Month: September 2022

FEATURE: Abilene High OLB Johnson coming into his own in final high school campaign

Given the success Kenneth Johnson has enjoyed for the Abilene High defense this season, it might be hard to believe that the senior outside linebacker was a reluctant tackler as recently as last season.

But that was the case for the Eagles’ breakout star, who admits he was “low-key afraid of contact” and “kind of a benchwarmer” as a junior.

But quite a lot has changed for Johnson over the past 10 months, which have seen the once defensive project emerge as one of the best and most disruptive defenders in all of the Big County. And now that he is finally realizing the substantial potential coach Mike Fullen always knew he had, the senior is trying to make the most of a senior season he hopes will earn him an opportunity to play even more football in the future.

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

FEATURE: Veteran quarterback Baronet taking game to next level for Brady

Whether you’re a coach, fan, Old School patron of the game or analytics nerd, you have to be impressed with what Hayden Baronet is doing on the field and to the record books at Brady this fall.

In his third year as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback — and only halfway through the regular season — Baronet has already amassed 1,436 yards in total offense and accounted for 18 touchdowns. Last week, in the Bulldogs’ 47-27 win over Christoval, he completed 18 of 29 passes for 231 yards and two TDs and rushed for 179 yards and an astonishing five touchdowns. 

And that’s just taking into consideration what he is doing on offense. In the game against the Cougars, the senior also had 10 tackles, an interception, a pass breakup and a tackle for loss from his free safety position on defense.

Add all of that up, and you get … well, if your name is Hayden Baronet, you get the state’s “Built Ford Tough” Player of the Week honor in Class 3A, a weekly award bestowed on the top performer from each classification.

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

FEATURE: Haskell’s Marquise Johnson proving himself to be top-quality utility man

Marquise Johnson hadn’t played the position in about four years.  

But when Mitch McLemore was looking for someone to take over as Haskell’s starting quarterback this season, he turned to last year’s slot receiver.  

“He’s had a little bit of a learning curve, but he brought the most to the table as far as athleticism, throwing, running and smarts,” McLemore said. “He’s done a great job learning a lot of stuff in a short period of time.”  

The Indians are taking a 2-3 record into this week’s important District 7-2A Division II game at Petrolia, where McLemore spent two years (2019-20) as head coach.  

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

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel vs. Twitter Polls (Week 6)

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.

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

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Santo entertains Muenster (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country picks)

LAST WEEK: 43-12, .781
SEASON TOTAL: 221-64, .775

Week 6 is typically a bye week across the board, with a very few games around the area and very little in the way of quality.

That’s not the case in 2022, with several solid matches throughout the Big Country, despite the fact that many area 11-man clubs are idle. 

This week’s live coverage includes Muenster at Santo, Brownwood at Stephenville and Mason at Wall — three games that would be potential games of the week, even with a full schedule. And there are additional quality matchups throughout the area. 

Let’s take a look at them. Here’s this week’s forecast: 

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

FEATURE: Long-suffering Gorillas off to their best start in a decade at 4-1

Photos courtesy of Ty & Tab Photography.

TRENT — It’s been a long time since the Trent Gorillas (4-1) were playing this well five games into a season.  In fact, Trent isn’t far removed from not being able to consistently field a team — much less win games on a regular basis. 

But entering this week’s non-district game with Olfen, the Gorillas are now one win away from matching their highest win total since 2015 and are only two wins away from securing their first regular season above .500 since 2012. 

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

GAME STORY: Wylie earns gritty home sweep over Coronado, pulls into second place in 4-5A standings

The Wylie volleyball team pulled into second place in the District 4-5A standings Tuesday, overtaking Abilene High with a 25-23, 25-23, 25-13 win over Lubbock Coronado at Bulldog Gym.

The Lady Bulldogs, who entered the day one-half match back of the Lady Eagles in the league race, improved to 19-15 overall and 4-1 in league play, while AHS (13-17 overall) fell to 4-2 in 4-5A action with a 25-22, 25-19, 25-20 loss to district leader Lubbock Cooper (27-4, 5-0).

Thanks to Tuesday’s win, which saw Wylie rally in Games 1 and 2 before finally taking control in the third set, the Lady Bulldogs will now travel on Friday to take on Lubbock Cooper with a share of the district lead on the line.

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

GAME REPORT: Abilene High closes first half of district play with home loss to Lubbock Cooper

Hosting Lubbock Cooper with the District 4-5A lead on the line, the Abilene High volleyball team fell 25-22, 25-19, 25-20 to the Lady Pirates to close out the first half of league play at 4-2.

