Photo credits: LHS Football Livestream

What happened: Lee football won its home opener Friday, Sept. 4, defeating El Paso Franklin 48-17 at Astound Broadband Stadium. The Rebels are now ranked No. 70 among all Texas High School football teams and No. 40 among all 6A teams. The win moves Lee to 2-0 to start the season.

The big picture: Lee overcame early adversity after Junior Wide Receiver Ja’braylen Anders fumbled a first-quarter Franklin punt that was recovered at the 15-yard line. The Rebels’ defense held Franklin to a field goal, and Anders quickly made up for the mistake by returning the ensuing kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown. Lee added a 2-point conversion to take an 8-3 lead.

Franklin answered with a touchdown pass from Elijah Barrientos to Santiago Perez to retake the lead, 10-8. On Lee’s next possession, Senior Quarterback JP Reyes found a wide-open Junior Cornerback Jordon Shields for a 70-yard touchdown on third-and-14. Another 2-point conversion put the Rebels ahead 16-10.

Midland’s top stories. One quick email. Free, every Friday.
Get Midland Wrapped, our free weekly email for busy Midland residents. Each Friday, we break down the week’s most important local stories — what happened, why it matters, and what to watch next — so you can stay informed without the noise.

Franklin drove into the red zone on its next possession, but Lee blocked the field goal attempt. On the following drive, Reyes connected with Junior Free Safety Maddox Marquez for another touchdown, extending the Rebels’ lead to 24-10 in the second quarter. The Rebels would not relinquish the lead.

Go deeper: Reyes led the Rebels with 279 passing yards and four touchdowns. Senior Running Back Hays Hamm and Senior Wide Receiver Kameron Norman also added touchdown receptions. Sophomore Quarterback Santi Mendoza gained the Rebels 60 rushing yards and a touchdown.

What’s next: Lee heads to El Paso to face Eastlake (No. 126 among Texas 6A teams) on Friday, Sept. 11, at 6:30 p.m.