Excuse Temple football coach Bryce Monsen and the Wildcats if they’re not putting quite as much stock in tonight’s scrimmage with Cedar Park Vista Ridge as the Rangers likely are.

That’s because Temple will have one more scrimmage after tonight and won’t play its first regular-season game until Sept. 5 at Cedar Park, whereas Vista Ridge will have only four more available practice dates before its season opener against Austin Bowie next Thursday.

Temple and Vista Ridge are set to meet at 8 p.m. at Wildcat Stadium, and Monsen says it’s a bigger priority for his staff to get a good look at all of the players than it is to defeat the Rangers on the scoreboard.

“We want to play a lot of kids and we want to see all of them in game-type situations,” he said, adding that his projected starters probably won’t play as much as the Wildcats who are battling for more snaps and/or varsity spots.

“It’s different for them (Vista Ridge) because they play next week. We’ll get our ones (starters) some snaps, but we’ll put a lot of twos (backups) in the first huddle and try to get a lot of kids on the field.”

Monsen said the scrimmage will feature 12-play series. For example, Temple’s first-team offense will face Vista Ridge’s first-team defense for 12 plays, and the Wildcats’ top defense will go against the Rangers’ top offense for 12. The squads’ second teams will do the same.

Vista Ridge has won only five of 20 games as it enters its third varsity season and first in Class 5A. Coach Bill Wilder’s Rangers have six returning starters on offense, including quarterback Taylor McHargue, who passed for 1,646 yards and rushed for 910 last year.

Flanker Drew Coleman and running back Calvin Thompson are Vista Ridge’s top big-play threats. Several recruiting services list Thompson among the state’s top 45 junior prospects; Temple running back Lache Seastrunk is rated No. 2, behind Plano West defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat.

Monsen, whose team is coming off of a 7-4 season that included a perfect record in District 13-5A, said Temple’s first two weeks of practice have been positive and gone according to plan, with no major injuries to report.

“The thing for us right now is that our players have retained an extremely good amount of the offense and defense (from spring practice),” said Monsen, whose team’s final scrimmage is next Thursday at Pflugerville Connally.

“We’re really opening up the playbook. From last year to this year, we’re so much more advanced. The kids really are excited and it’s fun for them.”

NOTES: There is no charge to attend tonight’s scrimmage, but Temple requests that fans bring a non-perishable food item or make a donation. All proceeds will benefit area food pantries and Temple’s Families in Crisis shelter. . . . Temple’s junior varsity players will scrimmage Vista Ridge at 6 p.m. at Wildcat Stadium, while the Wildcats’ freshman players will scrimmage the Rangers at 6 at Woodson Field.