Two dominant backs in Hayes Hamm and Ernie Powers are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Midland Legacy Rebels will square off against the Franklin Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Midland Legacy knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past five contests -- so hopefully Franklin likes a good challenge.
Midland Legacy not only won on Friday, but they posted their biggest win since November 14, 2024 (when they won 56-14). They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Odessa 58-28. The Rebels pushed the score to 58-14 by the end of the third, a deficit the Bronchos cut but never quite recovered from.
JP Reyes
| 09/19/25 vs Abilene | 145.9 |
| 10/10/25 @ San Angelo Central | 137.6 |
| 11/07/25 vs Odessa | 126.4 |
| 10/17/25 @ Frenship | 93 |
| 10/31/25 @ Midland | 74.5 |
| + 5 more games |
Among those leading the charge was JP Reyes, who threw for 199 yards and one touchdown on only 15 passes. His passing game has become a key predictor of Midland Legacy's success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 2-5 otherwise. Ja'Braylen Anders also helped with two TDs in total.
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.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Midland Legacy, adding 16 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Anders, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Franklin waltzed into their matchup on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They walked away with a 28-15 win over the Spartans. The game was the first time the Cougars have beaten the Spartans on their field since November 2, 2019.
One reason for the win was Franklin's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. Anthony Meraz refused to say out of the backfield, picking up two sacks all by himself.
The victory got Midland Legacy back to even at 5-5. As for Franklin, their record now sits at 8-2.
We should be in store for an exciting game as the two teams have no problem gaining yardage. Midland Legacy has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 399.2 total yards per game. However, it's not like Franklin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 541 total yards. With a pair of commanding offenses duking it out, the defenses are going to have their work cut out for them.
Everything came up roses for Midland Legacy against Franklin in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 56-14 win. Do the Rebels have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cougars turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
