings ran the ball really well and we had good explosive blocking on the outside by Taizen Hernandez and Cru Venegas,” Dillard said.

Purcell got a slow start on defense but came around to answer some questions.

“On defense we gave up a touchdown on the first series but after that we really settled in and tackled better. In the back end Cash Cook and Cooper Selman covered well and we had three interceptions.”

Picking off the errant aerials were Cook, and a pair of freshmen, Dylan Caralampio and Haze Baker.

Dillard said junior linebacker Liam Cummings “did some good things as did freshman Ty Nichols. The coach praised the defensive line pay of freshman Bently Kirk.

“Our defensive line play is by committee with Carter Thomas, Isaac Auz and Cannan Haynes all doing some good things. We had a number of guys play pretty well,” Dillard confirmed.