Month: April 2022

by Mike Lee, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Snyder’s 1600 Relay … No stars. No depth. Just determination.

Photo by Snyder boys’ track coach Desmond Ayala.

 The Snyder boys’ Big Country-leading 1600-meter relay suffered its first loss Saturday in five track meets this spring, finishing second to Lubbock Coronado’s 3:23 at the Lubbock Invitational. But veteran track coach Desmond Ayala accomplished a key goal with the Tigers’ runner-up finish in 3 minutes, 26.27 seconds.

“We wanted to run against some tough competition that would push us,” Ayala said of his Class 4A Tigers. “We had to run for our lives today. We were in fourth place at one point. Jeremiah Rodriguez (the third leg) got us back in the race. Then on the anchor leg, Jay Castillo got hit on his heel and stumbled and almost fell.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High snaps losing streak with strong showing against rival Cooper

Stepping outside of their respective district races for a rare April nondistrict game, both the Abilene High and Cooper baseball teams were hoping to snap losing streaks in the crosstown matchup Saturday at Cougar Field.

With a strong pitching performance from Danian Martinez and three big innings at the plate, the Eagles were able to accomplish that.

Trailing 1-0 after an inning, AHS scored four in the second and three in the third to take control early, before holding off a late Cooper rally in a 10-4 win over the Cougars. The Coogs pulled within four at 7-3 with two runs in the sixth, but the Eagles countered with a three-run outburst in the seventh to pull ahead by a game-high seven runs and held on from there for their fist win since March 10.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

LOCAL SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: Cooper falls in 10 to Coronado; Wylie routs Lubbock High

The Cooper softball team dropped another heartbreaker on Friday, falling 7-4 to Lubbock Coronado in a 10-inning thriller at Cougar Diamond.

The Lady Cougars, who gave up four seventh-inning runs in an 8-6 walk-off loss to Monterey last Friday, were tied with the Lady Mustangs this week from the end of the fourth inning through the top of the 10th. But a three-run outburst by Coronado in that half-inning left Cooper with a deficit it couldn’t overcome.

The loss dropped CHS (12-6-3 overall) to 1-3 in District 4-5A play, leaving them alone in fifth place after Friday’s games.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie bats, starter Gay shine as Bulldogs complete season sweep of Monterey

The Wylie lineup gave senior ace Brooks Gay three runs in the first inning and tacked on at least one run in four of the next five frames to fuel the Bulldogs to a 9-2 win over Lubbock Monterey on Friday at Bulldog Field.

Staked to a 4-0 lead after three, Gay allowed his only runs in the fourth and sixth innings and his teammates continued to provide run support, following one-run frames in the third and fourth innings with two runs in the fifth and sixth to pull away for a comfortable victory.

The win improved Wylie to 13-3 overall and 6-1 in District 4-5A play, keeping the Bulldogs within a game of league leader Lubbock Cooper, which defeated Abilene Cooper 11-1 on Friday in Abilene.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Palmer narrowly misses another perfecto in crucial district win over Clyde

TUSCOLA — In the end, one run would have been enough. 

But on a night when Jim Ned starting pitcher Blaine Palmer was nearly unhittable, the Indians drove in enough runs to end a crucial district game with Clyde, 10-0 in only six innings. 

Braden Lewis was 2 for 4 with a double, triple and three RBIs and Troy Doran was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs to lead Jim Ned (15-1, 6-0), which solidified its hold on the District 6-3A lead with the win.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Barajas’ bat, superb defense lift AHS softball past Permian

The Abilene High softball team entered Friday’s District 2-6A game against Odessa Permian knowing that it needed to start the second half of district with a win.

The Lady Eagles, who opened district play with a 12-2 win over the Lady Panthers, completed the season sweep with an 8-3 home victory.

The win moved AHS (12-10 overall, 3-4 district) into a tie for third-place in district with Odessa High and marked Abilene High’s second straight victory following a four-game losing streak.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us