THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Permian High School Athletics

Distance proved not to be an issue for the DeSoto Eagles, but the Permian Panthers refused to go quietly, pushing DeSoto to the end before the Eagles claimed a 38-28 victory. DeSoto, which traveled 356 miles Friday to take on the Panthers in the season opener for both teams at Ratliff Stadium, scored on drives covering 95 and 99 yards on its first two possessions and looked ready to run away with the game before Permian rallied and cut the margin to a point in the third quarter. DeSoto quarterback Shun’Darion Ward passed for 357 yards and three touchdowns as the Eagles handed new head coach Mike Robinson his 100th career victory in his first game with the program. "It prepares us to be able to travel on the road, play in a hostile environment," said Robinson, who is now 100-84 in his 18th season as a head coach. "It's almost like playoff setting to be able to come out here and I'd say steal victory from the Panthers because they've got one heck of a ball team." Ward completed his first eight passes in finishing 17 of 32. Vontae Shenault caught five passes for 98 yards and Kenneth Salter needed just three receptions to gain 128 yards. Both caught touchdown passes. Tyson Alexander added 89 yards rushing and a touchdown as DeSoto (1-0) gained 506 total yards. Permian, playing its first game under interim coach Jeff Ellison, gained 296 of its 387 total yards on the ground. Ed Williams rushed for 117 yards and a TD, while Justin Hammond added 79 yards and Peyton Powell gained 69 yards. Powell, making his first start at quarterback for the Panthers after transferring from Midland Christian, was 7 of 18 passing for 91 yards and two TDs. Hammond had four catches for 63 yards and a score, while Mason Sellers caught two passes for 18 yards and a TD. "I told the kids it'd be interesting to see what kind of football team we are," Ellison said. "I had a pretty good idea because I've known those guys since they were in seventh grade. They're a bunch of tough Permian football players. "And they were that. They fought their tails off. Unfortunately, they were some tough football players that made too many mistakes. You can't do that in a game of football. Ellison added that while miscues are to be expected the first time out, the Panthers won't hide behind that excuse. "You're going to have mistakes, but we've got a lot experienced football players," he said. "We're not using that first game as an excuse. We didn't do our jobs the best we could, and we're going to get it fixed." That process began almost immediately after Friday's game as the Panthers began preparing for next week's game at El Paso Franklin. "That's the best way to remedy a loss," Ellison said, "to get back to work, make the corrections and go out next week and try to win a football game." Down 21-13 at halftime, Permian opened the third quarter with an 11-pay drive that resulted in Hammond’s 12-yard TD catch. Rather than go for the tie with nearly seven minutes left in the quarter, Permian kicked the extra point to make it a one-point game. That was as close as the Panthers got. DeSoto responded with a 13-play drive that almost never got started. On the first play, Ward’s swing pass to Alexander was ruled an incomplete forward pass, though it appeared Alexander was behind where the quarterback released the ball. Instead of a Permian recovery, the Eagles converted three third downs before Shenult pulled in an 8-yard TD pass. Gerrit Blodgett’s 31-yard field goal with 7:24 remaining made it 31-20. Permian got back into the game as Sellers caught a 10-yard TD pass and Powell found Tyler Ramage on the two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 31-28 with 3:27 to go. Permian’s attempt at a deep onside kick was covered by DeSoto and Terrance Shaw iced it with a 42-yard TD run with 1:18 left. DeSoto opened the game with three consecutive possessions starting at or inside its own 10, but quickly moved out of the shadow of the goal posts. Alexander capped the opening 95-yard drive with a 20-yard run after Shenault caught passes for 19 and 50 yards. After a Permian punt rolled out at Eagle 1, Ward connected with Salter for a 93-yard score on the second play, putting DeSoto up 14-0 with 5:11 left in the first quarter. The Eagles took another Permian punt from their own 10 to the Permian 35 before a penalty stalled the drive and forced a punt. Robinson said it was no surprise that Permian battled back after the Eagles' opening salvo. "I'm glad our kids responded, but 14-0 meant nothing to me," Robinson said. "There's too much pride. (Permian) is a historic program. These kids grew up wanting to be Panthers. All they know is Mojo. "(Being down) 14-0 is going to mean nothing to them. With the ballclub they have and the way they're coached, everybody better just watch out. We're just glad to get out of here." A 10-yard Permian punt gave DeSoto its best field position of the half at the Panther 40, but this time the Panthers held on downs as a penalty helped stall another drive. That was the spark Permian needed as the Panthers responded with a 20-yard touchdown run from Williams. A bad punt snap set up Permian at the DeSoto 10, but the Panthers were forced to settle for Roberts’ 20-yard field goal. The Eagles wasted no time in answering as Ward hit Lawrence Arnold for a 65-yard touchdown on the first play to push the lead to 21-10 with 2:03 left in the half. Permian responded with a two-minute drive to Roberts’ second field goal, a 37-yarder as time expired, to get within 21-13 at halftime.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Permian High School Athletics

DESOTO STARTS FAST, HOLDS OFF PERMIAN

SAM WALLER

Odessa American | 9/2/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Jacob Ford