Month: April 2021

FEATURE: Young Wylie pitchers Farrar, Russell thrive in outsized role, shared spotlight

Few young players in the Big Country started their varsity careers with tougher assignments than Wylie pitchers Reese Farrar and Halli Russell.

Following in the footsteps of graduated standouts Kaylee Philipp and Bailey Buck, two players who were instrumental in leading the Lady Bulldogs to the Region I-5A semifinals in 2019, Farrar and Russell were stepping into some pretty large shoes to begin with.

Add in a season-ending injury to sophomore Rylee Moore, who had earned time in the circle last year as a freshman before the season was cut short by COVID, and the two varsity newcomers found themselves in key roles almost immediately.

While that type of initiation might have been too much for some players to handle, both Farrar and Russell — a sophomore and freshman, respectively — have stood tall for the Lady Bulldogs this season. And though each has enjoyed some individual success in helping WHS (18-12) get back to the playoffs, both feel they’re better together.

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GAME STORY: Barajas’ big game fuels AHS to wet, wild win over EP Montwood in Game 1

Breana Barajas blasted a pair of home runs and accounted for seven RBIs Thursday to fuel the Abilene High softball team to a 19-9 home win over El Paso Montwood in the first game of a best-of-three Region I-6A bi-district series. 

Playing on a wet field due to days of rain leading up their playoff opener, the Lady Eagles (13-9) pounded out 14 hits in all, including seven for extra bases to take a 1-0 series lead into Game 2, which is scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday in El Paso.

Trailing 4-3 after 2½ innings, AHS exploded for seven runs in the third and seven more in the fourth to push ahead by 12 runs, before answering a four-run Montood fifth with a two-run shot by Jailyn Shaw to end the game by 10-run rule.

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UPDATED: Haskell hires McLemore to replace Hodnett

After the departure of Brian Hodnett earlier this month, the Haskell Indians have found their new head football coach and athletic director.

The Indians turned to former Big Spring coach Mitch McLemore, naming him the 30th head coach in school history on Thursday morning.

He looks to build on the success that Hodnett had prior to taking the offensive coordinator position at Sweetwater. Hodnett made three playoff appearances during his tenure in Haskell County. Continue reading “UPDATED: Haskell hires McLemore to replace Hodnett”

FEATURE: Hamlin bids farewell to an old friend

Photos courtesy of Gary Ford

HAMLIN — The first time Charlie Shira sat behind a microphone to work PA at Hamlin High School, Ronald Reagan was President, “Dallas” was the top-rated show on television and the Space Shuttle had yet to get off a launch pad. 

That’s a long time ago. 

Some four decades later, Shira was honored prior to Tuesday’s Hamlin baseball game with Forsan in a brief ceremony to commemorate his years of service to HHS and to acknowledge his retirement from PA announcing. 

It brought to a close a career that included 40 years of track, 30 years of baseball and 25 years of football as the “Voice of the Pipers.” 

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GAME STORY: Patient Stephenville offense rolls Brownwood

BROWNWOOD — Knowing that storms could potentially hit the area, Stephenville baseball coach Justin Swenson gave Tuesday night starter Bryson Dill a simple directive.

“Pound the zone and throw strikes.”

That’s exactly what Dill did and the Yellow Jackets took a 12-0 win over Brownwood in District 6-4A play Tuesday night at Morris Southall Field. Continue reading “GAME STORY: Patient Stephenville offense rolls Brownwood”

GAME STORY: Gutsy pitching performance, timely hitting earns Wylie 3-2 win at Cooper

The Wylie baseball team only had five hits Tuesday off Cooper starter Jack Keefer, but the Bulldogs bunched them all together during a three-run fourth and got a strong enough pitching performance from Dash Albus and Cooper Hrbacek to escape Cougar Field with a 3-2 victory.

The win, which spoiled the Cougars’ Senior Night, clinched the No. 2 playoff seed out of District 4-5A for Wylie, which is now a game ahead of Lubbock Coronado with one to play and the head-to-head tiebreaker in its pocket.

The Bulldogs, who trailed 1-0 after sending just 10 batters to the plate through the first three innings, finally got to Keefer in the fourth. But they still needed a shutdown relief effort from Hrbacek, who struck out eight over the final three innings and pitched out of a jam in the seventh to save the victory for Albus. 

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FEATURE: Comanche decision to lean on freshman pitcher is paying off

The impromptu meeting came on the Saturday morning of Comanche’s tournament in Clifton.

Roland Silva was contemplating who to start in the circle against Gatesville when a small group of Maidens approached the softball coach.  

“A couple juniors and seniors came up and said we enjoy getting a shot to pitch, but we’re a much better team with Riley in the circle,” Silva recalled. “I told her, ‘These girls are depending on you.’ We’re a much more confident team with her out there.”   

That was the day when Comanche went from having a pitching rotation to leaning almost solely on Riley Riordan. The freshman hasn’t disappointed as she’s posted a 13-6 record with a 2.88 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 116.1 innings while batting .463.  

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FEATURE: Dublin coaches forget about Kevin Patton’s hip disease because he never mentions it

Dublin freshman Kevin Patton handles his hip disease so discreetly, his coaches sometimes forget about it.

