Rivalry Game Belongs To Mojo

Odessa, TX – Before a standing room only crowd, the annual crosstown showdown between Permian and Odessa High took center stage at Ratliff Stadium on Friday night.  The Panthers extended a 28-22 halftime lead to go on to claim a 48-29 District 2-6A victory over the Bronchos.
 

After forcing Odessa High to punt away their opening possession, it would take all of two plays for Permian to draw first blood when Rodney Hall hit JaQuan Richardson for a 68-yard touchdown score and 7-0 lead.  The Bronchos responded with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that was capped off with a 34-yard TD pass to knot the contest 7-7 midway in the opening quarter.

After going three-and-out and punting the ball away, the Panthers watched OHS run off 11 plays to set up shop inside the Mojo redzone.  The Permian defense stiffened and denied Odessa High on a 4th-and-2 to open the second stanza.  Four plays later, Tristan Johnson reeled off a 55-yard TD scamper to regain the touchdown lead.  The Bronchos ran three plays before Mojo was back in the endzone.  Back to receive the punt, Richardson gathered in the kick and took it to the house on a 62-yard romp for a 21-7 lead.  The slugfest would commence.

The Panthers and Bronchos exchanged touchdowns the next possessions.  OHS scored on a 23-yard pass, and Permian countered with a 5-yard pass from Hall to Andrew Helguera.  As time ran down on the second quarter, Odessa High narrowed the deficit on a 75-yard catch-and-run.  A botched extra point attempt turned into a two-point conversion to leave the game at 28-22 in Mojo’s favor at the intermission.

Permian received the second half kickoff but was unable to move the ball.  While the Odessa High offense found success throwing the rock in the first half, the Mojo defense limited the Bronchos to just 54 passing yards in the second half.  On the following set of downs, the Bronchos looked poised to take their first lead of the game.  In six plays, OHS worked its way down to the Mojo 30.  On the seventh play, the Odessa High running back was stripped of the ball and the Panthers recovered.  Hall went to work and cashed in eight plays later on a 14-yard TD run to push the lead to 35-22.

OHS made it into the endzone one more time early in the fourth quarter. It wouldn’t be enough as Permian added two more touchdowns to put the game out of reach.  Juzstyce Lara capped off a 10-play, 53-yard drive with a short TD run, and Tabarie Jones broke loose on a 72-yard run late in the game to extend the lead to 48-29.  The Mojo defense also collected a pair of interceptions in the fourth quarter.  Corey McCoy nabbed a pass at the 10-yard line, and Jadyn Pruitt picked off a throw into the endzone on the following OHS possession. 

Hall finished the night throwing for 253 yards and rushing for another 95.  Richardson was his main target, hauling in three catches for 141 yards receiving.  Johnson had six carries for 64 yards, and Lara rushed 12 times for 55 yards. Jones had the one carry for 72 yards.

The Panthers (2-1, 5-2) will travel to Grande Communications Stadium next Friday for a district meeting with Midland High.  The Bulldogs (1-1, 2-4) were dealt a 41-17 loss by San Angelo Central last night.
  

   
SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter
Per – JaQuan Richardson 68 pass from Hall (Terry kick), 10:32
Ode – Ivan Carreon 34 pass from Diego Cervantes (Nicholas kick), 6:31

Second Quarter
Per – Tristan Johnson 55 run (Terry kick), 9:18
Per – Richardson 62 punt return (Terry kick), 8:05
Ode – TJ Samuel 23 pass from Cervantes (Nicholas kick), 5:33
Per – Andrew Helguera 5 pass from Hall (Terry kick), 1:45
Ode – Javonte Delce 75 pass from Cervantes (Carreon run), 1:32

Third Quarter
Per – Rodney Hall 14 run (Terry kick), 4:08

Fourth Quarter
Ode – Cervantes 10 run (Nicolas kick) 10:28
Per – Juzstyce Lara 1 run (kick fail), 4:04
Per – Tabarie Jones 72 run (Terry kick), 1:11