Year: 2022

by Daniel Youngblood

TEXAS BANK HOLIDAY CLASSIC: Wylie, Goldthwaite boys claim tournament titles; Albany edges Coleman for third place

BROWNWOOD — The Wylie and Goldthwaite boys basketball teams both left the Texas Bank Holiday Classic with championship trophies, completing 4-0 runs through the tournament Friday to claim the large and small school titles, respectively.

After opening the Classic with lopsided pool play victories over Brady (94-31) and Early (56-36), Wylie picked up competitive wins over Gatesville (67-54) and Little River Academy (54-45) on Friday at Brownwood Coliseum to earn its championship.

The Goldthwaite boys, meanwhile, followed blowout victories over Sidney (67-38) and Santo (61-34) with thrilling final-day wins over Coleman (52-50) and Wellington (64-56) to clinch their title.

That capped a three-day tournament that also saw Albany top Coleman 56-50 for third place in the small school boys division and Fort Worth Nolan Catholic defeat Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (65-61) and Goldthwaite (55-33) to earn the girls crown.

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by Evan Ren

EULA HOLIDAY CLASSIC: Stamford girls rally to take tournament championship, Ballinger and Eula girls, Breck boys win on Day 3

EULA — The Eula Holiday Classic concluded on Friday, with some familiar faces winning the event’s top trophy. 

The Stamford girls, who finished as the Class 2A DI state runners-up last season, swept through the Eula tourney with a 4-0 mark and capped it with a come-from-behind 35-32 win over Whiteface in the title game. 

Laylonna Applin scored 16 points and Lainee Lefevre added 10 more to lift Stamford (18-4), which overcame a 27-21 deficit at the outset of the fourth quarter to get the win. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

EULA HOLIDAY CLASSIC: Stamford girls rout Hermleigh to get back to tournament title game

EULA — One of three Big Country teams to reach the semifinal round of the Eula Holiday Classic, the Stamford girls basketball team was the lone area squad to advance to Friday’s title game, defeating Hermleigh 60-29 on Thursday to earn the opportunity to defend its 2021 tournament title.

The Lady Bulldogs, who edged Holliday for the Classic championship last year, will try go for the repeat Friday when they take on Whiteface, which downed Eula 46-31 in Thursday’s other semifinal.

That matchup is set for 2:40 p.m. Friday, while Hermleigh and Eula will play for third place at 10:40 a.m.

No area team reached the semifinals on the boys side of the tournament, which will feature a championship matchup between Holliday and Tolar at 4 p.m. Friday and a third-place game between New Deal and Bells at noon.

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by Evan Ren

TEXAS BANK HOLIDAY CLASSIC: Brownwood fights off multiple rallies to top their next door neighbors

BROWNWOOD — Squaring off with their Class 4A neighbors from Brownwood, the 3A Early Longhorns were expected by many to fall handily in Friday’s meeting in the Texas Bank Holiday Classic.

Someone, however, forgot to remind Early that they were big underdogs, as BHS held on for a difficult 66-57 win at the Brownwood Coliseum.

Luke Gray poured in 22 points and Tristan Salinas added 15 more to lead Brownwood (10-8) which had to fight off multiple Early rallies to earn the win in second-place pool play.

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by Daniel Youngblood

EULA HOLIDAY CLASSIC: Hermleigh, Stamford and Eula girls punch ticket to semis on tournament’s first day

EULA — Big Country girls basketball programs made a strong showing on the opening day of the Eula Holiday Classic, placing three teams in Thursday’s championship bracket semifinals, while preserving the chance of an all-area championship picture. 

Hermleigh, Stamford and Eula all won a pair of games Wednesday to advance to the tournament’s penultimate round, while Breckenridge won its only game of the day to earn a Thursday morning matchup with Whiteface for the final spot in the semifinals.

Hermleigh and Stamford will play at 4 p.m. Thursday for a spot in Friday’s championship game, while Eula will take on the Breckenridge-Whiteface winner at 6:40 p.m. to decide the other title game participant.

On the boys side, meanwhile, Colorado City, Clyde and Jim Ned all remain alive with a chance to advance to the semifinals Thursday — each winning its only game Wednesday to remain in position to advance in the championship bracket.

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by Evan Ren

ANSON HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT: Wall girls, Sweetwater boys take respective titles

ANSON — If there is such a thing as a moral victory, the Anson girls’ basketball team may have earned one on Wednesday in the championship game of the Anson Holiday Tournament. 

