Live Updates: Odessa High vs. El Paso Franklin

FINAL -- ODESSA HIGH 37, EL PASO FRANKLIN 23

4TH QUARTER

-- 15.6 -- Four straight passes by Valenzuela fall incomplete. OHS takes over to take a knee.

-- 38.6 -- Gabe Rodriguez can't pick up the first down on a middle screen, and El Paso Franklin takes over at the 29.

-- 3:50 -- El Paso Franklin tries an onside kick, but it bounces out of bounds, and Odessa High takes over on its own 34.

-- 3:50 -- Joe Damian takes a handoff on a draw, runs up the right side and breaks free for a 60-yard touchdown that pulls the Cougars within two scores again.  Cody Ross blocks the extra point, though.  

-- 4:23 -- Facing fourth-and-3 at the Cougars' 32, Valenzuela scrambles for 8 yards and a first down at the 40.

-- 6:03 -- Ronnie Marquez takes the first handoff of the drive, hits the middle, bounces to the left and rolls for 54 yards and a touchdown that should seal the game.

-- 6:15 -- Valenzuela looks deep down the middle for Chris Valtierra, who blows past the OHS secondary for a 59-yard touchdown pass and the extra point.

-- 6:24 -- For the first time, it seems all night, Valenzuela hits D'Mont Herring for 21 yards and a first down at the Cougars 41.

-- 7:11 -- Throwing the ball downfield, Teegarden can't find a receiver, and he quick-kicks it into the end zone for a touchback.

-- 7:53 -- Facing a third-and-5 at his own 43, Teegarden hits Rodriguez on a quick out and the speedy receiver sprints away for 23 yards and a first down at the Cougars 36.

-- 9:40 -- Needing to come back quickly, El Paso Franklin goes to a five-receiver, no-back spread, but Valenzuela can't get the passing game going, and the Cougars punt it away.

-- 10:46 -- Trying to focus on Teegarden, El Paso Franklin has been hurt by the option. Running the option to the left, Teegarden pitches to Ronnie Marquez, who breaks a tackle and takes it in for a 16-yard touchdown. Marquez now has 210 yards on the night, the first time Marquez has broken the 200-yard barrier.

-- 11:41 -- Teegarden hits Johnny Campos for five yards to pick up the first down at the El Paso Franklin 22.

3RD QUARTER

End of quarter -- A quick pass to Gabriel Rodriguez gets snuffed out by a vicious tackle from El Paso Franklin's Pierre Lacerte, and the Bronchos face fourth-and-5 at the Cougars 27.

-- 7.9 -- Teegarden is making El Paso Franklin pay for handing the Bronchos good field position. A 13-yard keeper to the right puts OHS on the Cougars' 32.

-- 38.5 -- El Paso Franklin tries an onside kick, and OHS sophomore Sergio Leyba catches a ball right in his chest to give OHS the ball on its own 47.

-- 39.1 -- Valenzuela takes a keeper 19 yards into the end zone for the Cougars' first touchdown of the night.

-- 1:18 -- A reverse pass by Chris Valtierra hits for 35 yards to Josh Valenzuela deep in OHS territory at the 28.

-- 2:14 -- The Bronchos' drive stalls, and Craig Branum is forced to punt it away.

-- 4:07 -- Ronnie Marquez continues to roll through the El Paso Franklin defense. A 13-yard carry through the middle on third-and-1 gives OHS a first down at its own 39. Marquez already has 183 rushing yards.

-- 5:41 -- Four straight runs don't get the Cougars in -- a big fourth-down stop by the OHS front seven -- and OHS takes over at its own 16 after a personal foul by El Paso Franklin.

-- 7:39 -- El Paso Franklin takes the ball right back down the field on a 54-yard breakaway by Joe Damian up the middle and over the left side before Darrian Samuels catches him at the 8.

-- 8:02 -- Taking a handoff over the right side, Ronnie Marquez bounces it out to the sideline, breaks past the El Paso Franklin secondary and runs away with a 50-yard touchdown.

-- 8:24 -- Teegarden capitalizes by drilling a pass deep down the middle to Tyler McQueen, who reaches up and pulls it in for a 36-yard gain to midfield.

