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Football: Permian doesn't want to slow down against Midland High
Comments 0 | Recommend 0Permian has clinched a playoff spot.
But before the Panthers begin to focus on the Class 5A Division I bi-district round, Permian has to take on a talented Midland High team that will be fighting for a playoff berth Friday night.
“If we’re not ready to play, they’re way too good for us not to be at our best,” Panthers head coach Gary Gaines said. “They’re extremely talented, and they’ll be highly motivated.”
By the time Permian takes the field Friday, the Panthers will know whether or not they are playing El Paso Franklin or taking on El Paso El Dorado for the second consecutive season.
If Permian plays El Paso El Dorado, the game will kick off at 1 p.m. CST Nov. 14 at the Socorro ISD Athletics Complex.
Because El Paso El Dorado (7-2, 5-2 District 1-5A) knocked off El Paso Franklin (6-3, 5-2) in district play, El Dorado would receive the district’s No. 1 seed in Class 5A Division I with a victory over El Paso Americas.
If Franklin holds on to the top spot to take on Permian, the status of that game has not been decided.
No matter which team the Panthers play next week, Permian still has to fight off a Midland High team fighting for a spot in the playoffs to end the regular season.
Simply making the playoffs hasn’t changed the Panthers’ goals.
“Ever since the OHS game, we’ve been talking about winning out, and we need to finish up against Midland High,” quarterback Steven Pipes said. “We need that momentum and confidence.”
>> SLOW STARTERS: Getting the running game going in the first half has been a problem for the Panthers the past two games.
Against Amarillo Tascosa, Permian only picked up 24 yards on the ground before halftime, and lead running back DeAnthony Fay — who rushed for 199 yards on 25 carries against Midland Lee three weeks ago — only had two carries.
Establishing the run hasn’t been easy for the Panthers lately. In the three games since his breakout performance, Fay only has 28 carries combined.
“Some of that has to do with how our power game is working on the first or second series,” Permian offensive coordinator Steve Freeman said. “We want our running backs to carry it 20-25 times, but if we’re not moving the chains, we shift gears and go another route.”
>> FALSE PRETENSES: The Panthers defense held Amarillo Tascosa to just 184 total yards on the strength of a third-down defense that only allowed the Rebels to convert one first down in 14 attempts.
“It started in practice last week,” Permian linebacker Carson Brown said. “We had four good days of practice, and it showed.”
But the Rebels picked up a pair of first downs on consecutive fourth-down runs by punter Will Smith, a rugby-style punter who takes a couple of running steps on almost every kick.
“Every time, it looks he could throw it or run it,” Brown said. “At the time, we couldn’t tell what was going on, but we got it fixed.”
>> BLUDGEON BACK: Permian simply calls it their “Tandem” package.
But the downhill force of twin fullbacks Jesse Baeza and Tra Fay — a pair of defensive ends who have combined for 6.5 sacks this season — leading 196-pound receiver Tommey Morris into the pile can be deadly.
Just ask Amarillo Tascosa. In three carries, Morris picked up a first down, a touchdown and a 30-yard breakaway down the right side that effectively sealed the win.
“Jesse and Tra, that’s like 400 pounds right there,” Morris said. “And it’s another 200 pounds for me going in there.”
>> JV REPORT: Kasey Ryan tossed two touchdowns to Van Powell to lead JV Black to a 38-19 victory over Amarillo Tascosa.
To add to the scoring, Justin Young and Jamar Miles rushed for a touchdown, and Ray Acosta returned an interception for a touchdown.
Hollis Hudgens scored the lone touchdown in JV White’s 21-7 loss to Midland Lee.
>> PERMIAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
JESSE BAEZA
Height: 5-foot-11.
Weight: 225 pounds.
Class: Junior.
Position: Defensive end.
Last Week: Baeza sacked Amarillo Tascosa quarterback Dalton Brooks twice and added a tackle-for-loss to lead a Permian defensive charge that held Brooks to just two rushing yards.
Season: Baeza has 15 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, a forced fumble and three sacks, tied for the second-best mark on the team.
>> PERMIAN VS. MIDLAND HIGH
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Ratliff Stadium.
Records: Permian 6-3, 6-2; Midland High 5-4, 5-3.
Last year: Permian 28, Midland High 21.
Radio: KMCM-FM (96.9).
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