Facing perennial 3A power Wall, the Lady Tigers (12-6) kept things close for more than three quarters before eventually falling 45-31. 

Kamryn Williams scored 13 points and Brylyn Watts added nine more to lead 13th-ranked Wall (18-3), which used 19 combined free throws to put Anson away.  The game was quickly followed by the boys’ title game, which saw Sweetwater top the Wylie JV 54-43.

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by Evan Ren

2022 BIG COUNTRY PREPS MAX EFFORT TEAM: The hardest-working players in area volleyball!

While BCP is proud to honor the top volleyball players in the area with our All-Big Country Preps team each year, our “Max Effort” team honors something that doesn’t show up in a box score. 

This is a unique honor which has nothing to do with physical talent.

Here, we recognize character, grit and work ethic — the elements that coaches wish every player had. Put another way, BCP’s Max Effort Team is where we honor the best teammates and best citizens that area volleyball has to offer.

It is for that reason that this team is selected by area coaches and described in their own words.

Big Country Preps is now honored to present these individuals to you.

Ladies and gentlemen: Our 2022 Big Country Preps Max Effort Team. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Cooper boys outlast Wylie to earn 44-39 win in defensive slugfest

It wasn’t the prettiest game the Cooper boys basketball team will play all year, but the result was just what the Cougars were looking for in their District 4-5A opener against crosstown rival Wylie.

After taking a 13-11 lead into halftime and going into the fourth quarter tied at 25, CHS outscored the Bulldogs 19-14 over the final eight minutes Tuesday to escape Bulldog Gym with a 44-39 victory in a game that even coach Bryan Conover as a “rock fight.”

But the win sends the Coogs into the holiday break at 8-6 overall and 1-0 in district play, which made the ugly win seem a little prettier after the fact.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Speights’ big fourth quarter fuels Cooper past rival Wylie

Trailing crosstown rival Wylie 33-32 heading into the final quarter, the Cooper girls basketball team needed a spark to get to the finish line with a win Tuesday at Bulldog Gym.

Enter standout senior Kyla Speights.

After being limited to just six points through the first three quarters, the talented point guard exploded for 13 points in the fourth — including two big 3-pointers and a three-point play in rapid succession — to fuel the Lady Cougars to 52-41 victory.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DANIEL YOUNGBLOOD: Even without fairytale ending, Brock’s 2022 season a great story

For large portions of Thursday’s Class 3A Division I state championship game Thursday, it appeared the contest would serve as a microcosm of Brock’s season.

The Eagles missed some opportunities early and fell behind before halftime only to claw their way back into the game and give themselves a chance at the ultimate prize at the end.

Unfortunately for BHS, this story didn’t have a fairytale ending.

After rallying twice to tie Franklin at 7 and 14, the Eagles watched Lions kicker Cort Lowry drill a 20-yard field goal as time expired to give his team a 17-14 win. Instead of coming all the way back from an 0-4 start to close the season with 12 straight wins and a state championship, Brock had to settle for a second consecutive state runner-up finish.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DANIEL YOUNGBLOOD: Hawley’s Cumpton, Bearcat teammates turned last year’s heartbreak into triumph

No one had to tell Hawley running back Austin Cumpton what he missed last year when he was unable to play in the Bearcats’ first-ever state championship game.

In street clothes for that one after fracturing a pair of vertebrae a few weeks earlier, the then-junior witnessed it firsthand as his teammates fell 47-12 to Shiner.

To say that experience was a motivator a year later — for both Cumpton and the Bearcats — might be an understatement. And healthy as a senior, Hawley’s 6-foot-1, 225-pound bowling ball back and his brothers made good on their mission of returning to AT&T Stadium and finishing the job this time.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Brock’s run ends with state championship loss to Franklin

ARLINGTON — A handful of costly Brock mistakes was enough to tip the balance in Franklin’s favor on Thursday night as the Lions won the 3A Division I state championship and their second straight title overall, 17-14 at AT&T Stadium. 

Jayden Jackson rushed for 148 yards and one score to lead Franklin (16-0), which took advantage of a 3-1 turnover ratio to win its 32nd straight game over a two-year span. This includes the 3A DII title a year ago.

With the score knotted at 14-14 with 5:54 left to play, the Lions pushed 65 yards in 15 plays to the Brock 3 yard-line where Cort Lowry booted a 20-yard field goal as time expired to lift Franklin to the win. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

SIDEBAR: Jones, Shackelford counties show up in support of each other

ARLINGTON — When Hawley played for its first football state championship in school history on Dec. 15, 2021, Mitch Ables was focused on the action on the field.

