How befitting to pair the two remaining district unbeatens to close out the first round of scheduled 2-6A games. The Mojo Machine will host the Frenship Tigers on January 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Permian Fieldhouse.
The winner of the contest earns the honor of being the lone undefeated team in district, while the loser will fall a game behind in the standings. Additionally, the loser will be at a disadvantage in the league tiebreaker should that arise later this season.
Both teams have enjoyed quite a bit of success, with their losses coming in the early stages of the season. Frenship, coached by Paul Page, is 14-4 for the season and 4-3 on opposing team courts. The Tigers lost to 5A perennial power Amarillo High first road game of the year, but also fell in overtime to Midland Christian at home. Permian is sporting a 13-3 mark, and absorbed their three consecutive losses during the non-district travel-a-thon. The Mojo Machine is undefeated in all home appearances this season, and currently on an eight-game win streak.
In head-to-head competition, Permian has handily had Frenship’s number in recent history. Since the 2017 season, the Panthers have won all eight district meetings with the Tigers. The Mojo Machine won 59-32 in the last meeting and claimed 46-45 decision earlier in the 2-6A slate of games.
| Haven’t We Been Here Before? | ||
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It was at this same point in the season last year that Shy Stephens-Deary dropped in a bucket as the buzzer sounded in a 46-45 thriller that gave Permian the win. | |
Frenship has a handful of the same players that tried to contend for the district title a year ago. The Tigers are led by Devin Hartfield, TJ Miller, and Jeb Smallwood. Hartfield and Smallwood, back from an early injury, possess senior experience. Tate Beeles, an athletic 6-7 presence that plays inside-out, is an active asset to their offense. Not to be overlooked, Frenship utilizes Tracey Godfrey, Lincon Parrott, and A.B. Melvin for their reinforcement abilities.
The Tigers have been averaging 13 points in the opening quarter before trying to put teams away in the second and third stanzas. They have had success in those periods averaging 20+ points a quarter. If allowed, Frenship will rack up those mid-quarter points on opponents – and a resilient offensive charge has been their strong suit for the occasion. Permian, on the other hand, has prided itself on controlling the game tempo and maintaining a stingy full-court defense.
Defense Wins Championships, which clearly favors head coach Tim Thomas and the Mojo Machine… at home.
Both teams will need to endure Tuesday’s catfight and then go through a second round of games against the other 2-6A opponents. The Panthers and Tigers will meet again on February 12, this time at The Pit in Wolfforth, for the district finale. The state playoffs will follow for qualifying teams.
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Common Opponents |
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| FRENSHIP | PERMIAN | |
| San Angelo Central | 71-46 | 80-52 |
| Midland High | 71-52 | 67-30 |
| Odessa High | 75-46 | 77-52 |
| Abilene High | 59-49 | 64-48 |
| Midland Lee | 69-45 | 59-45 |
| Lubbock Monterey | 87-74 | 56-47 |
| Amarillo Tascosa | 66-48 | 53-28 |
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| Game Day Information |
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The following attendance protocols will be followed: Broadcast |
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