HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Bronchos enter new year after offseason full of changes

There’s been one recurring theme for the Odessa High football team this offseason and it’s been change.

Lots of it.

From graduating 14 starters from last year-including Division I wide receiver Ivan Carreon, who’s now at the University of Oklahoma, to a brand new head coach this past summer, the Bronchos are entering 2024 having to learn on the go.

The team is coming off a 5-4 overall, 2-3 in district, showing last year in which the Bronchos came up one spot short of making it to the state playoffs for the first time in a decade.

Now, the high-scoring offense from a year ago has lost some key players while the defense looks to improve after a tumultuous showing last fall.

Former head coach Dusty Ortiz left for the same position at Creekview High School in Carrollton at the end of May after three years in charge of the Bronchos.

To replace him, Odessa High turned to Broncho alum and former quarterback Erik Hartman, who was previously the offensive coordinator in Corsicana and has been back in the Permian Basin for just over a month now.

Despite the challenges set in front of the Bronchos, Hartman is eager to get started.

“The excitement level is high,” Hartman said. “The community is backing us. We had the watermelon feed the other day where we had a ton of people supporting us. It’s a great thing. The expectations are high, too. We have to perform well. We had a scrimmage at Lubbock Cooper the other day and we did some things right, but there are things that we need to improve on. The excitement is high but the expectations are also high.”

There is good news for the Bronchos’ offense and that includes quarterback Mikey Cota as well as wide receivers Andrew Rodriguez and Santiago Medrano returning after a solid 2023 campaign.

“Mikey is very important to us,” Hartman said. “He makes plays for us. … He’s made some great plays for us and he will continue to in the future. Rodriguez, he’s a big play-maker and we’re looking how to get the ball in his hands. But Santiago Medrano has also made some great plays and we’re excited with the offense.”

Last year, the Bronchos’ offense averaged 37 points a game which included a 49-42 overtime win against Permian and a 71-70 overtime victory against San Angelo Central the following week.

But there are still challenges on the defensive side of the ball.

Last year, the 20 points the Bronchos allowed against El Paso Americas were the fewest the defense allowed in a single game during the season.

Four starters return from that unit.

“Our coaches have been doing a great job of changing things up, defensively,” Hartman said. “We’ve already seen the changes and improvement. Of course, I wasn’t here last year but I’m pleased to see how our defense has adjusted to things. I feel like we’re making plays and I’m pleased with our progress.”

Hartman is confident in his team’s ability to correct any glaring mistakes before the season starts and turn its weaknesses into strengths.

“I don’t like to talk about weaknesses because we work on our weaknesses to turn them into our strengths,” Hartman said. “But we have some good skilled positions. Santiago Medrano and Rodriguez and Mikey Cota are good and we have some players stepping up into positions and filling those positions. Right now, it’s about who’s going to be in those starting lineups. We have some great skilled players. On defense, we have some great leaders who have stepped up. Landon Wilkerson has done a great job of stepping up. He always puts people in the right place. We have people making great plays on defense.”

There are four new assistant coaches that Hartman has hired since taking over in July.

“We talk about that as a coaching staff,” Hartman said. “We’re jelling as a staff. When you enjoy the guys that you coach with and you do things together, it folds over to the kids. We have a lot of respect for each other in the coaches’ office and the kids see that and they have fun with us and they’re jelling also. It’s been a fun process. I’ve been a part of some great coaching staffs in the past. My whole objective is to make sure that this coaching family is a family.”

As far as the Bronchos’ schedule goes, Odessa High will have six games at Ratliff Stadium this season, compared to the four it had last year.

Odessa High will have two Thursday games, including its season opener at 7 p.m. Aug. 29 against Amarillo High.

The team will also play on Thursday when it hosts Lubbock Monterey at 7 p.m. Sept. 19.

In addition, the Bronchos will play on a Saturday when the team faces Killeen Ellison at 1 p.m. Sept. 28 in Abilene.

“It’s a little funky but you adjust to it,” Hartman said. “Sometimes with the Thursday games, you have to prepare a little bit differently just to save the kids’ legs, but we have a good plan and then we’ll have a Saturday game, too, and we’ll adjust to that as well and make sure our kids get their work in and knowing what they’re supposed to do.”

As far as District 2-6A goes, the Bronchos will have the same set of usual teams as the team will have rivals Permian, Midland Legacy, Midland High, Wolfforth Frenship and San Angelo Central to face this year.

The team will begin district play against Permian at 7 p.m. Oct. 11 at Ratliff Stadium with Permin as the home team.

“Permian’s always tough and we have to start off with them in district play,” Hartman said. “OHS got a victory against them last year, but Permian still made the playoffs. They’re always tough. You have Frenship that’s coming off a good year. They’re going to be tough as well. Midland Legacy and Midland High had big seasons last year and they’re expecting good things this year. Then, San Angelo Central hired a new coach, and just like us, there’s a lot of excitement over there as well with a coaching change.”