Reyes overcomes nerves en route to record-breaking debut

MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – In his first career varsity start, Legacy sophomore quarterback J.P. Reyes etched his name in the Rebels’ record book.

After going down with a season-ending ACL tear, senior Jaden Rogers handed the keys to Legacy’s offense to Reyes. It’s a tall order for a rookie, but Reyes answered the bell.

“Normally he gets up. He just keeps on getting up and getting up every time he gets hit. And that time he stayed down and I was like, oh, okay, this team’s going to need me,” Reyes said.

The nerves for Reyes set in shortly before Legacy’s week four matchup against Abilene, when he was set to make his first career start.

“I threw up twice actually,” Reyes laughed.

But it’s all part of Reyes’ process.

“I’ve been doing it since like kindergarten. My very first game, I threw up and I’ve just been doing it my whole life. It just calms me down.”

It seemed to do the trick. Reyes quickly settled in, having a perfect first half. Reyes completed 13/13 passes for 330 yards and five touchdowns, his first of which was a pass to McKenzie Rogers in the flat that went 64 yards.

“You never know how they’re going to respond or play. You expect that. But do you expect 13 for 13 in the first half? I don’t know if we expected that,” head coach Clint Hartman said. “As the game grew, you could see his confidence grow.”

Reyes led the Rebels to their most productive offensive performance this season, defeating Abilene 62-42. Reyes finished his debut with 422 yards, breaking a school record set by Mikey Serrano in 2018, and six touchdowns.

“Mikey Serrano broke it his first start, too. That’s what was crazy,” Hartman said. Serrano threw for 415 yards in a playoff game in 2018.

While Hartman may have been surprised by how quickly Reyes flourished, he knew it was only a matter of time.

“He’s been in quarterback school since he was a seventh grader. He came up here in the spring and he’s learned our offense and he’s been in our camps and he’s a home-grown product that’s pretty good.”

Reyes is in good company, joining 2024 graduate Marcos Davila in the Legacy record book. Davila became the Rebels’ all-time passing leader in the 2023 season and is now a freshman on the Purdue football team.

The success for Reyes has come with a lot of fanfare, from his teammates to strangers at the grocery store.

“It’s a little different for sure, it never happened, like people walking up. I’m pretty social I feel like so it don’t bother me at all I like talking to people,” Reyes said.

And now with renewed confidence in their quarterback, the Rebels return their focus to the other record they’re after this season: 7 consecutive District 2-6A championships.

“I feel pretty confident right now and hopefully we can keep it going. I feel pretty good about the season,” Reyes said.

Midland Legacy faces the No. 1-ranked team in Louisiana, the Ruston Bearcats, on Saturday Sept. 28 at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington. The Rebels will then have their bye week ahead of their district opener against San Angelo Central.

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