After every summer workout for the Permian football team, O’Ryan Farley stayed late.

He wasn’t lifting weights. He wasn’t watching film. He wasn’t working on technique.

The 6-foot-2, 260-pound senior ran an extra mile after each workout, because — for what he was about to endure — Farley knew he needed to be in the best condition of his life.

Farley was about to take on double starting duty on the offensive and defensive lines.

“I would just do a little something extra just to be on top of it,” Farley said about being a starter on offense and defense.

When faced with the decision to be a dual starter, Farley didn’t waste much time on giving the Permian coaching staff an answer.

“If I’m the best guy for that spot, I’ll do it,” Farley said with a smile. “Just thinking about the team, I’ll step up and be there.”

For the third time in as many games, Farley will take his starting position on the offensive and defensive lines as Permian travels to El Paso Eastwood at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Trooper Stadium.

Permian head coach Blake Feldt explained there were multiple factors that went into the belief that Farley could start on offense and defense.

As a sophomore, Farley served as third-string right tackle. He appeared in the first nine games of the 2015 regular season and posted 10 pancakes, three cut blocks and one knockdown. Farley moved to defensive line during Permian’s 2016 spring camp and started at defensive end as a junior.

Farley received District 2-6A second-team honors at defensive line in 2016 after he racked up 29 tackles, seven sacks and five tackles for a loss.

“Playing both ways at the Class 6A level is very difficult and very hard to do and then it’s another notch above when you have to do it at the offensive and defensive line,” Feldt said. “It’s not seen very much in 6A football.

“We talked about (Farley) doing this back in the spring and then pulled the trigger on it not long after that. We felt like if there’s a guy that can do it that he could do it.

“With his mental approach to everything that he does, his toughness and his desire to be a good football player, he has everything that you need to (play offensive and defensive line) and do it effectively.”

Permian assistant head coach and offensive line coach Jeff Ellison said this is the first time since Feldt took over Permian’s program in 2013 that a player has started on the offensive and defensive lines.

In Feldt’s first year, Michael Whitfield — who is a junior offensive lineman at West Texas A&M — started on Permian’s offensive line, but also played a large amount of snaps on defense.

Ellison said in Permian’s 28-24 victory over Austin Vandegrift in the season opener, Farley played more than 100 snaps. Farley received a little more rest during Permian’s 42-14 victory against El Paso Franklin in Week Two.

“Throughout the game, we are communicating as coaches and with Farley that he’s good and if he needs a breather, we have guys behind him that can go in and still do a good job for us,” Ellison said.

During practice, offense wears white jerseys and defense dons black.

Farley, who spends a majority of his time on offense’s side — the south end — of John Wilkins Field, still wears his black jersey. The senior will take limited snaps at defensive end and then return to the offensive line.

“Now that I’m getting a hold of the offensive scheme a little bit more, I get to go to the defensive side of the field more,” Farley said. “Offense is one wrong step the whole play goes for nothing. Effort on defense covers up a lot of mistakes.”

The thought of Farley spending limited practice time with the defense doesn’t bother the team’s defensive line coach Eric Jonas.

In the first two games of the regular season, Farley has assisted Permian’s front seven blanketing opponents to 79 yards on 60 carries — an average of 1.3 yards per rush. Individually, Farley has five tackles, one tackle for a loss and one sack.

“He’s retained everything that we have done,” Jonas said about Farley. “He’s a very intelligent kid. Of course, we still work and we still hit the fundamental things that as a defensive lineman, you have to be good and very consistent at.”
Offensively, the Panthers are averaging 424.5 yards per game and have scored a total of 10 touchdowns — eight of them on the ground. The offensive line has opened running lanes that have helped Permian average 343 rushing yards per contest.

Ellison acknowledged that Farley stays locked when practicing with the offensive line.

“With an offensive lineman that is there all the time, you are continually tweaking technique with guys that don’t go back and forth,” Ellison said. “Farley has done a great job of switching gears. In the middle of practice, he will go from offense to defense and back and forth. When I get him on offense, he is zoned in on offense. The stances a little bit different. The technique is a little bit different. For him to transition back and forth, he does an outstanding job.”
That leadership ability to step into two starting positions to begin the season led Farley’s peers into naming him one of the four team captains. The other three captains are seniors Steve Steen, Brother Miller and Preston Ellison.

Farley said the thought of being named a captain for the Panthers had been a goal since he named a starter during his junior year.

“They have acknowledged the hard work that I’ve put in and I’m thankful that they did that and noticed it,” Farley said.

Many of the players on Permian’s roster have the hopes of continuing their playing careers.

Steen — a senior quarterback — is committed to Navy, while Miller and Ellison each have multiple NCAA Division I offers.

Farley said he will cross that collegiate football bridge when the time is right.

“If I get offer to and it will help me with my education, I would love to,” Farley said. “It’s not my primary goal right now.

“The primary goal right now is to win every week.”
