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Month: September 2019
PHOTO GALLERY: Crosstown Showdown 2019 (54 images)
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery.
GAME STORY: Stephenville stings Wylie on homecoming night 34-0
STEPHENVILLE — When asked about his team’s dominant performance on homecoming night, Stephenville coach Sterling Doty had plenty of credit to pass around.
The Yellow Jackets routed Wylie 34-0 at Tarleton Memorial Stadium, shutting down a Bulldog offense that came in averaging more than 280 passing yards per game.
GAME STORY: Clyde’s defense shuts out Comanche
CLYDE — The Clyde defense turned in its second-best effort of the young season as the Bulldogs posted a 34-0 win over Comanche on Friday night at Bulldog Stadium.
The Indians, who were coming off a momentum building 31-28 win over Breckenridge last week, couldn’t get on track in the loss as they gained just 66 yards — only nine of which came after the game’s opening drive.
BCP GAME OF THE WEEK: Hawley tops Hamlin 46-44 in Big Country thriller
HAWLEY — It took nearly three hours and close to 900 yards of combined total offense to settle the issue.
But once the dust cleared at Hawley High School on Friday, the 10th-ranked 2A DI Bearcats had earned a 46-44 win over top-ranked 2A DII Hamlin in a classic Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
Colton Marshall rushed for 230 yards, three touchdowns and four two-point conversions to lead Hawley (3-0), which forced four Hamlin turnovers to key the win.
GAME STORY: Cooper comes through in clutch, holds off AHS in Crosstown Showdown
The Cooper Cougars weren’t perfect Friday night, but when it came down to it, they made the plays necessary to win in a 23-14 victory over Abilene High in the 59th annual Crosstown Showdown.
Two key special teams plays — a safety on a bad punt snap and a blocked field goal — helped the Coogs build a 16-0 second-quarter lead. And a big fourth-down stop in the third quarter with AHS threatening to steal the lead proved to be the play of the game, swinging the momentum back in Cooper’s favor and allowing coach Aaron Roan’s team to seal the win with a clutch touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter.
FEATURE: Abilene High RB Dotson growing into go-to role for Eagles
Abilene High running back Phonzo Dotson flashed huge potential as a sophomore in 2018, but a pair of injuries limited the impact he could make for the 5-5 Eagles.
Now fully healthy as a junior, Dotson has assumed the featured role it was always believed he was destined for, and the early returns have been just what coach Mike Fullen expected.
Through the first two games of the season, home losses to Amarillo Tascosa (19-14) and Midland Lee (35-21), the AHS standout has rushed for 248 yards and a touchdown on just 33 carries. And if Dotson can avoid the injury bug that bit him so hard a year ago, Fullen feels he has even bigger things ahead of him.
Big Country Preps Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 3)
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games, in addition to the results of Evan Ren’s Twitter polls for each matchup.
For those interested in voting, polls go up on Monday night each week and close Thursday night.
Disagree with our picks or the Twitter consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
Continue reading “Big Country Preps Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 3)”
FEATURE: Close-knit Cooper offensive line getting the job done
Ranked third among area rushers with 366 yards through the season’s first two weeks, running back Noah Garcia is widely considered the centerpiece of the Cooper offense. And coming off a sophomore season in which he rushed for 1,479 yards and 11 touchdowns, it’s not hard to see why.
But without the the six players in front of him with less recognizable names, Garcia’s production would not be possible.
Paving the way for more than 4,500 yards last season, including 2,607 on the ground, it’s the the offensive line that really makes the Cooper spread attack go. But as long as the chains are moving and the team is winning games, those guys at the front and center are content to fade into the background.
BCP GAME OF THE WEEK: Hawley, Hamlin collide in matchup of 2A powerhouses (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 46-6, .884
SEASON TOTAL: 89-19, .824
I don’t know what has me more jazzed — the interesting slate of Big Country games we’ve got on tap this week, or the fact that I hit 88 percent of my picks in Week 2 and am at 82 percent for the season.
I don’t mind saying, it’s way too early in to be picking at a rate that high. Normally the 80-percent plateau is crossed in the second half of the season, after you get dialed in on who’s who. But why should I complain? It will give me a leg up on Youngblood.
Our Big Country Preps Game of the Week — Hamlin (2-0) at Hawley (2-0) — was actually circled on the calendar well in advance of the season.
Yes, last year’s matchup resulted in a 32-6 Hamlin win.
But the venue switches to Hawley this time around and unless I’ve missed my guess, the Bearcats are more than motivated after being escorted to the woodshed by the Pipers a year ago.