The Lady Eagles, who entered Tuesday on a four-match winning streak, will be idle Friday before opening the second half of district action at Wylie next Tuesday. The Lady Bulldogs (19-15, 4-1) overtook AHS for second in the district standings with a home win over Lubbock Coronado on Tuesday, but they’ll travel to Lubbock Cooper on Friday with a share of the league lead on the line.

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

GAME STORY: Wall volleyball plays fast, sweeps San Angelo TLCA

WALL — Playing with just two girls on its bench, the Wall volleyball team knew that it would have its hands full against a San Angelo TLCA squad that rolls with a roster of 14 players.

The 16th-ranked Lady Hawks struggled with a faster pace that TLCA brought in the first set before regrouping and rolling to a quick 25-21, 25-12, 25-12 win in 50 minutes Tuesday in a District 6-3A match at Hawk Gym.

Wall’s ability to adjust on the fly and adapt to the pace that the Lady Eagles were pushing was something coach Robynn Jones was pleased to see.

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

FEATURE: Versatile Bryant helping Lady Indians to banner season

Photos by Meredith Goodwin

Is versatile Jim Ned senior Kate Bryant better as an outside hitter or as a setter?  

It’s a question that leaves Lady Indians volleyball coach Miranda Garcia stumped upon reflection.  

“Ooohh that’s a tough one. She has always been a great setter, always had great hands, even in middle school,” Garcia said. “Her hitting has really come along since her sophomore year. She wanted to be an outside hitter since middle school, so she’s really been working on hitting.”  

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

FEATURE: Abilene High senior Hernandez a force in the middle for young Lady Eagles

At 6-foot-2, Jadyn Hernandez casts an imposing shadow at the net. But the senior middle blocker is far more than a just a big body for the Abilene High volleyball team.

Blessed with excellent athleticism to go with her height, Hernandez is an offensive force as middle hitter, and her presence at the net on defense is one all opponents must account for.

But perhaps just as important as what she does on the court on game days is what she has brought as a leader — a role through which she’s helped a young Lady Eagles squad find its stride in the first half of District 4-5A play.

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

CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior from tiny Stephenville Three Way lands this week’s award

Some people in the Big Country may not even know where tiny Three Way High School is. 

For the record it’s on the outskirts of Stephenville, it plays in District 11-1A DI (six-man) and if our Big Country Preps Player of the Week has any say about it, you’ll be hearing a lot more about the Braves in the near future. 

Colt Berry, a senior spreadback, had an eye-popping performance last week in a 73-54 win over Aquilla, amassing 561 all-purpose yards to help the Braves (1-3) to their first win of the year. 

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

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 5 RECAP: Wylie drops heartbreaker in San Angelo as league goes 1-5

San Angelo Central 63, Wylie 61 — The Bulldogs dropped heartbreaker, allowing a 40-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game to fall to the Bobcats in their final nondistrict game.

Wylie (2-3) rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to take a 54-49 lead in the fourth quarter and answered a Central touchdown with what appeared to be a game-winning scoring drive with just 19 seconds remaining in the game. But after evading a potential sack, Bobcat quarterback Tyler Hill hit Ben Imler, who split a pair of Wylie defenders at the 10-yard line to turn a 61-57 deficit into a two-point win. 

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

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 5 RECAP: Abilene High, Caprock and Tascosa open league play with victories

Abilene High 37, Lubbock Monterey 7 — The Eagles opened league play with a blowout win, limiting the Plainsmen to 155 yards of total offense in a game that was well in hand by halftime.

Despite leaving some points on the field on the board in the opening quarter, AHS (2-3, 1-0) led 23-0 at the break and added two more touchdowns to their lead in the fourth quarter before Monterey (0-5, 0-1) finally got on the board with 1:32 remaining in the game.

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

DISTRICT 3-2A DIV. I WEEK 5 REPORT: Forsan comes up just short in one-point loss to Kermit

Kermit 14, Forsan 13 — The Yellow Jackets shut the Buffaloes out in the second half and scored the only touchdown of the fourth quarter to overcome a 13-8 halftime deficit and claim a dramatic one-point win. 

Kermit outgained Forsan 254-186 in the defensive dogfight, overcoming a 4-1 deficit in the turnover margin to score the victory.

