Monday proved to be a day of reflection at Odessa High.

For the first time since mid-August, there was no opponent that the Bronchos football team had to game plan for.

Rather, there was a line of players turning in equipment, some for the final time.

The 2018 season came to an end Friday night with a 49-35 loss to Midland High and it wasn’t the ending to the season that they had hoped for.

“I was really looking forward to practicing this week,” senior linebacker Michael Gonzalez said. “I know it’s cold outside but I just didn’t want Friday night to be the last time I put the pads on.”

 “We were flat starting the ball game,” head coach Danny Servance said on Friday’s game. “I expected us to really come out on fire and we just didn’t do it.”

Servance added, “It’s just a lesson learned. We didn’t lose the game, we just ran out of time.”

That never-say-die mentality is what the team exemplified all season long and Friday was no exception.

Despite being down as much 35-7 in the second half Friday night, the Bronchos did rally in the second half before Midland High pulled away for good.

It was the kind of effort that Servance was proud of.

“They just continued to fight,” he said. “It was an easy opportunity for them to not come out and play well in the second half. I talked with them about how quickly the opportunity can close and they answered the bell in the second half.”

Even though the team fell short of its postseason goal this year, that culture shift that the players had talked about continued to take shape.

 “That was my main goal since sophomore year,” senior quarterback Trey Smith said. “I made that promise that I would leave the program in a better place and leave a mark like the seniors ahead of me.”

“I think we did leave a footprint as seniors,” senior safety Charles McClure said. “We’ve come a long way from 0-10 two years ago to 3-7 last year and 5-5 this season.”

The team now transitions to the offseason and the Bronchos will have several new starters on the field in 2019.

The goal remains the same as before for the next group of Bronchos: find a way back to the postseason.

And based on what the previous seniors have accomplished, there is the belief that they can do that.

“I think the program is in a good place,” Gonzalez said. “I feel like next year’s team can accomplish that goal.”

 “I think this year’s seniors did a terrific job of illustrating the work ethic and commitment it takes to be a part of a successful program,” Servance said. “If the younger group can take that from them, they will make sure our program can go to the next level.”

>> MILESTONES SET: With Friday night’s game, a couple of Bronchos achieved a number of milestones.

With his 161 yards rushing, running back Josh Lara finished with 1,029 yards rushing on the season, becoming the first runner to pass the 1,000-yard mark in a single season since Sebastian Galindo in 2014.

Wide receiver Julian Galindo had four receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 83 career receptions to tie Gabriel Rodriguez for the most in school history. 

Quarterback Trey Smith, he finished with 23 career touchdown passes, good for second in school history in that category.

“It’s great for them as individuals,” Servance said. “You always want to see your kids flourish and to see them accomplish that is remarkable in how far they’ve come.”

He added, “I’m very ecstatic and I couldn’t be happier for each and every one of them because they deserve it.”

>> PLAYING OTHER SPORTS: With the football season now over, there will be several Bronchos that will be competing in other sports.

Some like senior quarterback Kameron Gonzales and offensive lineman Louis Wilson will be suiting up for the Bronchos basketball team. Others will move on to baseball, power lifting and track and field.

“I think everything ties in together so we try to encourage our kids to do as much as they possibly can,” Servance said. “We know that the things that we do in football can help in other sports.”

>> SUBVARSITY RESULTS: Odessa High JV White 34, Midland High 24; Odessa High JV Red defeated Midland High; Odessa High Freshman White 24, Midland High 23; Midland High 26, Odessa High Freshman Red 3.

JV White finished the season at 6-4, JV Red finished 4-6, Freshman White was 5-5 and Freshman Red finished 1-9 on the season.
