The Tascosa Rebels didn’t get the start to the 2026 football season they were hoping for Friday night.
Odessa Permian struck on the first play of the game and rarely slowed down from there, handing Tascosa a 38-7 loss at Ratliff Stadium. The Panthers built a three-touchdown lead by halftime and kept the Rebels off the scoreboard throughout the second half.
Permian improves to 1-0, while Tascosa heads home at 0-1 with plenty to clean up before Week 2.
Panthers Strike Immediately
It took Permian all of 15 seconds to make its presence felt.
Quarterback Kayden Vickers connected with Daebreon McDowell for a 52-yard touchdown on the Panthers’ first offensive snap. Iker Munoz added the extra point, and suddenly Tascosa was chasing a 7-0 deficit with 11:45 still left in the opening quarter.
To the Rebels’ credit, they answered.
Tascosa put together its best drive of the first half, finishing it with Brayden Lineman punching the ball into the end zone from a yard out. Ben Simmons converted the PAT to tie the game at 7 with 5:13 remaining in the first quarter.
For a moment, the Rebels had weathered Permian’s fast start.
Then the Panthers took control.
Permian Pulls Away Before Halftime
Vickers gave Permian the lead for good with a two-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter.
Things quickly went from bad to worse for Tascosa.
A Rebels turnover gave the Panthers excellent field position, and Mark Herrera cashed it in with a one-yard touchdown run. Instead of trailing by only one score, Tascosa suddenly found itself down 21-7.
Permian wasn’t finished.
Jace Thompson broke loose for a 22-yard touchdown with two minutes remaining before halftime, sending the Panthers into the locker room with a commanding 28-7 advantage.
That four-touchdown first half proved to be more than enough.
Rebels Can't Find Second-Half Spark
Tascosa needed something to change coming out of halftime, but the Rebels never found the spark necessary to make things interesting.
Permian extended its advantage midway through the third quarter when Cayden Taylor scored from two yards out, making it 35-7.
Taylor finished with 53 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries as the Panthers spread the rushing workload around. Vickers completed 5 of 11 passes for 104 yards, while McDowell made the most of his two catches, finishing with 74 yards and the opening touchdown.
For Tascosa, Zaryan Malone provided one of the bright spots on an otherwise difficult night. The running back carried the ball 14 times for 74 yards, averaging more than five yards per attempt.
But the Rebels struggled to turn those yards into points.
Any hope of a late comeback was effectively wiped away when Permian's Nate Cardoza intercepted Lineman with 2:20 remaining in the third quarter.
Tascosa later turned the ball over on downs in the fourth, allowing Permian to lean on its running game and drain most of the remaining time.
Munoz tacked on a late field goal to provide the final 38-7 margin.
Tascosa Has Work to Do
There’s no getting around it: Week 1 was a rough one for the Rebels.
Tascosa showed it could respond early, answering Permian’s opening touchdown with a scoring drive of its own. Malone also gave the Rebels some production on the ground.
The problem was sustaining it.
Turnovers hurt, the offense couldn’t consistently finish drives and Permian took advantage of its opportunities. Once the Panthers created separation in the second quarter, Tascosa never seriously threatened to close the gap.
There is also some context worth remembering. Permian looked like a strong football team Friday night, and one difficult road loss in August doesn’t determine how the rest of Tascosa’s season will unfold.
But the Rebels will have to improve quickly.
