HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: OHS begins new era Thursday

The Erik Hartman era at Odessa High begins this week with a home game against the Amarillo High Sandies.

The new-look Odessa High Bronchos will kick the season off with a 7 p.m. Thursday home contest at Ratliff Stadium.

For Hartman, it’ll be a return to home as the OHS alum has played under the lights of Ratliff Stadium as a quarterback in the early 90s before returning as an assistant in the 2000s.

He and his staff haven’t had too much time to get things going as the Bronchos’ first-year head coach only took over in July, coming in from having served as an offensive coordinator at Corsicana.

>> THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: The Bronchos’ Thursday night game will not be the only time Odessa High isn’t playing on a Friday night this season.

In total, the Bronchos will have three non-Friday games, which include two Thursday home games and a Saturday contest at the end of September.

Odessa High’s next Thursday game after this week will be against Lubbock Monterey at 7 p.m. Sept. 13.

The Bronchos will face Killeen Ellison at 1 p.m. Sept. 28 at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene.

>> REMEMBER THAT COMEBACK? Last year, Odessa High had numerous come-from-behind victories including their historic 49-42 win over crosstown rivals Permian and a 71-70 victory against San Angelo Central the following week.

But one comeback in particular from last year was the Bronchos’ 36-35 meeting against Amarillo High in their last meeting with the Sandies.

In that game, Odessa High erased a 22-point first half deficit in its one-point nondistrict victory.

There’s a good chance that the Sandies remember.

Amarillo High head coach Chad Dunnam returns, as do 12 starters total from last year’s AHS team that went 6-6 and made the area round of the playoffs.

Playing out off District 2-5A D-I, the Sandies are expected to return to the postseason this year.

>>MORE PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Odessa High didn’t have spring football practice earlier this year, meaning the Bronchos were able to start back on Aug. 5.

Odessa High has managed to play two scrimmages during the last two weeks including at Lubbock Cooper and last week at Arlington Sam Houston.