Odessa High 35, Abilene High 9

By AL PICKETT

Sports Editor

ODESSA -- A season that began with the dream of ending a four-decade playoff drought came crashing down Friday for Abilene High with the realization that the Eagles will not be headed to the football postseason in 1998.

The Eagles, who won four of their first five games, dropped their third straight District 4-5A contest, falling 35-9 to Odessa High at Ratliff Stadiium. With the loss also came the end of Abilene High's hopes of making the playoffs for the first time since 1959.

"I'm really disappointed for the kids," said Abilene High coach Steve Warren, whose Eagles fell to 4-4 overall and 0-3 in district. "They played hard, but we made too many mistakes to win. Now all we have to play for the last two weeks is pride."

Friday night's loss to the Bronchos could be pinned directly on three missed scoring opportunities inside the Odessa 20-yard line by the Eagles and the inability to contain wide receiver Brandon Browning on two long scoring pass plays.

Browning caught TD passes of 49 and 69 yards from quarterback Rick Leach in the second half to secure the victory for Odessa High, 4-4 and 1-2.

"Both touchdowns were missed assignments completely by the free safety," Warren said. "Those two plays and turnovers killed us. We'd get down there and then turn it over."

Abilene High had pulled to within 14-9 at halftime and took the second-half kickoff, marching to the Odessa 17-yard line. But Frankie Richardson's fumbled, and Miguel Silva recovered at the 15 for the Bronchos.

The play proved to be a 14-point turnaround because nine plays later, Leach found Browning all alone down the left sideline for a 49-yard touchdown pass. Instead of trailing, Odessa High found itself ahead 21-9 with 6:41 to go in the third quarter.

The Eagles again drove the length of the field, but Cheno Rodriguez hooked a 29-yard field goal attempt wide to the left.

Odessa High put the game away with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, a 69-yard pass from Leach to Browning and an 8-yard TD run by Jeff Casas with 2:37 remaining.

"This was a reversal of how our season has gone," Odessa High coach Randy Quisenberry. "The last four or five games we'd move the ball between the 20s and then not be able to get it into the end zone. We'd move the ball and then the wheels would come off. That's what happened to Abilene HIgh tonight.

"Their back is some kind of hoss. He was running over us, around us and through us."

Abilene High tailback Sneezy Beltran gained 171 yards on 21 carries, but he played very little in the fourth quarter, leaving the game with a pulled hamstring muscle.

Abilene High finally broke an eight-quarter scoring drought when Rodriguez booted a 32-yard field goal with 6:33 remaining in the second quarter, cutting Odessa High's lead to 14-3.

With 4:10 left before halftime, the Eagles sacked Broncho quarterback Rick Leach and caused a fumble. Matt Cope recovered it for Abilene High at the 31-yard line.

The Eagles then mounted an 8-play, 69-yard scoring drive, climaxed by Beltran's 4-yard run with 1:06 to go. Beltran was hit at the line of scrimmage, but he bulled his way into the end zone with great second effort.

The big play in the drive was a swing pass from Frankie Munoz to Beltran in the left flat. Beltran turned the short pass into a 30-yard gain.

The Eagles' try for a two-point conversion, however, failed when Munoz's pass for Clay Walker fell incomplete, leaving Abilene High trailing 14-9 at halftime.

Odessa High grabbed a quick 14-0 lead in the game. The Bronchos took the opening kickoff and marched 82 yards in seven plays, scoring on Juan Gonzales' 2-yard run with 9:10 to go in the first quarter.

The Eagles threatened on their first posssession when Frankie Richardson broke free on a fake punt and raced 47 yards to the Odessa 8-yard line. But Richardson fumbled at the end of the play, and Victor Hernandez recovered for the Bronchos.

Abilene High forced a punt and took possession on Odessa's side of midfield. But on third-and-seven from the 43, Munoz's pass for Richardson was high. Richardson got one hand on the ball and tipped it. It was intercepted by Vince Orozco, who raced 69 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown and a 14-0 Odessa lead with 3:28 left in the first period.

Abilene High 0 9 0 0--9

Odessa High 14 0 7 14--35

SCORING SUMMARY

OHS -- Juan Gonzales 2 run (Jeff Marrs kick)

OHS -- Vince Orozco 69 interception (Marrs kick)

AHS -- Cheno Rodriguez 32 field goal

AHS -- Sneezy Beltran 4 run (pass failed)

OHS -- Brandon Browning 49 pass from Rick Leach (Marrs kick)

OHS -- Browning 69 pass from Leach (Marrs kick)

OHS -- Jeff Casas 8 run (Marrs kick)

AHS Odessa

First downs 17 18

Rushes-yards 46-273 37-165

Passing yards 70 225

Comp-Att-Int 6-16-1 9-12-0

Punts 5-38.4 4-38.5

Fumbles-lost 3-2 1-1

Penalties-yards 4-30 2-20

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- AHS: Sneezy Beltran 21-171, Frankie Richardson 15-91, Frankie Munoz 7-7, Ben Bailey 1-(-8), Jason Hammond 2-12; Odessa: Juan Gonzales 28-116, Rick Leach 5-17, Jeff Casas 4-32.

PASSING -- AHS: Frankie Munoz 6-16-1, 70 yards. Odessa: Rick Leach 9-12-0, 225 yards.

RECEIVING -- AHS: Donnie DeLeon 2-19, J.P. Gonzales 1-2, Frankie Richardson 1-8, Sneezy Beltran 1-30, Scott Bryson 1-11; Odessa: Taylor Casey 3-37, Brandon Browning 3-166, Josh Ashley 1-9, Juan Gonzales 1-1, Ivan Hernandez 1-7.