When the District 2-6A soccer coaches voted to bring back penalty kicks to decide games, they probably weren’t expecting to use them right out of the box.
Permian and Odessa High made sure it happened.
Johnny Cuellar scored a first-half goal for the Panthers, with Sahib Chavez netting the equalizer for the Bronchos late in the second half.
When the final buzzer sounded, everyone not on the field thought the game was over.
That was just the first act, however, though the Panthers didn’t make everyone wait too much longer for an outcome.
Adrian Martinez, Carlos Hernandez, Jacob Franco and Jayden Rubio all converted their tries and that was enough to secure Permian’s 1-1 (4-2 on penalties) victory after goalkeepers Jordan Franco and Pedro Galindo made saves on the Bronchos’ first two attempts.
The Panthers are now 10-3-1 overall, 0-0-1-1 in district, good for two points in the standings.
Odessa High drops to 3-7-2, 0-0-1-0 for one point.
“Credit to them (Odessa High),” Permian coach Luis Galindo said. “They pressed in the second half and forced us out of our game and then they took advantage of their opportunity to score.
“We’ve been practicing penalty kicks every day after practice and it showed.”
After a slow start that saw the ball stay in the middle of the field, Cuellar brought the Permian fans to their feet with a nice goal to finish off a run down the left wing.
Using his speed to create separation from a Bronchos’ defender, Cuellar carried the ball halfway into the penalty box and then snapped a right-footed shot inside the right post from 11 yards out in the ninth minute.
The Panthers had several chances to extend their lead, but Odessa High’s defense was up to the task each time.
In the 53rd minute, Permian sent a cross into the box in front of the Bronchos’ net and the ball was headed five times before Odessa High was able to clear.
In the 64th minute, Martinez snapped off a left-footed shot that forced Odessa High goalkeeper Caleb Gonzalez to make a diving save at the right post to keep the Panthers’ lead at one goal.
Finally, in the 69th minute, the Bronchos were able to break through after earning a corner kick on a counterattack.
Emanuel Leyva put the play in motion, serving the ball in from the right corner.
He then watched Chavez elevate in traffic and head the ball inside the right post to level the game and set up the penalty-kick finish.
“I’m proud of the way that they played in the second half,” Odessa High head coach Eliseo Ortiz said. “We told them at halftime to keep doing what they were doing and we would get a chance.”
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