“I knew about it, but until you asked me about it, I had completely forgotten about it,” said Scott Mitchell, the Dublin Lions’ second-year baseball coach. “His hip issue has not hindered him as an athlete. He’s a competitor. He’s a starter on our baseball team as a freshman.

“I have all the confidence in the world in Kevin doing whatever he wants to do.”

Patton began this baseball season on the Dublin JV, but was quickly called up to the varsity. Over the last half of the regular season, he has started at second base for the young, rebuilding Lions, who were 6-19 overall and 2-10 in District 8-3A through last week’s games.

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CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde’s Phillips earns this week’s spotlight

In a week filled with unforgettable moments, several of our nominees handed in by area coaches could justifiably be called our Capital Farm Credit/BCP Player of the Week. 

We finally settled on Clyde sophomore Payton Phillips, who stunned attendees at the Region I-3A meet by taking gold in both the long jump (18 feet, 6 inches) and the 100 hurdles (15.12) — breaking school records that were 25 and 15 years old, respectively. 

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CLASS 1A REGIONAL TRACK RECAP: Cross Plains boys, girls have big showing in San Angelo

The Cross Plains girls and boys track teams topped the list of Big Country teams competing at LeGrand Stadium in the Region II-1A meet on Friday and Saturday. 

Fueled by wins in the 400-, 800- and 1,600-meter relay teams , the Cross Plains girls (60 points) earned a second-place finish behind regional champion Irion County (71.33). 

Cross Plains’ Addison Long, Tori Taylor, Abbigale Shepard and Katie Goins combined for gold in both the 400 and 800 relays.  Cadence Wediking joined Long, Shepard and Goins for the win in the 4×400. 

Other top area teams included Munday and Blackwell, which tied for fourth in the 30-team field, along with Roby, which finished sixth. 

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REGION IV-2A TRACK RECAP: San Saba, Goldthwaite combine for six medals, four state bids

KINGSVILLE — Despite being the only two schools representing the Big Country Preps coverage area in the Region IV-2A track meet, both San Saba and Goldthwaite had their share of highlights Friday and Saturday at Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Both schools had athletes earn state meet berths, with San Saba claiming two gold medals and a silver and Goldthwaite earning a silver and two bronzes.

Both San Saba squads earned top-10 team finishes as the boys placed seventh with 26 points the girls took eighth with 28 points. The Goldthwaite boys, meanwhile, finished eighth with 24 points, while the girls were 11th with 20 points.

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REGION II-2A TRACK RECAP: Haskell girls top Stamford for team title

SPRINGTOWN — The Haskell girls track team made a remarkable showing at the Region I-2A track meet Friday and Saturday at Porcupine Stadium, sweeping all three relays to run away with the team title.

The Maidens finished with 106 points to top second-place Stamford by 26 points, headlining an outstanding weekend for Big Country athletes and teams.

In all, area competitors accounted for 33 total metals and 26 state berths, with the bulk of those coming on the girls side of things. Big Country girls claimed 10 gold medals and eight silvers out of their 23 total medals.

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REGION I-2A TRACK RECAP: Three Coleman athletes, Forsan’s Nelson headed to state

CANYON — With only one area district in Region I-2A, the Big Country didn’t have a huge contingent of athletes at the regional meet Friday and Saturday at West Texas A&M. But that didn’t keep the area from making an impact.

Coleman jumper Devinar Roberson claimed a pair silver medals to earn state berths in the high jump and triple jump on the boys side, while three area girls earned four spots at the state meet next month in Austin.

Coleman’s Abbi Allen claimed two of those, finishing second in the high jump and long jump, while teammate Jordan Rae took silver in the triple jump and Forsan thrower Aleena Nelson earned the area’s only gold medal in the shotput.

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REGION I-4A TRACK RECAP: Stephenville’s Cameron, Big Spring boys duo headline strong area showing

LUBBOCK — Big Country athletes accounted for 16 medals and clinched eight berths to the state track meet over the weekend at the Region I-4A meet Lowrey Field.

Area athletes claimed four gold medals, four silvers and eight bronzes during a strong all-around showing by the Big Country’s representatives Friday and Saturday.

Headlining the effort on the girls side was Stephenville sprinter Victoria Cameron, who swept the girls 100 and 200 meters, running the former in 12.12 seconds and the latter in a personal-best time of 24.81 to win the event by almost a second over Argyle’s Ja’Liyah Patterson (25.70).

On the boys side, the area’s gold medals came from Big Spring discus thrower Braxton Pearson (personal-best 160 feet, 1 inch) and Big Spring high jumper Kyler Seymore (personal-best 6-6).

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REGION I-5A/I-6A RECAP: AHS triple jumper Ebengo, Wylie pole vaulter Aguilar headed to state

Two local athletes are headed to the UIL state meet after earning gold medals at their respective regional meets this week.

Abilene High’s Perside Ebengo is headed to Austin for the 6A meet after winning the triple jump at the Region I-6A meet in Arlington, while Wylie’s Kylor Aguilar earned his second state meet appearance with a gold medal in the pole vault at the Region I-5A meet in Lubbock.

