Month: December 2019

by Evan Ren

BCP Podcast No. 74: Evan, Daniel talk state football semifinals and area hoops

In this episode, Daniel and partner Evan Ren discuss last week’s playoff football results, this week’s state semifinal matchups involving area squads and some Big Country hoops. 

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! 

BCP PODCAST ARCHIVE 

BIG COUNTRY PREPS FACEBOOK PAGE 

BIG COUNTRY PREPS TWITTER PAGE 

by Evan Ren

FEATURE: First-year Haskell coach Michael Skelton adds up-tempo wrinkles to already successful program

HASKELL — To say that first-year Haskell girls basketball coach Michael Skelton has a tough act to follow might be the understatement of the 2019-20 season. 

Replacing former coach Blake Eddleman, who stepped down in the spring, Skelton inherited a program that had won six district titles over a seven-year span, reaching the regional quarterfinals three times and the regional semis once.  The Maidens were 178-41 under Eddleman, leaving a bit of a pressure cooker for whomever was chosen to keep that success going.

Skelton, a Jayton native who was coaching in Slocum last season, wanted the Haskell gig and all the expectations that went with it. 

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Jim Ned sweeps archrival Wall in hoops doubleheader (w/three videos and two box scores)

TUSCOLA — It wasn’t a postseason matchup. It wasn’t even for a higher spot in a district race. But Tuesday’s early-December visit by the Wall Hawks for a nondistrict doubleheader with Jim Ned carried the same weight it usually does it Tuscola, bringing a large, enthusiastic crowd to Bill Thornton Arena.

Those clad in red left happy following a varsity sweep of Wall — the Lady Indians defeating WHS 50-33 in the opener and the Jim Ned boys downing the Hawks 47-44 in the nightcap. 

Brooke Galvin scored 20 points and Alexis Espinosa added 10 more to lead the Jim Ned girls (14-2), who built a 13-3 first-quarter lead and managed to stave off any serious threats the rest of the evening.

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by Daniel Youngblood

LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: Wylie boys, girls sweep Central on home floor

The Wylie girls basketball team used a strong first half to build a comfortable lead and held on through some offensive struggles in the second to secure a 28-22 win over San Angelo Central on Tuesday at Bulldog Gym.

The Lady Bulldogs outscored the Lady Cats 12-5 in the first quarter and 11-8 in the second to take a 10-point lead into halftime before going cold late. Wylie scored just three points in the third quarter and two in the fourth but did enough on the defensive end to improve to 8-6 with the win.

Continue reading “LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: Wylie boys, girls sweep Central on home floor” →

by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High boys run away with 93-30 win over Big Spring

The Abilene High boys basketball team started hot and never cooled off Tuesday in a 93-30 win over Big Spring at Eagle Gym.

The Eagles raced out to a 21-14 lead after a quarter and matched or exceeded that scoring total in every period thereafter, taking firm control of the game by halftime.

Guards Jalen McGee, D.J. Modest and Joe Joe Escobedo all reached double figures, and every player on the AHS roster scored at least four points as coach Justin Reese’s squad improved to 8-3 on the season.

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by Mike Lee, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: With playmakers galore, Hamlin QB Warner may be an overlooked gem

It’s hard to imagine a third-year starting quarterback on a state semifinalist Texas high school football team being overlooked. Especially when his offense is averaging 47 points and 388 yards per game. And especially when he has completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,212 yards and 29 touchdowns against only four interceptions.

But that may be the case with Hamlin’s Braydin Warner.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Merkel’s Pursley earns this week’s top spot

It’s one thing to play great against teams from your own classification. But when one plays at a high level against programs much larger than his or her own, it tends to grab everyone’s attention. 

Merkel senior guard Kaydi Pursley, who has already been on the media’s radar for more than two years, may have just upped her assessed value even more (if that’s possible). 

Purlsey, who helped the Lady Badgers to a 4-1 mark last week, including a 3-1 finish at the Granbury tournament, put up big numbersagainst some big schools along the way to earn our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Merkel’s White twins double trouble for opposing teams

MERKEL —Most girls basketball coaches would be happy with one post player as talented as Merkel twins Alyssa and Alaunna White. So MHS coach Laura Lange knows how fortunate she is to have the package deal.

The 5-foot-9 sisters that Lange calls her “crash crew” play a key role on both ends of the floor for the 11-3 Lady Badgers. And whether they’re scoring inside, fighting for rebounds or locking down the opposition on defense, the two juniors are impact players in every sense of the word.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Fort Worth Wyatt wins Cane’s Key City Classic, AHS drops third-place game

The Raising Cane’s Key City Classic came to a close on Saturday at Abilene High’s Eagle Gym and Cooper’s Cougar Gym with all three local high schools fighting to the end of the three-day tournament with impressive showings.

