Month: June 2023

by Brandon McAuliffe

FEATURE: Former Early coach Sandford eager to return to high school dugout with Brownwood

Blake Sandford has been out of the high school coaching game for a few years since resigning from Early High School in 2019.

Earlier this week, though, he was named the new head baseball coach at Brownwood, replacing Brian Harris, who has taken an administration role within Brownwood ISD.

Sandford, who has spent the past two seasons working with Howard Payne’s baseball team, is eager to hit the ground running with a Lions squad that will feature stars Gavin Brandstetter and Logan Posey next year.

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by Evan Ren

COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Cisco Loboes … 31 days to two-a-days

Football is just around the corner, and we at BigCountryPreps.com are committed to bringing you the information you need to prepare for your favorite team’s season.

We’ll be releasing our Big Country Preps Preseason Football Preview, the most comprehensive look at the upcoming Big Country football season anywhere, on Wednesday, Aug. 16. But you won’t have to wait until then to sate your gridiron appetite.

Leading up to the first day of fall football practice on July 31, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2023 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.

We continue in Class 2A Division I with the Cisco Loboes. On Saturday we will take a look at the Colorado City Wolves followed by the Hawley Bearcats on Sunday.

Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Cisco Loboes … 31 days to two-a-days” →

by Evan Ren

COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Anson Tigers … 32 days to two-a-days

Football is just around the corner, and we at BigCountryPreps.com are committed to bringing you the information you need to prepare for your favorite team’s season.

We’ll be releasing our Big Country Preps Preseason Football Preview, the most comprehensive look at the upcoming Big Country football season anywhere, on Wednesday, Aug. 16. But you won’t have to wait until then to sate your gridiron appetite.

Leading up to the first day of fall football practice on July 31, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2023 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.

We continue in Class 2A Division I with the  Anson Tigers. On Friday we will take a look at the Cisco Loboes, followed by the Colorado City Wolves  on Saturday.

Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Anson Tigers … 32 days to two-a-days” →

by Evan Ren

COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Forsan Buffaloes … 33 days to two-a-days

Football is just around the corner, and we at BigCountryPreps.com are committed to bringing you the information you need to prepare for your favorite team’s season.

We’ll be releasing our Big Country Preps Preseason Football Preview, the most comprehensive look at the upcoming Big Country football season anywhere, on Wednesday, Aug. 16. But you won’t have to wait until then to sate your gridiron appetite.

Leading up to the first day of fall football practice on July 31, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2023 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.

We continue in Class 2A Division I with the Forsan Buffaloes. On Thursday we will take a look at the Anson Tigers, followed by the Cisco Loboes on Friday.

Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Forsan Buffaloes … 33 days to two-a-days” →

by Evan Ren

COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Hico Tigers … 34 days to two-a-days

Football is just around the corner, and we at BigCountryPreps.com are committed to bringing you the information you need to prepare for your favorite team’s season.

We’ll be releasing our Big Country Preps Preseason Football Preview, the most comprehensive look at the upcoming Big Country football season anywhere, on Wednesday, Aug. 16. But you won’t have to wait until then to sate your gridiron appetite.

Leading up to the first day of fall football practice on July 31, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2023 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.

We continue in Class 2A Division II with the Hico Tigers. On Wednesday we will take a look at the Forsan Buffaloes, followed by the Anson Tigers on Thursday.

Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Hico Tigers … 34 days to two-a-days” →

by Evan Ren

COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Santo Wildcats … 35 days to two-a-days

Football is just around the corner, and we at BigCountryPreps.com are committed to bringing you the information you need to prepare for your favorite team’s season.

We’ll be releasing our Big Country Preps Preseason Football Preview, the most comprehensive look at the upcoming Big Country football season anywhere, on Wednesday, Aug. 16. But you won’t have to wait until then to sate your gridiron appetite.

Leading up to the first day of fall football practice on July 31, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2023 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.

We continue in Class 2A Division II with the Santo Wildcats. On Tuesday we will take a look at the Hico Tigers, followed by the Forsan Buffaloes on Wednesday.

Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Santo Wildcats … 35 days to two-a-days” →

by Daniel Youngblood

COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Haskell Indians … 36 days to two-a-days

Football is just around the corner, and we at BigCountryPreps.com are committed to bringing you the information you need to prepare for your favorite team’s season.

We’ll be releasing our Big Country Preps Preseason Football Preview, the most comprehensive look at the upcoming Big Country football season anywhere, on Wednesday, Aug. 16. But you won’t have to wait until then to sate your gridiron appetite.

Leading up to the first day of fall football practice on July 31, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2023 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.

