Month: February 2024

by Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Sanderson’s growth helps Goldthwaite find groove 

Luke Sanderson has always been an all-around standout on the basketball court.  

But it wasn’t until the Goldthwaite junior changed his approach that the Eagles could reach their potential.

Sanderson’s growth as a decision-maker and trusting teammate is a crucial reason why Goldthwaite has become a threat when the Region IV-2A playoffs begin this week.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps Preseason Softball Position Rankings: Outfielders

After spending the first three days of our softball position rankings series in the dirt, we move the grass for Day 4.

For the penultimate installment of our five-part series, we take a look at the top outfielders in the Big Country, ranking our top 10 with others to watch in 2024.

We hope you enjoy our list.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Carrillo’s late floater lifts Wylie to one-point over Cooper, into playoffs

After 12 district games and two thrilling head-to-head matchups yielded identical records, the Cooper and Wylie boys basketball teams needed a rubber match Friday to decide which of the two would represent District 4-5A as its fourth and final playoff team.

It was only fitting that the third meeting — like each of the two before it — would come down to the final seconds.

After scoring 19 points in a two-point Wylie win on Jan. 23, Isaiah Carrillo broke the Cougars’ heart a second time Friday at Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum, hitting a contested floater with 1.7 seconds left to lift the Bulldogs to a 44-43 victory and into the Region I-5A playoff bracket.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Comanche too much for Merkel, advances to regional quarterfinals

ABILENE — Already considered an underdog against high-flying Comanche, the Merkel Lady Badgers were facing even longer odds in Friday’s 3A area round game with the Maidens. 

With four girls coming off a stomach illness, the Lady Badgers had neither the depth nor the stamina to cope with Comanche, which pressed and ran its way to a 71-43 win in the second game of an area round doubleheader at Hardin-Simmons University.

Jim Ned topped Eastland 65-33 in the first of the two games on Friday.  Comanche (31-3) will now meet Jim Ned (33-2) in the Region I-3A quarterfinals at a site and time to be determined. 

Sophomore J’Lee Salinas scored 28 points and junior Kinsey Glasgow added 21 more to lead Comanche, which claims its first area title in the 10-year tenure of coach Diana Salinas and the first overall in more than 15 years. 

Merkel (23-13) was led by Amirah Navarrette with 12 points; Alexandria Farmer and Camryn Stone added eight each. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Riddle’s monster night leads Brock to big win over Coahoma

EULA — Brock girls basketball coach Alex Stephenson knows that Jacee Riddle has a lethal shot from behind the 3-point arc and has pretty much given her a green light to unleash it whenever she sees an open opportunity.

Against Coahoma in a Region I-3A area round game on Friday night at Mary Mosley Gymnasium, Riddle threw down dagger after dagger in a 58-36 win for the Lady Eagles.

The freshman knocked down eight 3-pointers on her way to a 30-point night, helping Brock earn a region quarterfinals matchup with Wall at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Jim Ned slows Big Country’s top gun, eliminates Eastland 65-33

ABILENE — Defensive stops have long been a key element in the success of the Jim Ned girls basketball team and heading into Friday’s 3A area round clash with Eastland, the Lady Indians had a key member of EHS to apply that tradition to. 

Eastland’s Mya Wesley, who entered the game as the top scorer in the Big Country at more than 24 points per game, was limited to only eight points in a 65-33 win by Jim Ned, which advances the Lady Indians to the Region I-3A quarterfinals where they will meet Comanche at a site and time to be determined. Immediately following Jim Ned’s win, Comanche advanced with a 73-41 win over Merkel in the nightcap of an area round doubleheader at Hardin-Simmons University. 

Lexi Wishert and Riley Grohman both scored a game-high 17 points, with Wishert connecting on five 3-pointers to lead Jim Ned (33-2), which took control of the game with a 19-5 first quarter and never looked back. 

Jayci Majors led Eastland (25-8) with 11 points, but Ned’s ability to slow Wesley proved important, resulting in a 16-point drop in production. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps Preseason Softball Position Rankings: Infielders

After highlighting the top pitchers and catchers on the Big Country softball scene the past two nights, it’s time to turn our spotlight to the field.