-- 9:08 -- Valenzuela tosses his second ball of the night straight into the chest of Frank Mijares, who hangs on for the interception and returns it to the OHS 15.

-- 9:32 -- Taking the ball to the left on a keeper, Josh Valenzuela picks up 8 yards to the OHS 8 to set up El Paso Franklin's best scoring chance of the night.

-- 10:29 -- Sacked by Christian Ortega, Teegarden fumbles the ball on the Bronchos' opening drive, and the Cougars recover at the OHS 24.

HALFTIME -- ODESSA HIGH 17, EL PASO FRANKLIN 3

2ND QUARTER

End of half -- After a scramble by Teegarden puts OHS on the Cougars 17, Craig Branum drills a 22-yard field goal to end the first half.

-- 10.7 -- With a seven-yard catch, Rodriguez breaks the OHS school record for career receiving yards, breaking the old mark of 1,059 set by Byron Monahan. Rodriguez has 1,066.

-- 31.6 -- Teegarden hits Gabriel Rodriguez over the middle for 17 yards and a first down at the El Paso Franklin 32.

-- 1:13 -- Ronnie Marquez opens the drive by taking an option 15 yards for a first down. With the first half winding down, Marquez already has 115 yards.

-- 1:32 -- Valenzuela's fourth-down pass sails high, and the Bronchos take over on downs. Four times the Cougars have been in OHS territory. And they're still looking for their first touchdown.

-- 1:37 -- Trying to snap the ball out to Chris Valtierra in the flat, OHS corner Darrian Samuels shoots past a block and drills Valtierra for a 4-yard loss to force fourth-and-7.

-- 1:55 -- Driving deep into OHS territory, El Paso Franklin takes a timeout facing third-and-3 at the OHS 25. Damian continues to hurt the Bronchos up the middle.

-- 3:51 -- A second personal foul penalty in two series by the Bronchos turns a short first down into another 15 yards and pushes El Paso Franklin across midfield.

-- 4:29 -- Christian Ortega knifes into the backfield and drops Teegarden short of the first down, forcing Craig Branum to punt it away. El Paso Franklin takes over at its own 28.

-- 7:01 -- Taking over at their own 14, the Bronchos pick up a first down at the 28 after a 12-yard carry by Ronnie Marquez.

-- 8:20 -- Sprinting out into the flat, Cody Ross drops Cougars receiver Chris Valtierra for a two-yard loss and forces a 31-yard field goal by Daniel Wolford that gets El Paso Franklin on the board.

-- 9:46 -- Facing a third-and-6 at the OHS 43, Joe Damian breaks through the middle on a draw for 13 yards and a first down. After the play, Rangel is called for a personal foul for scuffling with Franklin tackle George Trujillo, and the Cougars get first-and-10 on the OHS 16.

-- 11:12 -- Picking up a bouncing kickoff at the 8, Joe Damian weaves his way up the field to the OHS 46 before Dejion Rangel chases him down from behind. First-and-10 for El Paso Franklin in Bronchos territory.

-- 11:25 -- Scrambling out to his left, Teegarden hits Johnny Campos on a 10-yard crossing route across the middle, and a wide-open Campos cuts it up the left sideline, bounces back at the 5 and scores to make the game a two-score lead.

1ST QUARTER

End of quarter -- An 8-yard pass from Teegarden to Ivan Subia in the flat gives OHS a second-and-2 at the Cougars' 41.

-- 1:03 -- Taking over at his own 16, Teegarden scrambles out, gets up the left sideline and speeds his way to a 23-yard gain to open the drive.

-- 1:59 -- Facing a third-and-1 at their own 29, the Cougars snap the ball past Valenzuela, and he falls on it for an 8-yard loss. El Paso Franklin punts it away.

-- 2:55 -- One more time to Marquez -- up the middle -- and this time no Cougar can catch him. Marquez breaks away for a 38-yard touchdown run. Craig Branum drills the extra point.

-- 3:04 -- This time the Bronchos are rolling. On the first play from scrimmage, Ronnie Marquez breaks out to the left side for 22 yards and a first down. Then Teegarden hits Gabriel Rodriguez for an 18-yard gain.

-- 3:32 -- El Paso Franklin apparently doesn't want to kick in this wind. Facing fourth-and-12 at the OHS 22, Valenzuela tries to sneak in a pass to the right side, but OHS corner Darrian Samuels breaks it up to give the Bronchos the ball back at their own 22.