FEATURE: Wylie views quarterback rotation as strength, not weakness
There’s a football axiom trumpeted by fans and some coaches that if you have two quarterbacks, you don’t have one.
The idea there, essentially, is that if you’re playing two quarterbacks, it’s because one hasn’t risen above the other and earned the job outright with his performance.
Wylie’s Hugh Sandifer is not among those who subscribe to this widely held theory. The longtime Bulldog coach is more than happy to utilize two signal callers if he thinks it will help his team.
And in the case of the 2019 Bulldogs, who have seen juniors Jaxon Hansen and Balin Valentine combine to pass for 287 yards per game through the first two weeks of the season, it’s hard to argue with his logic.
BCP Podcast No. 61: Chris Joslin talks Coahoma football with Evan, Daniel
After a late arrival at Coahoma, Chris Joslin led the Bulldogs to a 4-7 record in his first season as a head football coach. This year, with most of that squad back, he has his team off to a 2-0 start, through which it has outscored its first two opponents by a combined 78-9 margin.
This week, Joslin took some time to talk to Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about this year’s team and his transition to the head coaching role on the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the most interesting developments of Week 2 of the Big Country football season and take a look at the top matchups of Week 3.
Continue to check back at BigCountryPreps.com each Wednesday night at 7 p.m. when Evan and Dan discuss the current happenings in Big Country High School sports — often with an interesting sports figure from around the area.
You can also peruse our BCP Podcast archive, which features dozens of our previous shows with prominent coaches and Big Country media fixtures.
Inquiries regarding these podcasts may be directed to Evan Ren at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
If you have a suggested topic of conversation or a recommended guest, don’t hesitate to contact us!
FEATURE: Former Clyde, Sweetwater coach Craig Slaughter enjoying role as Wall DC
WALL — When Craig Slaughter’s name is brought up in Big Country football circles, it is often associated with a memorable run of success as the former Clyde football coach enjoyed when he led the Bulldogs to a 23-12 mark and one district title from 2006 to 2008.
His stint at CHS led to jobs at larger schools at Sweetwater (2009-11) and Llano (2012-17), after which many Big Country fans simply lost track of what had happened to the man.
He is, for the record, currently the defensive coordinator at Wall under head coach Houston Guy, where he is heading up a Hawk defense that has shut down powerhouses from Mason (47-7) and Cisco (20-13) in the first two weeks.
“I’ve really enjoyed the experience,” the 46-year-old Slaughter said of taking the job offer from his long-time friend, Guy. “When you’re leading a program, you get blamed for so much stuff that you really have nothing to do with, from who’s on the seventh-grade B team to the plays the seventh grade ran on a Thursday night.
“So (assistant coaching) is a load off your shoulders from the pressure you feel and put on yourself.”
BIG COUNTRY PREPS Q&A: Hamlin’s Lucas talks about expectations, pressure
HAMLIN — Faced with unusually high expectations, a challenging schedule and a couple of heartbreaking finishes in the last five years, the third-ranked Hamlin Pied Pipers and coach Russell Lucas find themselves in uncharted waters early in the 2019 season.
They are now in the position of favorites, with powerful teams from Albany and Wellington, Wheeler, Santo and others pursuing them, rather than the other way around.
How will they handle it?
Lucas now visits with BigCountryPreps.com’s Evan Ren to talk about the current season and the unusual position in which the Pipers find themselves in a Big Country Preps Q&A.
BCP SIX-MAN SPOTLIGHT: Kittley’s goals evolve to help Rule program, family
RULE — Rule coach Kade Kittley returned to his alma mater last year to try and turn around a program that had fallen on hard times over the past several seasons.
After beating Throckmorton 56-52 in the bi-district round of the 2016 playoffs, the Bobcats lost 13 straight contested games.
Friday night, Kittley led his squad to a 60-14 win over Lubbock Christ the King, snapping a more than two-year run of futility. The win was the latest in a series of positive events as Kittley has worked to change the culture the Rule program.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Brady’s Bauer snags the top spot
Just how much the Brady football team will improve this season has yet to be determined. But one thing is certain: The Bulldogs are explosive.
Headed by our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, senior quarterback Walker Bauer, Brady handed a solid Class 2A Division II team from Haskell a 59-24 loss on Friday.
It was the biggest offensive output in coach Shay Easterwood’s tenure as BHS’ head coach.
District 3-6A: Week 2 Report
Midland Lee 35, Abilene High 21 — The Rebel passing game proved too much for the Eagles to handle, finishing with 319 yards through the air, including three touchdown strikes of 45 or more yards.
