Football: Permian's new schedule includes team from Washington
BY JOEL A. ERICKSON/Odessa American
Playing Smithson Valley in Week Zero makes sense. So does Cedar Hill in Week 2. Taking on Amarillo Tascosa and Lubbock Monterey is right in Permian’s wheelhouse.
But no Panthers fan ever expected Permian to host Bethel two years in a row.
Permian head coach Gary Gaines has tentatively scheduled Bethel, a Division 4A school located in Spanaway, Wash., to play the Panthers at Ratliff Stadium during Week 1 in 2010 and 2011.
Until Feb. 19, no legally binding contracts can be signed to lock games into the schedule.
“They came out of nowhere,” Gaines said. “And I don’t know much about the school, but they want to come to Texas.”
For starters, Bethel has a listed enrollment of 1,450 students, a number that only counts 10th through 12th grade. Throw in the freshmen, and Bethel head coach Gavin Kralik estimates that the school would have an enrollment that mimics the lowest numbers of Class 5A school in Texas.
Last year the Braves finished off a 9-2 season by bowing out to Skyview 40-21 in the first round of the playoffs. In five years at the school, Kralik has a 30-21 record at the helm.
And there happens to be a precedent.
Last September, Bellevue (Wash.) made the 2,456-mile trip down to Houston to take on Katy during the non-district schedule. Katy drilled Bellevue, a team that has won seven straight state titles in Washington, 35-17.
But the real reason that Bethel is coming to Odessa is Kralik.
“I’m actually a big fan of high school football, especially in Texas,” Kralik said. “My brother is a firefighter in Austin, and I’ve been down to Texas several times to see playoff games.”
Kralik, 32, has spent his entire coaching career at Bethel after playing his college ball at Liberty University.
Two years ago, Kralik wrote his first book, “Gridiron Dynasties,” an in-depth look at 12 premier high school football programs around the country.
For his second effort, Kralik wants to profile 16 to 18 teams in the state of Texas, including Permian.
Kralik will be making a trip down to Odessa in either April or July to talk to Gaines and get his bearings, but the game isn’t only a benefit for his book.
His kids have a chance to play against one of the most famous high school football teams in the country.
“I’m excited about this game at a bunch of different levels,” Kralik said. “Our kids get to experience West Texas football, and it’s tremendous motivation for the offseason.”
To make the trip, Bethel will host a series of fundraisers to raise money for the trip, a process similar to the fundraising efforts that have sent high school bands in Odessa to the Rose Bowl Parade.
The Bethel school board has to approve the trip in a board meeting Feb. 9, Kralik said, but he doesn’t expect any problems.
Let me first say that I have, like any other Odessa citizen, dropped Permian's name when I've met people from outside the state. I hate Mojo but its still sort of cool telling people you're from the 'Friday Night Lights' town. What's amazing to me is how Permian has remained a name throughout the country without winning a state title in almost 20 years, so much so that a team from Washington State with spend tens of thousands of dollars to trek to Ratliff to play a game. Of course it sounds like this school's main motivation for making this trip is to appease its coach's moonlighting gig as an author. His book does sound interesting. I may have to pick up a copy.
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