Odessa High spent one quarter removing the suspense from its opener. The more useful part of the 51-14 victory over MX Prep may be what happened after the game was already under control.
The Bronchos built a 37-0 lead, then allowed two third-quarter touchdowns before responding in the fourth. Head coach Erik Hartman called out the lapse afterward, and it gives Odessa High a practical point of emphasis before El Paso Coronado arrives at Ratliff Stadium on Friday.
Phillip Carrasco gave the Bronchos the passing production they needed. He completed 14 of 25 attempts for 218 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. His 30-yard touchdown pass to Ayden Garcia opened the scoring, and Odessa High led 16-0 after the first quarter following a safety and Ethan Garcia’s 57-yard touchdown run.
Ayden Garcia was productive in both phases, rushing 11 times for 58 yards and a touchdown while catching two passes for 51 yards and another score. Tight end Joshua Garcia caught a 19-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Devin Padilla recovered a fumble that helped set up the Bronchos’ final touchdown.
The breadth of that production matters. Odessa High went 1-9 in 2025 and entered this season needing evidence that better execution could translate to the scoreboard. The opener delivered an outright win — the program’s first on the field since a 57-49 victory over Lubbock Monterey on Sept. 19, 2024 — and a 1-0 start for the first time in two years.
Coronado enters 0-1 after a 28-21 loss to El Paso El Dorado. Reliable public reporting confirms the score but offers little verified individual detail from the Thunderbirds’ opener. That limits any responsible claim about precisely how Coronado will attack Odessa High, but the margin alone says this is a different competitive setting from a game Odessa controlled by five touchdowns before allowing a score.
The Bronchos’ most important task is carrying their first-half standard through the middle of the game. MX Prep used a nine-play, 81-yard drive that consumed seven minutes for its first touchdown, then added a 57-yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter. Those possessions exposed the danger of missed assignments and lost leverage even with a large lead.
Offensively, Carrasco does not need to force the issue if the run game continues to produce explosive plays and useful down-and-distance situations. His four touchdown passes showed Odessa has answers through the air. The interception and a few stalled moments after halftime show where the next improvement lies.
This is a chance for Odessa High to build something more meaningful than a one-night correction to a difficult 2025. A second win would require the Bronchos to reproduce the urgency of their opening quarter against an in-state Class 6A opponent and eliminate the lull that followed.
WHAT TO WATCH
- Odessa High’s third-quarter sharpness after MX Prep scored twice following a 37-0 start.
- Carrasco’s decision-making after a four-touchdown, one-interception opener.
- Whether Ayden Garcia again affects the game as both a runner and receiver.
GAME INFORMATION
- Teams: El Paso Coronado Thunderbirds (0-1) at Odessa High Bronchos (1-0)
- Date: Friday, Sept. 4, 2026
- Kickoff: 7 p.m.
- Location: Ratliff Stadium, Odessa
The Bronchos built a 37-0 lead, then allowed two third-quarter touchdowns before responding in the fourth. Head coach Erik Hartman called out the lapse afterward, and it gives Odessa High a practical point of emphasis before El Paso Coronado arrives at Ratliff Stadium on Friday.
Phillip Carrasco gave the Bronchos the passing production they needed. He completed 14 of 25 attempts for 218 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. His 30-yard touchdown pass to Ayden Garcia opened the scoring, and Odessa High led 16-0 after the first quarter following a safety and Ethan Garcia’s 57-yard touchdown run.
Ayden Garcia was productive in both phases, rushing 11 times for 58 yards and a touchdown while catching two passes for 51 yards and another score. Tight end Joshua Garcia caught a 19-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Devin Padilla recovered a fumble that helped set up the Bronchos’ final touchdown.
The breadth of that production matters. Odessa High went 1-9 in 2025 and entered this season needing evidence that better execution could translate to the scoreboard. The opener delivered an outright win — the program’s first on the field since a 57-49 victory over Lubbock Monterey on Sept. 19, 2024 — and a 1-0 start for the first time in two years.
Coronado enters 0-1 after a 28-21 loss to El Paso El Dorado. Reliable public reporting confirms the score but offers little verified individual detail from the Thunderbirds’ opener. That limits any responsible claim about precisely how Coronado will attack Odessa High, but the margin alone says this is a different competitive setting from a game Odessa controlled by five touchdowns before allowing a score.
The Bronchos’ most important task is carrying their first-half standard through the middle of the game. MX Prep used a nine-play, 81-yard drive that consumed seven minutes for its first touchdown, then added a 57-yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter. Those possessions exposed the danger of missed assignments and lost leverage even with a large lead.
Offensively, Carrasco does not need to force the issue if the run game continues to produce explosive plays and useful down-and-distance situations. His four touchdown passes showed Odessa has answers through the air. The interception and a few stalled moments after halftime show where the next improvement lies.
This is a chance for Odessa High to build something more meaningful than a one-night correction to a difficult 2025. A second win would require the Bronchos to reproduce the urgency of their opening quarter against an in-state Class 6A opponent and eliminate the lull that followed.
WHAT TO WATCH
- Odessa High’s third-quarter sharpness after MX Prep scored twice following a 37-0 start.
- Carrasco’s decision-making after a four-touchdown, one-interception opener.
- Whether Ayden Garcia again affects the game as both a runner and receiver.
GAME INFORMATION
- Teams: El Paso Coronado Thunderbirds (0-1) at Odessa High Bronchos (1-0)
- Date: Friday, Sept. 4, 2026
- Kickoff: 7 p.m.
- Location: Ratliff Stadium, Odessa
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