When I began developing my list of 80 iconic sporting events and venues to visit as part of Around the World in 80 Sporting Events, in my mind high school athletics were always going to be represented.
Afterall, during my former life as a sports writer, I spent plenty of time in high school stadiums and gymnasiums and, later, during my time as a educator got to know many of those high school coaches who toiled away with little reward in an effort to impact the lives of their student-athletes.
It was my belief there were three places to visit to garner the utmost high school athletic perspective: Indiana (my native state) for basketball, Minnesota for hockey, and Texas for football.
As I wrestled with these locations, it was the latter that proved the most troublesome. I knew Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida could all lay claim to excellent and rabid high school football experiences as could, of course, California. But it was Texas that tugged at my heart nearly 25 years ago when I first read author H.G. Bissinger’s runaway 1990 best seller, Friday Night Lights, and when I saw this summer the subject of Bissingers’ book – the Permian High School Panthers – had a home game against city rival Odessa High School the Friday of Red River Rivalary weekend in the Cotton Bowl … well, my decision was made.
Happy Coincidence
As I prepared to travel to Dallas in advance of this Texas-sized football-a-palooza trip, I posted images on social media of my tickets to the three games: Permian-Odessa/Red River Rivalry/Lions-Cowboys. Following that posting I didn’t give it much thought.
I was reviewing emails in the home we rented in Abilene the morning of the game when I saw a comment on one of my ticket posts from my friend Todd Bloch (Conversations guest S:2, E:56) who made mention that one of his former middle school science students was an assistant football coach at Permian HS.
Me: How cool! I'd love to talk to him at some point in the future.
Todd: I'm sure he'd be happy to talk to you. (Todd then tagged his former student, Joe Hilliard.)
And before I knew it, I had Joe’s cellphone number and he’d invited our traveling party to the high school near the end of the school day for a tour of the facilities and the ability to catch the pep rally.
An Unexpected Invitation
My friend Wayne, his adult son, Macker, and I figured we’d find something to do either in Abilene or Midland/Odessa to occupy our time prior to that evening’s 7:30 kickoff. The invitation from Joe certainly changed that.
We piled into our rental and began the two-and-a-half hour journey west on Interstate 20 into the Permian Basin … Texas oil country.
We were a touch early arriving and a call to Joe informed me that he was returning from a quick errand off campus. Then, suddenly, a kindly lady approached my passenger window.
Her: Are you here for a tour?
Me: Yes, we're waiting to meet Coach Hilliard.
Her: Are you from Rice University?
Me: Um, no. Coach Hilliard and I have a mutual friend and he invited us out for a tour. He's on his way back to campus.
Her: Well, there's no reason for you to sit in the car, come on into the office.
It turns out the lady who approached our car was Becky, the Permian Athletic Secretary. As we walked across the parking lot toward the office, I explained what two Michiganders (me and Wayne) and a Kenai, Alaska, resident (Macker) were doing in West Texas and the Cliffs Notes version of the Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project.
No sooner had we entered the office than Permian’s Head Coach Jeff Ellison walks in, introduces himself, and seems intrigued by why we’re there. He was pretty affable for a fella who had a game against his crosstown rival in four hours.
The Tour
Coach Hilliard arrived during our encounter with Coach Ellison and we embarked on a tour of the athletic complex at Permian High School.
He showed us the locker room, the coaching offices, the weight room, the indoor turf facility, the outdoor practice facility, the wall that serves as a shrine to the Friday Night Lights movie (full disclosure, I’ve not seen it or the TV series), and the Hallway of Champions (a hallway resplendent with images of Permian teams/accomplishments by decades) which is the last thing the team experiences before boarding the bus before a game.
It. Was. Fascinating.
The differences between what Wayne (himself a 1-time sports writer) and I have experienced in Michigan are stark.
Beyond gyms, indoor athletic facilities are virtually unheard of in the metro-Detroit area. And that Permian HS weight room? It was massive and looked more like what you’d expect to see in a health club gym than what you’d be apt to find at a high school.
And the outdoor turf practice fields in Michigan? Those are called football fields!
