ABILENE HIGH (9-2) VS. DENTON RYAN (8-2)
7 p.m. Friday, Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium
Month: November 2023
GAME STORY: Roscoe dominates Windthorst to advance to regional quarterfinal round
ABILENE — While studying Windthorst on videotape last week, Roscoe coach Jake Freeman discovered something that he felt may give his Plowboys a decisive edge in the area round: The Trojans might be vulnerable to a super-physical team.
And so went the Roscoe game plan heading into Thursday’s area round clash at McMurry University that saw the Plowboys overpower Windthorst in a stunning 50-22 blowout.
Ivan “The Terrible” McCann rushed for a school playoff record 272 yards and five scores to lift Roscoe (10-2), which now advances to the Region II-2A DII quarterfinals where it will meet the winner of Collinsville (10-1) and Miles (8-3).
“When we looked at it, we felt the (3-4) defense they were going to line up in gave us a chance to exploit a few weaknesses inside,” Freeman said. “We felt our offensive line was bigger than their defensive front and the way for us to win this game was in controlling the football and keeping it away from their big receivers.”
GAME STORY: Coleman’s second-half rally comes up just short in 30-28 loss to Marlin
STEPHENVILLE — Trailing 30-6 midway through the third quarter of its Region II-2A Division I area-round matchup against Marlin, the Coleman football appeared to be headed for an anticlimactic finish to its season.
A furious second-half rally ensured that wouldn’t be the case, but the Bluecats still were left in tears after finishing on the wrong end of a 30-28 margin Thursday at Tarleton Memorial Stadium.
Coleman closed the game with three unanswered touchdowns, getting successful two-point conversion passes after each of the first two. But Jadin Jackson’s run following the third was stopped inches short of the goal line with 5:42 remaining on the clock, and the Bluecats saw their final full possession end with their fourth interception of the game, allowing the Bulldogs to escape with the narrow win.
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Big Country teams notch five wins on opening day of Pug Parris Classic
The 2023 edition of the Pug Parris Classic kicked off with a full slate of games on Thursday at McMurry University’s Kimbrell Arena and featured Big Country teams from Class 2A to Class 5A nearly all day long.
In addition to the six teams from the Big Country, this year’s three-day tournament features teams from as far away as Clint and El Paso.
Area teams posted a total of five wins as the Jim Ned Lady Indians swept their pool with a pair of wins, while Wylie, Cooper and Cisco added to the total.
GAME STORY: Brock plays near-perfect first half en route to area-round rout of Muleshoe
SAN ANGELO — It would be difficult to put together a more dominant first half than the one the Brock Eagles engineered Thursday in their area-round playoff football game against Muleshoe.
Brock scored the first time it touched the ball — on a 51-yard punt return by Colt Matlock.
The Eagles scored the last time they touched the ball — on a 54-yard interception return by Hyatt Dunaway on the final play of the first half.
In between, Brock scored seven other touchdowns to race into halftime with a jaw-dropping 62-0 lead. The Eagles coasted from there to a 76-13 win, punching their ticket to the Region I-3A Division I semifinals next week against the winner of Clyde (10-1) and Shallowater (6-5) at a site and time to be determined.
Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel vs. Twitter Polls (Week 13)
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.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYOFF FORECAST: BCP carries 33 teams into Week 13, but how many will move on?
LAST WEEK: 36-5, .878
SEASON TOTAL: 513-103, .832
As we enter Week 13, the Big Country Preps coverage area still has 33 teams from 1A through 5A with a playoff pulse, including a handful with decent shot at a state championship.
However, as we all know, things begin to get much tougher when you get to the area round and unless I miss my guess, we’ll see around 15-17 of our area teams eliminated by Saturday.
The good news is, we should have 16-18 clubs playing over the Thanksgiving holiday, which is a pretty solid number for what will be the 14th week of the season.
So without further ado, let’s dive in.
Here’s this week’s playoff forecast:
BCP WEDNESDAY NIGHT PODCAST: Matt Stepp of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine talks football with Evan Ren and Dan Youngblood
BIG COUNTRY PREPS WEDNESDAY NIGHT PODCAST: Matt Stepp of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine talks football with Evan Ren and Dan Youngblood
PHOTO GALLERY: Abilene High-Midland High boys basketball (33 images)
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GAME STORY: Eagles go up a classification, knock off Midland High in home opener
Coming off a season-opening five-point win over Class 6A Del Rio on Saturday, the Abilene High boys basketball team looked to knock off former district rival Midland High in their home opener Tuesday night at Eagle Gym.
Despite missing a couple of starters and reserves (three due to football, one due to a season-ending injury), the Eagles were able to dictate the terms of the game against the Bulldogs, winning 56-38 on the heels of a strong fourth quarter.
With the shorthanded roster against a taller, faster and more athletic MHS, AHS coach Justin Reese was happy with what he saw from his team — especially in the fourth quarter.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Hico’s Powell takes this week’s accolade
Big numbers are always great to have when we decide the winner of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award. Solid numbers across multiple tasks are even better.
