The Permian football team wanted to make an opening statement to the rest of District 2-6A.

It was heard loud and clear.

Permian piled up a season-high 531 yards en route to a 66-14 victory and its first-ever win against Wolfforth Frenship on Friday at Ratliff Stadium.

“I feel like we came out here and played hard,” Permian senior slot back Brother Miller said. “We wanted to send a message that we came to play and I’m glad that we came out with a win.”

It didn’t take long for the Panthers (4-0 overall, 1-0 District 2-6A) to put the Tigers in a double-digit deficit.

Permian posted 21 unanswered points in the first quarter and eventually took a 24-7 lead into halftime. A year ago, the Panthers also held a double-digit lead, but the Tigers responded with 30 straight points during the final two quarters for the win. Miller and the rest of the Panthers weren’t going to allow Wolfforth Frenship (0-5, 0-1) an opportunity for another second half rally.

Miller returned the opening kickoff in the second half 73 yards to the Tigers’ 17-yard line. Three plays later, Permian punched in a three-yard touchdown from Ed Williams — his first of two scores in the third quarter.

The Panthers continued to pour on the third-quarter points with four more touchdowns. Miller cut through multiple defenders and scored a 62-yard touchdown. Permian senior quarterback Steve Steen also found the end zone for the third time in the third quarter, while junior linebacker Tanner Adams scored first varsity touchdown on a 16-yard fumble recovery.

“I was really proud of the way that we played the entire game,” Permian head coach Blake Feldt said. “I thought that we had a great couple weeks of practice and our preparation was very good. We came out and play good tonight — plain and simple.”

Wolfforth Frenship head coach Jay Northcutt said it was tough to stop Permian’s offense consistently. The Panthers were never held to a three-and-out as they scored on nine of their 11 drives.

Frenship scored the final touchdown in the first and second halves. Camdyn Caravelli scored on an 18-yard pass from Mason Weather in the second quarter, while Myron Harrell scampered for a 2-yard score in the fourth.

“They are a very talented team,” Northcutt said of Permian. “They came out and jumped on us quick. With an offense like they run, it was very hard for us to simulate that in practice.”

Permian sophomore running back Mark Samaniego scored his first varsity touchdown on a 20-yard run in the fourth quarter. The Panthers totaled 459 yards on 45 carries — an average of 10.2 yards per carry. Permian ended with seven carries for 20 yards or more.

Williams supplied a team-high 177 yards on 12 carries for the Panthers. Steen ended with 77 yards on 16 carries. The senior quarterback also went 6-of-9 passing for 72 yards. Justin Hammond, who scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, caught two passes for 32 yards.

“Our coaches always tell us that we are winning football games, but we haven’t reached our full potential yet,” Miller said about the team’s offense. “That’s a good thing, because we try to get a little bit better each week and strive for excellence.”

Permian’s defense collected three sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries — which included the 16-yard return from Adams. Ben Vore and Christian Tschauner each snagged an interception in the first half. The Tigers finished with 228 yards on 62 plays. The Panthers locked in on the rushing attack — 32 carries for 65 yards — allowing two yards per carry.

For the second time in three weeks, Permian has an open week. Feldt said the Panthers will treat the bye like they did in Week Four of the regular season. Permian will have an extra seven days to prepare for Midland High, which dropped its district opener to crosstown rival Midland Lee 49-14.

“We are going to have the same schedule. We are going to work hard every day and we are going to get better,” Feldt said. “It’s our goal to be a whole lot better against Midland High than we were tonight. I expect that.”