Fast forward exactly one year.

Back at AT&T Stadium on Thursday, Ables had a different plan — but it was one that he had been working on for far longer than just one day.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Hawley routs Refugio to capture first football state title in school history

ARLINGTON — Whatever doubts some people may have had about Hawley’s ability to overcome Refugio in Thursday’s Class 2A Division I state title game, they were answered by the third quarter at AT&T Stadium. 

Opening the game with 28 unanswered points, the Bearcats raced to a 34-7 halftime lead and were never seriously threatened beyond that point in a 54-28 win.

Offensive MVP Austin Cumpton rushed for 151 yards and four scores and Rodey Hooper threw for 279 yards and three more TDs to lift Hawley, which finished a perfect 16-0 while grabbing the first-ever football state championship for HHS. 

The Bearcats avenged last season’s title loss to Shiner with the win.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DANIEL YOUNGBLOOD: Albany players were determined to get Faith first state title

ARLINGTON — When you’ve coached in the same place for 41 years and had the success Denney Faith has in Albany, you tend to garner broad support.

And when the only thing missing from your legendary career is the ultimate prize — a Texas state championship — summiting that mountain can become a community effort.

Such was certainly the case Wednesday for Faith, whose Lions routed favored Mart 41-21 at AT&T Stadium for the Class 2A Division II crown. And as one might expect in such a situation, a key piece of the Albany players’ motivation was getting their longtime coach a ring.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Albany dominates Mart as Faith earns his first state championship

ARLINGTON — It took 35 years and five championship game appearances, but long-time Albany coach Denney Faith finally chalked up what had eluded him for so long on Wednesday: a state title. 

Coy Lefevre rushed for 65 yards and four touchdowns and Cole Chapman rushed for 129 yards and another score to lead Albany (14-2) to a 41-21 win over perennial power Mart at AT&T Stadium. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Westbrook mauls Abbott in repeating as state champions

ARLINGTON — In 2021, the Westbrook Wildcats had to withstand an instant replay at the end of the Class 1A Division I state championship game to find out if May had completed a Hail Mary to win.

That replay went the Wildcats way in allowing them to claim the first state championship in school history.

Wednesday afternoon, Westbrook repeated as state champions with a 69-24 win over Abbott at AT&T Stadium in a game that coach Homer Matlock said was just as stressful as the previous title as the team didn’t want to change its style of play.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Benjamin dominates Loraine for first title in school history

ARLINGTON — The Benjamin Mustangs used an efficient, quick strike offense and claimed the first state championship in school history with a 68-20 win over Loraine in the Class 1A Division II title game at AT&T Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

Benjamin ran just 17 plays on offense but gained 363 yards behind the legs of Offensive MVP Grayson Rigdon as the Mustangs held the ball for just 5:22 of the game that ended in the third quarter on the 45-point rule.

Rigdon ran for 255 yards and five scores on just 10 carries while completing both of his passes for 88 yards and a pair of scores.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel vs. Twitter Polls (Week 17)

Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games and select six-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.

Disagree with our picks or the Twitter consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Martin nets career milestone as Ballinger routs Clyde to open district

BALLINGER — Ballinger senior point guard Addison Martin entered Tuesday’s District 6-3A opener against Clyde at Joe Forester Gymnasium thinking that she was roughly 40 points away from hitting 1,000 for her career.

The four-sport star was shocked when coach Kinzee Willis called timeout after she recorded a steal and layup midway through the second quarter for her sixth point of the night when she saw the Ballinger student body unfurl a 1,000 point banner and four golden balloons signifying the achievement while cheerleaders shot off confetti in the bleachers.

It was a celebratory achievement that carried over to the court as the Lady Cats recorded a 55-32 win as they honored their point guard.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FORECAST: Six area teams head to Arlington

LAST WEEK: 3-0, 1.000
SEASON TOTAL: 540-120, .818

Far be it from me to point out that this column has been absolutely on fire throughout postseason play. 

Actually, I will point it out. 

Over the last three weeks alone, pick accuracy has seen marks of 11-1, 8-0 and 3-0 for an overall pick record of 22-1 (.956) during that span. And with six-man teams returning from a one-week hiatus, there are five state championship games involving six teams from our coverage area left to pick.

Albany, Hawley, Brock, Westbrook, Benjamin and Loraine have all retained a pulse into Week 17. Not too shabby. 

