The record book is under attack at Odessa High — portions of it at least.
With the installation of new head coach Dusty Ortiz’s wide open offensive attack, the passing game marks that have stood for years, if not decades, are soon likely to be footnotes to the Bronchos’ history on the gridiron.
And it is a concerted effort from Ortiz, new offensive coordinator Creighton Reed, the rest of the offensive coaching staff and the players to make that happen.
“We took a look at the records,” Ortiz said. “We know we have the chance to set some marks.”
If the first two weeks are any indication, it won’t be long until new faces appear at the top of the charts for the Bronchos.
Senior quarterback Diego Cervantes has completed 39 of 65 passes for 530 yards and six touchdowns.
Currently ranked in the top 40 among Class 6A quarterbacks in the state, Cervantes is on pace for more than 2,600 passing yards in the regular season, which would set a new record for the program.
Sophomore wide receiver Ivan Carreon has been a favorite target in the early going, with 16 receptions for 309 yards and four touchdowns.
He tied a program records with nine receptions and three scores in the 49-0 victory Friday against Del Rio.
Reed smiles when thinking about what Cervantes, a three-year starter, and Carreon have been able to do thus far. And, what their continued growth will mean for the rest of the program.
“Diego has done a great job for us,” Reed said. “He’s picked up everything we been teaching him and really bought in to what we are doing.
“Ivan, he brings something different, being 6-6, that makes it hard to defend him. I think other teams will start to lock down on him, but that’s just going to give our other players that chance to step up and make plays.”
Running back Javonte Delce is one expected to make an impact as the season progress, perhaps as early as Thursday when the Bronchos host Lubbock Coronado at 7 p.m. at Ratliff Stadium.
Delce has rushed for more than 100 this season and got some good work in last week as Odessa High took the opportunity of having a big lead to fine tune some things offensively.
“I think that we could have a scored three or four more touchdowns,” Ortiz said. “But we got together as a staff and said let’s work on the run game.
“Let’s work on running the ball, draining the clock and preserving the shutout. Because come district time, that’s something that we are going to need to be able to do.”
Another player Reed is looking to make an impact is senior Terrance Samuel.
Samuel has nine catches for 89 yards and one score this season. He has made himself a very valuable target for Cervantes, with several of Samuels’ receptions keeping drives alive.
“He’s very good and has already made some big catches for us,” Reed said of Samuel. “I expect him to have success because I know how hard he’s worked to get to this point.”
It’s not just Samuel, Cervantes, Carreon and Delce that have worked hard to get the Bronchos even after two games, snapping a 13-game losing streak that dated back to Sept., 2019.
No, it’s the way the entire program has embraced the new offensive and defensive schemes put in place by Ortiz, Reed and defensive coordinator Ammad Quigley.
“The kids really like it,” Ortiz said. “They are out there executing at a high level during practice and then seeing that carry over to the games.
“I think that they learned from the first quarter against Monterey, when they were down and responded and then responded when we asked for a fast start against Del Rio. The goal is to get this team prepared for when district play starts and they are working hard toward that.”
>> Follow Lee Scheide on Twitter at @OALeeScheide