-- 4:12 -- Taking a bootleg to the left on the next play, Valenzuela gets chased down by Dejion Rangel for another 1-yard loss.

-- 4:39 -- On first-and-10, Valenzuela tries to scramble up the middle, but Eddie Garcia meets him there for a sack and a 1-yard loss.

-- 4:59 -- Splitting four receivers to the left, Valenzuela snaps out a bubble screen to Chris Valtierra, who gets good blocking from the other four receivers and races up the left sideline for 17 yards to the OHS 20.

-- 5:57 -- Valenzuela takes the ball on a sneak and picks up the single yard needed for the first down.

-- 6:07 -- Snapping a pass out to Christian Ortega in the flat, Franklin can't pick up the first and face a fourth-and-1 at the OHS 39.

-- 7:47 -- Joe Damian takes the opening handoff of the drive 12 yards, but a personal foul on El Paso Franklin pushes the Cougars back into a first-and-13 and nullifies the run.

-- 7:57 -- Flushed and scrambling outside the pocket, Derrick Teegarden tries to look deep downfield on third-and-8, but the throw sails high, and Jorge Guzman picks it off in the middle of the field and returns it 21 yards to the OHS 44.

-- 9:25 -- Facing a fourth-and-5 at the Odessa High 30, Franklin quarterback Josh Valenzuela drops back to pass and fires, but Bronchos cornerback Frank Mijares picks off the ball and returns it to the OHS 28 to stop the Cougars drive.

-- 10:48 -- Another run by Damian up the middle -- Franklin is opening enormous holes -- gives El Paso Franklin first-and-10 on the OHS 35.

-- 11:51 -- Joe Damian takes the opening handoff, busts through the middle and races for 25 yards to the El Paso Franklin 45.

COIN TOSS

OHS wins the toss and defers. El Paso Franklin will receive.

PREGAME

Get ready.

Because it's time for the El Paso two-step to start.

Parked in the press box at the Sun Bowl, OA Bronchos beat writer Lee Scheide and yours truly -- Permian beat writer Joel A. Erickson -- are seated, satisfied and ready for the Class 5A Division I bi-district playoff matchup between District 2-5A titleholder Odessa High and El Paso Franklin.

And my first impression of the Sun Bowl is simple. UTEP couldn't have picked a better spot to drop a stadium. With the Sun Bowl literally built into the side of the peaks surrounding El Paso, we have a great view of the mountains, a partial view of the campus and a great view of the lights of the city below the hills.

Not too shabby. Easy to see the reason they put a Big 12 bowl here.

Three Quick Slants...

1. Temperatures for tonight's game should hover in the mid-40s, with a strong wind whipping from left to right from the home side and the press box. Don't know what the wind situation is on the field, but it was pretty impressive when we got out of the van to come into the Sun Bowl.

2. Looks like El Paso Franklin has impressive numbers.  Stretching and running out, the Cougars cover a span every five yards from the 5 to the 40. The Cougars are missing Alfonso Avalos, an offensive lineman who will definitely be out.

3. On the injury front for Odessa High, Bradley Marquez is still relegated to the sidelines with an elbow injury. Middle linebacker Kody Tennison appears to be back, fit and ready to play. Both Ronnie Marquez and Josh Reyes appear to be in pads and ready to make the start tonight.

Kevin and Joel's Meal of the Week: P.F. Chang's

Bronchos Edition: With special guests Lee Scheide and Cindeka Nealy, the OA's Odessa High reporting team

For the first time in two weeks, OA photographer Kevin Buehler and I are ready to sample some fare from outside the confines of Odessa, and with two games, this is the first of two editions of Kevin and Joel's Meal of the Week.

And we have a few special guests.

Not only do we have OHS beat writer Lee Scheide and OHS beat photographer Cindeka Nealy, Lee's son, Ryan, is along for the ride. So this might be the most comprehensive look at the first choice of the fans for El Paso.

By now, loyal Meal of the Week readers know the score. You guys vote. We eat.

