With Permian having a week off before their District 2-6A finale with San Angelo Central, this is a good time to look at what possibly lies ahead for the Panthers and the district teams.
The Black Cats sit comfortably in the clubhouse at 3-0 in district play (9-0 for the season), having already dismantled Midland Lee (42-10), Odessa High (56-0), and Midland High (42-17). While the Panthers will enjoy an open date this Friday, the rest of District 2-6A will take the field for a high-leverage slate on October 30. Odessa High will be traveling to Midland Lee, while San Angelo Central will host Midland High.
DISTRICT 2-6A WATCH
The post-season four from 2-6A are locked with two weeks to go. With Odessa High (0-3) mathematically eliminated as the odd man out, Permian, Midland Lee, Midland High, and San Angelo Central have all punched their tickets to the state playoffs.
While the UIL sets the guideline that the top four teams from each district advance to the post-season based on district win-loss records, the District Executive Committee (DEC) decides exactly how those records are sorted. The two largest schools by enrollment go into the Division I bracket, while the two smallest qualifying schools go into Division II.
The next two weeks are all about positioning, seeding order, and bracket separation. Because Permian holds the direct head-to-head tiebreaker hammers over both Lee and Midland, Mojo has secured the Class 6A Region I Division I top seed and a Bi-District home game at Ratliff Stadium. When San Angelo Central rolls into town, the best the Bobcats will be playing for a potential share of the district title… if they can upend Mojo.
| TEAM | RECORD | ENROLLMENT | STREAK | TRAJECTORY |
| Permian | 9-0, 3-0 | 4,563 | W-9 | DI-1 |
| Odessa | 2-7, 0-3 | 4,273 | L-4 | Out |
| M Lee | 5-3, 1-1 | 3,681 | W-1 | DI-2 |
| Midland | 4-4, 1-1 | 3,548 | L-1 | DII-? |
| Central | 5-3, 1-1 | 3,158 | L-1 | DII-? |
*Did you know the official enrollment figures for Midland Lee and Midland High are separated narrowly by just 133 students?
EL PASO WATCH (DISTRICT 1-6A)
Pebble Hills and Eastwood have mathematically clinched the first two El Paso tickets to post-season. Because Eastwood is a lock for Division II, Permian’s opponent will be determined by who survives the remaining bubble teams between Franklin, Pebble Hills, or a fading Eastlake.
| TEAM | RECORD | ENROLLMENT | STREAK | TRAJECTORY |
| Franklin | 4-4, 3-1 | 3,108 | W-1 | DI-? |
| Eastlake | 5-3, 1-3 | 3,004 | L-1 | Doubt |
| Pebble Hills | 7-1, 4-0 | 2,952 | W-4 | DI-? |
| Socorro | 2-5, 0-4 | 2,579 | L-4 | Out |
| Coronado | 4-5, 2-3 | 2,576 | L-3 | DII-2 |
| Montwood | 1-7, 1-3 | 2,495 | W-1 | Doubt |
| Eastwood | 7-2, 4-1 | 2,295 | W-3 | DII-1 |
Division I (Mojo’s Horizon)
Because Permian will likely take the top seed in the Division I bracket, the road to the post-season opens with a Bi-District home game at Ratliff Stadium. Right now, Franklin holds a commanding position to claim one of those Division I slots out of El Paso’s 1-6A.
The wild card is Pebble Hills. If they stay on top of the standings and a smaller school like Coronado or Montwood claims the final spot, Pebble Hills joins Franklin in Division I. Unless something drastic happens, the Spartans will likely take the top seed – that would make the Cougars candidates to catch a bus to Odessa on November 13. Stay tuned…
Division II (Traveler Trap)
In the Sun City, Eastwood remains one of the most lethal teams on the turf, currently sitting at 4-1 in district play. Yet, because of their modest campus enrollment, they are a statistical lock for the Division II bracket. Whichever program (Central or Midland) that finishes second in the Division II standings will be forced to pack their gear and make that 300+ mile drive west to face the Troopers.
ANALYZING BI-DISTRICT PICTURE
As a result of the UIL 6A post-season classification guidelines, the final two weeks of the calendar will serve purely as a tactical chessboard for home-field advantage in District 2-6A. Under the layout, the top seeded team (determined by district finish) hosts the opening Bi-District playoff game.
The Midland High vs San Angelo Central game on October 30, and Midland Lee vs Midland High on November 6, will have a huge impact on securing the DII-1 spot for the Bulldogs and Bobcats.
THE TAKEAWAYS
The open date gives the Panthers the ultimate tactical vantage point. While the rest of the district bangs heads in the trenches on Friday night, Mojo can clean up the penalty bugs that pop up almost weekly and focus 100 percent on execution to claim sole possession of the District 2-6A title.
Turning our lights toward the November 6 finale, the mission is clear. Permian has already executed the necessary head-to-head dominance over Lee and Midland High to all but lock down the Division I top seed. No matter the outcome of the remaining district scrambles, the road to the Area Round of the state playoffs runs directly through the concrete gates of Ratliff Stadium for some unfortunate El Paso team.
Authors: T Alan, Gem
