The scout team center just mimics a snap, but the Bronchos defense fires off the line anyway.
The scout quarterback and fullback pretend to mesh, with nothing but air between their fingers, but the Bronchos still hurry to get to both.
A sweeping back just mimes catching a pitch, but a defender still rushes to him.
All this week, as the Bronchos work with the scout team to prepare for Amarillo Tascosa’s triple option attack, they didn’t even bother bringing a ball.
Instead, they just worked as if it was in three different places at once.
Friday night, it might as well be.
Odessa High is set to face Amarillo Tascosa and its throwback run-first offense at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Dick Bivens Stadium in Amarillo, in the District 2-6A opener for both teams.
For the Bronchos, that means a showdown with the Rebels — masters of the triple option in their ninth season under head coach Ken Plunk.
The Rebels have raced their way to a perfect 4-0 sweep through nondistrict play, but Friday, they look to take their first steps toward the playoffs on the field against Odessa High.
“As much fun as we’ve had these first four games, they’re really preseason games,” Plunk said over the phone this week. “From this point on is the qualifying games — the games that can get you in the playoffs.
“We just emphasize that. We want to be playing our best football going into district. I don’t know that we are, but I think we’re coming close to it.”
The Rebels have rolled up 1,395 rushing yards this season, running the ball on close to 90 percent of their snaps on offense.
This week, Amarillo Tascosa received votes landing it just outside the Associated Press’s Class 6A top 10.
For their part, the Bronchos expect nothing less than to be challenged by more of that powerful ground-and-pound game the Rebels are famous for.
“Coach Plunk does a great job,” Servance said. “It’s one of those offenses that you don’t see every week, and you have to be one of those teams that pride yourselves on being a physical football team.
“It’s a good thing that we do pride ourselves on being that because you can’t get physical in one week.”
On a given snap, Amarillo Tascosa often works with its option running, which puts Rebels players in position to read defenders and take those defenders out of the play by going one way or another with the ball based on where those defenders choose to attack as plays develop.
That means the Bronchos defenders will have to get in position to stop each of the Rebels players who have the chance to get the ball on a given play, because, more often than not, the player with the opening is the one the well-practiced Rebels are going to get the ball to.
It’s a methodical approach, but this season, on top of it, the athletes at Amarillo Tascosa have set themselves apart with big-play ability to go with it.
In last week’s victory over Amarillo High, the Rebels scored all four of their touchdowns from more than 30 yards out.
“I think we’re more explosive offensively,” Plunk said. “I think we have more guys that can probably score from further out.
“What we have to continue to develop is just being able to block the front people give us, and make some minor adjustments on game night, some things that might make us better on offense. That’s kind of to be expected this time of year, just because every year, you’re putting new kids out there.”
Amarillo Tascosa rolled by Odessa High 41-21 last year in Ratliff Stadium, but this season, Plunk said his Rebels expect a tough test to start league play.
Plunk said he sees a big difference in the Bronchos this season, in their second season under Servance and his staff.
“I think just their effort — how hard they’re playing,” Plunk said. “You can tell they believe in what they’re doing. They’re playing hard, and playing more excited. Coaches all go through it — the first year can be difficult just because you don’t know the kids. You can tell this group is playing for their coach. That always makes for a better crew when they do that.”
For their part, the Bronchos are looking forward to the challenge all the same.
“I think you have to,” Servance said. “Each week is a challenge, both offensively and defensively, and especially when you’re going against good people.
“Tascosa’s undefeated, and they’ve got a good team, and they’ve got a lot of size and speed. They’ve got a lot of weapons. You just really have to go in and put your best foot forward in order to do a great job against them.”
