Athletics: Permian dedicates Edwards Sports Facility

The vision now is reality for the Permian High School athletic programs.

The school on Monday had the grand opening of the W.T. “Bill” Edwards All-Sports Fa-cility in conjunction with its Meet the Coaches Feed.

The $1.5 million facility in-cludes a 26,000-square-foot turf room and a 9,600-square-foot weight room. It was named for Edwards, an oil-industry pioneer and philanthropist who died in 1985.

Edwards’ son, Odessa businessman Kirk Edwards, was the kicker on Permian’s 1976 team. Kirk Edwards said his participation in the program allowed him to have a closer relationship with his father.

“It’s nice for me to be able to do this because he meant so much to me,” he said. “Playing football at Permian absolutely changed my life. I really believe that. Odessa’s been very good to me. I’ve been very lucky in business and in life here. For our family to be able to give back like this has just been super for us.”

The facility already has proven its worth, Permian head football coach and campus athletics coordinator Darren Allman said. The Panthers had eight full practices in the building when rain hit during spring drills, and the school’s baseball and soccer teams also have had in-door workouts.

“That’s what’s been so special for us,” he said. “If we look up at 2 o’clock and it’s raining, we’re not wondering what we’re going to do. We already know. We’re going to carry out the same workout that we scripted, and we’re going to do it indoors.”

Allman said the facility puts Permian on equal footing with the top programs in Texas.

“It’s important when you’re trying to compete on a state-wide level,” he said. “You can’t look back and say we missed five or six practices in spring training to bad weather, knowing that people you’re competing with across the state didn’t. You don’t ever get those days back.

“For where we’re at right now, if you’re going to compete on a statewide level and outwork people, then you’d better have a facility to do so. There’s so many people we’re trying to beat that have this (type of) facility.”

One brick at a time

>> The Permian Football Booster Club is selling commemorative bricks and wall tiles to help fund the $1.5 million project.

>> Bricks start at $100 for the 4-inch-by-8-inch size. Larger bricks also are available, while wall tiles come in 12-by-12 and 24-by-24 sizes.

>> Both bricks and tiles can be inscribed and adorned with a variety of logos.

>> Order forms, which are available at the PHS athletic offices, include a list of 72 available logos.