That was the case with this week’s spotlight player, Buck Powell, of Hico, who helped the Tigers to a 47-14 rout of Maud in the Class 2A DII bi-district round on Friday.
BREAKING: Albany’s Adam Hill commits to Texas Tech
Adam Hill has his sights set on Albany defending its Class 2A Division II state football championship.
But one of the Big Country’s best players also knows where he’ll call home after graduation.
Hill committed to Texas Tech on Sunday afternoon, choosing to make his decision now rather than waiting closer to the NCAA Division I football’s early signing period set for Dec. 20.
2023 BIG COUNTRY PREPS BOYS BASKETBALL PREVIEW: The area’s top teams in each class throughout the BCP coverage area
With a new season of boys high school basketball poised to begin, it’s time to take a look at what the Big Country will produce on the court.
Below you will find our top teams in each classification in the Big Country Preps coverage area, from Big Spring in the West, to Brock in the east and from Brady in the south to Munday in the north.
Our rankings of the top teams in each class are given, along with a season outlook, cataloguing our expectations for each club.
Here’s our preview. We’ll see you on the road.
PHOTO GALLERY: Forsan-Stamford football playoff (68 images)
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PHOTO GALLERY: Cisco-Ozona football playoff (55 images)
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PHOTO GALLERY: El Paso Andress-Wylie football playoff (48 images)
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PHOTO GALLERY: Abilene High-El Paso Hanks football playoff (62 images)
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GAME REPORT: Bray leads Cooper to come-from-behind win over El Paso Chapin
EL PASO — Trailing El Paso Chapin 10-7 at halftime, the Cooper football team used 28-point third quarter to regain the lead and eventually pull away for a 42-27 win in Friday’s Region I-5A Division II bi-district matchup at El Paso Austin’s McKee Stadium.
Daniel Bray rushed for 253 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Cougars (5-6), who earned an area-round matchup against Colleyville Heritage with the win.
Cooper outgained Chapin 444-366, outpacing the Huskies 314-213 on the ground to complete the rally.
GAME STORY: Brady’s 100-yard interception return fuels Stamford to 42-6 bi-district win over Forsan
SWEETWATER — For three and a half quarters Friday, the Stamford Bulldogs and Forsan Buffaloes were locked in a knockdown, drag-out fight in their Region I-2A Division I bi-district matchup at the Mustang Bowl.
Justin Brady changed that in one play.
With his team leading 21-6 midway through the fourth quarter and in danger of seeing that advantage trimmed back to the one-score margin it was entering the final period, the Stamford senior jumped in front of a Nicholas Holloway pass at the goal line and raced the full length of the football field for a touchdown to break the Buffaloes’ back in what would eventually be a 42-6 victory for the Bulldogs.
GAME STORY: Comanche rallies to eliminate Henrietta, win bi-district title
SPRINGTOWN – Layden Welch wanted redemption.
The Comanche quarterback felt like he had let his squad down after his fumble led to Henrietta taking the lead late in the third quarter of a hotly contested Region II-3A Division II bi-district game.
With the Bearcats holding all the momentum, Welch made amends with an 89-yard touchdown pass to Kyler Beaty with 5:34 remaining that was the difference in the Indians’ 26-21 victory.
GAME STORY: With Orsagh sidelined, Cisco rallies for win in instant classic with Ozona
COLORADO CITY — With Kannon Orsagh unable to clear the concussion protocols prior to Friday’s playoff opener, the Cisco Loboes had to turn to Julius Proffitt and Cole Thompson to run the offense against Ozona.
While the pair split time at quarterback, it was a play that hadn’t been practiced all week that wound up being the difference at Wolf Stadium in a Region I-2A Division I bi-district matchup.
Faced with third and long with 21 seconds to play, Proffitt hit Thompson down the right hash for the game-winning 39-yard touchdown pass as the Loboes escaped with a 21-14 win.
FEATURE: Unselfish senior Jaylen Parker a two-way leader for young Cooper squad
It’s not common among the large school ranks for players to play on both sides of the football. So Cooper’s Jaylen Parker is already somewhat unique just by doing so.
The lone returner from a talented CHS receiving corps , the senior entered the season expecting to be an impact player on offense. But circumstances forced — or more accurately, allowed — Parker to double those responsibilities over the final four weeks of the regular season, when he added “starting cornerback” to his list of duties.
While the new role added a new loop in what’s been a rollercoaster of a season for both the Cougars and Parker, it also highlighted an underlying truth about Parker: he cares first and foremost about the Cougars and will always prioritize team success over his own.
GAME STORY: Wylie thrashes El Paso Andress to kickoff playoff run with rout
The Wylie football team kicked off the playoffs in dominating fashion Friday at Hugh Sandifer Stadium, scoring on its first eight possessions while taking a shutout into the final minute of a 55-7 win over El Paso Andress.
The Bulldogs piled up almost 500 yards of total offense while holding the Eagles under 200, putting the game away early to earn an area-round matchup with Argyle next week in Stephenville.
WHS (8-3) led 21-0 less than five minutes into the game and stretched its advantage to 48-0 by halftime, before coasting in the second half to lopsided victory.