After AHS opened the scoring with a 99-yard touchdown drive late in the first quarter, Lee countered with four consecutive touchdowns — all passing — to take a 28-7 lead midway through the third quarter. The Eagles, who got a team-leading 86 rushing yards from Phonzo Dotson, pulled within 14 later in the third, but the Rebels answered with the first score of the fourth to put the game away.
AHS, which was outgained 461-267, will go for its first win Friday at Shotwell Stadium, where it takes on rival Cooper in the annual Crosstown Showdown.
District 2-5A Division I: Week 2 Report
Cooper 42, Grapevine 14 — The Cooper running game was overpowering and the defense opportunistic in a dominating Week 2 win over the Mustangs.
Led by Noah Garcia, who rushed for 259 yards and two touchdowns while catching three passes for 53 yards and another score, the Cougars outgained Grapevine 418-299, pounding out 342 yards on the ground on 38 carries. On defense, meanwhile, the Coogs got interceptions from Dylon Davis and LaDainian Diaz and added two more takeaways on fumble recoveries.
Now 2-0 to start the season, Cooper will try to stay unbeaten this week when it takes on rival Abilene High in the annual Crosstown Showdown at Shotwell Stadium.
District 3-5A Division II: Week 2 Report
Lubbock Monterey 49, Wylie 26 — Wylie had another solid day offensively, particularly through the air, but quarterback Coreon Bailey and the Plainsmen were just too much for the Bulldogs.
The Monterey signal caller hit 21 of 28 passes for 331 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for 46 yards and another score to lead a 601-yard effort for the Plainsmen. Wylie, meanwhile, gained 341 yards, including 280 yards and three TDs passing.
QB Jaxon Hansen led the Bulldog effort, hitting 13 of 23 passes for 200 yards and two scores while rushing for a team-leading 44 yards on eight carries. Receiver Creed Cooper also had a big night, hauling in 10 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown.
FEATURE: ‘Pound the rock and run the clock’ — Goldthwaite transitions from passing to running with Slot-T
GOLDTHWAITE — The Goldthwaite Eagles’ transition from the pass-oriented pistol offense to the run-oriented Slot-T under new coach Keith Virdell enjoyed a breakout performance during Friday’s 36-27 win at Junction.
Goldthwaite rushed for 351 yards against Junction — which incredibly was more than the 317 yards rushing the Eagles managed during the entire 2018 season, when they finished 1-9. The 2018 total included 131 negative yards for quarterback sacks and 76 negative yards credited to the team for errant shotgun snaps.
The Eagles won’t have lost yardage for bad shotgun snaps this year since senior quarterback Grayson Moore is under center. They won’t have many sacks, either, since Moore has passed only five times in two games. The win over Junction ended Goldthwaite’s nine-game losing skid.
Virdell’s Slot-T is all about running backs hitting the holes quickly — whether it’s on a trap, sweep, quick pitch or misdirection run. The philosophy is to block and run quickly so the offense goes downhill.
District 5-4A Division I: Week 2 Report
Stephenville 13, Everman 10 — The Yellow Jackets (1-1) broke into the win column with 243 passing yards and a score from Kade Renfro.
SHS was outgained 309-260, but had a plus-3 turnover ratio to serve as compensation.
The ‘Jackets will host Wylie (0-2) on Friday at Memorial Stadium in Stephenville.
District 2-3A Division II: Week 2 Report
Coahoma 40, McCamey 9 — In one of the most dominating performances we’ve seen from Coahoma in years, the Bulldogs simply ran all over McCamey, with 421 yards rushing and 457 yards in total offense.
Zach Schneider rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown and threw for 56 yards and another score. But several other Bulldogs contributed to the blowout, beginning with Isaac Murrillo, who rushed for 119 yards and two scores on only seven touches.
District 13-3A Division II: Week 2 Report
Brady 59, Haskell 24 — A field goal on Haskell’s first possession staked the Indians to an early 3-0 lead, but coach Shay Easterwood’s squad responded with 29 unanswered points over the remainder of the first quarter and never looked back from there.
Haskell pulled within 19 points at halftime (29-10), but Brady scored the first three touchdowns of the second half to push ahead 51-10 by the start of the fourth quarter and coasted from that point to the win.
With the victory, Brady will take a 1-1 record into its road game at Llano, while Haskell (1-1) is idle next week.
DISTRICT 5-2A Division II: Week 2 Report
Hamlin 44, Wheeler 15 — The Pied Pipers passed their second test of the season, and did so with flying colors, routing a strong and experienced Wheeler squad in a neutral site game at Childress.
