The Permian Panthers like playing at Ratliff Stadium so much they decided to make a date for another home game.

The Panthers celebrated senior night Friday with a 38-10 victory against Wolfforth Frenship, clinching the No. 1 seed in the Class 6A Division I bracket and the right to host a bi-district playoff in two weeks.

Ed Williams rushed for 103 yards and three touchdowns as the Panthers (7-2 overall, 4-0 District 2-6A) overcame a sluggish start to clinch at least a share of the District 2-6A championship. Permian can earn the title outright with a victory next week at Midland Lee in the regular-season finale.

Permian was without starting quarterback Peyton Powell and center Jon Hignojos because of injuries. Christian Rodriguez and Isaak Gamboa stepped in and gave the Panthers the kind of performances interim coach Jeff Ellison expected.

“First of all, our seniors tonight did an outstanding job,” Ellison said. “We had a bunch of guys like Christian Rodriguez do an outstanding job leading our team.”

Rodriguez was 5-of-8 passing for 107 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 49 yards as the Panthers finished with 477 total yards.

“At first, we were kind of slow, but then we started to pick it up in the second quarter and it went off from there,” Rodriguez said. “Everybody has a part on this team and everybody is equally importnt as everybody else. You’ve got to step up and do your part.

“I think it was just better execution and we got rid of the pregame jitters finally.”

Frenship converted a Permian fumble in to a 22-yard field goal by Cage Jones for a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Permian got things going with a 17-play, 95-yard drive for Williams’ first TD, a 2-yard run.

“That’s difficult to do at any level,” Ellison said. “That’s a pretty good job to not make mistakes 17 times. I was proud of our guys for doing that.”

Frenship regained the lead briefly when Jake Sherrard hit Evan Barbosa for a 14-yard score midway through the second quarter, but Permian scored twice in the last four minutes of the half to take control.

Sherrard, making his first start for the Tigers (3-6, 0-4) was 11-of-28 passing for 165 yards. He was sacked twice and intercepted twice.

“The D-line was just pushing and forcing the ball out,” said Permian safety Chase Stell, who had his team-leading fifth interception of the season in the fourth quarter. “Everyone was locking (the receivers) down.”

After Barbosa’s TD catch, Permian went in front to stay on Justin Hammond’s 17-yard touchdown run with 3:21 to go in the second quarter. Christian Tschauner then intercepted a pass that led to Rodriguez’s 14-yard scoring toss to Kaden Horrell with 43 seconds left.

Frenship finished with 246 total yards as Permian continued its string of holding district opponents to less than 300 yards.

“Hats off to Frenship,” Ellison said. “They came in with a good game plan and did some things that kind of put us on our heels a little bit. But halftime adjustments and sideline adjustments, as usual, our defensive staff did an outstanding job.

“On offense, everybody kind of calmed down a little bit. We had some guys at new positions. Once we calmed down, I thought we got our feet underneath us and started moving the ball.”

Williams, who carried 30 times, added a 1-yard touchdown with 4:10 left in the third quarter and a 5-yard run on the second play of the fourth. That capped an 8-play, 93-yard drive.

Carson Roberts closed out the scoring with a 26-yard field goal with 3:36 remaining in the game.