We continue in Class 2A Division II with the Haskell Indians. On Monday we will take a look at the Santo Wildcats, followed by the Hico Tigers on Tuesday.

Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Haskell Indians … 36 days to two-a-days” →

by Daniel Youngblood

COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Roscoe Plowboys … 37 days to two-a-days

Football is just around the corner, and we at BigCountryPreps.com are committed to bringing you the information you need to prepare for your favorite team’s season.

We’ll be releasing our Big Country Preps Preseason Football Preview, the most comprehensive look at the upcoming Big Country football season anywhere, on Wednesday, Aug. 16. But you won’t have to wait until then to sate your gridiron appetite.

Leading up to the first day of fall football practice on July 31, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2023 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.

We continue in Class 2A Division II with the Roscoe Plowboys. On Sunday we will take a look at the Haskell Indians, followed by the Santo Wildcats on Monday.

Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Roscoe Plowboys … 37 days to two-a-days” →

by Evan Ren

COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Hamlin Pied Pipers … 38 days to two-a-days

Football is just around the corner, and we at BigCountryPreps.com are committed to bringing you the information you need to prepare for your favorite team’s season.

We’ll be releasing our Big Country Preps Preseason Football Preview, the most comprehensive look at the upcoming Big Country football season anywhere, on Wednesday, Aug. 16. But you won’t have to wait until then to sate your gridiron appetite.

Leading up to the first day of fall football practice on July 31, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2023 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.

We continue in Class 2A Division II with the Cross Plains Buffaloes. On Saturday we will take a look at the Roscoe Plowboys, followed by the Haskell Indians on Sunday.

Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Hamlin Pied Pipers … 38 days to two-a-days” →

by Daniel Youngblood

COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Cross Plains Buffaloes … 39 days to two-a-days

Football is just around the corner, and we at BigCountryPreps.com are committed to bringing you the information you need to prepare for your favorite team’s season.

We’ll be releasing our Big Country Preps Preseason Football Preview, the most comprehensive look at the upcoming Big Country football season anywhere, on Wednesday, Aug. 16. But you won’t have to wait until then to sate your gridiron appetite.

Leading up to the first day of fall football practice on July 31, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2023 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.

We continue in Class 2A Division II with the Cross Plains Buffaloes. On Friday we will take a look at the Hamlin Pied Pipers, followed by the Roscoe Plowboys on Saturday.

Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Cross Plains Buffaloes … 39 days to two-a-days” →

by Evan Ren

COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Albany Lions … 40 days to two-a-days

Football is just around the corner, and we at BigCountryPreps.com are committed to bringing you the information you need to prepare for your favorite team’s season.

We’ll be releasing our Big Country Preps Preseason Football Preview, the most comprehensive look at the upcoming Big Country football season anywhere, on Wednesday, Aug. 16. But you won’t have to wait until then to sate your gridiron appetite.

Leading up to the first day of fall football practice on July 31, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2023 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.

We begin in Class 2A Division II with the Albany Lions. On Thursday, we will take a look at the Cross Plains Buffaloes, followed by the Hamlin Pied Pipers on Friday.

Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Albany Lions … 40 days to two-a-days” →

by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s 2023 Big Country Preps All-Hustle Team

Our All-Big Country Preps softball and baseball teams, released this week, are in place to honor those who achieved the most on-field success in 2023. It is off the field, however, where character, grit, and work ethic are often measured. And it is with our Big Country Preps All-Hustle Team that we wish to honor those players, male and female, who were (simply put) the hardest-working, best teammates in the area this spring. 

This team isn’t about who the best baseball and softball players were.

The All-Hustle team honors effort, discipline, toughness, coachability and selflessness — traits that coaches wish they had in every player and upon which championships are built.

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

Big Country Preps is now honored to present these individuals to you — the best team players (boys and girls) that the Big Country had to offer during the 2023 season.

The players below are listed in no particular order. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

2023 All Big Country Preps Baseball Team: Superlative Award Winners

Here are our superlative award winners for the 2023 All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

2023 All-Big Country Preps Baseball Team: First-Team Roster

Here are our first-team selections for the 2023 All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

2023 All-Big Country Preps Baseball Team: Second-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)

Here are our second-team selections for the 2023 All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

2023 Big Country Preps Rising Stars Baseball Team: The top freshmen and sophomores in the Big Country!

Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to release our 2023 All-Big Country Preps baseball teams. 

Here, you will find our Rising Stars Team honoring the top freshmen and sophomores in the Big Country.

For the rest of this year’s baseball selections, please click the links below.

