As the Ector County Independent School District moved into the 2000s, some transitions happened with the athletes and athletic programs at Odessa High and Permian.
Many students found individual success, committing to Division I schools to continue their athletic and academic careers and other programs reached new heights when it came to playoffs and winning championships.
Athletes like Roy Williams made the jump from high school to college to the pros, while Hillary Phillips led the Odessa High softball team to its deepest playoff run in program history.
Derrick Teegarden and Bradley Marquez also made history on the Odessa High football team, while Permian made three consecutive trips to the regional finals in football from 2006 to 2008.
One of the girls teams at Odessa High even made history by winning the first girls district title since the schools had opened in the 1920s.
Here are a few of the highlights the 2000s had to offer for ECISD:
>> JAN. 4, 2000: Williams verbally commits to the University of Texas at Austin. He had considered Texas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Florida State and UCLA. He narrowed down his list to Texas and A&M, ultimately picking the Longhorns because he felt more comfortable in Austin.
>> MAY 14, 2000: Williams captures a gold medal in the UIL Track and Field State Championships in Austin, recording a long jump of 25 feet, 6 inches. That was a state record at the time that would later be broken by another future Longhorn and NFL wide receiver in Marquise Goodwin. That was how Williams would end his Permian career, also winning a silver medal in the high jump and a bronze in the 100-meters.
>> JAN. 24, 2001: Permian’s Chris Mineo and Tommy Miller committed to Division I football programs to continue their playing careers. Mineo committed to play at UTEP, while Miller committed to SMU. Mineo is now the associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator of the UTPB football team.
>> MARCH 3, 2001: The Odessa High boys basketball team ended a historical season with a 75-60 loss to The Colony in the Region 1-5A tournament semifinals. The Bronchos opponent featured players like Bracey Wright and Deron Williams, who went on to star at the collegiate and professional levels. Arron Lewis led the Bronchos with 22 points scored and 15 rebounds in the contest. Odessa High posted a 24-8 record on the season.
>> APR. 13, 2001: The Odessa High girls track and field team won its first District 4-5A title at Ratliff Stadium, finishing third in the mile relay to gather 131 points to secure the first-place team finish. It was the first district title won by a girls team at the school since it had opened in the 1920s.
>> APR. 25, 2003: The Permian boys gymnastics team won the third state gymnastics title in school history. The Panthers ended the meet with 342.200 points and were paced by Eli Hinsz, who placed fourth in the all-around. Casey Delmasso followed Hinsz closely with a fifth-place finish in the all-around. This was the first of three consecutive state titles for the boys team.
>> APR. 25, 2004: Williams takes the next step after a record-setting career at the University of Texas, being selected by the Detroit Lions with the seventh overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. He was the first Odessan to be drafted since Stoney Case, who was selected in the third round of the 1995 draft by the Arizona Cardinals.
>> MARCH 4, 2006: The Odessa High boys basketball team advanced to the Region 1-5A semifinal again, this time falling 67-50 against Plano High in Abilene. The Bronchos went 19-15 that season and defeated Mansfield, Lubbock Monterey and El Paso Franklin before seeing their campaign come to an end. Jamel Guyton led the Bronchos with 16 points in the contest.
>> DEC. 3, 2006: The Permian football team had its best season in eight years, advancing to the Class 5A Division II regional round against Southlake Carroll. The Panthers fell by a 42-6 score against the Dragons, This was the first of three consecutive trips to the regional round, with Permian falling against Euless Trinity and Allen the following seasons. Darren Allman was the man in charge of the Panthers’ program at the time.
>> MAY 13, 2007: Odessa High’s baseball team had its best season in 45 years, falling in the Class 5A area round against El Paso Franklin. After winning the first game o f the series 1-0, the Bronchos fell 4-1 in Game 2 and 14-5 in Game 3. It was the first time Odessa High baseball had clinched a playoff berth since 1964 and the first time they advanced in the playoffs since reaching the state finals in 1962.
>> OCT. 4, 2008: Odessa High quarterback Derrick Teegarden throws two touchdowns in a loss against Permian, bringing his high school total to 22 passing scores. That was enough to break the career mark for a Bronchos’ quarterback. Teegarden went on to become one of the most decorated passers in Odessa High history, breaking multiple records before his graduation. He played collegiately at the University of North Texas, where he transitioned from quarterback to wide receiver.
>> DEC. 19, 2008: Both Odessa High and Permian were well-represented on the 2008 Class 5A All-State football team. Garrett Porter was a first-team selection at left tackle for the second straight season, while Margarito Vasquez and Sherard Ray were second-team picks for the Panthers. Bradley Marquez was named to the second team after bursting onto the scene as a sophomore, running for 1,743 yards and 21 touchdowns. Porter went on to play football at the University of Texas and Marquez played football and baseball at Texas Tech after he finished his time at Odessa High. Marquez also spent time in the NFL with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams and the Detroit Lions.
>> MAY 31, 2009: A strong season for the Odessa High baseball team ended in the Region 1-5A semifinals against Flower Mound Marcus. The Bronchos went 31-7 that season and seemed to have answer for all of their opponents throughout the season until they ran into the team from Flower Mound four rounds deep in the playoffs.
>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya
