ODESSA/MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – Friday, October 13th, the Permian Panthers and the Midland Legacy Rebels are meeting for the 66th time in their school rivalry.

What will this game come down to? Stopping the force of a run game on both sidelines.

“Just that work-horse mentality and that we’re going to drive the ball down the field,” Permian’s Juzstyce Lara mentioned about he and his Panthers strong offensive running back core.

That workhorse mentality is something both Permian and Legacy running back cores take to heart. And Friday brings the extra competition as they race each other to the endzone.

When asked what the Rebels offense are working to do against a Permian defense, the three that make up the core, had the same answers.

“Dominate!” Tommy Johnson III said, immediately followed by Madden Milloy’s, “Completely dominate!”
Right after Damien Johnson added, “Like all phases. Especially, like you said, we just plan on dominating that defense.”

But what sets the two cores apart from one another and every one else?

For Permian, it’s the experience their core has together and the trust that Lara and his right hand man, Isaac Herrera, have in each other.

“We have that experience, you know I don’t have to worry about him messing up, he don’t have to worry about me messing up, so it’s done a lot,” Lara added with a smile.

“I think it’s mostly run on trust, I trust him, he trusts me,” Herrera emphasized. “We both get it done, we both can rack up the yards and do what we have to do for the team.”

On the other hand, for Legacy’s Damien Johnson, Tommy Johnson III, and Madden Milloy, it’s their differences that strengthen them.

Milloy added, “I think it’s just because we’re all so different, like we’re all so versatile and can do multiple things and so I think that’s what sets us apart.”

Both cores continue to produce on the ground, no matter the defense they face on the other side of the line.

More specifically, Lara and Herrera combine for 14 total touchdowns and over 800 yards this season.

ISAAC HERRERA–PERMIAN
I think it’s been real fun, you know, a lot of different things, we spread the ball a lot and I get to run next to Juice and it’s a real honor because I grew up with him.
JUZSTYCE LARA–PERMIAN
It’s been amazing honestly, just running behind the line, just always producing, coming out the backfield and just knowing you gotta worry about two people, so it’s hard to stop.
AND IN THE TOWN OVER…THE LEGACY REBELS BEHIND JOHNSON, JOHNSON AND MILLOY, EXCELL ON THE GROUND AS WELL…WITH 17 COMBINED TOUCHDOWNS AND JUST OVER 13 HUNDRED YARDS.

DAMIEN JOHNSON–LHS
I think that we’ve bonded as us three, we’ve gotten closer, and built that like, team chemistry, the running back chemistry at least, you know what I mean? I think we’re going to be clicking and rolling.
BOTH CORES WOULDN’T BE ANYWHERE WITHOUT THEIR O-LINE.

JUZSTYCE LARA–PERMIAN
Starts with the game plan, the coaching setting that up for us, and then the o-line too.
TOMMY JOHNSON III–LHS
They’re very important, the o-line, they create the holes for us.
DAMIEN JOHNSON–LHS
They’re the boys. They the boys that you depend on, in the trenches. You know, you gotta love the big boys. Once you build that bond with them throughout practice, it’s like you know they’re going to have your back during the game so, if they got our back, we know we’re on the right path to producing what we need to produce.
ALL FIVE R-B’S ARE IN THE TOP TEN IN DISTRICT FOR RUSHING YARDS…AND DON’T LOOK TO SLOW DOWN.

DAMIEN JOHNSON–LHS
it’s one thing to say one person can do it, it’s another to say if two people could do it, but if all three can do it, that means that a lot of things are clicking, a lot of things are going right for us, the coaching, the o-line. A lot of things are clicking.
ISAAC HERRERA–PERMIAN
Just keep working, keep believing. Trust that we’re going to do our job, and we’ll trust that your going to do your job.
AND OF COURSE BOTH CORES HOPE TO BE INFLUENTIAL IN THE OUTCOME OF DISTRICT PLAY.

TOMMY JOHNSON III–LHS
We trynna get that district championship!
DAMIEN JOHNSON–LHS
That’s the big goal right now. On God, that’s what we got our eyes on. Once we accomplish that, we’re not finished but that’s like one of the big things that’s at the top of the chart right now.
JUZSTYCE LARA–PERMIAN
Win district.
ISAAC HERRERA–PERMIAN
Win disctrict.