Fort Worth Wyatt won the championship with a second-half comeback for a 56-51 win over Midland Christian at AHS to close out the tournament.

The host Eagles and Cougars saw their tournaments end with tough losses, while Wylie got a much needed confidence boost with a win over Burnet.

AHS fell in the third-place game 49-38 to North Crowley. Wylie, meanwhile, had no issues with Burnet in a 86-47 runaway at Eagle Gym, and Cooper fell in the seventh-place game 72-66 to Justin Northwest at Cougar Gym. Continue reading “TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Fort Worth Wyatt wins Cane’s Key City Classic, AHS drops third-place game” →

by Daniel Youngblood

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: AHS, Wylie go 1-1 on Day 2 of Cane’s Key City Classic

A busy second day of the Cane’s Key City Classic saw the Abilene High boys split two games against top-25 teams in Class 5A, Wylie pick up its first win of the tournament and Cooper fall to Midland Christian as well as Class 3A’s No. 11-ranked Peaster.

The Eagles beat No. 23 Justin Northwest 68-64 in the quarterfinals before running out of steam in the second half of a 60-45 loss to No. 8 Fort Worth Wyatt at Eagle Gym. Abilene High faces North Crowley at noon Saturday in the third-place game at AHS.

Wylie lost 58-38 in the consolation quarterfinals to Granbury North Central Texas Academy before bouncing back with a 43-35 win over El Paso Burges. The Bulldogs will look to end the tournament on a high note in their 9 a.m. game at AHS against Burnet.

Cooper, meanwhile, struggled in its quarterfinal in a 73-51 loss to Midland Christian. In their nightcap, the Cougars mounted a late rally before Peaster pulled away late for a 63-56 win. The Coogs will face Justin Northwest at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Cougar Gym in the seventh-place game.

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by Staff Report

GAME STORY: Armadillos eliminated by Valley View, 14-12

MINERAL WELLS – The Valley View Eagles won a state quarterfinals football game Friday night in which they managed only six first downs and 182 total yards.

Valley View took advantage of its opportunities and upset the third-ranked San Saba Armadillos 14-12 in the Class 2A Division I state quarterfinals at Rams Stadium. The Eagles turned a fumble recovery by Christian McMurray and a 70-yard kickoff return by Clint Epperson into two short touchdown possessions, and Valley View’s determined defense made the 14 points stand up for the win.

Valley View (12-2) won for the 11th straight time and advanced to the state semifinals for the first time since 1992. The Eagles will play Post, which beat Hawley on Friday, in next week’s Class 2A DI state semifinals.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Brock avenges district loss to Pilot Point, advances to state semis

BEDFORD — In a Class 3A regional final that featured a rematch between District 4 heavyweights Friday night, the Brock Eagles cashed in on their shot at revenge — pretty much literally.

With running back Cash Jones churning for 223 yards and a touchdown — and adding an interception, to boot — the Eagles avenged their only district loss by besting the Bearcats 31-21 at HEB ISD’s Pennington Field. With the win, the Eagles trumped Pilot Point’s 20-14 victory over them earlier in the year, ran their record to 12-2 and earned a spot in next week’s state Class 3A state semifinals against Pottsboro, which edged Gladewater 35-34 in overtime in another regional final Friday night. Pilot Point finished its season at 12-2.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Hamlin blows out Wellington, earns spot in state semifinals

VERNON — A little more than a year after toppling Wellington in one of the biggest upsets of the 2018 season, the Hamlin Pied Pipers bested the Skyrockets once again on Friday.

This time, it earned coach Russell Lucas’ squad a spot in the Class 2A Division II state semifinals.

Trailing the Rockets 8-0 early in the second quarter after a sluggish start offensively, Hamlin rattled off 36 unanswered points on their way to an impressive 43-22 win, clinching the Pipers the Region II-2A DII championship and earning them a rematch with Stratford next week for a spot in the program’s first state title game.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Hawley falls to Post in Region I-2A DI championship

SWEETWATER — In the end, it came down to a few key plays, a few key turnovers and one painfully bad break to end the best season in Hawley football history in the Region I-2A DI title game. 

Falling to Post 52-42 before a huge crowd at Sweetwater’s Mustang Bowl, the Bearcats went toe-to-toe with a PHS team they simply couldn’t stop before the Antelopes finally took control in the fourth quarter. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

BREAKING: Abilene High’s Roberson joins the 1,000-point club

Abilene High girls basketball guard Trakenya (KK) Roberson scored the 1,000th point of her high school career on Friday with a driving shot in the paint during the Lady Eagles tournament in Burleson.

