The “What Might Have Been” feature series is Big Country Preps’ effort to celebrate area athletes who have seen their seasons affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The series will continue through June 15. If you have a suggested story for the “What Might Have Been” series, please contact Big Country Preps at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
For much of his career, 39-year-old Daniel Price had been patiently waiting to get his shot.
He had long wished to be the man on the headset, manning the sidelines in crucial situations and leading a football program of his very own.
In February, he was given that opportunity when Early ISD named him to replace athletic director and head football coach Blake Sandford, who resigned in December.
All the pieces were in place. All that was needed was to develop a plan and implement it.
Then it happened — a statewide lockdown of all high school spring sports implemented in by the University Interscholastic League in March as a safety measure against the COVID-19 outbreak.
This spring was supposed to be Kasey Middleton’s fourth trip to the state golf tournament as he hoped to bookend his high school career with a second title.
Rance House was optimistic the solitary environment of high school golf eventually would give the Goldthwaite Eagles a chance to defend their Class 2A boys’ state championship.
A year after finishing second at the University Interscholastic League girls Class 1A state golf tournament last year, the Eula Lady Pirates were looking ahead to 2020 with an eye on a possible state championship. 
When you’ve been in coaching as long as Toby Goodwin has, you know what an elite team looks like. 
With the last name he has, Cole Van Poppel was almost destined to end up on a pitcher’s mound.
Coming off an 18-6 season that saw them capture the District 6-3A title, the Cisco Loboes and coach Mark Adams had high hopes heading into the 2020 campaign and were equipped to pursue them. 
Unlike many of the teams asking themselves, “What might have been?” after the University Interscholastic League’s decision to cancel the remainder of the spring sports season due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Merkel baseball squad will feature a very similar roster when play returns next year.
For four years, Eastland softball coach Tera Davis has been quietly cultivating a powerhouse.
Hawley’s powerlifting program produces state champions seemingly every year.
At age 15, virtually ever key stat produced by Stamford sophomore pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez exhibits potential. 
When Kevin Compton took the head baseball coach position in Haskell four years ago, it was for one specific purpose: to coach his son Koby through high school.
When taking on a new job with new responsibilities, it’s natural to expect the unexpected.
March 7 was a banner day for Roscoe’s boys track team.
Genaro Madera Jr., better known as Jr. Madera around Gorman, was hoping to win a state championship in the long jump this spring and possibly receive an athletic scholarship offer to a smaller university or junior college.
Throughout the statewide COVID-19 interscholastic lockdown, Breckenridge baseball coach Kevin Bartley quietly waited and tried to maintain a positive frame of mind. 
Few athletes in the Big Country Preps coverage area had loftier goals for the 2020 spring season than Brady senior Jack Marshall.
Coming off a freshman season that saw her earn first-team All-Big Country Preps honors, Colorado City’s Mallory Kern was expected to earn a considerable amount of the area spotlight in 2020. 
After Winters’ softball season came to an end against Haskell last spring, coach Kendra Bryant made her girls write a note to themselves.
While she had been on varsity since she was a freshman and was good enough last year to earn All-Big Country Preps honors as a third baseman, Abilene High senior Aubrianna Salazar considered this to be her year.
A.J. McCarty was already injured and out of action when COVID-19 stopped UIL spring sports on March 10. He’s also one of the few athletes who could actually benefit from a lengthy delay — if spring sports do return for the 2019-2020 school year.
Clyde senior Christian Deal had been working for this moment his entire career.
Coahoma’s softball team has been out for vengeance ever since last May when it lost to Henrietta in the area round for the second straight season.
Tucked away in a quiet corner of West Texas, roughly 14 miles southwest of Big Spring, an unheralded Forsan sophomore was poised to make a splash. 
Anson’s Trevor Miller is a sophomore so the suspension of UIL spring sports because of the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t interrupted his final high school season. But baseball is Miller’s only sport so the timing of the stoppage cut just as deep.
With a torrent of scary numbers being reported by the media and rumors running rampant on the internet, Haskell girls track coach Missy Burson is doing her best to keep a positive frame of mind during the COVID-19 lock down. 
After leading the Albany baseball program to its second state tournament appearance in a three-year span last season, Lions coach David Fairchild didn’t have to squint too hard to envision a similar run this spring.
Kaydi Pursley held the highest of expectations for her final high school track season.
Kelsi Tonips missed much of last season and part of this season with a separated shoulder. Then just as the Brock senior third baseman and pitcher was working her way back into the lineup, the 2020 softball season was suspended indefinitely by the UIL because of the COVID-19, or coronavirus, pandemic.
Coming off its first state championship in program history, the Wall baseball team entered this season eager to defend its title.
Tucked away in their homes in Comanche County, a group of teenagers and their coach are waiting to see if they’ll have the chance to finish something special. 