Clockwise from upper left, the Hallway of Champions; the Permian locker room; this sign was from the 2004 movie “Friday Night Lights and hangs in the indoor turf room;” this wall outside the locker room is a bit of a shrine to the movie; former Permian and NFL player, Roy Williams, made a sizable contribution to help fund for the indoor turf room; the Panther head found in the indoor facility is signed by Billy Bob Thornton, star of the movie; the weight room which was set up for the pregame dinner; the indoor turf room; and the turf practice field.
Pep Rally
As referenced above, Coach Hilliard indicated we could check out the pep rally if we were so inclined. Each such pep rally is open to the community and, aside from Wayne’s Olde English D emblazoned on his polo and Macker’s “Detroit Basketball” shirt, we wouldn’t be out of place.
The gym was fairly well packed for the optional pep rally and we found seats in the section with the rest of the community members in the balcony. It turns out there wasn’t much time left, but we got a feel of the chants and the energy for this rivalry game which, according to Coach Hilliard, is akin to the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry. Permian’s biggest rival, it turns out, is Midland Legacy (nee Lee) the equivalent of Michigan’s Ohio State.
Scenes from the pregame pep rally in the Permian HS gym. The banner the Panthers will run through, a Panther mural on the wall, and the view of the gym from the balcony.
Ratliff Stadium
I’d heard that Odessa’s Ratliff Stadium was a big one … it was.
Built in 1982 after the Ector Country Independent School District received a donation of land from ranchers Bud and Sallie Ratliff – who’d established their ranch on this land in 1903 – Ratliff Stadium has a capacity of 17,931.
We parked on the visitors side well before game time and took a lap around the exterior.
The school district had pulled out all the stops for what was dubbed the “Rumble at Ratliff.” Odessa Bronchos’ flags adorned the top of the visitors bleachers while Permian’s “P” flags flew on the home side. Major area auto dealer, Sewell Automotive, had a red and black car on display in front of the main entrance to the Stadium next to sculptures of a Panther and a Broncho.
And, did we mention that everything’s bigger in Texas? Yeah, each marching band had not one, but two semi-trailers parked adjacent to the stadium that had hauled the bands’ gear to the game.
Both schools also had their own merchandise stands. We didn’t linger near Odessa High’s, but did wait patiently in the ever-growing line to nab some Permian gear (and there was a lot to choose from, check it out here)
Clockwise from upper left, the Broncho next to a red Sewell Automotive vehicle; one of two Bronchos’ band trailers; the line for Permian Booster Club merchandise; the visiting side of Ratliff Stadium; the home side of Ratliff Stadium; one of two Permian band trailers; the Panther next to a black Sewell Automotive vehicle.
What the Heck is Mojo?
At Permian HS “Mojo” is everywhere!
We asked Coach Hilliard and the brief story he shared dates to the 1960s when a fan told the team, which trailed going into the locker room at halftime, it needed to get its Mojo back. They came back and won the game.
The sign on the Booster Club’s Merchandise Trailer told a similar story.
The Game
There was, in fact, a football game played.
After jumping out to a 9-0 lead before the offense even touched the ball, Permian went on to win 50-26. Star running back Gavin Black rushed 24 times for 223 yards and five touchdowns to lead the offense once it finally did have the ball. Odessa kept it close for a half – 22-20, Permian at halftime – before running out of steam.
Though we didn’t hear an official attendance count, our unscientific estimates were at 95% capacity which would mean about 17,000 attended. The Permian side certainly seemed to be sold out and the Broncho faithful represented as well.
Clockwise from top, the Permian HS marching band (just under 400 strong!) spells MOJO during the pregame performance; the sunsets over the parking lot at Ratliff Stadium; the Odessa cheer squad runs out the OHS flags; speaking of flags, all four flutter in the breeze; a look at the home stands at Ratliff Stadium.
Final Thoughts
With another two-and-a-half hour drive back to Abilene in the dead of night, there was plenty of time to reflect on what we’d just witnessed.
The three us agreed the tour by Coach Hilliard elevated our experience. Had we just attended the football game it would have been like dozens of other high school contests we’d all attended, save the 17,000 spectators. While some of the performances on the field were impressive, to our eyes nothing seemed all that much different from what we’ve previously seen in Michigan and elsewhere.
Were we happy to have seen a high school game in football-crazed West Texas?
Absolutely!
Would we make a point of returning?
Probably not.
- Next Time: Part II of the Texas Football Trifecta – Red River Rivalry Redux
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