Nate Gensler ran for a game-high 139 yards and a touchdown to lead the Yellow Jackets, who also got 103 yards receiving from Jadan Bejarano. The Buffs (4-1), meanwhile, were paced by Kevin Kligora, who rushed for 93 yards on 21 carries. Brooks Wright had a pick-six for the game’s first score, and Brycen Cervantes ran for Forsan’s only offensive TD. 

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

DISTRICT 5-3A DIV. II WEEK 5 REPORT: Gaitan, Rasberry fuel Dublin past Florence

Dublin 34, Florence 23 — The Lions took care of business against the Buffaloes, outscoring FHS 21-14 in the second half to pull away for a two-score win.

Dublin (2-3) led 13-9 at halftime, before using a 14-0 run through the third quarter to create some distance. The Lions got a pair of touchdown passes from Kaden Gaitan to Dalan Rasberry, while Gaitan added a rushing score and Cameron Patton scored twice on the ground.

Florence, which finished with 355 total yards, was led by quarterback Ryland Carlile (10-24-1—139, 3 TDs), running back Jose Maldonado (36-164) and receiver Zakary Webb (8-85, 2 TDs.

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

DISTRICT 8-2A DIV. II WEEK 5 REPORT: Collinsville, Celeste and Muenster race out to 1-0 district starts

Collinsville 26, Lindsay 0 — The Pirates took care of business against the Knights, limiting LHS to just 181 total yards in a shutout victory.

CHS, which improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in league play, put up 360 total yards (203 rushing, 157 passing) and outscored the Knights 19-0 in the second half to break open what had been a close game through two quarters.

The Pirates were led offensively by quarterback Logan Jenkins (18-31-2—157, 1 TD passing; 12-84, 2 TDs rushing), running back Rylan Newman (18-119, 1 TD) and receiver Carter Scott (5-85, 1 TD). Lindsay (0-5, 0-1) rushed for all but 40 of its yards and turned the ball over four times.

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

District 4-3A DIV. I WEEK 5 REPORT: Brock blasts Boyd to earn first win of season

Brock 55, Boyd 6 — The Eagles broke into the win column in dominating fashion, blasting the Yellowjackets in the district opener for both teams.

Brock, which outgained Boyd 576-189, built a 27-0 lead by halftime and was never threatened after in improving to 1-4 on the year and 1-0 in league play. 

Tyler Moody passed for 253 yards, while the Eagles got strong rushing games from Brett Tutter (11-102, 1 TD), Reid Watkins (11-82, 3 TDs rushing; 2-70 receiving), Zachary Brewster (2-70, 2 TDs) and Cannon Stephens (4-52, 1 TD). The Yellowjackets (3-2, 0-1), meanwhile, were led by quarterback Braden McIntire (16-31-0—175, 1 TD passing) and receivers Mason Turner (6-93) and Aidan LeMasters (6-73, 1 TD).

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

DISTRICT 10-2A DIV. II WEEK 5 REPORT: Hico snaps three-game losing skid

Hico 51, Frost 20 — Price Mullin rushed for 71 yards and two scores and Carson Keller rushed for 50 yards and two more touchdowns as Hico routed Frost in the district opener for both clubs. 

Keller also completed four of six passes for 148 yards an another TD as the Tigers (2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak. 

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

DISTRICT 5-2A DIV. I WEEK 5 REPORT: Bangs, Coleman and Hamilton open league play with victories

Bangs 49, De Leon 21 — Guy Powell rushed for 323 yards and five touchdowns on just 14 carries and added a kickoff return TD for good measure to lead the Dragons to an impressive district-opening win over the Bearcats.

Bangs, which rushed for 505 of its 583 total yards, led just 28-21 at halftime, but the Dragons took control in the second half to improve to 3-2 overall and 1-0 in league play.

In addition to Powell’s big game, BHS got 78 yards passing and 56 yards and a touchdown rushing from quarterback Kenny Cole. De Leon (3-2, 0-1), which finished with 543 total yards (286 rushing, 257 passing) was led quarterback Heston Jobe (18-27-1—257 passing; 14-107 rushing) and running back Kallen McIlvain (25-165, 3 TDs rushing; 1-27 receiving).

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

DISTRICT 3-4A DIV. II WEEK 5 REPORT: Sweetwater, Snyder drop tough games

Clyde 29, Sweetwater 28 (OT) — The Mustangs fell just short in overtime, surrendering a game-ending two-point conversion to drop a heartbreaker to the Bulldogs.

Sweetwater (1-4) led 15-14 at halftime and held a 21-14 lead in the fourth quarter, but Clyde rallied to tie the game by the end of regulation and answered a Mustangs touchdown in overtime with a TD and two-point conversion to claim the win.

