Here are the Big Country’s passing leaders through Week 2:
Month: September 2023
PHOTO GALLERY: Stephenville-Abilene High volleyball (108 images)
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GAME STORY: No. 7 Stephenville netters too much for Abilene High in nondistrict sweep
Hosting the Stephenville Honeybees in its final match before Friday’s District 4-5A opener against Wylie, the Abilene High volleyball team couldn’t keep pace with Class 4A’s seventh-ranked squad Tuesday, falling 25-16, 25-23, 25-13 at Eagle Gym.
The Lady Eagles battled and had their chances to grab some momentum in Games 1 and 2, but ultimately the talented visitors were just too much to handle in a nondistrict sweep.
The victory improved Stephenville to 21-3 on the season with three more matches to play before the start of District 6-4A play on Sept. 26, while Abilene High fell to 7-17 with its sixth consecutive loss.
ABILENE NOTEBOOK: Talking Shotwell renovation, TLCA’s big football win, ACS’ matchup with Benjamin and Wylie volleyball
It’s no secret that the Abilene High-Cooper rivalry — dubbed the Crosstown Showdown — is among the best series in the state of Texas.
When the Eagles and Cougars get together, you know you’re going to excellent effort from both teams in front of close to 15,000 rowdy fans.
In that way, Friday’s matchup, which saw AHS earn a 26-7 win in the 63rd playing of the series, was a lot like many before it. But there was one factor that made the most recent Showdown just a little bit unique: It marked the first game played in Shotwell Stadium since the historic venue got one heck of a facelift.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde quarterback takes the top spot with huge night
After two weeks, few teams are grabbing the attention of Big Country football fans more than the Clyde Bulldogs (2-0), who have opened with consecutive wins over Cisco and Eastland.
And topping the list of last week’s area performers is Clyde senior quarterback Blake Carr, who posted some eye-popping numbers in last week’s 34-21 win at EHS.
BCP NOTEBOOK: On tap tonight … Merkel, De Leon, Clyde, Gordon and Strawn
“All good things to those who wait.”
— English proverb
We’ve all seen good high school coaches let go after only two years. And with very few exceptions, it’s almost always a bad move.
Well, allow me to give you three good examples of why there is a payoff for patience and a reward for living up to the words we feed the kids — you know, like overcoming adversity, being loyal, being respectful and working through the process.
Yeah, those words.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Wylie, Cooper drop to 0-2; Rider, Plainview stay unbeaten
Lubbock Monterey 34, Wylie 21 — A 17-0 first quarter run was all the Plainsmen needed to score a road victory over the Bulldogs, improving to 2-0 after going winless in 2022.
Wylie outscored Monterey 21-17 over the final three quarters, but the Plainsmen’s fast start proved the difference in the game. Quarterback Luke Arrington (6-10-0—212 passing) and Kashious Lewis (4-174 receiving) led MHS, hooking up for three touchdowns in the game.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 2 REPORT: Abilene High, Monterey stay perfect with wins
Abilene High 26, Cooper 7 — Dylan Slack passed for 141 yards and a touchdown, Ryland Bradford received for 113 yards and a score and the Eagles defense shined as AHS took down archrival Cooper in the 63rd Crosstown Showdown.
Behind those efforts — and Bam Rashaw, who rushed for 98 yards — Abilene High raced out to a 16-0 second-quarter lead and was never seriously threatened after halftime in improving to 2-0.
PHOTO GALLERY: Abilene High-Cooper football (82 images)
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PHOTO GALLERY: Munday-Abilene TLCA football (77 images)
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PHOTO GALLERY: Lubbock Monterey-Wylie football (66 images)
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GAME STORY: TLCA downs Munday 14-9, claiming first 11-man win
Heading into Saturday night’s game between Munday and Abilene TLCA at McMurry’s Wilford Moore Stadium, a first win was guaranteed in some form or fashion.
The Moguls entered the game looking to get head coach Brandon Langston his first career win, while the Eagles were looking to get their first-ever win as an 11-man squad.
Munday had an opportunity at the victory, but Hunter Urbanczyk couldn’t hang onto a fourth-down pass as he fell to the ground in the end zone with 41 seconds to play, allowing TLCA to escape with a 14-9 win.
DISTRICT 8-2A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Collinsville, Celeste survive as league’s only remaining unbeaten teams
Collinsville 51, Blue Ridge 14 — The Pirates were dominant for the second week in a row, passing for 463 yards in a blowout win over the Tigers.
Logan Jenkins was 34-of-44 passing for all of those yards with five touchdowns and one interception, while Colin Barnes (10-186, 1 TD) had a huge day catching the ball.
