SAN ANGELO — Lonnie Burnam knew that his Coahoma boys basketball team would need to play a near perfect game on Tuesday night to be able to knock off District 6-3A co-leader San Angelo TLCA.
For 17-plus minutes, he got everything that he wanted out of his team.
The rest of the game, however, was a different story and the Eagles pulled away for a 71-52 win as they remained tied with Wall atop the district standings.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Goldthwaite-San Saba basketball doubleheader (101 images)”
By Zach Duncan, special to Big Country Preps
At least once every game, Diontay Ramon leaves Hawley boys basketball coach Mitch Ables shaking his head.
“He’s so explosive that sometimes when you’re watching him, he does something that’s just ridiculous,” Ables said. “Whether it’s a block or maybe he hits his head on the backboard. He hasn’t had many dunks this year, but he had a good one against Hamlin.”
Ramon is best known around the Big County for his football exploits. He caught 82 passes for 1,545 yards and 19 touchdowns for the Bearcats last fall and is currently deciding on where he’ll play the sport in college.
Benjamin’s Grayson Rigdon has been posting such overwhelming numbers for so long, that people scarcely blink when upon hearing of his latest exploits.
So here we go again: Rigdon is our Big Country Preps Player of the Week after posting monstrous numbers in wins over Munday (81-60) and Electra (99-74).
In the Munday win, the junior guard tallied 41 points, nine assists and eight steals. Three nights later, he charted 51 points, six assists and 10 steals to help the Mustangs improve to 15-0 overall and 10-0 in district.
The regular season is winding down, and many district races — both for championships and playoff spots — have taken shape. But with another week and a half remaining before we shift our attention to the postseason, there’s still plenty of intrigue remaining for area boys basketball fans.
This week’s slate, in particular, may seem light on marquee matchups, but there are several under-the-radar games worth keeping an eye on as several Big Country squads fight for their playoff lives or to improve their postseason seeding.
We hope you enjoy this look at the biggest matchups the Big Country boys basketball schedule has to offer this week and some notes on last week’s most important happenings.
It’s difficult to fathom, but basketball’s second season is about to get underway.
Tuesday night represents the final night of regular season hoops on the girls’ side, while the boys will finish up a week later.
That said, let’s take a quick peek at last week’s top games, along with Tuesday’s top matchup before the madness begins.
I’ll see you on the road!
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Quad-team softball scrimmage at Cooper (102 images)”
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Clyde-Abilene High baseball scrimmage (91 images)”
If I were to ask one question of every high school coach in America – just one – it would be … why bother?
Yes … why bother?
While that may sound vague to some, it will quickly make sense to coaches and to those who have been paying attention.
Put simply, a once-thankless profession has sunk even lower than that (if that’s possible) – making me wonder if it’s worth the effort.
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Stephenville-Abilene High softball scrimmage (37 images)”
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Brownwood-Stephenville basketball doubleheader (128 images)”
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Lubbock Cooper-Abilene High basketball doubleheader (85 images)”
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: UIL Realignment Day (27 images)”
STEPHENVILLE — Needing a win over rival Brownwood to lock up the No. 2 playoff seed out of District 6-4A, the Stephenville Honeybees turned up the defensive pressure Friday night on their home floor.
SHS limited the visiting Lady Lions to just six field goals and didn’t allow more than seven points in any quarter on their way to a thorough 38-24 victory.
The win, which avenged a 43-37 road loss to Brownwood on Jan. 17, kicked off a doubleheader sweep for Stephenville, which saw their boys rally from an early deficit to pull away for a 52-39 victory.
SAN SABA — It was a big night in the enemy camp for the Goldthwaite basketball teams on Friday, handing archrival San Saba a pair of convincing losses in a crucial District 29-2A varsity doubleheader.
The Goldthwaite Lady Eagles (28-3, 11-0) opened the evening with 59-42 win to clinch first place in the district standings. The GHS boys (17-9, 8-1) followed with a 56-40 win in the nightcap to pull into a first-place tie with Johnson City.
For the Lady Dillos (27-5, 9-2) the loss ended their hopes of forcing a tie with Goldthwaite atop the district standings. The San Saba boys (17-13, 6-4) have now slipped from contention for the No. 2 seed, but retain sole possession of third place.
Fans showed up to Eagle Gym on Friday night with the expectation of seeing a massive showdown for the District 4-5A boys basketball lead between Abilene High and Lubbock Cooper.
The Eagles entered the contest with a 9-1 record this year on their home court and claimed a 57-56 win at Lubbock Cooper during the first round of district play.
Lubbock Cooper returned the favor with a 61-57 win, tightening its grip on the district lead with three games to go as the Pirates search for their first district championship since 2003.
After leading the Jim Ned football team for six seasons, Matt Fanning announced on Friday that he is moving to the college ranks.
Fanning, who led the Indians to the 2020 state championship with a heart-stopping 29-28 overtime win over Hallettsville, will be the new tight ends coach at Hardin-Simmons University, his collegiate alma mater.
During his tenure in Tuscola, Fanning had a record of 58-16 which made the decision to leave a difficult one.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Eastland-Comanche girls basketball (51 images)”
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Feb. 1.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 1.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
While the University Interscholastic League’s biennial realignment offered surprises for many coaches across the state, Abilene’s local football mentors were spared any real suspense when they opened their packets containing new districts for the next two school years.
When the news became official at 9 a.m. Thursday, Abilene High’s Mike Fullen, Cooper’s Aaron Roan and Wylie’s Clay Martin found their schools where they expected to in the Region I landscape.
Fullen’s Eagles will once again be in District 2-5A Division I, sharing a league with familiar opponents Amarillo High, Amarillo Caprock, Amarillo Tascosa, Lubbock Coronado and Lubbock Monterey, while adding a lone newcomer in Lubbock High. Cooper and Wylie, meanwhile, will be in District 2-5A DII with Amarillo Palo Duro, Lubbock Cooper, Plainview and new Wichita Falls ISD schools Legacy and Memorial.
While most of the focus on the University Interscholastic League’s biennial realignment is centered on how it will impact the football landscape, it wasn’t just that one sport that was affected on Thursday.
The area basketball and volleyball landscape saw a seismic shift in its layout, too — all while the hoops programs are tied up in the thick of playoff races for this year.
One of the biggest shocks came in the form District 4-5A with Abilene High, Cooper and Wylie.
When it comes to building a football schedule, it’s often about making the pieces fit one’s unique situation. That can be a challenge, given that some coaches’ phones never stop ringing while others can’t get anyone to look them in the eye.
This Tetris game is played every other year during the University Interscholastic League’s biennial realignment, and the 2024 version was no different.
Coaches such as Craig Slaughter (Wall) and Russell Lucas (Sweetwater) may have a more difficult time getting colleagues to answer their phones because of the talent in their programs, while coaches on the down side of a talent cycle might have to put their devices in “Do Not Disturb” mode just to get them to quit ringing.
The 2024 University Interscholastic League biennial realignment delivered what it usually does at Thursday’s Region I meeting in Abilene — with area coaches getting a mix of surprise, disappointment and in some cases, a new hope.
Held at the Region 14 Education Services Center, those in attendance were given the UIL’s official packet at 9 a.m., wherein their new district homes were contained. As always, the meeting put an end to weeks of speculation and officially kicked off the planning stages for the upcoming season.
