No Incidents Are Reported as Texas Prep Rivals Meet

In the land where high school football is as important as oil, cattle and chili, a traditional cross-town rivalry was hotter than ever after a stinging expose, a tattling coach, a lawsuit and death threats.

But vandalism and violence were absent Friday night when state 5A powerhouse Odessa Permian, the top-rated school in the nation last year, defeated its cross-town rival Odessa High, whose coach turned in Permian for rules violations.

After the game, won by Permian, 24-6, players from both teams hugged each other at midfield as 20,000 fans stood and applauded.

Police patrols were more than doubled, and city leaders had urged fans to stay cool.

“There was a lot of concern that, because of anger, there could be vandalism, even violence, if we did not pull together as a community,” Mayor Lorraine Bonner said.

Permian was banned from the 1990 playoffs when Odessa football Coach Jerry Taylor turned it in for practicing out of season. The ban has brought a lawsuit. Taylor’s life was threatened and the episode cast a cloud on Friday night’s game.

Before the game, an Odessa student read a prayer before a hushed crowd as both teams bowed their heads.