It can be difficult to comprehend going winless on a season. Not having a bad season, not just only winning four or five games, but going winless. For Odessa High, that was a reality last season.
It’s also not merely the losses, but how the Bronchos lost. They were shut out four times, and only came within one possession of a win once – a 24-21 loss to Wolfforth Frenship.
To say that last season doesn’t exactly inspire hope for this season is probably an understatement. It’s tough to talk about these teams, because these are real people playing these games, and people ultimately matter more than games. However, in football there is a clear winner and a clear loser, and there are teams that lose. This isn’t in defense of forming a society where there are no clear winners or losers or something dumb like that, but rather to avoid piling on a winless team.
There are several big names returning for the Bronchos though. They have some great players returning, and they should be incrementally better in 2017.
Key Losses
LB/SS Jorge Lopez, OL Bailey Perez, ATH John Franco
The Bronchos will definitely miss the physicality and the leadership of Jorge Lopez, the heart and soul of their defense. Bailey Perez was one of the most important members of the all-important offensive line.
John Franco will likely be the element that the Bronchos will miss the most. Franco has some serious speed and acceleration to him, and his scoring threat was very real. 2016 was a year defined by injuries for the Bronchos, and these three were stalwart through that.
Key Returners
OL Luis Nunez, OL Mason Sanchez, RB Keive Robinson, DB Aaron Ochoa, LB CJ Washington
Nunez and Sanchez will provide a lot of push for the Bronchos up front. They’re big, tough kids, and the experience gained this year will be invaluable.
Probably the biggest reason to be confident in the Bronchos in 2017 is Keive Robinson. He’s the half-brother of Odessa Permian speedster Kobe Robinson, and he has the exact same type of explosive play. Keeping him healthy will be a priority, and if OHS can keep him on the field, they’ll have an offense.
Ochoa is back to provide strength in that defensive backfield after the departure of a great safety combination in Lopez and Colt Beard. Washington is young, he’ll be just a junior next year, but his consistent play at linebacker will be big for OHS.
The Verdict
Odessa High is a tough team to attempt to predict. On one hand, they have lots of solid players coming back at key positions. On the other hand, they mostly weren’t close in a lot of the games they were in, and they struggled with injuries.
The Bronchos should be better, but it’s unclear how much better. They’ll certainly be good enough to get multiple wins this year, but if the injury bug strikes again, it’s not hard to imagine them finishing 2017 winless again. One thing is for sure though, if they’re healthy, they can surprise some teams in that tough 2-6A district.
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