Hamlin led 28-7 at halftime and increased its lead to 44-7 by the start of the fourth quarter, dominating a Mustangs team that some had picked to win District 5-2A Division II.
Having now outscored their first two opponents by a 71-22 margin, the Pied Pipers will face their stiffest test to date next week when they travel to Hawley for a nondistrict game.
District 6-3A Division II: Week 2 Report
Comanche 31, Breckenridge 28 — Ricardo Sanchez booted a 31-yard field goal in overtime to lift Comanche to a difficult win over Breckenridge.
Trailing by two scores in the second half, the Buckaroos knotted the game at 28 with a pair of Jonas Arellano touchdown runs of 1 and 5 yards — the latter of which came with 4:51 to play.
Luke Wilson led Comanche with 130 yards rushing. Breckenridge’s Owen Woodward led all rushers with 193 yards on 19 carries.
District 7-2A Division I: Week 2 Report
Goldthwaite 36, Junction 27 — The Goldthwaite Eagles picked up their first win over the Keith Virdell era on Friday, outlasting a Junction team that had opened the season with a surprising win over Class 3A Ingram Moore.
Goldthwaite jumped out to an early 13-0 lead, but allowed 20 unanswered points to fall behind by a touchdown in the second quarter. Virdell’s Eagles answered, however, scoring to push ahead 21-20 at halftime before outscoring the home team 15-7 in the second half.
Dusty Partin and Jackson Patrick led the way for GHS, rushing for 105 and 103 yards, respectively, with two touchdowns apiece. Now 1-1, Goldthwaite will try to build on its first victory on Friday, when they head to Coleman to take on the winless Bluecats.
District 2-4A Division I: Week 2 Report
Sweetwater 48, Big Spring 27 — After breaking a 21-all tie late in the second quarter to take a seven-point lead into halftime, the Mustangs outscored the Steers by two touchdowns over the final two periods to secure their first victory of the 2019 season.
Quarterback Leo Holsey led the effort, completing 12 of 15 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 110 more yards and two additional scores on the ground. Cedrick Brown also had a big day running the ball for Sweetwater, finishing with 115 yards and two TDs on 23 carries.
Orlando Sanchez led Big Spring with 220 yards rushing and three scores on only 17 carries. Gabriel Baeza was 3 of 5 for 56 yards.
District 3-2A Division I: Week 2 Report
Hawley 36, Bangs 9 — Hawley jumped out to a 28-0 first-half lead on the road and never looked back.
Colton Marshall rushed for 145 yards and two scores and Xavier Rodela threw for 120 yards and another touchdown to help the Bearcats improve to 2-0.
Ethan Sanchez rushed for 107 yards to lead Bangs (1-1), which was limited to 136 yards in total offense.
District 4-3A Division I: Week 2 Report
Brock 21, Iowa Park 7 — The Eagles bounced back from their season-opening loss to Brownwood with an impressive victory over the Class 4A Hawks.
Brock, which pounded out 303 yards on the ground, opened the scoring with Cash Jones’ first of three touchdown runs in the first quarter and built on a 7-0 halftime lead with single scores in each of the final two quarters. Down 21-0 in the fourth quarter, Iowa Park finally got on the board with a long touchdown pass.
Jones finished with 181 yards on 25 carries to pace Brock (1-1), which will host Argyle Liberty Christian in Week 3.
District 4-3A Division II: Week 2 Report
Ballinger 48, Reagan County 7 — The Bearcats stymied Reagan County, limiting the Owls to just 35 yards in total offense to improve to 2-0.
After building a 42-7 halftime lead, Ballinger (2-0) simply coasted to the finish line with 363 total yards, including 142 yards rushing and three scores from Darin Hall.
Edgar Nunez added 115 yards passing and 42 yards rushing while accounting for four TDs.
District 1-4A Division II: Week 2 Report
Sweetwater 48, Big Spring 27 — After breaking a 21-all tie late in the second quarter to take a seven-point lead into halftime, the Mustangs outscored the Steers by two touchdowns over the final two periods to secure their first victory of the 2019 season.
Quarterback Leo Holsey led the effort, completing 12 of 15 passes for 148 yard and two touchdowns, while adding 110 more yards and two additional scores on the ground. Cedrick Brown also had a big day running the ball for Sweetwater, finishing with 115 yards and two TDs on 23 carries.
The Mustangs (1-1) will look to double last season’s win total with a victory next week at home against Wichita Falls Hirschi, while Big Spring (0-2) will try to get into the win column when it hits the road to take on a struggling Monahans squad.
