There were high expectations for the Odessa High football team at the beginning of the 2021 season under new head coach Dusty Ortiz.
Ortiz and his staff, hired in March of 2021, spent last spring introducing the Bronchos to a new style of offense, which in turn led to a 3-7 mark in the fall, including the program’s first district win since 2018.
This spring, the returning players showed they have a much deeper understanding of what is expected.
Quarterback Jaylien Jones of the White team threw for three touchdowns and backup quarterback Hunter Mallory rushed for the other in the victory as the White team earned a 28-14 victory against the Red side in the Bronchos’ annual Red-White Game Wednesday at Ratliff Stadium.
Wide receiver Ivan Carreon caught a pair of touchdowns (25 and 36 yards) and tight end Blane Mendoza caught one touchdown for 37 yards.
Jones saw playing time during district play last season when starting quarterback Diego Cervantes was injured.
He struggled in the the sudden move to starter, but looked much more relaxed and poised during Thursday’s action.
“My teammates had my back last year,” Jones said. “I’ve just worked hard on getting better, in better shape, getting stronger and learning the offense.
“This was a lot of fun today. The Red team was talking about how they were going to win on the bus ride over, but it didn’t happen.”
Mikey Cota quarterbacked the Red team to a pair of touchdowns, including a 44-yard scoring run of his own.
Running back Jude Mendez also found the end zone at the end of a 65-yard run.
“I thought Jaylien did a nice job; he’s come a long way,” Ortiz said. “When you’re not the starter, you aren’t getting a lot of snaps in practice. So it was tough when he had to go out there against (Midland) Legacy and Abilene High.”
The game, which features a 20-minute first half and two, 10-minute quarters in the second half, closed out the Bronchos’ spring practices.
They will compete in a 7-on-7 tournament in Lubbock on May 28 and then host several teams in league play each week during June.
>> Follow Lee Scheide on Twitter at @OALeeScheide
