Jacob Munoz wouldn’t want it any other way.
Why wait?
He and his Odessa High teammates are ready to kick off the season on Thursday.
“Everybody’s antsy — ready for the first game,” he said.
It’s game week, finally, and while most teams in Texas are fired up to kick off the season under Friday night lights this week, at Odessa High, the Bronchos are excited to get started 24 hours earlier.
Odessa High opens the season on Thursday at Lubbock Monterey.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Lowrey Field in Lubbock.
Standing off just the practice field after Monday’s workout, Munoz, Odessa High’s senior tight end and captain, said it’s for the best.
After all, Odessa High doesn’t want to wait any longer to get the 2017 season under way.
Monday, Munoz said the Bronchos had a good first workout to start the short practice week.
“We’re just trying to get more focused, trying to get more stuff in as quick as possible,” he said.
With one less day in the week than usual before kickoff, the Bronchos made sure to hammer in their game plan for the Plainsmen at the start of the week.
“I thought it was pretty good,” Odessa High head coach Danny Servance said Monday. “You’ve got a lot to learn and a short amount of time to do it, so you really have to pay attention to everything that’s being taught, and everything that’s being gone over on the board and in film sessions.
“It really requires a lot of focus, and I thought we did a pretty good job today.”
Odessa High has three Thursday games on the schedule this season in nondistrict play.
After Thursday’s opener, the Bronchos play their home opener against Amarillo High the next Thursday on Sept. 7 in Week 2.
Then, after a Friday night game with Lubbock Coronado, the Bronchos will play at Abilene High on Thursday, Sept. 21.
For the Bronchos, at least, they’ve had time in two-a-days to prepare for the season opener with Monterey, then they’ll have a full seven days between that game and the Amarillo High game.
“That’s the only thing that’s good about it, you have them two weeks in a row,” Servance said.
Odessa High will have a short week ahead of that Abilene High game, but so will the Eagles who play the Friday before.
“When we start district we’ll be in that routine of every Friday, but yeah, this preseason schedule is a little bit crazy,” Servance laughed.
>> SOME DOWN: Odessa High doesn’t expect to enter the opener at complete full strength, after the start of camp and the team’s preseason scrimmage with El Paso Montwood last Friday.
Perhaps the biggest attrition has come along the offensive line.
In Caedon Murry, Christian Alvarez and Luis Nunez, three projected starters from the preseason along the offensive line were out or limited to start the week, with issues ranging from an ankle twist to some precautionary measures involving the August heat.
It’s a tough way to start the season, and without them, the Odessa High offensive line faces a tall task against Monterey, but Bronchos teammates are confident in others’ ability to step in as needed.
“It’s hard, but we’ve got to work with what we’ve got to work with. I feel like they’re stepping up,” running back Josh Lara said.
Odessa High had its first chance to see how the line would work together without those players last Friday.
“I think we saw in the scrimmage that those guys that are playing the backup roles, they did a terrific job,” Servance said. “That’s what’s expected.
“We’re trying to get to a program status. Not just have a good football team — but a program status where we can just fill in with guys and not miss a beat.”
Until those projected starters can suit back up, the hope, at least, is that the Bronchos can make that happen sooner than later.
“I think it’s always, ‘Next man up,’” senior wide receiver Zay Brown said. “Guys that are backing up, I feel like they always look ready for their spot to fill in.”
>> FAMILIAR FOE: The Bronchos know what to expect out of their opening opponent in Monterey — and that’s a tough challenge.
The Plainsmen dropped Odessa High 41-13 in last year’s season opener at Ratliff Stadium, then went on to make it into the regional semifinals in the 2016 Class 5A Division I playoffs.
“Monterey went three rounds deep this past year,” Servance said. “Coach (Wayne) Hutchinson, he’s done a great job with them. He’s a quality coach.
“He’s got a state championship under his belt before he came to Monterey, so he knows what needs to be done in order to get the program to a high level.”
Hutchinson won back-to-back then-Class 1A titles with Stamford in 2012 and 2013.
Servance is plenty familiar with Hutchinson, after the two coaches shared time together as part of Lubbock ISD. Hutchinson arrived at Monterey in February of 2014, before Servance left his post as head coach at Lubbock Estacado for Odessa High in January of 2016.
“We spent a lot of time together when I was in Lubbock, so I saw, up close, what he does and how he does it,” Servance said.
“I really admire the type of coach that he is and where he’s bringing his program to, so we expect to have to go down and really, really play a terrific ballgame in order to stay on the field with them.”
