Two dominant backs in Ernie Powers and Hayes Hamm are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Franklin Cougars will face off against the Midland Legacy Rebels at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Franklin is coming into the game hot, having won their last three games.
Franklin hadn't beaten Pebble Hills on the road since November 2, 2019 but that history sure didn't bother them on Thursday. The Cougars walked away with a 28-15 win over the Spartans.
Anthony Meraz
| 11/06/25 @ Pebble Hills | 6 |
| 10/24/25 vs Eastlake | 5 |
| 10/17/25 @ Socorro | 5 |
| 10/10/25 vs Eastwood | 5 |
| 10/03/25 @ Montwood | 9 |
| + 3 more games |
Franklin's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB five times. Anthony Meraz was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two sacks himself. He has been hot, having also posted five or more total tackles the last eight times he's played.
Midland Legacy not only won on Friday, but they posted their biggest win since November 14, 2024 (when they won 56-14). They blew past Odessa, posting a 58-28 victory. Given the Rebels' advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 105th, while the Bronchos are ranked 812th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Franklin better keep an eye on JP Reyes. He was instrumental in Midland Legacy's win, throwing for 199 yards and one touchdown on only 15 passes. Reyes' passing game has become a key predictor of the Rebels' success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 2-5 otherwise. Another big playmaker for Midland Legacy was Ja'Braylen Anders, who returned a punt for a touchdown.
Midland Legacy's run defense was locked in: Odessa could only muster 0.5 yards per carry. The team can thank David Ihediwa for the heroic effort on defense: he. Midland Legacy's run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 3.81 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 6.4 on average over their last five games.
Midland Legacy didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Maddox Marquez. Another thorn in Odessa's side was Gabriel Henry, who picked up two sacks, made five total tackles (3.0 for loss), and defended one pass.
The win got Midland Legacy back to even at 5-5. As for Franklin, their victory bumped their record up to 8-2.
We should be in store for an exciting game as the two teams have no problem gaining yardage. Franklin has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 541 total yards per game. However, it's not like Midland Legacy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 399.2 total yards. With a pair of commanding offenses duking it out, the defenses are going to have their work cut out for them.
Franklin took a serious blow against Midland Legacy in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, falling 56-14. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
