Sweetwater 62, Pecos 39 — Quarterback Leo Holsey had a hand in all nine of the Mustangs’ touchdowns, passing for five and rushing for four to help Sweetwater clinch at least a share of the District 1-4A Div. II title with a win over Pecos.
SHS (6-1, 3-0) led by just seven at halftime (34-27) but was able to pull away after the break, outscoring the Eagles 15-6 in the third quarter and 13-6 in the fourth.
Stephenville 56, Alvarado 21 — The Yellow Jackets bounced back from last week’s loss to Waco La Vega, using a 21-point first quarter to set the tone for a comfortable victory over the Indians.
Leading 28-14 at halftime and 35-21 after three quarters, the Yellow Jackets (4-4, 2-1) used a 21-0 run through the fourth quarter to put Alvarado (2-6, 0-3) away.
Andrews 56, Big Spring 35 — The Steers rallied from a 35-7 halftime deficit to pull within a touchdown in the final quarter, but the Mustangs closed the game with 14 unanswered points to squelch a Big Spring comeback.
Andrews (6-2, 1-0) outgained the Steers 593-411, passing for 369 yards and rushing for 224, but a 5-3 deficit in the turnover battle allowed Big Spring to fight its way back into the game in the second half.
Early 21, Breckenridge 0 — Early used one of its best defensive efforts of the year to score a crucial district win over Breckenridge.
Limiting the Buckaroos to 138 yards in total offense, Early patiently built a three-score lead over one of the teams considered to be a contender for the No. 4 playoff seed.
Bangs 47, Ingram Moore 15 — Bangs overcame a slow start with big nights from Ethan Sanchez and Ethan Cortez to improve to 7-0 overall and 2-0 in district.
Leading 19-15 at the break, the Dragons blew the game open with 28 unanswered second-half points.
Coahoma 20, Stanton 16 — Brysen Kerby rushed for 273 yards and three scores to help Coahoma slip past Stanton in district play.
With the score knotted at 14, Kerby scored what proved to be the game-winner at the 4:32 mark of the third quarter on a 2-yard run.
CROSS PLAINS — During his nine-year tenure at Cross Plains as both a track and football coach, Daniel Purvis has openly displayed an affinity for tough, hard-working, blue-collar types.
One family in particular — the McWilliamses — has not only typified the type of players Purvis wants on his team, but they have, through four siblings, spanned the entirety of his coaching career with the Buffaloes.
The last of the McWilliams boys to venture through Purvis’ program, 17-year-old senior Cody, is currently sitting atop the Buffaloes’ rushing statistics — a fact that for Purvis, comes as no surprise.
7 p.m. Friday at San Angelo Stadium, San Angelo
7 p.m. Friday at Shotwell Stadium, Abilene
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 morning.
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 8)”
Abilene High outside linebacker Nathan Guzman is the type program success story that interim Eagles coach Jeff Rhoads just loves.
A hard-working, team-first kid who has paid his dues and waited his turn, Guzman is finally getting his chance to shine this season as a senior. And in his first year as a starter after playing sparingly behind a talented group of backers last year, he is definitely making the most of it.
Through two games, Guzman leads the Eagles with 25 total tackles (18 solo) and two tackles for loss. And his two forced fumbles are second on the team behind only fellow senior Joseph Woodyard (3).
While that level of production has come as a surprise to some, including Guzman himself, Rhoads said it’s the culmination of years of hard work and should serve as an example to younger players of what can happen when one stays the course.
LAST WEEK: 33-2, .942
SEASON TOTAL: 250-62, .801
It took seven weeks of patience, but this column is now dialed in.
Charting a season-best 33-2 mark last week, its season pick total has hit the all-important (to me) 80-percent accuracy mark, despite a sluggish start.
Week 8, however, may bring a challenge to stay above that statistic, with a selection of games that are as difficult to pick as any we’ve seen this season.
Our top choice: Wall (4-2, 1-0) at Jim Ned (4-1, 1-0) in a game we’ve had an eye on since before the season started.
To the winner: The driver’s seat in District 3-3A DI, with what is projected to be its toughest opponent in the rearview mirror.
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Cooper running back Noah Garcia has learned not to make plans in 2020.
In a year where virtually nothing’s been normal and change has been one of very few constants, experience has taught him the disappointment that doing so can bring.