And this time, the top two choices were Chico's Tacos and P.F. Chang's (regrettably, P.F. Chang's is a national chain; not sure how that oversight happened. Blame it on Kevin). Due to the early time of Permian's Class 5A bi-district playoff against El Paso El Dorado, we decided to hit P.F. Chang's today and check out Chico's Tacos -- the fan's first choice -- in the morning.

Darkly lit, a nice place with a classy Oriental feel, we took a seat at the front of the dining room.

And started looking to fill the food. For an appetizer, Lee chose the chicken lettuce wraps. Not sure what they taste like, but Ryan wolfed down his version, and Lee swears by the wraps, which feature chicken, peanuts, scallions and plenty of sauce wrapped in the lettuce.

Kevin and Cindeka both opted to try a little egg drop soup, and both loved the cup of warm goodness that came out of the kitchen. "This is the stuff that I need to get when I'm sick," Cindeka said. Never thought of that myself -- and neither had Kevin -- but it does sound awfully good parked on the couch with the sniffles.

For my part, I waited until the main course. And here at the Meal of the Week, every once in awhile we try to think outside the box a little bit -- at least I do -- and this time, that resulted in the wok-seared lamb. Look, I love lamb. Few slabs of meat are quite so tender, so pliant and so receptive to taste, but I'd never had the Chinese version. Piled on lettuce and covered in cilantro (another personal favorite) the lamb came through. Still tender, the lamb managed to have a slightly flame-seared taste, and after I added the mix of soy sauce that our waitress, Bobby, mixed up, it made the lamb, which I poured over three different kinds of rice, exceptional. As an aside, out of my three rices -- steamed white, steamed brown and fried -- the steamed brown rice complemented the lamb perfectly.

Tip to the readers: If you order the lamb, you'll get a prodigious portion. Go easy on the rice when you make the rice. The lamb should be the focus.

Kevin chose the kung pao chicken, a personal favorite for the OA photographer. And although he got a much smaller portion than I did -- you could have fed a family of four with my lamb -- he had plenty to get satisfied. One thing, though. While the kung pao chicken was top-notch, it can be beaten. "This is pretty good kung pao chicken," Kevin said. "But Quo's in Midland does it better." Makes me think we shy away from the national chains for a reason.

Cindeka got the sweet and sour chicken, Lee opted for the mandarin chicken, and both left the place satisfied. For his part, Cindeka had enough food that he probably wants to take a nap right now, and Lee loved his blend. "A nice blend of chicken, vegetables and sauce." Ryan hit the fried rice. In my experience, the fried rice is solid, not spectacular.

But we all had plenty of food.

And after the main course, Cindeka covered his plate in his napkin.

"I like to put my plate to bed," Cindeka said. "That way, you're not staring at all that food you couldn't eat."

Kevin's Dessert of the Week

P.F. Chang's has a nice inexpensive option for dessert. Picture a dessert built in a shot glass, and you've got the idea. Called mini-desserts, they have 10 options, almost all of which look pretty darn good.

And the five of us split it up.

Ryan, being a kid, hit the smores version, and nearly lost it when he realized that there was actually a marshmallow packed inside that shot glass.

Lee hit up the Great Wall of China, a mini-version of P.F. Chang's signature six-layer chocolate cake, and was pretty impressed by his portion. "You get your sweet, but you don't over-indulge," Lee said.

Cindeka ordered the strawberry cheesecake, my first option, and liked the dessert so much that he polished it off without a whole lot of talking.

Kevin nearly lost it when he realized that P.F. Chang's offers an apple pie mini-dessert. Loyal Meal of the Week readers know that OA photographer and dessert aficionado Kevin Buehler loves apples more than anything. Especially if cinnamon is involved. And he fell in love with the apple pie mini-dessert. "So much cinnamon," Kevin said. "And little bites of apple. Ooooh."

Trying to get a full range of desserts, I tried the tiramisu. And loved it. Creamy, sweet but not overwhelming, the tiramisu made me wish i had the dessert in a normal-size glass rather than the shot.

Final Analysis

Outside of the Permian Basin, P.F. Chang's aren't hard to find.

And that's a good thing. Few national chains do Chinese any better, and the prices are pretty affordable.

So the next time you're in a bigger city, take a look for one.

By the way, you do get a fortune cookie, complete with a message like the following...

"Life always gets harder near the summit."

We are in the playoffs