The Permian football team has found out quite a bit about itself during the first three weeks of the 2022 season.
It answered more questions last week in a key road matchup against Amarillo Tascosa.
Held scoreless in the first half by the host Rebels, the Panthers found a way to find the end zone twice in the second half.
Those touchdowns, combined with another stellar defensive effort, were enough to eke out a 13-12 victory at Dick Bivins Stadium.
“I was really proud of them; I was pleased with the kids in the second half in how they came together as a football team,” Permian head coach Jeff Ellison said of his players. “I was proud of the defense, the way it came out swinging.
“We were doing some good things and our kicking game came in for us, too. It was a hard-fought game.”
That was the type of competition that Ellison was looking for when he set up his nondistrict schedule.
Opponents that were going to test and push the Panthers (3-0) to get them ready for District 2-6A play and beyond.
Permian defeated Abilene High 17-3 on opening night, got past Waco Midway 41-20 in Week 2 and then edged the Rebels last week.
“It’s been kind of nice,” Ellison said of the early-season gauntlet. “In nondistrict you want to get looks, to get test.
“Abilene High was tough; Waco Midway came back and tied us. Every week as been a great lesson.”
The Panthers at set for another tough test when they return home to host Killeen Harker Heights at 7 p.m. Friday at Ratliff Stadium.
The Knights are 3-0 on the season.
Quarterback Dylan Plake is 25-of-52 passing for 416 yards and four touchdowns, with five interceptions.
Running back Re’Shaun Sanford is the workhorse for Harker Heights, with 72 carries for 524 yards and two touchdowns.
He has rushed for more than 100 yards in all three games.
“They’re good,” Ellison said of the Knights. “They have a really good running back, a good offensive line, weapons on the edge.
“Defensively they have a big kid inside at the nose that likes to get pressure and disrupt things. They are very talented.”
>> EXTRA REST: Coaches are allowed eight hours of practice time during the week after school to work with their teams.
With junior varsity and freshmen games also in the mix, that can make the logistics of getting everyone in the correct spot pretty daunting.
Ellison and the Panthers have their own remedy for their Thursday walkthrough.
The Panthers use their athletic period in the middle of the day for an up-tempo, 40–45-minute workout that does two things.
It keeps the players focused on the task at hand and allows the entire coaching staff to be on hand before heading out to lower-level games.
An added benefit is that the players come back and watch film after school on Thursday instead of working out, getting off their feet.
>> ON TRACK: Ellison likes where the Panthers are at this juncture of the season.
“I think we’re on schedule,” he said. “We’re improving every week and that’s the nature of the best, to find something we need to improve on every week.
“This week we want to come out faster on offense and defensively we just have to continue to play fast and physical.”
>> LOWER LEVELS: It was a tough week for the Panthers’ underclassmen.
The Freshmen White and JV squads both lost to Amarillo Tascosa.
The Freshmen Black squad helped avert the sweep with a victory against the Rebels.
>> Follow Lee Scheide on Twitter at @OALeeScheide
PERMIAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
JUZSTYCE LARA
Height: 5-foot-9
Weight: 160
Class: Jr.
Position: RB
Last Week: Carried the ball 18 times for 129 yards and one touchdown in the Panthers’ 13-12 comeback victory against Amarillo Tascosa in Amarillo.
This season: Has 41 carries for 217 yards and one touchdown.
GAME DAY
KILLEEN HARKER HEIGHTS (3-0) AT PERMIAN (3-O)
7 tonight, Ratliff Stadium
Last Season: Did not play
Radio: FM-96.9
Web: 97gold.com
Live updates:
On Twitter at OALeeScheide
KEYS TO VICTORY
>> DISCIPLINE: The Panthers have allowed just 35 points through three games, but the visiting Knights have the speed to put pressure on the Panthers’ defenders from sideline to sideline. Understanding the assignment and making the right reads will be key when Harker Heights has the football.
>> TAKEAWAYS: The Panthers are averaging three turnovers per game, right at the mark defensive coordinator Vance Washington sets before each contest. The Knights have turned the ball over six times in three games (five interceptions, one fumble) so that chance for extra possessions is there for Permian.
>> QUICK START: The Panthers took a while to get their offense on track last week against Amarillo Tascosa. They need to find the end zone early to settle in against the Knights.
— Lee Scheide
PANTHERS BREAKDOWN
Opponents to Watch
QB Dylan Plake: Has completed 25 of 52 passes for 416 yard and four touchdowns in the Knights’ three victories this season.
RB Re’Shaun Sanford: The workhorse with 72 carries for 524 yards and two touchdowns through three games.
LB Jeremy Jennings: Leading tackler with 26 stops, including two tackles for loss.
NUMBERS GAME
0 — Number of meetings between the teams before this season.
10 — Receptions by Ja’Quan Richardson to lead Permian through three games.
5 — Number of touchdown passes quarterback Rodney Hall threw in Panthers’ last game at Ratliff Stadium (Sept. 2, vs. Waco Midway).
SCHEDULE
August
26 Abilene High W, 17-3
September
2 Waco Midway W, 41-20
9 at Amarillo Tascosa W, 13-12
16 Harker Heights 7 p.m.
23 Abilene Cooper 7 p.m.
30 Bye
October
7 Odessa High 7 p.m.
14 Midland Legacy 7 p.m.
21 at Wolfforth Frenship 7 p.m.
28 at San Angelo Central 7 p.m.
November
4 Midland High 7 p.m.
PERMIAN STARTERS
Offense
Quarterback
25 Rodney Hall Sr.
Running back
43 Johnathon Viscaino Sr.
Wide receivers
2 Ja’Quan Richardson Sr.
3 Tabarie Jones Sr.
18 Deonte Bass Sr.
29 Jyzaiyah Solis Sr.
89 Nathan Rodriguez Sr.
Tackles
73 Harris Sewell Sr.
76 Israel Ponce Sr.
Guards
66 Ryan Ontiveroz Sr.
72 Nathaniel Rodriguez Sr.
Center
65 Francisco Sanchez Sr.
Defense
Defensive ends
52 Frank Alvarado Jr.
57 Desmond Hill Sr.
Nose guard
99 Bryan Pry Jr.
Linebackers
34 Preston Grizzell Jr.
36 Cayson Clinton Sr.
42 Jace Gilliam Sr.
47 Matthew Albia Sr.
Cornerbacks
3 Deonte Bass Sr.
4 Jadyn Pruitt Sr.
Safeties
6 Bryce Woody Sr.
12 Hayden Duran Sr.
Specialists
Place kicker
7 Tate Terry Sr.
Punter
82 Jacob Franco Jr.
Head coach: Jeff Ellison (34-16)
