Some happy campers

The crowd was loud at Ratliff Stadium. Among the hundreds there, they all eagerly watched the excitement ahead.

"Number 104 has his tickets!" shouted one of the 400 people who got their hands on a number on Monday just so they can camp out at Ratliff Stadium again Tuesday afternoon and buy up to 10 of 3,000 available tickets for Friday's big game between the Odessa Bronchos and the Permian Panthers.

Permian alumni and friends Jason Gordon and Shana Butler waited since 4 p.m., holding a paper fan and an umbrella in the hot parking lot.

"I'm just coming to take my son to the game," Butler said. "Even though I haven't been to a game in 10 years, I'm still rooting for Permian."

By 7:15 p.m., 268 of the numbers were called. Gordon and Butler's number was 259.

People camped out of the stadium as early as Saturday to get a hold of one of the numbers.

Dina Herrera, an Odessa High supporter, said she and her husband had to come in two cars Sunday night and camp one of them there before she took number 121 by 6 a.m. Monday.

Fortunately for her, she's not a Permian fan. Ector County Independent School District Athletic Director Todd Vesely said the visiting-side seats for the Permian Panthers were sold out before the 60th number-holder reached the windows. He said he hoped to sell tickets to everyone with a number but was not sure there would be enough. Either way, he was enjoying the lines.

"Every high school football program should have this problem," Vesely said.

He said the school district used this system to sell tickets to this game for the past seven years, but the district might reevaluate the approach after this football season is over.

Permian fan Ken Haynes, who strolled in at 8 a.m., decided not to go through the hustle Herrera and a hundred others went through. He ended up with number 395.

"It's the first time I bought anything like this," he said.

Even though he may have pulled one of the shortest straws in this first-come, first-serve system, he had no complaints about it. "You got to have some kind of system, otherwise we all have a free-for-all."

Maria Mendias and her son Justin, 11, thought the line was moving pretty slow. Maria's friend's number was 375.

"I'm going to die alone here," Justin joked as he saw the crowd ahead of him.

A few tickets for the game are still available for the north end zone. They will go up for sale today at 8 a.m. at the ECISD ticket office, 802 N. Sam Houston Ave.

IN CASE YOU GO 

Motorists should expect some detours while traveling on Yukon and Grandview Avenue during Friday's football game between Odessa High and Permian High.

According to a press release from the Odessa Police Department, people with tickets for the Permian seats should drive north on Grandview from 52nd Street before the game. Vehicles will go west on Yukon to the main gate and north to the east gate before the game.

Westbound traffic on Loop 338 to Yukon will be diverted north on Grandview to the east gate.

For those sitting on the Odessa High side, they should drive east on Yukon and prepare to be directed to the main gate or north on Tobosa to the north gates.

After the game, vehicles leaving the main gate will go either east or west on Yukon. Those leaving the east gates will go south on Grandview, and those going out the north gates will go east or west on Charles Walker Road.

Those driving southwest on Tobosa will be diverted west on Yukon, while eastbound traffic on Charles Walker Road will be redirected north on Grandview.

If you're not heading to the game, avoid driving near the stadium.