The state berths highlighted a solid regional showing by Abilene’s three public high schools, each of which had athletes place to earn points in the team standings.

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REGION I-3A TRACK DAY 2: Brock sweeps team titles, Big Country fares well at 1-3A meet

For years now, the Region I-3A title in most sports has gone through the Brock Eagles.

Now, you can add track and field to that list as well.

The Brock boys and girls swept the team titles at the Region I-3A track meet Saturday at Abilene Christian University’s Elmer Gray Stadium, claiming their first region title on both sides to headline a strong day all around for athletes in the Big Country Preps coverage area.

In all, area athletes and relay teams claimed 35 medals and 26 state meet berths on the meet’s second day, adding to that which was accomplished on Day 1 on Friday.

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FEATURE: Poise, pitching, power, bringing Sweetwater softball team to new heights

SWEETWATER — Much of what we are seeing from the Sweetwater softball team in 2021 may have happened a year ago, when the COVID-19 lockdown forced a complete halt to spring athletics. 

The Lady Mustangs have patiently waited for an entire year to demonstrate why. 

The newly crowned District 3-4A champions recently locked up the first league title in the program’s history, backed by consistent pitching, a set of dangerous hitters in the middle of the lineup and an uncommon level of poise. 

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GAME STORY: Cooper softball shuts out Wylie to claim No. 2 playoff seed

After watching her team fall 6-4 to Wylie on walk-off home run on April 6, Cooper coach Stacey Herring said the Lady Cougars were struggling with a mental block against their crosstown district rival.

The Lady Bulldogs swept Cooper in 2019, including a come-from-behind win for the District 4-5A title in the regular-season finale, and improved to 3-0 against the Lady Coogs with their win their win earlier this month at Lady Bulldog Field.

But entering Friday’s rematch at the Cooper softball field, Herring was confident her team would show up ready to snap that streak, and sure enough, it did. The Lady Coogs got a combined shutout from pitchers Summer Simmons and Jahlissah Marquez and broke through for four runs in the third inning to down the Wylie 4-0 for a big Senior Day win.

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GAME STORY: Lady Eagles ride freshmen, defense to playoff berth

The playoffs started Friday night for the Abilene High softball team in a win-or-go home matchup against San Angelo Central for the fourth and final playoff spot out of District 2-6A.

AHS saw Diana Silva control the Lady Bobcats for four innings in the circle, and fellow freshman Amyah Starks had her first career home run as the Lady Eagles claimed a 5-1 win.

The win puts the Lady Eagles in the postseason, where they will face El Paso Montwood next week. Details of the pairing have not yet been finalized.

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REGION I-3A TRACK DAY 1: Clyde enjoys double gold on first day of meet

ABILENE — While there is still much to be decided in the Region I-3A meet at Abilene Christian University, at least two Clyde Bulldogs can rest assured that their tickets to Austin have already been punched. 

Payton Phillips, a sophomore girls long jumper and Jacob Roberts, a senior boys high jumper, both claimed regional gold on Friday, clinching a berth in the UIL State Track and Field Meet on May 6-8 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin. 

The pair was part of a group of several athletes from the Big Country Preps coverage area to lock up trips to state. Wall’s Tate Williams and Brock’s Nathan Jones had already finished 1-2 in the boys’ shotput  earlier in the day, shortly after Kylee Willis of Breckenridge had claimed silver in the girls high jump.

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UPDATED: Merkel makes historical hire for new head football coach, athletic director

For the first time in history, three brothers will be head coaches of Texas high school football programs simultaneously.

The historical move came on Friday morning when Merkel named Fort Worth Paschal offensive coordinator Will Kates its new head football coach and athletic director during its school board meeting.

Kates comes from a coaching family as he joins two brothers that also lead programs. Matt Kates leads LaGrange, a 4A Division II school, while Ged Kates is the head coach at 5A Division I Richland. Will Kates is the youngest of the three. Continue reading “UPDATED: Merkel makes historical hire for new head football coach, athletic director”

FEATURE: Powerful Cooper lineup putting constant pressure on opponents

For many high school teams, “manufacturing” runs requires creativity — be it through the use of small ball or forcing defensive action with an aggressive running game.

The Cooper softball team has chosen to take a more literal approach to the word.

While certainly capable of moving and scoring runners by strategic means, the Lady Cougar offensive machine is geared more toward mass production. And as with any good assembly line, the CHS lineup has ample power behind it.

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COLLEGE SIGNING: Abilene High point guard McGee signs to play for DII Midwestern State

Following a standout high school career that saw him top 1,000 career points and earn first-team All-Big Country Preps honors each of the past two seasons, Abilene High point guard Jalen McGee knew he wanted to play college basketball. He just needed to find the right fit and opportunity.

While it took a little longer than he might have anticipated to materialize, the senior found both at Midwestern State University.

After visiting the Division II school in Wichita Falls last week and receiving a scholarship offer during that trip, McGee announced his commitment on Monday. And on Thursday, he made that pledge official, fulfilling a lifelong dream when he signed his letter of intent with MSU.

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