GAME STORY: Abilene High opens postseason with historic win over Hanks
After a week to rest and get ready for the playoffs, the Abilene High football team set a school record for points in a half as the Eagles rolled to an 84-14 win over El Paso Hanks on Thursday night at Shotwell Stadium.
AHS put up 70 points in the first half, 21 of which came in the span of 37 seconds after Bryce Neves had two fumble recoveries and an interception to open the second quarter.
It was a first half unlike anything Abilene High coach Mike Fullen has seen in his coaching career.
Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Position Rankings: Posts
After highlighting the Big Country’s top guards and forwards the past two nights, we now take a look at the area’s best big men.
For the final installment in our three-part boys basketball position rankings series, we rank the Big Country’s top 10 post players.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading through our rankings, and make sure to check back for all our boys and girls basketball coverage this season.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS WEEK 11 PLAYOFF FORECAST: A different way of looking at things
LAST WEEK: 39-7, .847
SEASON TOTAL: 477-98, .830
Week 12 …. can you believe it? Its arrival heralds the 2023 Texas High School Playoffs, with our primary focus, of course, being the Big Country and its surrounding areas.
Our Big Country Preps Game of the Week is now officially over. Why? Because once we hit postseason play with everyone facing a do-or-die scenarios, they’re all the Game of the Week.
We therefore, will take a look at this week’s bi-district games through a different lens.
Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel vs. Twitter Polls (Week 12)
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.
Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Position Rankings: Forwards
After kicking off our boys basketball position rankings series on Tuesday with the guards, we now shift our attention to the forwards.
For the second installment in our three-part series, we rank the area’s top-10 players at that position for 2023-24.
We hope you enjoy our list.
Continue reading “Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Position Rankings: Forwards”
BEST OF BCP WEDNESDAY NIGHT PODCAST: Jim Ned’s Hunter Cooley visits w/ Evan & Dan (original airdate 1-25-23)
NOTE: With Evan Ren suffering from severe bronchitis, BCP’s Wednesday Night podcast was cancelled. In the meantime we’ll repost one of our top podcasts.
Jim Ned girls coach Hunter Cooley visits with Evan & Dan … original airdate 1-25-23
Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Position Rankings: Guards
With boys basketball season beginning this week, it’s time to shine a spotlight on some of the players you’ll be reading about throughout the 2023-24 season.
For the first installment in a three-part series that will cover all positions on the area boys basketball scene, we’ll be taking a look at the Big Country’s top guards, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch this winter.
We hope you enjoy reading through our list.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sweetwater’s Moore wins second award in less than a month
Korda Moore has been playing well all year for the Sweetwater Mustangs. But he picked the right moment for one of his best games last Friday, helping the Mustangs clinch a playoff spot with a 51-38 win over Snyder.
To begin with, Moore rushed 11 times for 106 yards and five scores. Along the way he added a pair of two-point conversion runs for a total of 34 points on the night.
Defensively he charted 12 tackles, three of which were behind the Snyder line of scrimmage and had a quarterback hurry as well.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 11 REPORT: Wylie tops Cooper for No. 2 seed; Palo Duro takes last playoff spot from Plainview
Wylie 17, Cooper 7 — The Bulldogs outlasted their crosstown rival Cougars for a hard-fought, defensive win, using a pick-six by Collin Bruning to seal the victory with less than two minutes remaining in the game.
Bruning forced and recovered a fumble inside the red zone earlier in the fourth quarter to lead a Wylie defense that limited Cooper 240 total yards and shut the Cougars out over the final three quarters. Offensively, the Bulldogs (7-3, 4-1) had just 141 total yards, led by Julius Laine with 65 yards and a touchdown rushing.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 11 REPORT: Amarillo High, Tascosa lock down playoff spots while Abilene High rests
Amarillo High 61, Lubbock Monterey 28 — Will Flaming passed for 171 yards and two touchdowns and Pius Vokes rushed for 158 yards and a TD to fuel the Sandies to a blowout win over the Plainsmen and secure the No. 3 playoff seed for AHS.
Amarillo High (5-5, 4-2) ran for 301 of its 472 yards in the win, getting additional rushing touchdowns from Flaming (6-67), Eddy Mpela (6-27), Jett Lopez (3-10) and Rylan Leathers (2-9). The Sandies, who got receiving scores from Bryson Brown (1-61) and Leathers (4-37), led 38-7 by halftime and increased that lead to 55-14 in the third quarter.
2023 BIG COUNTRY PREPS GIRLS BASKETBALL PREVIEW: The area’s top teams in each class throughout the BCP coverage area
Believe it or not, it’s time to gear up for a new season of high school girls basketball, which is getting underway throughout Texas.
Below, you will find our top teams in each classification in the Big Country Preps coverage area, which extends from Big Spring in the west, to Brock in the east, and from Brady in the south to Munday in the north.
Our rankings of the top teams in each class are given, along with a season outlook, cataloguing our expectations for each club. So please, dive in and join us for the upcoming season.
Here’s our preview. We’ll see you on the road.