DISTRICT 3-2A DIV. I WEEK 2 REPORT: Forsan gets defensive in comfortable win over Post
Forsan 24, Post 6 — Kevin Kligora rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown while Nicholas Holloway passed for one score and ran for another to lead the Buffaloes to an impressive win over the Antelopes.
Forsan (1-1) outgained Post 312-232 and won the turnover battle 2-1. This allowed the Buffs to build a 12-0 halftime lead that was never threatened after the break.
Hico 33, Moody 0 —The Tigers improved to 2-0 behind 266 team rushing yards through seven different ball carriers. 
DISTRICT 4-3A DIV. I WEEK 2 REPORT: Brock breaks into win column against Hirschi
Brock 28, Wichita Falls Hirschi 14 — The Eagles bounced back from a tough loss to Texarkana Pleasant Grove last week, racing out to a 14-0 halftime lead and maintaining that margin after the break to claim a two-touchdown win over the Huskies.
Brock only gained 207 yards of offense, but the Eagles limited Hirschi to 227 yards and forced three turnovers, including an interception by Cam Harris that was returned for a touchdown in the second quarter. The Huskies (1-1) ran for just 67 yards in the loss, losing a pair of fumbles.
DISTRICT 7-2A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Anson has near miss in loss to Archer City; Haskell falls to Stamford
Archer City 21, Anson 13 — Archer City held off a determined Anson team to improve to 2-0 behind 250 passing yards.
Tyler Wilburn thew for 66 yards and one score and rushed for 31 more to lead Anson (0-2).
DISTRICT 3-4A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Snyder, Sweetwater improve to 2-0 with impressive wins
Snyder 30, Levelland 0 — Quarterback Easton Stewart had another big game for the Tigers, following last week’s Big Country Preps Player of the Week-worthy effort with 308 yards and two touchdowns passing to lead the Tigers another lopsided win.
Stewart also rushed for 15 yards and another score as Snyder raced out to a 23-0 halftime lead over the Lobos. In addition to the quarterback’s efforts, Snyder also got 82 yards rushing and a touchdown from Daenin Smith and productive receiving performances from Jay Castillo (3-126, 1 TD), Dom Dominguez (4-78) and Jacob James (6-61, 1 TD).
DISTRICT 6-2A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Hamlin chalks up first victory for Botos, Albany wins big at Dublin
Hamlin 19, Water Valley 14 — First-year Hamlin Coach Jason Botos earned his first victory as his Pied Pipers rushed for 201 yards as a team.
Clayton Rister led Hamlin (1-1) with 113 yards rushing on 14 carries with one TD.
DISTRICT 4-2A DIV. I WEEK 2 REPORT: Stamford remains unbeaten, Hawley scores big win at Roosevelt
Stamford 47, Haskell 13 — The Bulldogs (2-0) remained unbeaten with a balanced offensive effort that produced 160 yards through the air and 189 yards rushing.
Christian Duran hit 10 of 11 throws, two of which resulted in TDs to lead Stamford.
DISTRICT 2-4A DIV. I WEEK 2 REPORT: Big Spring breaks into win column; Brownwood stays hot
Big Spring 32, Lubbock High 21 — Gavin Padron passed for 411 yards and four touchdowns, hitting Zeyire Franklin five times for 187 yards and two scores, to fuel the Steers to a road win over the Westerners on Thursday.
Big Spring (1-1) piled up 476 yards of offense, getting 133 total yards from Kavien Ford (19-77 rushing; 5-56, 1 TD receiving) and solid receiving efforts from Jacob Cantu (5-59, 1 TD), Keyshaun Woodruff (2-57) and Jose Munoz (8-52).
DISTRICT 5-2A DIV. I WEEK 2 REPORT: De Leon impressive again; Coleman evens record with big win
De Leon 42, Cross Plains 7 — Heston Jobe hit 15 of 21 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns while adding 66 yards and two more scores on the ground to lift the Bearcats to a comfortable win over the Buffaloes.
Jake Cooper also had a big game, rushing for 152 yards and three scores on 22 carries while adding six catches for 70 yards for De Leon (2-0), which raced out to a 35-7 lead by halftime.
DISTRICT 4-3A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Coahoma falls in shootout at Sonora
Sonora 44 Coahoma 30 — Edgar Deluna rushed fo 256 yards and four scores to lead Sonora over Coahoma in a shootout. Juan Castillo added 103 yards through the air for an additional score as Sonora improve to 2-0.
Coahoma (1-1) was led by Boyd Cox, who threw for 228 yards and three TDs. Jaidyn Vineyard added 111 yards rushing and one score.
DISTRICT 5-3A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Merkel, Comanche improve to 2-0 with dominant performances
Merkel 34, Stanton 7 — The Badgers overcame a slow start, scoring 34 unanswered points over the final three quarters to rally from a 7-0 deficit after the first.
