Permian football coach Jeff Ellison knew his team had some things to work on after its season-opening 26-15 victory against El Paso Pebble Hills Friday at Ratliff Stadium.
A slow start from the Panthers offense saw them down 9-7 at halftime, but things started picking up in the second half when quarterback Rodney Hall completed all six of his attempts for 127 yards and two scores through the air.
The Panthers (1-0 overall) will look to correct their mistakes against Waco Midway at 7 p.m. Friday at Panther Stadium in Hewitt.
Ellison said he and his team went over issues to fix in a film session before hitting the practice field Monday.
“We made too many mistakes as far as assignment busts, fumbles, penalties,” Ellison said. “We’ve been practicing for a long time, there’s no excuse for those mistakes.”
Against the Spartans, Permian lost three fumbles and committed eight penalties for 100 yards.
Waco Midway is coming off a 69-17 loss to Round Rock last week, but Ellison is expecting the program to give Permian a tough challenge in its first road contest of the year.
“We don’t look at scores or anything like that, we look at our opponent,” Ellison said. “They’ve got a great history as well in their football program, they’re big and they’ve got good speed.
“We’ve got to go play a football game and do a great job at it.”
Like El Paso Pebble Hills last week, Permian was supposed to play Waco Midway last season until the contest was canceled due to COVID-19.
>> FAR FROM HOME: This is the first time the Permian football team will hit the road in the 2021 campaign.
The Panthers won’t spend too much time away from Odessa, as they currently have three straight home games scheduled at Ratliff Stadium after making the five-and-a-half-hour trek to Hewitt.
Ellison said everyone on his team is used to making far drives to play against quality opponents.
“We have our routine, we enjoy being around the kids and being with them all day then getting to go play a ball game,” he said.
>> UNDER NEW DIRECTION: Waco Midway had to call an audible this summer when former coach Jeff Hulme left the program to take over at Mansfield Legacy.
Shane Anderson was hired to replace Hulme after a successful tenure at Waco Connally, which included a 12-1 record in the 2019 season.
Anderson had familiarity with the Panthers from Waco, as he spent time as a student teacher, assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Waco Midway from 2008 to 2014.
>> SLOW DOWN THE SKILL GUYS: Despite a slow start from the offense, the defensive unit held firm throughout the entire game for Permian against El Paso Pebble Hills.
Defensive coordinator Vance Washington wants to see his defense continue its strong push by keying in on some of Waco Midway’s more productive players.
In Waco Midway’s lopsided loss to Round Rock, receiver Junior Thornton and running back Dom Hill had big showings.
Thornton caught five passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns, while Hill carried the ball 12 times for 122 yards.
“Overall, they’ve got really good skill kids,” Washington said. “They gain lots of yards and just couldn’t get in the end zone a couple of times, I think they’re a whole lot better than what that showed.”
The defensive coordinator wants to see his players continue to set the tone by playing a physical style of football.
>> SUBVARSITY RESULTS: Permian’s subvarsity teams also got their seasons underway last week with some road trips.
The Permian Junior Varsity Black team came away with a 34-8 win over El Paso Pebble Hills in Van Horn, while the JV White team fell 16-0 against the San Angelo Central JV in San Angelo.
Only one of the freshmen teams played last week, due to low numbers on one of the squads.
The Permian Freshman Black team picked up a 18-0 shutout victory against El Paso Pebble Hills in Van Horn.
Both JV teams will play at home against San Angelo Central this week at Ratliff Stadium, with the White team kicking off at 5 p.m. and the Black team playing at 6:30 p.m.
The freshman teams will be on the road in San Angelo.
>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya
PERMIAN AT WACO MIDWAY
>> When: 7 p.m. Friday.
>> Where: Panther Stadium, Hewitt.
>> Last Season: Did not play.
>> Records: Waco Midway 0-1; Permian 1-0.
>> Radio: KHKX (FM-99.1).
>> Live Updates: Follow on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya.
PERMIAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
BRIAN MAHAFFEY
Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 170
Class: Senior
Position: Slot Receiver
Last Week: Caught three passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in the fourth quarter. He hauled in scoring passes from 34 and 57 yards out, to go along with an 83-yard opening kickoff return touchdown.
This season: Leads Permian with 104 receiving yards and three touchdowns (two receiving, one return).
