By Ernie W. Webb III
BURLINGAME – In an iconic scene at the end of the wonderful book “Friday Night Lights,” Odessa Permian coach Gary Gaines replaces the names of several graduating seniors with underclassmen on a white board the day after the Panthers’ season ends in the state semifinals.
That “next-man-up” mentality has become a theme at Burlingame under coach Jeff Slater. Once a doormat in the small-school ranks, the Bearcats consistently develop players and field a team that routinely wins. That appears to be the case again in 2025 after a season-opening 52-12 rout of Northern Heights on Friday night.
“Continuing the tradition here is important us as seniors,” said senior Danny Cain, who stepped into a leadership role as the starting quarterback. “The goals are the same as the guys before us: Win the league and host a playoff game. I would say I’m not a very vocal leader, but I try to lead by example.”
In his first start under center, Cain dominated the Wildcats with nearly 300 yards of offense. He threw for 185 yards on 13-of-16 accuracy, rushed 112 yards on 24 carries and had a hand in six of Burlingame’s seven touchdowns.
Five of Cain’s touchdowns came through the air, including a 30-yard pass to fellow senior Brock Moon on the third play of the season. Another member of a solid nine-man senior class, Drake Skirvin, hauled in scoring strikes of 19 and 6 yards as The Bearcats (1-0) raced to a 22-6 lead in the first quarter.
Moon, who had 70 yards on four catches, gave Burlingame a 36-12 lead at the break with an 18-yard touchdown reception late in the first half. Skirvin, who had 115 yards on nine grabs, tacked on a 6-yard touchdown in the third quarter. All told, Bearcat seniors accounted for 331 of Burlingame’s 365 yards.
“I saw the faces of a lot of former players here tonight,” said Slater, now 91-24 in 11-plus seasons. “I told the kids that those guys are here to make sure that you are doing your part to continue the tradition. As long as the kids put in the work, we will be successful.”
Winning the first game of the season has been an important part of the program being one of the best in Eight-Man since 2014. The Bearcats’ only loss in an opener under Slater was a competitive game against a Madison team that reached the state semifinals in 2020.
“Winning your first game is a big deal. I firmly believe that,” Slater said. “That validates all the work the kids did in the offseason, all the time in the weight room.”
David Noonan added 34 yards rushing, Middleton 23 and Jude Aguilar 11, including Burlingame’s final touchdown on a 5-yard run. Harlon Badger led Northern Heights (0-1) with 70 yards on 13 rushes. The Wildcats’ scores came on a 6-yard run by Cooper Woodrow and a 14-yard pass from Woodrow to Kelton Bish.
BURLINGAME 52, NORTHERN HEIGHTS 12
Northern Heights 6 6 0 0 — 12
Burlingame 22 14 8 8 — 52
First Quarter
BHS – Brock Moon 30 pass from Danny Cain (Blake Middleton run)
NHHS – Cooper Woodrow 6 run (Run failed)
BHS – Drake Skirvin 19 pass from Cain (Run failed)
BHS – Skirvin 6 pass from Cain (Cain run)
Second Quarter
NHHS – Kelton Bish 14 pass from Woodrow (Pass failed)
BHS – Cain 1 run (Moon pass from Middleton)
BHS – Moon 18 pass from Cain (Run failed)
Third Quarter
BHS – Skirvin 6 pass from Cain (Skirvin pass from Middleton)
Fourth Quarter
BHS – Jude Aguilar 5 pass from Cain (Skirvin pass from Cain)
GAME IN FIGURES
NHHS BHS
First downs 10 17
Rushes-Yards 30-105 38-180
Passing 3-14-1 13-16-0
Passing yards 26 185
Total yards 131 365
Punts 4-25.0 1-23
Fumbles-lost 1-0 2-0
Penalties 10-82 7-42
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – Northern Heights: Harlan Badger 13-70, Woodrow 12-26, Henry Sheeley 4-10, Lee DeDonder 1-(-1). Burlingame: Cain 24-112, David Noonan 4-34, Middleton 4-23, Aguilar 6-11.
RECEIVING – Northern Heights: Bish 1-14, DeDonder 2-12. Burlingame: Skirvin 9-115, Moon 4-70.
PASSING – Northern Heights: Woodrow 3-13-1 26, Sheeley 0-1-0 0. Burlingame: Cain 13-16-0 185.