ABILENE The Permian Panthers have a long, rich history of pulling off improbable comebacks in the playoffs.

They almost added another Friday before falling 49-35 to Arlington Lamar in a Class 6A Division I area playoff game at Abilene Christian University’s Wildcat Stadium.

Playing without quarterback Peyton Powell, who was sidelined by a hamstring injury, the Panthers (8-4) trailed 21-0 barely nine minutes into the contest.

Permian came all the way back to lead 35-28 early in the fourth quarter only to watch Lamar (11-1) score the final three touchdowns of the game.

“Week in, week out, we’ve talked about what this team is and they put on a display one more time of fight and heart and desire,” Permian coach Jeff Ellison said. “It’s been there all year.

“Unfortunately, we spotted them 21 points at the beginning of the game, but we continued to fight. There’s no give-up in these guys.”

Lamar quarterback Jack Dawson overcame three interceptions to pass for 330 yards and four touchdowns in addition to rushing for a score. The Vikings will take on the winner of today’s area playoff game between Lewisville and No. 5 Duncanville in next week’s regional round. Time, date and site of the game are to be determined, according to Lamar coach Laban DeLay.

“First of all, tremendous respect for Odessa Permian,” DeLay said. “Coach Ellison has done a tremendous job there. What you saw was two legendary programs battling it out in the second round. Our guys were able to come out on top.”

The Vikings converted two Permian fumbles into touchdowns to go up 21-0 with 2:49 remaining in the first quarter. Dawson, who completed 17 of 35 passes, connected with Isaiah Neyor for touchdowns of 22 and 12 yards.

In between, Dawson rushed for a 30-yard score.

With Powell sidelined, Justin Hammond and Ed Williams took on more of the offensive load for the Panthers. Hammond rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown and caught seven passes for 77 yards and two scores. Williams rushed for 103 yards on 20 carries, while quarterback Christian Rodriguez was 11-of-19 passing for 117 yards and two TDs.

“Our coaches told us to never give up,” Hammond said. “I feel like my team is big on not giving up on anything. We’ve got each others’ backs and we’re always fighting hard.

“At the end of the day, we know we’re going to pick each other up and just try to get the win.”

Hammond scored on a 15-yard run, and receptions of 8 and 16 yards, while Kaden Horrell added a 5-yard touchdown run as Permian fought back for a 28-28 tie on the second play of the fourth quarter.

Cornerback Christian Tschauner delivered the go-ahead score with a 97-yard interception return, the second-longest in Permian history, the give the Panthers a 35-28 lead with 10:08 to go.

“I’ve never been more proud of a team,” said Tschauner, who’s return trails only a 99-yarder by Pat Pope against Amarillo Tascosa in 1967. “This team’s full of fighters. We were dealt a bad set of cards and we didn’t care. We came out and fought.

“We love the Mojo crowd, Mojo Nation. We wouldn’t be here without them.”

Defense and special teams helped fuel the comeback, setting up three Permian scoring drives that began in Lamar territory.

Chase Stell, who had the Panthers’ first interception of the day, returned a punt across midfield that led to Hammond’s first TD. In the third quarter, a Lamar punt to the Permian 17-yard line was negated by a penalty. On the rekick, defensive end Matt Jones broke through to get a hand on the ball and Tschauner returned the resulting 7-yard punt 8 yards, setting up Horrell’s TD.

Late in the third quarter, with Lamar leading 28-21, Tanner Adams intercepted a pass and returned it to the Viking 36, leading to Hammond’s second TD reception.

“The offense started off slow,” Hammond said. “I’m proud of the way the defense performed and picked us back up. They never discouraged us or anything. They just said, ‘Let’s go.’

“Then the offense got clicking and everybody was clicking. We came back, we just couldn’t finish it.”

Following Tschauner’s return, Lamar tied it at 35 on a 6-yard run by Caleb Phillips, then took the lead on a 29-yard pass from Dawson to Trevon West with 3:57 remaining. West finished with five catches for 116 yards, while Neyor had five receptions for 128 yards.

Phillips, a sophomore who came on in relief of Jordan Williams, ran 58 yards for the clinching touchdown one play after Jordan Polk intercepted a Permian pass. Phillips finished with 73 yards on five carries and Jordan Williams had 74 yards on 15 carries

“(Permian) did a great job of making some halftime adjustments,” DeLay said. “They had a big third quarter on us, defensively, with their offense.

“Our coaching staff did a really good job of making fourth-quarter adjustments. We got them behind the sticks and made them throw the ball when they really don’t like to throw the ball, and getting turnovers. I’m really proud of our guys and how we executed in the fourth quarter.”

While Permian’s season ended in disappointment, Ellison said the Panthers made significant strides after facing uncertainty over the summer.

Ellison was named interim coach on July 18, less than four weeks before the start of preseason practice, after former coach Blake Feldt resigned to become executive dirctor of athletics for the Midland school district. Friday’s game was Permian’s first since the Ector County ISD removed the interim tag and named Ellison head coach last Saturday.

“There were a lot of factors, a lot of positives, a lot of situations where everything just seemed to be working our way,” Ellison said. “The pieces were falling in the right spot throughout the year.

“With the Xs and Os, our coaching staff does a great job with that. We had consistently good practices throughout the season. We got a lot of things done because of the work ethic of our coaches and our players. They executed our plan.”

This was the second season in a row in which Permian, which shared the District 2-6A championship with Tascosa and Midland Lee, was eliminated in the area round.

“All the hours that we took in offseason, it just shows that Mojo’s back on the map,” Tschauner said. “I’m glad we got us back on the map. We can compete with anyone.”

Ellison said none of it would have been possible without the efforts of the program’s seniors.

“I’m appreciative of this senior class, all the sacrifice by them and their families that they gave to this program,” Ellison said. “I told the underclassmen that these seniors, these leaders, they need to learn from them. You make a mold of how you want a Permian football player to be, there’s a lot of them in this locker room right now.”

Both Tschauner and Hammond said the senior class is leaving behind a solid legacy.

“We’re leaving a hard-nosed football team that wasn’t afraid of anyone,” Tschauner said. “We’re bringing Mojo back and we’re counting on the underclassmen. We hope we can motivate them.”

Hammond said despite graduating a number of three-year starters off this team, the cupboard will not be bare for the Panthers.

“The underclassmen are going to come up and be a great group of guys,” he said. “I got to work with a lot of young slots and I’m ready to see what they’re going to do next year. I’m proud of my teammates and I love my teammates.”