But needing just 103 yards to overtake Mike Rose as the Cougars’ all-time leading rusher, the standout senior is hoping to reach that total sooner than later. After seeing his final high school campaign nearly lost to a once-in-a-century pandemic and having his final game against crosstown rival Abilene High taken from him by COVID-19 protocols, he doesn’t want to leave anything to chance.
VIDEO PODCAST NO. 8: Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood chat with Anson head coach Chris Hagler about last week’s win at Stamford and this week’s huge game at Forsan.
Other games discussed from last week: Santo at Cross Plains, De Leon at Coleman, and Greenwood at Sweetwater. From this week: Eastland at Comanche, Cooper vs. Northwest, Abilene at SA Central and Wall at Jim Ned.
The Bangs Lady Dragons handily defeated Dublin Lady Tuesday night in four sets: 25-5, 14-25, 25-12, 25-19. 
Skylar Hutchins, had 23 digs, with additional help from Halle Lance and Jacee Miller to lead Bangs. The Lady Dragons’ offensive front capitalized on the help, with a total of 29 kills as a team.
“My girls started out really strong and were ready to come out and beat Dublin.” Bangs coach Cheyanne Lovelady said. “They were indeed ready as some of the girls showed out in a big way tonight, most notably from the serve line.”
Peyton Warren’s name is synonymous with Clyde volleyball.
The Lady Bulldogs’ program began eight years ago. Warren, who’s finishing up a stellar senior season, has been starting for half of that stretch.
As the curtain draws near on her final high school volleyball career, Warren admits there’s a different feeling now than in previous seasons.
Big Country Preps is publishing area volleyball statistical leaders each Tuesday at 7 p.m.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Teams that send in their statistics after deadline will be added to the lists below as we continually update the database.
Numbers alone don’t always take our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award, though they are usually the top consideration.
When things get close among the top candidates, other factors begin to weigh in. That was precisely the case with this week’s top spot, which goes to Anson junior quarterback Blake Vinson.
Vinson, who hit 23 of 32 passes for 367 yards and four scores in a 41-34 win over Stamford, had two factors in his favor that made his effort a bit more noteworthy than some of the area’s other top performances last week.
ALBANY — For a full year, Albany senior Barrett Beal had no choice but to be patient.
Ruled ineligible to play varsity football in 2019 after moving to AHS from Roscoe, the 18-year-old had to remain with the JV for a full season before being able to suit up for coach Denney Faith on a Friday night.
He is now making up for lost time.
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
CROSS PLAINS — Friday night’s clash between Cross Plains and Santo was destined to be a District 8-2A Division II semifinal of sorts with the winner being in good position for a showdown against Albany later this year for the district championship.
Coach Daniel Purvis’ Buffaloes squad was up to the challenge, forcing eight turnovers on its way to a 27-14 win at Buffalo Stadium.
With the win, Cross Plains improved to 6-1 on the year and 2-0 in district play. Santo, meanwhile, fell to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in district.
ANSON — Hosting archrival Stamford for both their homecoming game and their District 3-2A Division I opener, the Anson Tigers took the field with ample motivation Friday at Tiger Stadium.
Add in the fact that coach Chris Hagler’s squad was playing its first game since Sept. 18 due to a COVID cancellation and their scheduled bye week, and Friday’s game might as well have been the Super Bowl.
The Tigers played like it, too, rallying from a 22-14 halftime deficit to take a 41-22 fourth-quarter lead, before holding off a late Stamford rally for a huge 41-34 victory.
SWEETWATER — In recent years, the Sweetwater Mustangs haven’t been associated with winning through defense in the trenches.
Yet that’s exactly what they did on Friday, knocking off Midland Greenwood 36-30 in overtime in a classic Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
Leo Holsey threw for 222 yards, rushed for 94 and accounted for four touchdowns to lead Sweetwater (5-1, 2-0 District 1-4A DII), which can now lock up a league title if it beats Pecos on the road next week. Holsey scored the game winner, pushing his way into the end zone on a 4-yard quarterback sneak in overtime.
