Friday, September 26, 1997

Odessa High tries to overcomes decades of tradition

By Lance Fleming / Abilene Reporter-News

If Abilene High fans think they have it tough, think again.

A six-year losing streak to your cross-town rival? To an Odessa High fan, that's a drop in the bucket.

Try 32 years.

That's how long it's been since Odessa High beat Odessa Permian on the field. Oh, there was 1993 when Permian had to forfeit a 38-8 win over OHS because of an ineligible player, but nobody counts that one. And in 1980 the Bronchos managed a 14-14 tie with the Panthers.

But the last time an Odessa High team beat Mojo came in 1964.

Thirty-two years.

It even makes Abilene High's 15-year losing streak to Cooper (1966-80) look short.

And second-year OHS head coach Randy Quisenberry is getting a little tired of hearing about the streak from inquisitive reporters, fans and others.

"Yeah, everybody wants to know if this is going to be the year we end the streak or about the streak in general or how it feels to have lost that many in a row," said Quisenberry, who was Permian's defensive coordinator before getting the OHS job in the spring of 1996. "It's a little tiring."

But the Bronchos could be on the verge of a breakthrough. Last year they played Permian to a 13-7 game, and this year both teams enter the game at 2-1.

The Bronchos, though, might have momentum on their side because they have a solid win over a good Lubbock Coronado team and a blowout win over El Paso Eastwood. Permian, meanwhile, is a shaky 2-1 with an overtime win over El Paso Irvin, a loss to North Mesquite and a 13-12 win over Amarillo High.

And while most people won't come out and pick Odessa High to do the unthinkable, confidence is definitely a little higher on the Odessa High campus.

"I think we do have more confidence going into it this year," Quisenberry said. "We were struggling last year because the coaches were new and the kids didn't reallly know what to expect. Plus we were experimenting a lot with our lineup. We have the same starting lineup this week that we had last week, which is a big switch from last year when we had seven or eight changes every week. We went in really uncertain last year, but this year we're a little more confident."

Another factor in Odessa High's favor is that the Bronchos really don't have anything to lose going in.

"I don't think the streak puts near as much pressure on us as it does Permian," Quisenberry said. "Our kids don't have a whole lot to lose. Most people are picking us as the underdogs, and that means Permian has everything to lose. From the Permian standpoint it's a motivating factor, because none of those kids want to be on the first team in 32 years to lose to Odessa High."

One reason Quisenberry won't get too excited about his team's chances right now is because he remembers 1994. That year the Bronchos steamed into the game full of bluster and momentum and carrying a 4-0 record with them. Permian, meanwhile, was 1-2 and had just been blistered in back-to-back games by A&M Consolidated and Amarillo High.

Permian won, 22-6.

"I was on the Permian sideline that year, and everybody thought we would lose that game," Quisenberry said. "But the Permian kids played really hard that night. The thing I've told our guys is that they can talk about it all they want, but they still have to go out and block and tackle and execute."

And if the Bronchos can do that, that 32-year drought just might come to a long-overdue end.

This week's picks

OK, OK, so I won't take Waco as a winner in the picks, although last week I said I would. I told someone at the office last Thursday that I thought Midland Lee would win that game, so I'll take my lumps on that one, just like the Rebels.

Before we get to this week's picks, some background on the cross-town rivalries.

In Odessa, Odessa Permian's winning streak over Odessa High is at 32 and counting. The year was 1964 and a future country and western crooner named Larry Gatlin was quarterbacking the Bronchos to glory.

Wonder if the Bronchos would give up all the gold in California to win tonight?

Out in Midland, Midland Lee leads the series over Midland High, 24-10-2, which is eerily similar to the series in Abilene, which Cooper leads, 25-10-1. Anyway, the last time the Bulldogs beat the Rebels was 1988.

The last Abilene High win came in 1990 in the final season for both Larry Pullin at AHS and Larry Peel at Cooper.

And in San Angelo .... Oh, wait a minute, I forgot that the people in the Concho City are too short-sighted to have a cross-town rivalry.

They don't know what they're missing.

Anyway, on to this week's picks:

n Lubbock Coronado at San Angelo Central: The Bobcats picked up a nice win last week over a bad Del Rio team, and now the Mustangs come calling. Coronado lost to Odessa High two weeks ago in a game it virtually handed the Bronchos. What does all this mean? Who knows. ... Coronado 24, Central 22.

n Midland High vs. Midland Lee: The Bulldogs have carved out two wins in their first three games, another nice start under second-year coach David Browning. But the Rebels will be a tad ticked off after back-to-back losses. And that can't be good news for the Bulldogs. ... Midland Lee 37, Midland High 13.

n Odessa High vs. Odessa Permian: Is this the year the Bronchos finally snap that 32-year losing streak? Is this the year the Panthers finally prove to be mortal to their cross-town rival? Is this the year fans in red and white finally get to celebrate while Mojo goes home stunned and disappointed? Nope. ... Odessa Permian 17, Odessa High 10.

n Abilene High vs. Cooper: My only hope for this game is that it lives up to its pre-game billing. If it does, fans of Abilene football can only hope they meet again in the playoffs and do it all over again. The Eagles can win if they get big plays and big nights out of Ahmad Brooks, Chuck Newman, Arturo Beltran and Odis Dolton. But getting those guys going against Cooper's defense will be difficult. Cooper can win if its offense, which has been so good through three weeks, gets the Eagles off-balance and keeps them that way. Abilene High is coming on, but Cooper has been there before. There's no substitute for experience, and, even though this is a big game, the Cougars have played in bigger ones than this. ... Cooper 24, Abilene High 20.

n Last week: 5 right, 2 wrong (.714 percentage). Season: 18 right, 3 wrong (.857 percentage).