R: Mike Winchell Quarterback of the Permian High School football team
A: Fans, students, and readers of school newspaper in Odessa
F: Letter to the editor
T: A letter to the editor of the school newspaper regarding the 1988 football season
Permian Panther Sports Weekly
December, 1988
To the coaches, teammates, fans, and supporters of Permian football:
First off, I would like to thank all you all for supporting the team this past season. I know it didn't end with a state championship and the way we all wanted it too. Being able to play at Ratliff Staduim and for the Permian panthers for my final season was great. Growing up playing football in Texas is a really hard thing to do for me. It put a lot of pressure on me as a kid and now playing quarterback for the winningest football program in Texas History, the pressure was greater. The amount of pressure that I had to with stand was enormous, I was up late everynight studying the playbook just to get it down. I always had alot of regret playing football, because of the way I played and the situation I was in. My mom wanted me to play ever since I was a kid, and when she got sick I knew I had to make her dream come true. During the season I was very inconsistent with my performances, and against Dallas Carter I had my worst game as a Panther ever going 4 for 24 with 57 yards passing and one interception. I tried to win everygame for you all, but I just couldn't come through in the end.
Coach Gaines was one of those coaches you will never forget in your life. He pushed everyone in practice and made it really tough to play football at Permian. He would run us, and run us, and run us till we couldn't move. He made us hit eachother in practice to make us tougher. We lifted everyday because we were to undersized. It was the most painful seasons of my life, but I would not want to change it for anything in the world.
Though I did have doubts about Permian football. The team and Mojo spirit will live in me forever. I will always bleed black and white.
Mike Winchell
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