For the Odessa High football team, things have been different this spring.
Since spring practice opened in April, the Bronchos have spent each of their early morning workouts out behind the school challenging themselves in different ways.
Familiar faces have taken to different spots on the field. Coaches have implemented some different routines, and introduced different tweaks to the system.
Players have found themselves challenged outside their comfort zone, playing at new positions. Whole new position groups have been pieced together from scratch.
It’s been different — and all part of a promise the Bronchos have made after a disappointing season in 2016.
Yes, things were different this spring.
And more importantly, the Bronchos vow, things will be different this fall.
Odessa High has a chance to prove that today, and showcase those changes for anyone to see when the Bronchos wrap up spring practice with their annual Red-White game at Ratliff Stadium.
The varsity is set to start its scrimmage at 11 a.m., after subvarsity teams first take to the field at 9 a.m.
There on the turf at Ratliff, the Bronchos feel they have plenty to show to everyone watching.
“Just show them that this year we’re coming with a different mindset,” Odessa High quarterback Trey Smith said.
“And that we’ve gotten better — a lot better. Just show everybody the work that we’ve put in already.”
Smith stood on Coleman Field Friday morning as he spoke, just moments after he and his teammates finished their last spring practice. Today’s scrimmage at Ratliff Stadium marks the end of spring ball.
There on Coleman, the Bronchos have done a lot of things differently over the last four weeks, trying to reverse their fortunes after a miserable fall.
Most notably, Odessa High has challenged most players on its roster to split its time playing on both sides of the football, taking up separate positions on both offense and defense.
All through spring, the Bronchos would work through a given drill before coaches would call on the team to flip, and at that time everyone on the team, save the quarterbacks, would switch from offense to defense or vice versa.
It’s a departure from how things were structured last year and in the seasons prior, but it’s a change the Bronchos hope will pay dividends in the fall — and even today, on the field in the Red-White game.
“This is different,” returning team captain Chase Webster said. “We’ve got to prove this is different. We’ve got to work, for sure.”
Friday after practice, the Bronchos seemed fired up to go do that in Ratliff.
“I’m excited for tomorrow,” linebacker and running back CJ Washington said. “We’ve been waiting this whole week. We’re excited.”
The Bronchos are particularly excited about this scrimmage, too, because it’ll mark the culmination of the spring’s internal competition between the team’s two units.
Most teams will split their team arbitrarily for a spring scrimmage, or pit the offense vs. the defense. But since Odessa High has been playing everyone on both sides, the two sides will be able to challenge each other like complete teams.
When spring practice started, the coaches took the group of players who played primarily on offense last season and dubbed them Effort, while making Hustle the name for the group that played mostly defense last season.
The two sides have been competing against one another in practice ever since. Today, Effort and Hustle will be renamed Red and White.
“We’re hoping that it is a little bit more competitive — and guys getting after each other and having fun doing it,” Bronchos head coach Danny Servance said.
At the same time, of course, the spring game will provide a first look for coaches and players alike to see how the 2017 team operates in a game atmosphere, newcomers and all.
“You want to kind of see them in a game-like environment, where you’ve got officials there, and it’s a structured, game-type situation — to see how your kids are going to respond, if they’re going to have carry-over from what they’ve learned throughout spring ball, and just kind of see it all come together,” Servance said.
Smith said he’s interested in seeing how some of his younger teammates respond in their first time in a live, varsity atmosphere.
“We’re still young so we’ve got a lot of people that don’t know what that feeling is. So it’ll be a good first feeling for them,” he said.
It’ll be a first feeling for some of those younger players — and for all the Bronchos, it could be a first feeling for how the 2017 season is going to go.
“Just compete, and kind of set the tone for the fall — and get better,” Webster said of the Bronchos’ hopes for the scrimmage.
“Just showing off what we’ve been doing in offseason, that we’ve worked hard,” he added. “And it’s going to show.”
Today’s scrimmage will wrap up football activities for the Bronchos until August, so they have their eyes set on going out with a bang.
“You’re always excited to culminate spring ball with your spring game, your Red-Wh
