It took the whole team on Friday night.
Together, the Bronchos made it happen.
Odessa High players stepped up in big spots all throughout the game, and the Bronchos football team held off Wolfforth Frenship for a milestone 28-7 win on homecoming at Ratliff Stadium.
Josh Lara ran in the first two touchdowns of the night for Odessa High before Chase Webster pushed in another to give the Bronchos a 21-0 lead early, and a complete team effort fended off the Tigers from there, as the season seemed to start spinning the Bronchos’ way again on the turf at Ratliff.
The victory marked Odessa High’s first district win since 2014, and its first win on homecoming since 2013.
Meanwhile, in Amarillo, Midland High beat Amarillo Tascosa, thrusting Odessa High right back into the playoff hunt.
Moments after Odessa High’s win and amid the Bronchos’ celebration, Joseph Chavez read that result at the corner of Ratliff’s field by the stairs leading up to the locker room — his face lit by the glow of a phone screen, displaying that score from Amarillo.
“That’s what we needed,” he said, excited.
“If you just keep on pushing, everything will work out,” he added. “If you go 100 miles an hour, even if you mess up, something good is bound to happen.”
That good fortune started turning Odessa High’s way early in the night as the Bronchos took on Frenship.
On the heels of a tight loss last week on the road at Midland Lee, and desperate for their first District 2-6A win of the season, the Bronchos exploded out to a hot start. Spurred by a fourth-down stop by the Odessa High defense to close the game’s opening series, Chase Webster hit Jacob Munoz for a 23-yard completion on the offense’s first drive, then Lara took it the rest of the way, peeling off runs of nine, 12 yards, eight and 10 yards until he punched in his first five-yard touchdown to put the Bronchos up early.
Odessa High forced another turnover on downs on the ensuing series, which led to another Lara score, again from five yards out.
Webster ran in his touchdown early in the second quarter to cap all three of the offense’s first three possessions with scores, and put the Bronchos up 21-0 with 10 minutes and 52 seconds left in the second quarter.
“We were starving,” Webster said of that hot start, putting it simply. “We were starving for a win.”
That strong start led to the win, which snapped a five-game losing streak for Odessa High and lifted the Bronchos to 3-5 on the season and 1-3 in District 2-6A. Frenship dropped to 0-9, 0-5.
It wasn’t an easy task to hold off the Tigers down the stretch, though. Lara was injured and left the game in the first half, as did one of their senior captains in Munoz, and the Bronchos turned to others to step into their place.
Those players stepped up when called upon. Running back Senjun McGarity picked up a share of Lara’s load and rushed for 80 second-half yards on his way to 130 total yards on 27 carries — leading several Bronchos who stepped up to cap a team win.
“I just told them, that we set a goal out tonight to go out and win the ballgame, and congratulations on their first district win — and getting off that skid that we were on,” Odessa High head coach Danny Servance said, speaking of his meeting with his players after the game
“It took the whole team in order to do it.”
Webster was another of those players. The senior captain made his first start at quarterback this season, in for injured junior signal-caller Trey Smith, who hurt his ankle last week against Midland Lee.
Webster played receiver and linebacker in the spring, but switched back to quarterback midseason when needed with roster attrition.
“Never doubt Six!” Smith said after the game, calling on Webster’s No. 6 jersey number.
Webster did just what was needed for the Bronchos, hitting five of seven in the first half for 69 yards while rushing for 26 yards and that touchdown in the first two frames. He finished 13-of-23 passing, with his only blemish being an interception thrown up on a third-and-17 play in the fourth quarter.
Frenship’s offense opened the second half with a nine-play scoring drive to cut the Bronchos lead to two scores. Odessa High responded to drive into Frenship territory, though it couldn’t find points.
But that’s when Charles McClure pinned a punt at the Frenship five-yard line. As the Tigers took over, Michael Gonzalez sniffed out a Frenship screen, picking off the pass and barreling the ball in five yards for the third-quarter touchdown that gave the game its final score.
McGarity’s play was crucial for the Bronchos late as they ran down the clock.
Chavez, Gonzalez and the rest of the Bronchos’ defensive front seven came up with six sacks on Frenship quarterback Austin Phillips. The Odessa High defense came down with three total interceptions in the victory.
Odessa High’s last district win came against Abilene High during the 2014 season finale. The football team’s last win on homecoming came against Lubbock Coronado in 2013.
Odessa High’ win Friday broke both those droughts.
“It’s a lot of firsts, so we’re excited about that,” Servance said.
“I just couldn’t be happier for our kids.”
Midland High beat Amarillo Tascosa 49-42 Friday. The result moves Midland High to 2-2 in the district, and Amarillo Tascosa to 2-3 on the district.
Barring a Tascosa win over undefeated, league-leading San Angelo Central on the last week of the season, that result means Odessa High seemingly controls its own destiny in a search for a playoff berth, with Permian next on the schedule and Midland High on tap for the season finale, as the Bronchos look to find three wins in district and leap Tascosa in the district standings.
Of course, it’s not like Odessa High needed any more motivation going into rivalry week.
“I don’t even think you have to even get into that for the game next week,” Servance said, speaking of those playoff possibilities. “We all know — there’s no doubt about it — that that’s a big ballgame. And always has been, before I played and all that. That’s just how it is. Our kids concentrating on that ballgame, just trying to get ready, and do the best we can next week.”
Now, the Bronchos are ready to do just that.
After all, Friday night, things just seemed to start turning Odessa High’s way.
“We stuck together,” Chavez said. “We kept on fighting. That’s one thing I love about my team.
“No matter what happens, we’re always still going to punch back.”