Maddox O’Malley passed for 234 yards and a touchdown and added another TD on the ground to lead Merkel (2-0), which also got 116 total yards from Connor Willyerd (14-72 rushing; 4-44 receiving) and strong receiving days from CJ Walcott (3-105, 1 TD), Bryant Jones (2-68, 1 TD) and Kaden Blubaugh (2-66, 1 TD).
DISTRICT 2-3A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Wall outmuscles Cisco, 27-10
Wall 27, Cisco 10 — The Hawks used a workmanlike effort on the ground, pounding out 312 yards rushing with nine different ball carriers to hand Cisco (0-2) its second straight loss.
Nathan Pepper rushed for a game-high 91 yards on 13 carries with one TD and Hagyn Barbee chipped in 49 yards rushing and two TDs on only two carries to lead Wall (2-0), which limited Cisco to 177 total yards.
DISTRICT 3-3A DIV. I WEEK 2 REPORT: Carr has big night in win over Eastland
Clyde 34, Eastland 21 — Clyde rolled up 441 yards in total offense and shut Eastland out after the break to improve to 2-0.
Blake Carr was 10 of 20 for 237 yards and two scores and rushed for 167 yards and two more TDs to lead Clyde, which closed with 442 yards in total offense.
DISTRICT 5-4A DIV. I WEEK 2 REPORT: Stephenville hangs on to top Everman
Stephenville 14, Everman 7 — The Yellow Jackets charted more than 500 yards in total offense with a balanced stat sheet.
Rushing for 286 yards and passing for 232, Stephenville (1-1) overcame three costly turnovers to hold off EHS and earn its first win of 2023..
BCP GAME OF THE WEEK: Goldthwaite snaps 12-game losing streak with win over Santo
GOLDTHWAITE — Not since Nov. 5, 2021 had the Goldthwaite football team tasted victory — a span of time that was filled with 12 straight defeats.
The Eagles, however, put an end to one of the longest losing streaks in school history on Friday with come-from-behind 28-19 win over Santo in the Big Country Preps Game of the week.
GAME STORY: Jim Ned impressive in road win over eighth-ranked Holliday
HOLLIDAY – It took Jim Ned the final three minutes of the first half to turn a deficit against Holliday into a comfortable lead.
Turnovers helped the Indians gain a halftime advantage at Eagle Stadium, and a pair of third-quarter interceptions paved the way for Jim Ned to slam the door on Holliday for a 40-22 victory Friday night.
It was another quality win for the Indians (2-0), who were 0-2 at this point a year ago. It also snapped Holliday’s 30-game regular season winning streak.
GAME STORY: Defense fuels Abilene High to 26-7 win over Cooper in 63rd Crosstown Showdown
It wasn’t the dominating-in-every-phases effort they enjoyed in their season opening win at Odessa Permian, but the Abilene High Eagles did more than enough Friday to take care of their crosstown rival and improve to 2-0 on the season.
Led by a defense that allowed just 195 total yards and forced two turnovers, AHS overcame an uneven offensive performance to down Cooper 26-7 at the newly renovated Shotwell Stadium and claim its second consecutive win in the Crosstown Showdown series.
The Eagles turned two big plays — an 81-yard touchdown reception by Ryland Bradford and a 49-yard punt return touchdown by Demarco Upshaw — into a 16-0 second-quarter lead, and that was all that was needed for a defense that limited the Cougars to a single scoring drive just before halftime.
GAME STORY: Fast start lifts Lubbock Monterey past Wylie
Football games often turn on special teams miscues and gaffes.
Friday’s nondistrict game between Lubbock Monterey and Wylie at Hugh Sandifer Stadium saw two plays that fit into that category — one for each squad.
Ultimately, it was Monterey that was able to make the most of their opportunity as the Plainsmen took a 34-21 win, dropping the Bulldogs to 0-2 on the young season.
FEATURE: Slack, Henry give Abilene High unique 1-2 punch at quarterback position
There’s an old — and often repeated — saying in football circles that goes, “If you have two quarterbacks, you have none.”
The idea behind that, of course, is that any team playing two quarterbacks doesn’t have one that’s strong enough to seize the job.
Abilene High coach Mike Fullen and his offensive staff would seem to disagree. And currently, they’re in the process of putting together a pretty strong case against that axiom.
FEATURE: Comanche QB Welch leading Indians through consistency, toughness
There are all manner of metrics by which a transcendent quarterback is defined. A strong and accurate arm … A knack for knowing just what to do with your legs and when to use them … The ability to lead the team to victory under even the most challenging circumstances …
Those certainly factor into the mix.
But while Comanche coach Joaquin Escobar puts checks in all those boxes when he assesses his signal caller, Jayden Welch, he notes that there’s something else about his special senior that resonates above the tangibles.