The Odessa Permian Panthers
This
is a web site about a great high school football team - the PANTHERS
of Odessa Permian High School. Football teams from this school have
won the Texas State 5A Championship 6 times in the last 35 years,
and they won the National Championship over all other high school
football teams in the U.S.A. in 1989. What team in Texas has done
THAT in the last few years? Plano, eat your heart out!
These are the PANTHERS, and they play to win. It's
no wonder that they are the team to (try to, hahaha) beat in Texas
high school football. The Panthers are so good they even inspired
the people of a small town close to Odessa named Midland to develop
a "contender" high school football team of their own,
called the "Midland Lee Rebels," which went out and won
a couple of state championships of their own "Just like those
big 'ol boys over in Odessa did." (Okay, okay, Lee alumni and
fans. I know that in 2000 Lee won their THIRD state championship--
three in a ROW now. Wow. Coach Parchman truly is awesome. Congratulations.
That says something about Midland-Odessa 5A-level football. And
yes, one of these days you may be as great as the Panthers. But
you still have three more state championships to go, streak or no
streak! Seriously, you have a great team. And you deserve your new
mega-stadium to show them off [sorry about those extra tax payments
you'll be making though.] The rebels are almost as great as...well,
you know who- ha!
But the Odessa Permian Panthers are indeed unique. They have made the playoffs more than any other team in their division in Texas...ever. If they have an off year, it's just because they are taking a breather for a year or two (or 3? 4? 5? 10? More?) between championships. But in a good year they'll put your Friday Night Lights out. Remember, a PANTHER never gives up! (Ok, so I'm a little prejudiced. You'd be too if you were lucky enough to have been a PANTHER!) It's as simple as BLACK and WHITE. (PS: The term "Mojo" came from an old "soul" song popular back in the 60's. I was present at the creation (literally, in the stands at good old splinters-in-the-seat-of-your-blue-jeans W.T. Barrett Stadium) at a (typical) winning game one night when somebody yelled, "Hey, Panthers, you got your MOJO working tonight!!!", so I saw it happen. That's my story and, as they say, I'm stickin' to it.) MOJO---
A Continuing Tradition of Excellence!
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