For the third installment in our five-part position rankings series, we list our top-10 infielders in the area for the 2024 season.

We hope you enjoy reading through our rankings.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: New Home holds off upset minded Bluekatts

SWEETWATER — There were two things that the Coleman girls basketball team hoped wouldn’t come into play in their Region I-2A area round matchup with No. 5 New Home: depth and physicality.

Unfortunately for the Bluekatts, both wound up playing crucial roles as the Lady Leopards took a 39-24 win at Mustang Gym on Thursday night.

Even with the heartbreaking loss, Coleman coach Taylor Neal had nothing but praise for how her squad played.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps Preseason Softball Position Rankings: Catchers

After kicking off our softball position rankings series on Wednesday with the pitchers, we now shift our attention to their battery mates.

For the second installment in our five-part series, we rank the area’s top 10 catchers with others to watch for in 2024.

We hope you enjoy our list.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Goldthwaite girls, Coach Hermesmeyer feel “sky is the limit” for playoff potential

If you’ve avidly followed the bouncing ball over the past several seasons, you might be aware that the Goldthwaite Lady Eagles have evolved into one of the region’s standard bearers on the hardwood.

Coach Angie Hermesmeyer has assembled a program that routinely challenges for district titles and generally looms as one of the area’s tougher outs once postseason play begins.

This year, the Lady Eagles are 30-3 overall after going a perfect 12-0 in District 29-2A play. And get this: Goldthwaite hasn’t lost a game in 2024.

So, Hermesmeyer was asked, what is a fair expectation of this incarnation of the Lady Eagles on the eve of her team’s area-round playoff game against Kenedy at 7 p.m. Friday at Ingram Moore High School?

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hoops
by Evan Ren

Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Feb. 15): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 15.

This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

BREAKING: Slaughter named new head football coach at Wall

If you spend any amount of time talking to Craig Slaughter, his love of football and kids that he works with on a daily basis are obvious as they pour out of him.

His 2024 Valentine’s Day left the eloquent veteran coach stunned as he was named the 12th head coach in Wall football history on Wednesday morning.

Slaughter said that he was touched by the outpouring of support that he received once his promotion from defensive coordinator, a role he had been in since 2017, was made official.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps Preseason Softball Position Rankings: Pitchers

With softball season kicking off this week, it’s time to take a look at the players who will be making the biggest impact throughout the Big Country Preps coverage area in 2024.

For the first installment in a five-part series that will cover all position groups on the area softball scene, we’ll be taking a look at the Big Country’s top pitchers, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch this spring.

We hope you enjoy reading through our list.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Cooper boys knock off AHS to keep playoff hopes alive, deny Eagles share of district title

Hosting Cooper with a chance to clinch a share of the District 4-5A title, the Abilene High boys basketball team had plenty to play for Tuesday at Eagle Gym.

The stakes were even higher for the Cougars, who were playing their fourth straight must-win game after opening league play with a 2-6 record.

In the end, desperation won out, as Cooper kept its playoff hopes alive once again, knocking off its chief rival 57-49 in the regular season finale for both teams to force a play-in game against Wylie on Friday for the district’s fourth and final playoff spot.

The victory marked the fourth in as many games for the Cougars, who have beaten two of the top three teams in 4-5A during their improbable district-closing run.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: May knocks off Highland fourth consecutive bi-district matchup

CLYDE — For the fourth straight year, Highland and May met in the bi-district round of the Region II-1A girls basketball playoffs on Tuesday night.

Matching up at Bulldog Gym, the Lady Tigers evened the score with a 43-35 win over the Lady Hornets, earning an area-round date with Harrold on Friday.

May, which had lost the previous two playoff matchups with the Lady Hornets by at least 24 points, had its sights set on shutting down Highland with a full-court press. May coach Brad McGann said the familiarity with HHS made game preparation easier.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Glasgow lights up Vernon with 32 points as Maidens advance to 3A area round

ANSON — Facing a dangerous Vernon team in the Region I-3A bi-district round, the Comanche Maidens needed to get off to good start to gain some early confidence and momentum after not playing a game for a full week. 