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by Evan Ren

2023 All Big Country Preps Softball Team: Superlative Award Winners

Here are our superlative award winners for the 2023 All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.

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by Evan Ren

2023 Big Country Preps Softball Team: First-team Roster

Here are our first-team selections for the 2023 All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.

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by Evan Ren

2023 All-Big Country Preps Softball Team: Second-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)

Here are our second-team selections for the 2023 All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.

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by Evan Ren

2023 Big Country Preps Rising Stars Softball Team: The top freshmen and sophomores in the Big Country!

Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to release our 2023 All-Big Country Preps baseball teams. 

Here, you will find our Rising Stars Team honoring the top freshmen and sophomores in the Big Country.

For the rest of this year’s softball selections, please click the links below.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

UPDATED: Stamford looks to the past, brings back Hutchinson

Sometimes to move forward, you have to look back on history.

For Stamford ISD, that meant pulling the curtain back one decade.

On Friday morning, SISD named Wayne Hutchinson the new head football coach and athletic director, luring the 2012-13 state champion out of retirement and back to the sidelines of Bill Anderson Stadium.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Rivera, Salinas lead balanced South squad to win in FCA men’s basketball game

BROWNWOOD — Leading by one point at halftime, the South all-stars outscored the North 43-29 in the second half Saturday to secure 90-75 win in the 10th annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes men’s basketball all-star game.

Buoyed by a balanced effort that saw seven players score at least eight points, the South scored 58 points in the paint and shot an impressive 45.8 percent from the field to pull away from the North after a back-and-forth first half in which neither team could gain a significant advantage.

Cooper graduate and future University of Texas-Dallas Comet Jaelyn Rivera earned the MVP award, finishing with 12 points, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals. But he was one of many contributors to the victory as the South improved to 7-3 all-time in the event.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Allen’s big game fuels North to 74-56 win in FCA women’s basketball game

BROWNWOOD — With a collegiate career at Lubbock Christian University to look forward to, former Highland star Taylor Allen has a lot more basketball in her future. But the standout guard didn’t let one final chance to represent the Lady Hornets — and small-school players everywhere — go to waste.

Sharing the court with some of the best girls basketball talent the Big Country and Concho Valley have to offer in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes women’s basketball all-star game, Allen tallied a game-high 20 points and six assists to lead the North squad to a 74-56 victory and capture the event’s MVP award.

Allen’s performance, which came on an efficient 8-of-18 shooting, headlined a strong team effort that also saw Haskell’s Alyssa Stocks and Roscoe’s Cameron Greenwood reach double figures with 14 and 10 points, respectively.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

FEATURE: It’s more than the game for FCA football coaches

Due to their nature, high school all-star football games can often be lackluster affairs.

Asking guys who have gone more than six months without strapping on pads to come together and learn a game plan they can execute with just four days of practice is a significant challenge. It’s easy to forgive players if they look a little out of sync or rusty.

Saturday night’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes Myrle Greathouse All-Star Classic at Hugh Sandifer Stadium was anything but your normal affair, however, as the Blue Team beat the Red Team 24-14 in an event that’s been going on for more than two decades.

For Snyder’s Wes Wood and Comanche’s Jake Escobar, who led the Blue and Red teams, respectively, though, it was less about wins and losses than the greater good of the week.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: MVP Williams leads South to FCA volleyball sweep

Wall’s Kamryn Williams was off her game on Saturday morning as the Big Country Fellowship of Christian Athletes volleyball all-star game played two warm-up sets at Wylie High School’s Bulldog Gymnasium as the North team took a pair of wins.

But when the lights came on for the best-of-three match between the area’s best players, Williams flipped a switch and shined as she led the South to a 25-21, 25-16 win in front of a raucous crowd with the football players for Saturday night’s game in the stands firing up everyone in attendance.

The win by the South on Saturday gave them a 6-5 lead all-time in the series — and was the squad’s fourth consecutive win in the event dating back to 2019.

Williams, who played a role in 17 of the South’s points, said the MVP honors were the culmination of a week of hard work, bonding and growth.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wall rally comes up short in 6-4 loss to Boyd in Class 3A state title game

ROUND ROCK — It wasn’t the storybook ending Wall was hoping for Saturday at Dell Diamond, but that wasn’t for lack of effort or fight.

After going the first 4.2 innings without a baserunner in their Class 3A state championship matchup with Boyd, the Hawks rallied from a 6-0 sixth-inning deficit to send the tying man to the plate in the top of the seventh. But Wall’s rally — and coach Jason Schniers’ 15-year coaching tenure — ended there as a fielder’s choice grounder and comebacker to the pitcher quelled their comeback hopes in a 6-4 loss to the Yellowjackets.