Blake Carr led the effort for CHS, passing for 253 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a team-high 61 yards and another score. Sweetwater, which rushed for 237 of its 310 yards, was paced by Jadyn Forbes (3-6-0—21, 1 TD passing; 11-99 rushing; 1-17 receiving) and Jamarian Amos (20-88, 1 TD rushing; 2-16, 1 TD receiving). 

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

DISTRICT 4-3A DIV. II WEEK 5 REPORT: Coahoma, Roosevelt, Stanton chalk up victories

Coahoma 21, Merkel 0 — Coahoma (4-1) extended its winning streak to four games behind 259 yards passing and three TDs from Boyd Cox. 

Austin Perkins was his favorite target, charting five catches for 121 yards and two scores. 

Coahoma limited Merkel to 260 yards in total offense while forcing three turnovers. 

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

DISTRICT 2-4A DIV. I WEEK 5 REPORT: Brownwood throttles Connally, Big Spring outlasts Snyder

Brownwood 52, Waco Connally 21 — Ike Hall passed for 157 yards and a two touchdowns while rushing for 123 yards and two more scores to fuel the Lions to dominating victory over the Cadets.

Kolyn Anderson added 113 yards and two touchdowns rushing, while Thad Hinds received for 92 yards and two TDs as Brownwood (4-1) outscored Connally 28-7 in the second half.

For the game, the Lions outgained the Cadets 442-297, rushing for 285 yards in the victory. Connally, which gained all but 27 of its yards on the ground, was led by Kiefer Sibley, who rushed for 227 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries.

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

DISTRICT 2-3A DIV. II WEEK 5 REPORT: Brady wins, Early nearly upsets Burnet, TLCA falls

Brady 47, Christoval 27 — Hayden Baronet rushed for 170 yards and five scores and threw for 221 yards and two more TDs to lift Brady (2-3) to its second straight win. 

Leading 14-13 at the break, the Bulldogs blew the game open with a 21-0 third quarter that included Baronet TD passes to Mason Harris and Keegan Farris. He also scored on a 36-yard run to give Brady a 35-13 lead heading into the fourth quarter. 

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

DISTRICT 5-4A DIV. I WEEK 5 REPORT: China Spring, Alvarado, Life Academy all fall

Dallas Parish Episcopal 24, China Spring 16 — The Cougars (4-1) were held to only 302 yards in total offense while suffering their first loss of the year.

Sawyer Anderson threw for 128 yards and one score, Cedric Mays rushed for 96 yards and one TD and Derek Eusebio caught six passes for 88 yards and a score to lift Episcopal (4-1). 

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

GAME REPORT: Odessa Permian pulls away late for 56-28 win over Cooper

ODESSA — The Cooper football team hung with unbeaten Odessa Permian for three quarters Friday at Ratliff Stadium, but the Panthers scored three unanswered touchdowns in the fourth period to pull away for a 56-28 win in the final nondistrict test for both squads.

Permian rushed for 311 yards and outgained the Cougars 541-274 for the game, but CHS took advantage of a special teams score and four Panther turnovers to stay within a touchdown at halftime (28-21) and at the end of three quarters (35-28).

Eventually, though, the home team’s ground attack was just too much for the Coogs, resulting in fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns from Juzstyce Lara, Rodney Hall and Jonathan Viscaino to turn a close game into a four-touchdown margin.

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

GAME REPORT: Central hits Hail Mary on game’s final play to edge Wylie 63-61

SAN ANGELO — The Wylie football team piled up yards and points Friday night in its final nondistrict game against San Angelo Central. But in the end, it wasn’t enough as the Bobcats had a prayer answered on the final play of the game to edge the Bulldogs 63-61 at San Angelo Stadium.

With 40 yards to cover and one play to do it, Central quarterback Tyler Hill escaped what appeared to be a sure sack and retreated more than 20 yards into the backfield before heaving a Hail Mary to Ben Imler. Imler made a leaping catch near the sideline at the 10, split a pair of Wylie defenders and sprinted across the field to the end zone for the game-winning score.

That touchdown was the last of many wild momentum swings in a crazy game that saw the Bulldogs drop to 2-3 with their third consecutive one-score loss.

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

GAME STORY: Defense gets key stops, offense rallies Stephenville to homecoming win

STEPHENVILLE — Entering Friday night’s homecoming game at Memorial Stadium against Wichita Falls Rider, Stephenville was unbeaten at 4-0 but allowing 46.5 points per game.

