Offensively, the Odessa High Bronchos had plenty to be excited about.
The same could not be said on defense.
However, Odessa High head coach Dusty Ortiz and his players are optimistic about getting everything right in Week 2.
The Bronchos (0-1) are coming off a 44-42 season-opening loss to the Lubbock Monterey last Friday at Lowrey Field in Lubbock.
Offensively, the Bronchos put up 591 yards of total offense.
“I think offensively, we did a good job of moving the ball,” Ortiz said. “We started off slow in the first quarter but we got it together in the second quarter. We came out in the second half and did exactly what we needed to do and scored. We got a three and out and then we scored again.”
However, the Bronchos’ defense allowed 404 total yards of offense from Monterey (1-0).
The Plainsmen had 52 rushes for 365 yards.
“Defense, we’re going to make some changes,” Ortiz said. “We can’t give up 40-some points and expect to win. We have some changes. We’re going to modify a few things. It’ll be better this coming week.”
A 36-yard field goal by Gio Cardenas ended up making all the difference as the Plainsmen ended their 10-game losing streak.
>> Losing streak gone: For the Plainsmen, it was their first victory since Nov. 5 when Monterey defeated Palo Duro 44-38 in overtime.
It was also the first victory for Monterey’s head coach Judd Thrash who is in his second year as head coach of the Plainsmen.
>> What do you expect? At this point, it’s no surprise what Odessa High’s wide receiver and Oklahoma commit Ivan Carreon can do on the field.
The senior had six receptions for 206 yards and a touchdown last week.
He opened the scoring for the Bronchos with a 48-yard pass from quarterback Mikey Cota to put Odessa High on the board in the first quarter.
“He does that every game,” Ortiz said. “It’s just something that is expected, week in and week out. His frist catch was a tough catch but it didn’t look tough for him at all. It was just right in his hands but he had to stretch out for it. Then, the catch right after halftime for 90 yards, he just made a couple of moves and did what he does. He’s getting recruiting to play at Oklahoma for a reason and he showed that Friday night.”
And the guy throwing to Carreon?: Cota finished the night going 21-of-46 for 417 yards.
Not bad considering it was his debut at the varsity level.
“Being the first varsity game, he started off a little slow, but I think that’s just nerves,” Ortiz said. “Once he got over that, he was making some nice throws. He got us out of some jams. I think every game he’s going to get a little bit better. That’s a scary thing for our opponents. But I think he’ll do well when it comes time for district. We have four games left to fine-tune some things and hopefully we can start off a lot faster. But he’s impressive with his arms and legs.”
>> Other accolades: Running back Dae Dae Green had 15 carries for 132 yards for the Bronchos in last week’s contest while receiver Jalen Warren had four receptions for 84 yards.
“We can score points and we can score points fast,” Ortiz said. “I think our running back Dae Dae Green did a great job of running the ball. It’s nice to have that luxury. It’s nice to have other receivers step up. Jalen Warren did some great things with the ball in his hands. He put us in some good spots. Overall, the offense was what I thought it would be.”
>> Short week: The Bronchos won’t have much time to put last week’s loss behind them as they face a shortened week.
Odessa High will next face El Paso Americas (1-0) on the road in a 7 p.m. contest Thursday at SAC Stadium in El Paso.
For the Bronchos, it’s a six-day recovery before their next game.
“I think what we have to do as a staff this week is that we can’t put too much on the players’ plates just because it’s a shorter week,” Ortiz said. “We have to keep things simple and give them things that they’re familiar with. You can’t get too complicated in a short week.”
The Trail Blazers are coming off a 44-19 win over Las Cruces (N.M.) last week on the road.
Americas’ speed is what stands out to the most to Ortiz.
“They’re fast,” Ortiz said. “Our head track coach, his son (Brian Gonzalez-Promesse) plays for them. One thing that he’s told me all along is you can’t hit what you can’t catch and his son lives by that. He has a lot of speed. They try to get the edge, quite a bit. They utilize their whole team speed. They have a couple of running backs and a couple of receivers and a quarterback who can make some big time throws. He has a great arm. Offensively, they’re very explosive. Defensively, they play pretty well. They’re doing something right on that side of the ball.”
Odessa High at El Paso Americas
>> When: 7 p.m. Thursday
>> Where: SAC Stadium, El Paso
>> Last season: Odessa High 49, Americas 27
>> Records: Odessa High 0-1; Americas 1-0
>> Radio: KHKX (FM-99.1)