The defeat ended what was otherwise a dream season for the Hawks — and for Schniers, who announced in March he’d be stepping down to spend more time with family. But despite closing the campaign on a difficult note, the longtime WHS coach had nothing but positive things to say about his team and the year it had.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wall Hawks come up clutch on mound, at plate in gutsy 5-1 win over Corpus Christi London

ROUND ROCK — It wasn’t the pitching matchup or the pitcher’s duel that many expected when the Wall and Corpus Christi London baseball teams met for their Class 3A state semifinal Friday at Dell Diamond.

Due to apparent injury on one side and uncharacteristic wildness on the other, the teams’ aces combined to last just 2.2 innings, and two squads walked 17 batters between them.

But the Hawks did the better job of pitching out of trouble and capitalizing on their scoring chances offensively, white-knuckling their way to 5-1 win and a state championship date with Boyd, which rallied past Maypearl 8-7 in Friday’s early semifinal.

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by Daniel Youngblood

PREVIEW: Wall assuming confident underdog role heading into state semifinal matchup with London

Heading into Friday’s Class 3A state semifinal matchup with Corpus Christi London, Wall baseball coach Jason Schniers is taking a similar approach to the one he took into last week’s Region I-3A championship series against Brock.

As was the case when the Hawks took on the two-time defending region champion Eagles last week in Abilene, Schniers views his team as the underdog against defending Class 3A state champion London.

But as was also the case before Wall systematically picked apart Brock in a surprisingly dominant series sweep, the longtime WHS coach has the utmost confidence in his young team’s ability to compete with whoever is put up against it.

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by Evan Ren

FEATURE: Wall baseball coach Schniers sacrifices one love for another

WALL — Outgoing Wall baseball coach Jason Schniers has reached a difficult crossroads. Only in this instance, his choice of direction has been predetermined. 

Wanting to spend more time with his family, Schniers announced in March that he would step away from coaching following the season. But his team hasn’t allowed him to slip away quietly. Heading into this week, Wall (34-6) has qualified for its third state tournament (all achieved during Schniers’ tenure) and will face defending 3A state champion Corpus Christi London in a state semifinal at noon Friday at Round Rock’s Dell Diamond. 

The winner will advance to face either Boyd (38-5) or Maypearl (30-9) for the 3A state title at 9 a.m. on Saturday, and as one may suspect, Schniers is now at a bittersweet moment. While his Hawks have reached the state’s biggest stage, the fact that his career will span no more than two additional games is a reality he knew would be difficult to face. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Fast start, Kemp’s gem fuel Wall past Brock, back to state tournament

On Thursday night, the Wall baseball team rode a fast start and an excellent pitching performance to a 6-2 win over Brock in Game 1 of a best-of-three Region I-3A championship series.

One day later, the Hawks used those same things — in even greater measure — to earn their third state tournament berth since 2017.

WHS followed its three-run first in Thursday’s opener with six first-inning runs Friday, and sophomore ace Luke Kemp backed Kellan Oliver’s complete-game gem with a five-hit shutout as the Hawks cruised to an 11-0 win and an impressive sweep at Abilene Christian University’s Crutcher Scott Field.

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by Evan Ren

GAME REPORT: Yellow Jackets fall in Games 2 and 3 as Randall takes regional title

MIDLAND — The Stephenville baseball team had reeled off 17 straight wins to come within one victory of reaching the Class 4A state tournament in Austin. 

But on Friday in Midland, the Yellow Jackets saw their memorable run come to an end with consecutive defeats (2-0, 6-0) at the hands of third-ranked Canyon Randall in the Region I-4A title series at Christiansen Stadium. 

Having already taken a 1-0 series lead with a 3-2 win over the Raiders in Game 1 on Thursday, the Yellow Jackets were poised to lock up the best-of-three regional title series and had two chances to do it. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Freshman Oliver helps Wall strike first blow in Region I-3A championship series against Brock

Pitching arguably the biggest game of his life to date, Wall freshman Kellan Oliver needed one batter to calm his nerves Thursday in Game 1 of the Region I-3A championship series against Brock.

But after opening his weather-delayed start with a four-pitch walk, the talented left-hander proceeded to stymie a tremendous Eagle lineup in a 6-2 victory for the Hawks.

Oliver, who saw his scheduled 7 p.m. first pitch pushed past 9:30 due to thunderstorms in the Abilene area, limited Brock to six hits and just the one walk over seven outstanding innings to help Wall strike first blood at Abilene Christian University’s Crutcher Scott Field and pull the Hawks within one win of the Class 3A state tournament.

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