Basketball season is in full swing, and district races are heating up. We’ve reached the part of the year where each and every game is important, so it’s time to start taking a closer look at the area basketball scene.
With teams playing games every Tuesday and Friday that will help decide district championships, playoff berths and seeding, we’re firing back up our weekly lookahead columns to keep readers up to date on the key matchups and results that will ultimately shape the playoff brackets.
So without wasting anymore time, let’s take a look at the area boys basketball landscape for the coming week.
STAMFORD — It is a common tale in high school basketball circles that a move-in of extraordinary height and skill is about to enroll at your campus.
DE LEON — Two of the Big Country’s most-improved girls teams collided on Tuesday in a District 10-2A matchup that saw De Leon escape with a 34-32 win over Hico in overtime. 
Not only are the Breckenridge Buckaroos off to a flying start at 17-3, but senior guard Aaryn Medina is drawing plenty of attention as well. 
When I arrived in Abilene in June 2007, less than a month after graduating from Baylor, my experience with the city was confined to my two-day interview with the Reporter-News.
As the Brownwood Lady Lady Lions gain momentum as a team, their offensive leader has remained steady throughout an up-and-down 13-9 season and current five-game winning streak. 
DE LEON — While her married name of Meagan Mitchell may not ring a bell to Big Country hoops fans, her maiden name, Meagan O’Dell, will be remembered by many who were paying attention. 
MERKEL — The 1000-point barrier is a celebrated milestone that few high school players achieve. So when Merkel senior Kayde Pursley topped the very rare 1,500-point plateau last week against Brownfield, those close to the program made up their minds to do something special in her return game on Friday at MHS. 
It’s never easy picking the top 10 stories of the year for the Big Country Preps coverage area.