The junior entered the weekend needing 69 points in the tournament and scored the bucket during a 74-47 loss to Mansfield Lake Ridge.

The achievement came early in the first quarter as she entered the game with 999 career points.

Continue reading “BREAKING: Abilene High’s Roberson joins the 1,000-point club” →

by Daniel Youngblood

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Abilene High, Cooper win openers at Cane’s Key City Classic

The Abilene High and Cooper boys basketball teams earned their way into the championship bracket of the Cane’s Key City Classic on Thursday, winning their first-round matchups over Del Rio and Saginaw Boswell, respectively.

The Eagles ran away from the Rams over the middle two quarters for a 78-47 victory at Eagle Gym, while the Cougars used a strong fourth period to beat the Pioneers 55-41 and claim their first win of the season.

AHS (6-1) and Cooper (1-4) will be joined in the championship bracket by Fort Worth Wyatt, Northwest Eaton, Justin Northwest, Peaster, North Crowley and Midland Christian, which also came away with first-round wins on the Classic’s first day.

Wylie, which fell 59-47 to Eaton in its tournament opener Thursday, will play in the consolation bracket with Granbury North Central Texas Academy, Del Rio, El Paso Burges, McKinney Boyd, Midland Lee, Boswell and Burnet.

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by Evan Ren

FEATURE: Hamlin’s Williams producing all-around numbers that are difficult to top

HAMLIN — There have been faster players in the Big Country than Hamlin’s Jevon Williams. There have been better running backs, better receivers, better tacklers,  better defensive backs and better special teams players. 

But few, very few players over the years, have been able to point to a statistical sheet and show more production in all the aforementioned areas than the HHS standout is posting this season.

Williams, along with his Hamlin teammates, will be facing Wellington in the Region II-2A DII championship game on Friday in Vernon. And in all likelihood, he will be a key element if the Pied Pipers (10-2) are to advance to the state semifinals. 

“We’ve had some really good offensive players and really good defensive players,” Hamlin coach Russell Lucas said. “But not very often is it the same person.” 

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by Evan Ren

BCP PLAYOFF FORECAST: Six Big Country teams reach December

LAST WEEK: 8-2, .800

SEASON TOTAL: 483-92, .840

With the overall size of the Big Country encompassing more than 75 communities, one thing is nearly always certain: Somebody in a group that big is going to be good enough to make a run a state championship. 

And sure enough, heading into December, no fewer than six teams in the Big Country Preps coverage area are still alive on the road to Arlington. 

Brock, Hawley, San Saba and Hamlin have all pushed to the regional championship round in their respective classifications in 11-man, while Strawn and Blackwell have reached the state semifinals in six-man.

The task of forecasting it all falls on me, and we’re at the stage where getting it right is a real challenge. 

This column is having one of its best seasons ever on pick accuracy, consistently hitting at more than 80 percent on a weekly basis and currently holding at 84 percent on the year.  So we shall see. 

Here’s a look at this week’s games: 

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 73: AHS’ Justin Reese checks in to talk Eagle hoops, Cane’s Key City Classic

As a former Abilene High Eagle himself, second-year AHS boys basketball coach Justin Reese has a strong desire to return the Eagle program to the glory it enjoyed in the 1980s and 90s. And for him, a big part of that is bringing back some of the traditions that helped make the AHS program what it was.

One of those was Abilene ISD’s Key City Classic, which is back for the first time in decades thanks in large part to Reese, who made it a priority upon his hiring to bring a high-profile tournament back to town. With the first Cane’s Key City Classic set to tip off Thursday, Reese took a few minutes to chat with Big Country Preps Daniel Youngblood about the tournament, his return to Abilene and this year’s Eagle team for the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.

Also in this episode, Daniel and partner Evan Ren discuss last week’s playoff football results and this week’s region championship game matchups involving area squads. 

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! 

BCP PODCAST ARCHIVE 

BIG COUNTRY PREPS FACEBOOK PAGE 

BIG COUNTRY PREPS TWITTER PAGE 

by Daniel Youngblood

PREVIEW: Cane’s Key City Classic set to tip off Thursday

The Abilene High, Cooper and Wylie boys basketball teams will all be in action Thursday when the first Cane’s Key City Classic tips off at the Abilene High and Cooper gymnasiums.

The tournament, the reimagining of an annual event that Abilene ISD hosted in the past, will bring some of the top programs in the state to Abilene for a weekend of basketball that will feature 32 games between the two sites.

