Three days after suffering a 54-21 loss against Midland High, the Odessa High football team received more unwelcoming news.
Quarterback Mikey Cota is out for the rest of the season with a broken left foot.
The news was confirmed by head coach Erik Hartman on Monday.
Cota left Friday’s game with an injury in the first half and did not return.
The Bronchos now sit at 2-4 overall and 0-2 in District 2-6A play as they embark on tough stretch of the season, beginning with Friday’s 7 p.m. game at Wolfforth Frenship (6-1, 2-0) at People’s Bank Stadium.
Despite last week’s loss to the Bulldogs (5-2, 1-1), Hartman said his players have still shown to have fight left in them.
“Our kids, they continue to fight,” Hartman said. “There’s still an opportunity for us to get better.”
>> SANTIAGO MEDRANO: Odessa High wide receiver Santiago Medrano switched to quarterback after Cota’s departure.
Medrano ended up throwing for 105 yards and a touchdown, going 5-of-14 passing.
“Having to come in and step up, I thought he played pretty well,” Hartman said of Medrano’s performance. “He threw a great touchdown pass. He was able to move the ball, consistently. That was a good, bright spot.”
>> MIDLAND HIGH: The Bulldogs, coached by former Permian offensive coordinator Thad Fortune, still proved to be too much on offense.
Midland High was led by running back Elijah McCoy who had 21 rushes for 259 yards and three touchdowns.
“Midland High runs a great offense and they’re very good and talented. It’s good to see something like that and see what we need to work on and get better at but give credit to Midland High. They run a great offense and they’re very talented.”
>> PLAYOFF RACE: In a week where both Midland High and Odessa High were in need of a bounce-back win, it was the Bulldogs that got what they wanted.
Midland High was coming off a 48-47 loss to Wolfforth Frenship while Odessa High suffered a 50-26 loss to crosstown rivals Permian.
Currently, Odessa High and San Angelo Central are on the outside looking in on the playoff standings as both teams have 0-2 district records.
Meanwhile, Permian and Frenship are the only two undefeated teams in district play.
>> FRENSHIP: Frenship defeated Midland Legacy (2-5, 1-1) 51-48 last week at Astound Broadband Stadium in Midland.
Tiger quarterback Holden Phillips threw for 427 yards, going 23-of-27.
His favorite target was wide receiver Leyton Stone who had nine receptions for 173 yards.
“Frenship is a very good team,” Hartman said. “They have some high-scoring games. They can score, but I think other teams have been able to score against them. They’ve had close games but they’ve been able to pull it together and win. It’s going to be a tough one. We’re just going to make sure that our guys are ready to go and buy in.”
Odessa High at Wolfforth Frenship
>> Time, Date, Place: 7 p.m. Friday at Peoples Bank Stadium, Wolfforth
>> Records: Odessa High 2-4 overall, 0-2 in District 2-6A; Wolfforth Frenship 6-1, 2-0
>> Last game: Midland High 54, Odessa High 21; Wolfforth Frenship 51, Midland Legacy 48
>> Radio: FM-96.9