As luck would have it, they had an insurance policy in their back pocket in junior guard Kinsey Glasgow, who poured in 32 points, including 16 in a red-hot first quarter to lift the Maidens to a 72-48 win at the Anson High School Gym. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Stifling defense, extended runs fuel Merkel to bi-district win over Brady

WINTERS — During Brady’s 10-0 run through District 5-3A play, the Lady Bulldogs made a habit of dictating tempo, frequently overwhelming their opponents on the defensive end.

On Monday at the Winters High School gym, it was Merkel that did those things to BHS, limiting the Lady Bulldogs to just 12 total field goals in a 54-31 bi-district win.

Taking advantage of a strong start, the Lady Badgers raced out to a 15-6 lead after a quarter and never trailed from there, using an 11-0 run out of halftime to build a 20-point cushion they would have little trouble protecting the rest of the way.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Robert Lee opens playoff run with lopsided win over Santa Anna

WINTERS — The Robert Lee girls basketball team started fast and finished strong Monday, cruising to a 60-30 win over Santa Anna in a Region II-1A bi-district matchup at the Winters High School gym.

The 23rd-ranked Lady Steers raced out to a 14-7 lead after a quarter, extended it to 30-13 by halftime and maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way in improving to 26-8 on the year and earning an area-round matchup later this week against the winner of Rankin and Sierra Blanca.

Santa Anna, which saw its season come to an end with the loss, narrowed the gap to 12 points late in the third quarter, but Robert Lee dominated the final 10 minutes to pull away for a comfortable win.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Stephenville relies on defense, rebounding to eliminate Snyder and advance to area round

CLYDE — Nobody wants a 1-of -13 effort from the free-throw line, particularly in postseason play. But the Stephenville Honeybees were able to sidestep this disastrous tally in a 50-27 4A bi-district win over Snyder on Monday in Clyde. 

Marin Copeland scored 18 points and Kyla Ray added 15 more to lead Stephenville (21-11), which found compensation for its free-throw totals with a dominating defensive effort and a big edge on the glass.  

Stephenville now advances to face Burkburnett in the area round on Thursday in Graham with a still-unsettled starting time of 6 or 6:30 p.m.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cisco senior takes this week’s top spot

Doing a bit of everything is a specialty of Cisco senior guard Cole Thompson, who takes our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award after a pair of big nights in an 88-53 win over Hamlin and a 57-51 loss to Albany last week.

Thompson opened on Tuesday with 29 points, five assists, four steals and three boards in the Hamlin win. He followed that with a near triple-double that saw him tally 16 points, 10 boards, eight assists and two steals against Albany on Friday. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

THIS WEEK IN BOYS BASKETBALL: There’s still plenty to be decided as we approach end of regular season

We’re down to the final scheduled date of the boys basketball regular season, but there’s still plenty to be decided on the Big Country hoops scene.

Included on Tuesday’s slate are a number of matchups with district title implications and several others that will either decide or help decide playoff berths.

Here’s a peek at some of the biggest games on tap this week, as well as a look back at some of last week’s most influential results:

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by Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Lavender, Eagles adjusting well to new roles

By Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

Austin Lavender has grown up around the game he loves.

The Brock junior is the prototypical coach’s kid. He remembers all the trips taken to gyms across the state. He recalls walking down the stairs while his mom was coaching at SMU and watching Hall of Famer Larry Brown lead a practice.

“Whether it was going to games, going to practices, riding on the bus, or flying on the plane with the team, I was always around the game I loved,” Lavender said. “I was fortunate to be able to be around and watch players at the collegiate level and see what it takes to get there.”

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Cougars rally past Lubbock Cooper for thrilling win, keep playoff hopes alive

For the Cooper boys basketball team to have any shot at the postseason, the Cougars entered Friday night knowing they needed to beat District 4-5A leader Lubbock Cooper while getting an Abilene High win over Wylie at the same time.