It’s been a great year, a lot of fun and it’s difficult to believe it all ends this week. 

Here’s the final forecast for the 2022 season: 

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by Daniel Youngblood

DANIEL YOUNGBLOOD: Ables’ tenure at longsuffering Hawley the stuff of legend

When Mitch Ables took over the Hawley football program in 2014, the Bearcats had posted more winless campaigns (eight) than winning seasons (six) in their history.

Despite fielding a team for 46 years to that point and being led by 15 different coaches, Hawley had managed only three playoff appearances — all since 2005 — and the Bearcats had never won a playoff game until the year before Ables arrived, when Brad Schoonmaker led them to a bi-district win over Alpine on the way to a 6-6 record.

So for HHS to be spoken about now among the Big Country’s elite, in the same breath as perennial small-school powers Albany and Cisco, is no small feat. In fact, it’s the product of a coaching effort that has been nothing short of legendary — and deserves to be viewed as such.

Continue reading “DANIEL YOUNGBLOOD: Ables’ tenure at longsuffering Hawley the stuff of legend” →

by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Munday’s Bowman takes our final accolade of the year

NOTE: This will be our final Player of the Week column for 2022. It will return on Monday, Jan. 9. 

It’s always a significant accomplishment to chart a double-double. But when one averages a double-double over the course of five straight games, you begin to put a blip on the area radar screen.

Munday senior Jaxon Bowman did precisely that last week, helping the Moguls to a 5-0 record and the tournament championship at Blackwell. Aside from averaging 11.2 points per game, the senior grabbed a whopping 13 boards per contest to along with a combined 12 steals as Munday improved to 12-2.

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: Faith’s program is the very essence of why we have high school athletics

Albany football coach Denney Faith watches his team warm up prior to the Class 2A DII state semifinal with New Home on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022 in Sweetwater.

ALBANY — A conversation with Albany football coach Denney Faith is almost like traveling back in time — a time when the people we admired most were hard-working, humble and willing let their work speak for itself. 

Faith isn’t going to volunteer that he’s now the fourth-winningest coach in Texas high school football history with 344 victories. He’s not going to advertise that he’s about to make his fifth career appearance in a state championship game. And you won’t hear that his teams have won 10 or more games in a season 17 times since he took the job at AHS in 1987.

His 19 district titles? A non-subject. His current string of 21 consecutive winning seasons? Don’t hold your breath. 

The truth of the matter is, Faith probably isn’t even aware of these things until someone like me points them out. Nor does he care about them. 

It’s not why he got into the business. 

Continue reading “EVAN REN: Faith’s program is the very essence of why we have high school athletics” →

by Brandon McAuliffe

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Cooper, Wylie close Catclaw with tough losses

Cooper and Wylie both suffered tough losses on Saturday to close out the Catclaw Classic at Wylie’s Bulldog Gym as they each fell by two possessions after rallying to have a shot late in the game at the win.

The Cougars dropped a 48-43 decision to Canyon in the second game of the day before the Bulldogs were on the short end of a 61-55 decision against Fort Worth Chisholm Trail to close out the tournament.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Abilene High closes Catclaw Classic at 1-2; Wylie, Cooper drop tight ones

The Catclaw Classic has seen the three local schools struggle with a combined six losses in seven games, but it hasn’t been as bleak as it sounds.

Cooper has continued its strong performance of late, starting off with a pair of losses by a combined three points to Midland Christian and Fort Worth Chisholm Trail, while host Wylie suffered a big loss on Thursday before falling by just three on Friday.

Abilene High has had the most success in the tournament so far with one win in its three games, a 41-36 victory over Midland Christian on Friday night. The Eagles lost games to Chisholm Trail and Canyon earlier in the event.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Cumpton’s four-TD night lifts Hawley to win over Crawford, return to Arlington

MINERAL WELLS — After having a back injury cost him a chance to play in Hawley’s first state championship game last season, senior running back Austin Cumpton took the challenge of leading the Bearcats back to Arlington personally in Thursday’s Class 2A Division I state semifinal matchup with Crawford.

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound bruiser, who missed the final three games of last year’s run with a pair of fractured vertebrae, was nothing short of dazzling against CHS, pounding the previously unbeaten Pirates for 175 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-20 win at Ram Stadium.

That performance, which came in a strong all-around effort by the Bearcats, earned Hawley (15-0) a return trip to AT&T Stadium, where it will face off with fellow state power Refugio next week for the 2A DI state championship.

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