District 3-3A Division I: Week 2 Report
Eastland 49, West 7 — Behren Morton threw for 281 yards and four scores and Brandon Fielding rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries as Eastland improved to 2-0.
The Mavericks raced out to a 35-0 lead by the second quarter before coasting the rest of the way.
By night’s end Eastland (2-0) had accumulated 432 yards in total offense. West (1-1) was limited to 150.
District 7-2A Division II: Week 2 Report
Albany 28, Dublin 21 — Coach Denney Faith’s Lions raced out to a 28-7 lead early in the third quarter and held off a late Dublin rally in the fourth to earn the win at Robert Nail Stadium and open the season 2-0.
Albany quarterback Ben West threw for more than 300 yards and three touchdowns in the win, with 106 yards and one of those scores going to B.J. Morris, who also added a touchdown run.
Dublin meanwhile got 294 passing yards and three scores from Cy Wing and a 100-yard receiving game from Colten Couch (9-124, 2 TDs), scoring twice in the fourth quarter to trim AHS’ lead to one touchdown with just under six minutes remaining in the game.
Albany, which has now avenged two losses from last year, will try to increase that number to three next week when it travels to Eastland. Dublin (1-1), meanwhile, will play a road game at De Leon.
PHOTO GALLERY: Wall-Cisco football (53 images)
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PHOTO GALLERY: Grapevine-Cooper football (38 images)
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery.
GAME STORY: Brownwood scores at will in 70-3 homecoming win over Snyder
BROWNWOOD — The Brownwood Lions had no issues in rolling to an easy homecoming win over Snyder on Friday night at Gordon Wood Stadium.
The Lions scored a touchdown on all four of their offensive plays in the first quarter en route to a 70-3 win over the Tigers, avenging a 31-21 loss from last season.
Reece Rodgers ran for 113 yards and three touchdowns in the first half on just five carries, while Drew Huff had a pair of touchdown passes to Adonis McCarty as the Lions imposed their will.
Brownwood set a school record by scoring 63 points in the first half.
BCP GAME OF THE WEEK: Wall survives trip to Cisco with 20-13 win
CISCO — Coming into Friday’s Big Country Preps Game of the Week as a two-score underdog to Wall, the Cisco Loboes had a specific set of musts they had to meet in order to knock off the visiting Hawks. Contain Wall’s option game, win the turnover battle and take advantage of key opportunities when they had them.
The Loboes achieved two out of the three in a 20-13 loss, falling just short when a would-be fourth-down touchdown pass from Gibson Hearne to Dax Brunson just grazed the the tight end’s finger tips in the end zone with 3:42 to play.
GAME STORY: Garcia, Cooper defense shine in 42-14 win over Grapevine
Noah Garcia had a monster day out of the backfield and the Cooper defense dominated Grapevine from start to finish in a 42-14 win over the Mustangs on Friday at Shotwell Stadium.
The Coogs held Grapevine under 300 total yards and forced four turnovers, ensuring that Garcia’s big night would come in a winning effort.
The junior running back ran for 259 yards and two scores and added three catches for 53 yards and another TD to help Cooper build a 35-7 third-quarter lead on its way to a 2-0 start.
PHOTO GALLERY: Midland Lee-Abilene High football (55 images)
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GAME STORY: Wylie unable to keep pace in loss to Lubbock Monterey
LUBBOCK — For one quarter Friday night at Lubbock’s Lowrey Field, the Wylie Bulldogs looked like they had a shot to snap a losing streak that dates back to the 2017 season.
The Bulldogs trailed Lubbock Monterey 21-13 in a high-scoring first quarter before the Plainsmen pulled away en route to a 49-26 win in nondistrict play.
The loss dropped Wylie to 0-2 on the season.
GAME STORY: Midland Lee too much for Abilene High in nondistrict clash
It took the Midland Lee offense a little while to get going Thursday, but once it did, the Rebels were off to the races in a 35-21 win over Abilene High at Shotwell Stadium.
Lee hit AHS for five passing touchdowns, including three of 46 or more yards, to improve to 2-0 on the year, while dropping the Eagles to 0-2.
Abilene High led 7-0 deep into the first quarter, but the Rebels responded with 28 consecutive points, building all the cushion they’d need to coast to victory over their former Little Southwest Conference rival.
Big Country Preps Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 2)
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games, in addition to the results of Evan Ren’s Twitter polls for each matchup.
For those interested in voting, polls go up on Monday night each week and close Thursday night.
Disagree with our picks or the Twitter consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
Continue reading “Big Country Preps Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 2)”