From the Archives: Special Rebel Football Edition - The Drive
Lee vs. Permian | October 30, 1998
A lot of things come and go in West Texas, but the Lee vs. Mojo rivalry has held steady for decades.
Separated by less than 25 miles of highway, the Rebels and Panthers have spent generations sharing district standings, playoff dreams, packed stadiums—and very little affection for one another on the gridiron.
By 1998, Permian’s “Mojo” was known far beyond West Texas but don’t be mistaken, Lee was building something of its own. It would soon be proven, there was something special about being a Lee Rebel.
Former Rebel Steve Subia remembered a program where everything—from individual drills and special teams to water breaks—was organized “to a T.” By the time players reached Lee High School, they were taught what wearing Lee across their chest was supposed to mean.
“You started learning the tradition of Lee High,” Subia recalled. “You’re not only going to be disciplined…but you’re going to be the biggest, baddest and fastest that we have to offer.” When Lee wasn’t actually the biggest or fastest?
Subia remembered that a little differently.
“I guarantee you even our smallest guys and our shortest guys and our slowest guys were a lot meaner than a lot of starters that were on another team.”
It wasn’t simply talent.
It was a culture built long before Friday night—a belief that when you put on a Lee uniform, you represented everyone who had worn it before you and everyone standing beside you.
They practiced with purpose. They played hard. They played for each other. And when things went wrong—and on this particular night, plenty would go wrong—they didn’t stop believing the guy next to them would make the next play.
Tradition gave them something to live up to.
Culture taught them how.
Pride made it matter.
Coach P was legendary at putting those pieces together.
His teams knew what was expected of them long before they stepped under the Friday night lights. The details mattered. The work mattered. The little things mattered and so did the guy beside you.
The championships would eventually become the evidence but
nights like October 30, 1998, showed what was underneath them.
———
OCTOBER 30, 1998
Permian came to Midland and Memorial Stadium was packed. Not shocking that the West Texas wind was blowing 25–30 mph that night.
The rivalry was doing what the rivalry does best and with 4:51 remaining, Permian led 21–17.
Rogers had already been intercepted three times. One of those picks, by Permian’s Roy Williams, helped set up the 26-yard Mojo sprint that gave the Panthers the lead.
The Rebs had one more chance.
4:51 remaining.
Lee ball at its own 20.
No timeouts.
80 yards to go.
Along with a steady West Texas wind blowing directly in their faces.
THE DRIVE
Lee went to the ground.
Clint McNutt — 9 yards.
Then the sophomore:
Cedric Benson — 11 yards.
First down at the Lee 40.
Permian’s defense was tough and soon the Rebels were staring at fourth down from their own 43. One stop and Mojo could all but end it.
Rogers dropped straight back.
He found Eric Clodfelter.
16 yards.
First down. Move the Chains ->
Lee crossed midfield.
Back to McNutt.
10 yards.
Another first down.
Permian 27.
Mojo dug in again.
Third-and-seven.
Rogers went back to the air.
This time he found tight end Scott Worley.
20 yards.
First down.
Permian 7.
Seven yards separated Lee from the lead.
Then things started going backward.
McNutt ran once.
A five-yard penalty backed Lee up.
Rogers next throw is incomplete.
The drive that had covered nearly the entire field came down to this:
Third-and-goal.
Permian 14.
Thirty seconds left.
That’s when Lee sent Eric Neatherlin onto the field and he wasn’t coming in to play defense. He lined up at wide receiver.
Neatherlin ran the fade toward the post. Permian had him covered. Coach sent Clodfelter across the middle—the same Clodfelter whose fourth-down catch had kept the drive alive only moments earlier.
The Permian defender reacted toward Clodfelter and Neatherlin came open.
Rogers saw it.
He let it go.
Rogers to Neatherlin.
14 yards.
TOUCHDOWN REBELS!
LEE 24.
PERMIAN 21.
Memorial Stadium erupted! I can imagine what that atmosphere was like! The Dolls, Cheerleaders, the Mighty Rebel Band, and the FANS!
The same 150-pound junior quarterback who had been intercepted three times had just taken Lee 80 yards in 13 plays, with no timeouts, into a 25–30 mph West Texas wind.
Coach Parchman would describe something about Rogers a few days later that suddenly seemed pretty telling:
“He doesn’t get rattled.”
Let’s not forget this was a Rebel & Mojo matchup. Of course it wasn’t over yet.
Permian managed one final chance.
The Panthers lined up for a desperate 62-yard field goal as time expired.
The kick came up short.
Game Over - Rivalry game complete.
Rebs win!
———
Years later, Rogers would call it “one of my favorite games that I had ever played in.”
and apparently, the Permian mascot didn’t share his enthusiasm.
When the Rebels watched the game film the following day, they noticed something happening behind the end zone after Neatherlin caught the winner.
The Panther mascot took off his head…
and slammed it onto the ground.
Rogers’ assessment all those years later?
“It was the greatest thing ever.”
Some rivalry moments apparently require no words.
The significance of that night didn’t stop there. The 24–21 victory was Lee’s fourth consecutive win over Mojo—the first time in program history the Rebels had beaten Permian four straight times.
Lee wouldn’t lose again.
The Rebels rolled through the playoffs and eventually stood inside Texas Stadium as the 1998 Class 5A Division II State Champions.
But when the Rebs walked onto the field with 4:51 remaining on that windy October Friday night, there were no championship trophies. No three-peat……YET!
Just Permian on the other sideline and a rivalry like no other.
Three interceptions earlier and Eighty yards ahead of them. They were just a group of Rebels, standing together who believed in each other and who weren’t about to take a loss against Permian without putting up a fight. They had been taught what the uniform meant.
They had been taught to trust one another and when their moment came, they lived up to it!
Great programs aren’t built on talent alone. They’re built on tradition, culture and pride and by players willing to carry those things forward. In writing this - I looked up the definition of team culture:
team culture is the collection of shared habits, values, communication patterns, and unspoken rules that shape how people behave and work together
Yep! That fits perfectly. That’s the exact mentality I feel like a great team carries. That’s the definition of the Rebels.
On October 30, 1998. Lee needed one drive.
Thirteen plays later, they had one nobody would forget.
I’ve heard that game film is online somewhere – Coach P said he’s seen it but I looked high and low for it. Hours of scanning through websites and socials. I even reached out to Eric Neatherlin to see if he had a copy with no luck. Which is fine because finding a VHS player might have been just as tough.
However, I would love nothing more than to see the Permian Panther throw his head on the ground. If you have that film, or know someone who does - Let me know! I’ll figure it out and then share it with the world because the video of “The Drive” should live forever!
Good Luck to our Rebels this Friday! Let’s show up and pack the stands! Astound — Kickoff at 7pm! I’ll be with the baseball FamiLee at their Tailgate! You should be there too!
Don't forget to vote for The Mighty Rebel Band for Band of the Week! We don't want Permian to win anything this week VOTE HERE
GO REBS! No Mo Mojo!
-Andrea
Follow all our Rebels on Socials! I posted links to Facebook pages.
Not sure if the LEE BBQ team will be selling plates before the game, but you can find info on their socials here: MIDLAND LEE FFA
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