By RANDY GONZALES

rgonzales@dailynews.net

When he was offensive coordinator at Lourdes Central Catholic High School in Nebraska, Jon Borer was used to working with players not always as big as the other guy.

Borer compensated by using the spread offense, with the passing game the great equalizer.

When he takes the field as the 15th football coach in Thomas More Prep-Marian history, Borer will face many of the same challenges with the Monarchs.

"They're athletic kids, can move in space," Borer said. "They're pretty quick, pretty shifty. I think (the offense) has the potential to be that team that can move down the field, do some things.

"We have to do things right," he added. "It's a precision timing offense. ... We strive for perfection. The goal is perfection."

The players are willing to do whatever it takes, Borer said. For instance, senior Nathan Zimmerman and junior Nick Hammeke were locked in a battle for the starting quarterback job in preseason. The player not taking the snaps is willing to play receiver.

"Our quarterbacks are athletes, they are guys who could fit in there right now" as a slot receiver, Borer said. "The biggest thing is they just want to play."

The defense will compensate for a lack of size, much like at Lourdes. The Monarchs will use a 3-5 scheme, with at least one linebacker blitzing on almost every down.

Size -- or lack thereof -- will not be used as an excuse.

"We set up our offense and defense in a way to take advantage of what will work, so we don't need size," Borer said. "We don't have a ton of size. That gives us an opportunity (to move players around).

"I don't care how big you are, how big the other team is. We believe as a staff, as a team, it's what inside a kid," Borer added. "You get kids who will do whatever it takes to get the job done."

It's a new year in another respect for TMP. The Mid-State Activities Association disbanded after last school year. TMP is now part of the new-look Mid-Central Activities Association, which also has former MSSA member Larned and current MCAA schools Hoisington and Ellinwood.

It's all new to Borer.

"It feels like playoffs to me," he said. "That's how this season is going to go, feel like playoffs."

The Monarchs' helmets are going to look different, too. The team went without a helemt decal last year, but that will change.

"We're going to have some special decals for them," Borer said. "It'll be something that TMP has never had before. It will look different than it ever has before."