Odessa hasn't had much luck against Permian recently, but that could start to change on Friday. After each having a week off, the two teams will dust off their jerseys to square off against one another at 7:00 p.m. Odessa is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 45.8 points per game this season.
Odessa is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Ellison last Saturday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Odessa was beaten by Ellison 69-28. The Bronchos were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 42-21.
Odessa might have lost, but man, Santi Medrano was a machine: he picked up 68 receiving yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 121 yards and a touchdown on only 11 passes. Another player making a difference was Jorge Valdez, who rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown on only ten carries.
Odessa wouldn't let Ellison keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force three fumbles. It was truly a group effort as Ixzeiby Soltero, Mason Fazenbaker, and Landon Wilkerson picked up one apiece. Fazenbaker is also crushing it when it comes to total tackles: he's made at least seven every time he's taken the field this season. Odessa got some further help from Dominick Taylor: he made 12 total tackles (1.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Permian put another one in the bag last Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They took their match at home with ease, bagging a 41-6 win over Carver Birmingham. Permian's victory was all the more impressive since the Rams were averaging only 13.75 points allowed on the season.
Gavin Black continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 190 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.0 yards per carry. He was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 52 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Tyran Williams, who gained 73 total yards and a touchdown.
Permian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Cameron Mattingly and Izeyah Mccoy.
Odessa's defeat dropped their record down to 2-2. As for Permian, their win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-0.
The upcoming contest will be a clash of competing strengths. Odessa has relied on air attacks this season and has averaged 420.2 passing yards per game. Permian, on the other hand, has relied on a stout run game: they average 313.8 rushing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Odessa beat Permian 49-42 when the teams last played back in October of 2023. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Permian's Juzstyce Lara, who rushed for 246 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 11.2 yards per carry. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Odessa to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