In addition to the local high schools, the star-studded field will also feature teams from Fort Worth Wyatt, Granbury North Central Texas Academy, Northwest Eaton, Del Rio, Justin Northwest, El Paso Burges, Peaster, McKinney Boyd, Midland Lee, North Crowley, Saginaw Boswell, Burnet and Midland Christian.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Eula, Haskell split varsity doubleheader (Video, two box scores and photo gallery included)

EULA — A varsity basketball doubleheader between Haskell and Eula yielded a split result on Tuesday at Eula Pirate Gymnasium with the Haskell girls rallying to taking the opener 45-37 and the Eula boys winning 56-41 in the nightcap. 

Early on, the EHS girls were well on their way to setting up a doubleheader sweep when they built a 30-20 lead with a big third quarter. But Haskell answered with a 15-0 run, beginning with a 3-pointer from Emma Roewe with 0:12 left in the period. The Maidens then opened final quarter with 12 straight points to take the lead for good. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Merkel girls ride big second quarter, stifling defense to win over Wylie

MERKEL — The Merkel Lady Badgers continued what’s been an excellent start to the season Tuesday, using a 17-point second quarter to take control of what was otherwise a defensive slugfest against the visiting Wylie Lady Bulldogs.

Playing a WHS team that was coming off a big nondistrict win over mutual rival Jim Ned, coach Laura Lange’s squad stifled the Lady Bulldogs from start to finish and did enough offensively in that second period to secure a 31-18 victory at Badger Gym.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BREAKING: UIL announces conference cutoffs for next two school years

The UIL announced the conference cutoffs for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years on Tuesday. Here are the cutoff figures and a list of where each school in the Big Country Preps coverage area will fall at the next district realignment.

An asterisk has been placed by every school that has changed divisions since the last alignment, with an arrow indicating which direction they’ve moved.

The UIL will announce the new districts for the next two athletic years during its biennial realignment on Feb. 3.

Continue reading “BREAKING: UIL announces conference cutoffs for next two school years” →

by Daniel Youngblood

GAME RECAP: McGee, Watts fuel Abilene High boys to rout of Plainview

SNYDER — Jalen McGee and Nathan Watts each scored 16 points Monday to lead the Abilene High boys basketball team to a comfortable 66-37 win over Plainview in a nondistrict matchup at Snyder High School.

The Eagles outscored the Bulldogs in all four quarters, racing out to a 17-7 first-quarter lead and using a 20-11 third-quarter run to break open a 29-16 game at halftime.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Hamlin’s Williams snags the award

He only had 15 carries on the day. But for Hamlin senior running back Jevon Williams, it was more than enough touches to earn our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award for a second time this season. 

Helping the Pied Pipers to a 56-22 rout of Wheeler, Williams tallied 196 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. He also added a 17-yard pass reception and a 42-yard punt return. 

Leading 22-21, Hamlin took control with five straight touchdowns between the 2:18 mark of the second quarter and the 5:18 mark of the fourth. 

Williams scored all five them, with runs of 4, 20, 65, 8 and 2 yards. 

With the win, Hamlin (10-2) advances to face Wellington (12-1) for the Region II-2A Division II championship at 7 p.m. Friday in Vernon. 

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by Evan Ren

BREAKING: Cisco’s Brent West to step down as head football coach 

CISCO — After one of the most successful runs as a head football coach in Big Country history, longtime Cisco mentor Brent West announced Monday that he is stepping down from his position effective immediately. 

The 49-year-old West will remain at Cisco as the athletic and transportation director and will keep his office in the Cisco fieldhouse. The head coaching position will be open within District 4-3A District II for 10 days, after which it will be opened to outside candidates if the position isn’t filled. 

West, who took the Cisco job in 2001, finished with a 203-42 overall record (.828) with 16 district titles, five trips to state championship games (2002, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2013) and a state title in 2013. 

Continue reading “BREAKING: Cisco’s Brent West to step down as head football coach “ →

by Mike Lee, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Brock coach knew of Pilot Point’s potential

Worrell

The football players from Brock and Pilot Point have become familiar foes over the last two seasons. The history between their head coaches goes back much farther.

District 4-3A Division I rivals Brock and Pilot Point each have won three playoff games to set up a Class 3A Division I Region I championship game scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Pennington Field in Bedford. Pilot Point (12-1) won the District 4-3A DI championship with a 20-14 win over Brock (11-2), which finished as the district runner-up.

Chad Worrell, the only head coach the Brock Eagles have had in their six seasons as a UIL-member varsity program, and Pilot Point coach Danny David both played high school football for the Pilot Point Bearcats — although not at the same time.

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