But it was the Sweetwater defense that came up with some of the game’s biggest plays, including a fumble recovery and score by Harrison Foster in the first quarter, a 56-yard pick-6 by Foster in the second quarter, and two short-yardage stops on fourth down that killed potential scoring drives in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Comanche 38, Dublin 6 — The Indians used six different ball carriers to chart 323 rushing yards as a team in a big win over area rival Dublin.
Leading 14-0 at the break, Comanche blew the game open with a 21-0 third quarter.
Bangs 62, San Angelo Grape Creek 0 — Ethan Cortez threw for 228 yards, rushed for 112 and accounted for five touchdowns to keep the Dragons (5-0, 1-0).
Ethan Sanchez had a huge night as well, rushing for 175 yards and four scores on only 12 carries.
Idalou 68, Coahoma 22 — Idalou (4-0, 1-0) took advantage of six Coahoma turnovers to hand the Bulldogs (4-1, 0-1) their first loss of the season.
The Wildcats amassed 448 yards rushing and 507 total yards to win the district opener for both clubs.
Coahoma charted 368 yards, led by Brysen Kerby, who rushed for 109 yards and two scores. Kolt Redden threw for 201 yards and another TD.
Clyde 38, Breckenridge 21 — Clyde charted 466 total yards to win the district opener for both clubs. Dylan Neuman threw for 213 yards and two scores and Austin Hastings rushed for 128 yards and two TDs to lead Clyde ( 2-4, 1-0).
Leading 24-21 late in the third quarter, the Bulldogs pulled away with a 51-yard TD pass from Neuman to Jacob Roberts at the 1:26 mark of the third and a 6-yard TD run by Canaan Charleston with 0:29 to play.
San Saba 64, Goldthwaite 6 — The Armadillos rolled up more than 600 yards in total offense to improve to 4-1 on the year.
Risien Shahan threw for 367 yards and six scores and Stone Sears rushed for 97 yards and one TD on only 11 carries to lift San Saba in the district opener for both clubs.
Albany 55, Hico 0 — The Lions pitched their third consecutive shutout, following lopsided wins over Haskell (43-0) and Meridian (60-0) with another over Hico.
Albany (5-1, 2-0), which scored 28 first-quarter points on its way to a 42-0 halftime lead, finished the game with 511 yards — 350 rushing and 161 passing.
Coy Lefevre led the effort with 190 yards and five touchdowns on just nine carries, while Isaiah Dockins rushed for 86 yards and two scores on 11 attempts. Quarterback Barrett Beal was efficient in the passing game, hitting eight of 12 passes for 161 yards and a score against the Tigers (1-6, 0-2).
Hamlin 42, Ralls 22 — Braydin Warner passed for 255 yards and two touchdowns, and Jackson Sepeda rushed for 158 yards and three scores to lift the second-ranked Pied Pipers to a district-opening win over the Jack Rabbits.
Hamlin, now 6-0 overall and 1-0 in league play, led 14-0 at halftime and increased its advantage to 28-8 by the end of the third quarter to put away Ralls (5-2, 0-1).
The Pied Pipers outgained the Jack Rabbits 483-304, getting 158 yards and a touchdown receiving from Cutter Martin in addition to the production Warner and Sepeda provided.
Brock 50, Whitesboro 7 — The top-ranked Eagles continued their dominant run through this league, improving to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in district play with a blowout win over the Bearcats.
Brock got off to a slow start, trailing 7-6 after a quarter and leading just 15-7 at halftime. But a 21-0 run through the third quarter turned a one-score game into a runaway.
The Eagles outgained the Whitesboro (1-5, 1-2) by a 566-114 margin, getting 216 yards and three rushing touchdowns from senior running back Cash Jones. Chris Palfreeman also had a big game, rushing for 114 yards on 10 carries while catching a pair of passes for 22 yards.
Forsan 43, Colorado City 6 — Major Stockon rushed for 137 yards and two scores on only seven carries and passed for 46 yards and two more scores to lead Forsan to a win in the district opener for both clubs.
The Buffs (3-2, 1-0) raced out to a 30-6 halftime lead before putting things into cruise control for their third straight win.
Waco La Vega 42, Stephenville 24 — Down 14-0 at halftime, the Yellow Jackets rallied to pull within four in the third quarter, but that was as close as they’d get in an 18-point loss to the No. 3 Pirates.
