Prep Football Preview
Sept. 8
7 p.m.
Shotwell Stadium
1525 E. South 11th, Abilene
Preview
In a battle of two undefeated teams, the Midland Legacy Rebels (2-0) will travel to take on the Abilene Eagles (2-0). Both teams have had a pretty easy time with their opponents to date, in terms of commanding wins, so this could go a long way to determining how the season goes for both sides.
Midland Legacy, picked by MaxPreps to finish second in the district behind Permian, has started strong, holding Amarillo to one touchdown in a 35-7 season-opening win, then nearly doubling up Tascosa in a 63-34 win Friday.
Abilene, meanwhile, handed Permian a 49-14 loss to start the season, then held off Cooper by a 26-7 score.
The Rebels have Marcos Davila at quarterback, touted as one of the best in the state by some analysts and headed to Purdue University for the next step in his life. He has taken the field every year of high school. Though only subbing as a freshman, he stepped into the starting role as a sophomore and racked up nearly 5,500 passing yards in his first three years.
He has a couple of targets for his passes, including Aiden Serrano and Caden Ellis, but the Rebs don’t rely solely on the air game. Instead, they let Tommy Johnson III grind out 100 or so yards per game, giving them a versatile attack.
Abilene has one of the state’s top coaches, as Mike Fullen this year earned the the Tom Landry Award. He, like Midland Legacy’s Clint Hartman, has a solid track record in terms of getting his team to the playoffs.
Quarterback Brayden Henry can pass the ball to teammates like Ryland Bradford, or he can take off running himself. Defensively, Bryce Neves brings down a lot of opponents, and Demarco Upshaw can pick off passes.
Teams
Midland Legacy
6A Region 1, District 2
Enrollment: 2,338
Abilene
5A-1 Region 1, District 2
Enrollment: 2,141
Coaches
Head Coach Clint Hartman, Midland Legacy
8th Season, 59-24 record heading into 2023 season 59-24
Playoff Appearances: 6 in 7 seasons
Head Coach Mike Fullen, Abilene
5th Season, 22-23 all-time record heading into 2023 season
Playoff Appearances: 3 in 4 seasons
Records
Midland Legacy
2023: 2-0
2022: 7-5, lost 23-21 to Keller in second round of playoffs
Abilene
2023: 2-0
2022: 6-7, lost 24-14 to Centennial in third round of playoffs
Last Meeting
Sept. 9, 2022
Midland Legacy 56, Abilene 20
Players to Watch
Midland Legacy
WR Aiden Serrano (Jr.)
OLB Tommy Johnson III (5’9, 185, Sr.)
WR Caden Ellis (5’9, 155, So.)
FS Cole Neatherlin (Jr.)
QB Marcos Davila (6’4, 198, Sr.)
Abilene
WR Ryland Bradford (Jr.)
QB Brayden Henry (5’7, 155, So.)
RB Antoine Rashaw (5’7, 170, Sr.)
MLB Bryce Neves (6’1, 175, Sr.)
Season Schedules
Midland Legacy
Week 1: Midland Legacy 35, Amarillo 7
Week 2: Midland Legacy 63, Tascosa 34
Week 3: at Abilene
Week 4: at Steele
Week 5: vs. Judson
Week 6: Bye
Week 7: vs. Frenship (district)
Week 8: vs. Permian (district)
Week 9: vs. Midland (district)
Week 10: at Odessa (district)
Abilene
Week 1: Abilene 49, Permian 14
Week 2: Abilene 26, Cooper 7
Week 3: vs. Midland Legacy
Week 4: at Frenship
Week 5: at Monterey
Week 6: at Tascosa
Week 7: at Cap-rock
Week 8: at Lubbock-Cooper
Week 9: at Coronado
Week 10: vs. Amarillo