The Odessa High football team is slowly finding its identity.
It’s finding it can take a punch and respond, as well.
After watching Lubbock Monterey score 14 points in less than two minutes to tie the game, the Bronchos recovered, went to overtime and emerged with a 42-39 victory in the season opener for both teams Friday at Ratliff Stadium.
Odessa High quarterback Jaylien Jones found sophomore wide receiver Brendyn Thompson behind the defenders for a 23-yard touchdown toss in the extra period to set off a wild celebration along the Bronchos’ sideline.
It is Odessa High’s first season-opening victory since 2018 and avenges a loss to the Plainsmen on opening night in 2021.
“It felt great,” Jones said. “I knew we had it in us.
“Our team is never going to stop fighting. We are working day in and day out and we’re working for the playoffs and we’re going to do what it takes to make the playoffs.”
Jones was 26-0f-37 passing for 307 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for two scores and a two-point conversion.
He also gave the Bronchos’ coaching staff and fans a scare in the third quarter when he got twisted while being tackled and didn’t get to his feet right away.
Odessa High head coach Dusty Ortiz was concerned until he got to his senior quarterback.
“He said it was just a cramp,” Ortiz said. “Of all the things you could hear in that situation, having a cramp is the best one.
“I thought Jaylien did a really good job tonight. We faced some adversity and made it interesting but we found a way to win.”
Lubbock Monterey quarterback DJ Williams had a very good night, completing 26 of 40 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns.
Wide receiver Hebrew Hunter was the main target, pulling in 10 receptions for 235 yards and one touchdown, a 64-yard pass that he wrestled away from a pair of Bronchos’ defenders in the middle of the field and took to the end zone to tie the game, 36-36, with 3:04 remaining to play in the fourth quarter.
Until that sudden scoring surge by the Plainsmen, Odessa High had maintained control of the game despite struggling on offense in the second half.
Wide receiver Ivan Carreron caught three passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
His first, a 40-yard catch and run across the middle, moved him to the top of the program’s career receiving yardage chart.
He then added a 70-yard touchdown pass where he started on the left side, caught the ball, broke four tackles along the way to the right sideline and then tight roped into the end zone.
Carreon finished with four catches for 131 yards and now has 1,245 yards in his career.
The previous mark was 1,128, by Gabriel Rodriguez (2007-2009).
Carreon turned into a decoy in the second half as the Plainsmen committed to double covering him on every snap.
That allowed Thompson, Kielan Green and Blaine Mendoza to get more involved in the offense.
Green finished with nine catches for 55 yards, Thompson had five catches for 65 yards and Mendoza chippedin five receptions for 36 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown that he snagged after it was tipped by a pair of defenders as they ran into one of the officials.
“We have a lot of good receivers,” offensive coordinator Creighton Reed said. “Once they took Ivan away, Blaine, Kielan and Brendyn stepped up.”
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