Gavin Rountree’s 19-yard touchdown run made it a 14-10 game with three minutes remaining in the third quarter, but La Vega answered in the final minute of the period to go back up two scores, before outscoring Stephenville 21-14 in the fourth.
In addition to his TD run, Rountree had scoring passes to Coy Eakin (28 yards) and Trace Morrison (75 yards) to lead the Stephenville offense. But the Jackets (3-4, 1-1) couldn’t keep up with the Pirates (5-1, 2-0), who gained 462 of its 594 yards on the ground.
Monahans 46, Snyder 7 — The Loboes took control early and never relinquished it in a blowout win over the Tigers.
Leading 14-0 after a quarter and 21-7 at halftime, Monahans (3-4, 2-0) put the game away with a 19-0 run through the third quarter.
Snyder, now 2-4 overall and 0-2 in district, got its only touchdown on a 36-yard pass from Hunter Stewart to Mason Haynes.
Canyon 45, Andrews 14 — The Mustangs couldn’t keep up with the Eagles in their final nondistrict game, being outscored 34-8 in the second half of a blowout loss.
Andrews, now 5-2, outgained Canyon 439-348, but a 4-1 disadvantage in the turnover battle proved costly.
After going to halftime down 11-6, the Mustangs led briefly early in the third quarter (14-11), but the Eagles closed the game with 34 unanswered points.
With just four of 11 starters back from a unit that forced more than four turnovers per game in 2019, the Cooper defense was bound by logic and the realities of high school football to take a step backward in 2020.
Add in a once-in-a-century pandemic that cost all Class 5A and 6A schools their spring and much of the offseason, and the Cougars’ odds of repeating last year’s success were only further diminished.
But if you think the Cooper defense has allowed any of those circumstances to serve as an excuse to accept that outcome, you’d be sorely mistaken. And through two games against Class 6A competition, that group has already proven it will once again be a force most opposing offenses will find unpleasant to deal with.
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 morning.
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 7)”
LAST WEEK: 29-5, .853
SEASON TOTAL: 217-60, .783
Every district has key games you can spot weeks in advance. And every season has games that are worth circling on the calendar.
Friday will bring us to the Mustang Bowl in Sweetwater for exactly that — a crucial district 1-4A DII showdown between SHS (4-1, 1-0) and Midland 
Greenwood (3-2, 1-0) with the driver’s seat in the league race at stake.
Big Country Preps has something at stake as well, with me having picked Sweetwater to win district prior to the season, when most of the media had chosen Greenwood.
I’m either right or I’m not. And this is likely to be the game which proves it, either way.
The Wylie football team has had to cancel its next two games due to instances of COVID-19 within the program, removing Friday’s crosstown matchup with Cooper and the Bulldogs’ Oct. 16 homecoming game against Amarillo Palo Duro from the team’s schedule.
According to the district, two players and one coach tested positive for coronavirus, and a number of other players were in close contact with individuals who had tested positive for COVID-19.
“We continue to remain focused on the health and safety of our students and staff and are following the UIL protocols along with our state and federal guidelines,” said Wylie officials in a statement released by the school district. “The Taylor County Health Department will notify all students and staff who may have been affected and we will continue to monitor the situation and give any updates as needed.”
Wylie, which is off to a 2-0 start, will return to the field on Oct. 30 when it opens District 3-5A Division II play at Wichita Falls Rider. The Bulldogs’ home opener will now be delayed until Nov. 6, when they host Canyon Randall.
Wylie was to be the final nondistrict opponent for Cooper (1-1), which will now be idle this week unless a replacement game is sought and found. The Cougars will open District 3-5A Division I action Oct. 16 at home against Justin Northwest.
Having one big-play wideout can be a game-changer for an offense. Having two is even better.
The Wylie football team is currently enjoying the latter with seniors Creed Cooper and Reed Hughes, who’ve made their presence felt in a major way during the Bulldogs’ 2-0 start.
In combining for 10 catches for 242 yards and a pair of touchdowns in victories over Brownwood (28-7) and Lubbock Monterey (24-6), Cooper and Hughes have given quarterback Balin Valentine and the Wylie offense, in general, a pair of big-time weapons on the edges. And though the two friends share a light-hearted rivalry that goes back years, they’re more than content to share the spotlight — and touches — if it means continued success for their team.