Odessa High’s Marcos Marquez, Jamikel Cobb, Da’Mareon Gray and Isaiah Essary watched last year as the Bronchos’ new offense put up some ridiculous numbers.
It wasn’t surprising to the Bronchos’ defensive linemen.
They faced the new scheme implemented by head coach Dusty Ortiz every day in practice.
Now, with offense entrenched after 18 months, Ortiz has set his sights on elevating the other side of the line of scrimmage.
Literally.
Taking over as the team’s defensive coordinator, Ortiz is counting on his four seniors to lay the foundation for the 2022 season and beyond.
“Our strength on defense is going to be our front four,” Ortiz said. “They are all returners and they all saw significant playing time, if they weren’t starting.
“Our two guys in the middle, Cobb and Gray, have to be a dominant force and we have reliable defensive ends in Marcos and Essary. We feel like that has to be our heart and soul.”
The Bronchos’ quartet is ready to meet those expectations head on.
They understand that if Odessa High’s program is going to reach its goal of not only making the playoffs, but having success when it gets there, they are going to have to control the line of scrimmage.
That will give their teammates behind them chances to make plays all over the field.
And, at the same time, it will help them toward one of their personal goals.
“We want to be the most improved defense in the state,” Gray said. “If we do our jobs, that will allow the linebackers and defensive backs to make their plays.”
Having Ortiz, who played in the trenches during his career, move over to the defensive side of the football has his lineman very excited.
They know he understands what they are going through and what it takes to be successful on each snap on Friday night.
“It feels coach to have a coach that knows it, he was there,” Cobb said. “He wants to win and he wants us to be the best.”
To get to that point, the Bronchos are going to have to mature quickly during a rigorous nondistrict slate of Lubbock Monterey, El Paso Americas, Keller High, Amarillo High and Schertz Clemens.
Ortiz put that grueling gauntlet together for one reason only, to prepare Odessa High for a run through District 2-6A in search of a playoff spot.
It would be the program’s first since 2013.
The linemen are confident that this is the season the Bronchos get their names on their jerseys in November.
A perk reserved for postseason play.
“There’s more camaraderie,” Essary said. “Less individual and more team.”
Morales agreed: “I know that they have my back and if I miss something or make a mistake, they are going to help me out and the same with me with them.”
That accountability is what Ortiz and his staff have been adamant about building since he stepped on campus in March of 2021.
He watched the senior class step up and now has players that were juniors leading the way this season.
“The seniors last year bought in and they helped lay the foundation,” Ortiz said. “Without that I don’t know where we would be and I give them a lot of thanks.
“But this junior class has really come in and bought in even more and wants more out of the season. So, we kind of built the foundation last year and it’s time to get the frame up and start getting the house built here.”
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