Against Everman in Week 2, the Yellow Jackets found themselves down by 21 points on multiple occasions before winning on a walk-off Hail Mary.

That experience paid off Friday, as Stephenville found itself in a 21-0 hole to the Raiders after just eight minutes. But the Yellow Jackets used a second-half rally to take a 43-42 heart-stopping win — their fourth one-score victory in five weeks.

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

BCP GAME OF THE WEEK: Comanche rallies from 14-point deficit to stun area power Albany

ALBANY — For Comanche, it had all the ingredients of a landmark win, including coming from behind and facing adversity to beat a perennial power on the road.

Comanche’s stunning 31-28 victory at Albany on Friday was the sort of win that second-year Comanche coach Jake Escobar had yet to achieve with the Indians — the sort of win that often signals the arrival of a program.

Sawyer Wilkerson rushed for 181 yards and two scores and the CHS defense forced five turnovers to lead the Indians (4-1), who overcame an early 14-0 deficit to get the win. 

Albany, which was missing four starters including quarterback Cole Chapman, fell to 3-2. The Lions, who were crippled by an interception in the end zone and a pick-six, were led by Adam Hill’s 128 yards rushing and two touchdowns. 

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

GAME STORY: Abilene High stifles Monterey, opens district play with 37-7 victory

Fueled by a dominant defensive performance, the Abilene High football team opened District 2-5A Division I play with a comfortable win over Lubbock Monterey, blanking the Plainsmen until the final minutes of a 37-7 victory at Shotwell Stadium.

The Eagles, who held Monterey to just 154 total yards and 10 first downs, led 23-0 by halftime and never let the Plainsmen back in the game after the break.

AHS extended its lead to 37-0 in the fourth quarter with a pair of Antoine Rashaw touchdown runs, before the visitors finally got on the board with a 71-yard touchdown pass with just 1:32 remaining in the game.

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

FEATURE: Fullen, Abilene High leaning on tried and true process as district play arrives

After watching his team play to a 1-3 record during the nondistrict portion of its schedule, Abilene High coach Mike Fullen would be the first to tell you that he’d prefer to have more wins heading into Friday’s District 2-5A Division I opener against Lubbock Monterey.

But if pressed on the issue, he’d also tell you that nondistrict record falls pretty low on his list of priorities.

As a process-minded coach who values wins in October, November and December over those in August and early September, Fullen’s primary focus early in seasons is to make sure his team is on schedule to play its best football when games matter most. And while the Eagles scheme and play every game to win, they know the ultimate success of their campaign will depend on their growth from Week 1 to Week 11, not their record the first four weeks of the season.

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

EVAN REN: Second seasons were worth waiting for at Hamlin, Stamford, De Leon, Clyde and Comanche

A year ago, a sizeable group of first-year Big Country football coaches accepted a difficult challenge — taking over programs where the cupboard needed to be restocked. 

—Chris Evans inherited a Hamlin program lacking numbers and experience.

— Britt Hart took over a Stamford program that was so young, that several of his varsity players were less than a year removed from playing in their final junior high game. 

— Danny Dudgeon became the eighth head coach since the turn of the century at Clyde, where it is hoped he can build something long-lasting and stable. 

— Jacob Marwitz inherited a 1-9 team low on numbers, low on experience and low on confidence at De Leon. 

— Jake Escobar took on perhaps the most pressure-packed challenge, where he brought a spread offense to a Comanche program that had been successful running the wing-T.  It was a difficult about-face. 

Needless to say, 2021 wasn’t a banner season for any of these guys, who to a man, had to set a foundation for success before success could actually be tasted. 

Evans was 0-10, Hart was 3-7, Dudgeon was 1-9, Marwitz was 0-10 and Escobar was 1-9. Combined record: 5-45 (.100).

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

FEATURE: Prolific passing attack fueling young Big Spring Steers to strong start

Photos courtesy of Cannon McWilliams

Things don’t always go the way you expect them to, so it’s probably worth a doff of the cap when a team coached by a guy named Cannon is firing the football all over the field.

Said mentor, Cannon McWilliams, leads the Big Spring Steers, who have been slinging it on offense, pretty much whistle to whistle, en route to a 3-1 record.

Following a 27-20 setback against Pampa in the season opener, the Steers have scored 51, 24 and 20 points in successive wins. And more often than not, they’ve embraced the notion that the surest way for them to get to the end zone is by air.

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