The Midland Legacy Rebels have played six of their first seven games at least two hours away. But Coach Clint Hartman says they're better for the journey.
Steven Ortiz is the head athletic trainer at Midland Legacy High School, but physical rehabilitation plans aren’t the only thing he maps out. Ortiz also fixes the team’s travel schedule - from the time they leave to where they get food - for all the Rebels’ road games.
When he first saw Midland Legacy’s 2025 football schedule, which included a more than two-hour bus ride for six of the first seven games, Ortiz wondered what he’d done to piss off head coach Clint Hartman.
“I thought Coach Hartman really just didn’t like me at that point,” Ortiz joked. “My wife was like, ‘Did you do something wrong that we have to travel this much and you’re never going to be at home?’”
Midland Legacy’s first three games were on the road at Allen, Euless Trinity and Lake Travis. After a home game against Abilene, the Rebels played a neutral-site game against Ruston High School (Louisiana) in Alvarado. All told in that first month, Midland Legacy traveled 2,617.6 miles round trip, which is nearly the equivalent of driving from Los Angeles, California, to Washington, D.C. But the journey doesn’t stop there. Midland Legacy’s first two District 2-6A games, last week against San Angelo Central and this Friday against Wolfforth Frenship, are both over a two-hour bus ride away.
But, usually, the opposing teams ease any potential hiccups by being such accommodating hosts. After last year’s game, Allen High School trainer Mike Harrison told Ortiz that they needed to stop at TwoRows Classic Grill for the pregame meal. Allen mayor Baine Brooks owned the joint, and he could give them a great deal. Sure enough, Midland Legacy was in and out in half an hour before this year’s game because Brooks had everything set up for them. When Midland Legacy visited Lake Travis, the school had a section of the parking lot blocked off for their buses. The Lake Travis booster club even allowed the Midland Legacy players to stretch in their pregame BBQ pit.
Of course, there are inherent disadvantages to all this travel. The players often miss an entire school day on Fridays and don’t get back into Midland until 5:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. Hartman says that 10-15 kids often ride back separately with their parents or stay in a hotel with their families.
“It used to be the old school, ‘You go with your team, you come home with your team,’” Hartman said. “Well, if there’s a single parent that needs someone to ride with them to make sure they stay awake, you need to think about that.”
But once the team reaches its destination, they realize they’re better for the journey. Ortiz remembers the older varsity players coaching the younger ones through pregame nerves as they all peered up at Allen’s Eagle Stadium. On the ride, the teammates bond over card games like Spades and shared earbuds to watch a movie. Some of their best friends for life are made on the back of the bus.
The coaches believe these trips truly give the team an advantage come playoff time, not only because they play together, but because they’re used to the travel that other teams don’t experience until November.
“If you want to teach a kid how to be here on time, put a six-hour road trip in front of them and say, ‘You can’t be late because this bus will leave without you,’” Ortiz said.
Sign In
Don't Miss Any Exclusive Coverage!
We've been the Bible of Texas football fans for over 60 years. By joining the DCTX Family you'll gain access to all of our exclusive content and have our magazines mailed to you!