With games at Cougar Gym running behind due to the Pirates suffering a bus breakdown in Snyder, the Cougars were in prime position to know if their game on Senior Night meant that they’d be playing for their playoff lives in the second half.

Abilene High did its part, edging Wylie 65-64 at Bulldog Gym, and Jordan Willis capped a monumental comeback with an off-balance 3-pointer with 27 seconds to help the Cougars complete a wild rally in the final six minutes of the game and earn a thrilling 42-39 win at Cougar Gym.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High wins wild one at Wylie to stay in District 4-5A title hunt

Needing a road win over Wylie to stay in the District 4-5A title race, the Abilene High boys basketball team secured the result it was looking for Friday at Bulldog Gym. But getting there was anything but easy.

The Eagles got all they could handle from a shorthanded Bulldogs squad, which rallied from a trio of 13-point deficits in the third quarter to take a five-point lead with less than four minutes remaining in the game. But coach Justin Reese’s squad had the final run in a second half that was full of them to escape with a thrilling 65-64 victory.

Down 61-56 with 3:53 to play, AHS responded with nine consecutive points, using a pair of Tyson Thompson free throws to ice the game late before a Will Evans 3-pointer at the buzzer pulled the final margin to one. Continue reading “GAME STORY: Abilene High wins wild one at Wylie to stay in District 4-5A title hunt” →

by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Indians avenge loss to Wall, knock Hawks out of first place in district race

TUSCOLA — On paper, Friday’s game between Wall and Jim Ned, meant little for the Indians, who had no mathematical chance of catching the Hawks for the No. 2 seed.  Nor were they in any danger of losing the No. 3 seed they had already clinched. 

They were, however, playing their archrival, to whom they lost to on Jan. 16 and who arrived at Bill Thornton Arena tied for first place in District 6-3A.  It was the perfect opportunity for the Indians to kill two birds with one stone and they did just that — avenging their earlier loss with a 43-29 win over Wall while knocking their rivals out of first place. 

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Feb. 8): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 8.

This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.

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Hoops
by Evan Ren

FINAL Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders for 2024 (through Feb. 8): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Feb. 8.

NOTE: With the regular season coming to a close, this will be the final girls statistical leaders list we will post for this season. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

SIGNING DAY 2024: Abilene schools combine for more than 20 signees across five sports

With athletes across the country putting pen to paper to make their college choices official Wednesday, Abilene’s local high schools were as active as they’ve ever been on National Signing Day.

Wylie had a school-record 10 athletes across four sports take part in a single ceremony Wednesday afternoon, while Abilene High had nine athletes from three sports sign their letters of intent over the course of the day and Cooper had four football players represented at its Signing Day ceremony.

In all, more than 20 local athletes made pledges to 13 schools, spanning all level of collegiate athletics.

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by Evan Ren

SIGNING DAY 2024: Multiple area athletes have now inked their commitments

With National Signing Day taking place on Wednesday, the Big Country, as always, saw a large number of athletes finalize their commitments to compete at the next level. 

Headliners among this year’s signees include Albany running back Adam HIll and Hawley receiver Chandlin Myers, both of whom signed early with Texas Tech University. 

Stephenville offensive lineman Creece Brister (TCU) and Comanche defensive back Kyler Beaty (Baylor) also inked their letters early. They’re joined Brock offensive/defensive lineman Hunter Fay (Navy) and standout hurdler Dylan Foster (Army) as the top signees in the Big Country Preps coverage area.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Hot-shooting Jim Ned boys run away from Clyde to cap dominant doubleheader sweep

TUSCOLA — Facing off with a Clyde squad playing for its postseason life, the Jim Ned boys basketball snuffed out any hope of an upset early Tuesday, raining down one 3-pointer after another in the early stages of a 66-30 win at Bill Thornton Arena.

The Indians knocked down five 3s in the first quarter and four more in the second to build a 38-19 lead by halftime and cruised from there to the 36-point victory, clinching their own playoff berth in the process.

The win capped a near perfect night for Jim Ned, which secured a 75-13 win in the girls game to kick off the doubleheader sweep.

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