Month: March 2024

by Evan Ren

CLASS 1A STATE PREVIEW: Jayton, Gordon, Benjamin head to Alamo City

SAN ANTONIO — A 13-year championship drought for the Big Country may be on the verge of ending. 

Not since Eula’s Class 1A Division I boys basketball state championship way back in 2011 has a team from Texas’ Big Country area won a boys basketball state championship. This year, however, there are no fewer than three area teams converging for the Class 1A equivalent of the Final Four in San Antonio, giving the Big Country its best opportunity to put an end to the streak. 

Longtime area power Jayton (36-3) out of Region I, Region II champion Benjamin (23-1) and Region III champion Gordon (21-6) give the area three chances at cutting down the nets in the Alamodome. A fourth entry, Fayetteville (32-5), is the potential spoiler out of Region IV. 

Gordon and Benjamin will tip off in the first semifinal at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday. Jayton and Fayetteville will square off at 10 a.m. with the winners converging for Saturday’s 1A state championship game at 8:30 a.m. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

BREAKING: Wylie hires Hardin-Simmons alum Fecci as new athletic director

With one eye on the current time and one turned towards the future, Wylie ISD named Mike Fecci its new athletic director on Monday night.

Fecci comes to Wylie after having spent 17 years with McKinney ISD, the last two of which he’s been the assistant AD for the four-high school district.

His experience in a multi-school district was something that sold the WISD administration on him.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Colorado City freshman takes this week’s award

As if the Big Country’s collection of softball catchers wasn’t already “scary-good,” the area can count a worrisome new addition to its ranks: Colorado City freshman Bryanna Munoz, our Big Country Preps Player of the Week for the week ending March 2.

How’s this for frightening? 

Munoz, who was in junior high only a year ago, was an absolute wrecking ball in last week’s Brownfield Tournament, hitting a combined .818 in the event with an 18 of 22 tally at the plate. But that’s not the half of it. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY BOYS TRACK FORECAST: Who are the top boys athletes to watch in 2024?

The Big Country loves its track and field and with dozens of team and individual state championships to its credit, the area has proven itself to be a hotbed.

Soon, we’ll begin the season-long process of seeing who will represent their schools and the entire Big Country area at the state meet in Austin. 

For now, let’s have a peek at the top boys talent we have coming back. 

Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of this year’s top returnees, along with their personal best times and distances from last year. 

Enjoy. We’ll see you at the track. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY GIRLS TRACK FORECAST: Who are the top girls athletes to watch in 2024?

The Big Country loves its track and field and with dozens of team and individual state championships to its credit, the area has proven itself to be a hotbed.

Soon, we’ll begin the season-long process of seeing who will represent their schools and the entire Big Country area at the state meet in Austin. 

For now, let’s have a look at the top girls talent we have coming back. 

Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of this year’s top returnees, along with their personal best times and distances from last year. 

Enjoy. We’ll see you at the track. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

UIL STATE: Abilene officials make UIL history as first father-son combo to ref state tournament game

Photos by Joe Garcia III, PressPassSports.com

SAN ANTONIO — Entering this year’s UIL state basketball tournament, a total of 2,620 (1,570 boys; 1,050 girls) games had been played on the biggest stage in the sport.

During Nocona’s 44-42 win over Wellington in one of Friday’s Class 2A girls state semifinal games, a barrier was broken.

With Brandon Porter in their crew, Abilene referees Winkie James and Cory James became the first father-son duo to call a state tournament game.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Young Gordon Longhorns earn program’s first state trip with OT win over No. 1 Graford

MANSFIELD — A year after making their region tournament debut, the still-youthful Gordon Longhorns are headed to state. And it took an overtime win over two-time defending state champion Graford in the Saturday’s Region III-1A championship game to secure the trip.

The Longhorns, who fell to Graford 61-37 in the region semis last year, rallied from down nine points in the third quarter and eight in the fourth in Saturday’s rematch to force overtime, before pulling away for a 42-34 win over the top-ranked Jackrabbits at Mansfield High School.

The victory improved eighth-ranked Gordon to 21-6 on the year and earned coach Shad Reed’s squad a spot in the state field, along with No. 2 Jayton (36-3), No. 3 Benjamin (23-1) and No. 12 Fayetteville (32-4). 

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Benjamin advances to state behind 34 points from Rigdon and an age-old tactic

SNYDER — When push came to shove, the run-and-gun Benjamin Mustangs borrowed a page from a very famous former coach at BHS (Don Haskins) to eliminate Eula 57-44 and win the Region II-1A Championship at the Western Texas College Coliseum.

Leading Eula 42-31 heading into the fourth quarter with star player Grayson Ridgon saddled with four fouls, Benjamin coach Aaron Kuehler went to the four-corners stall (a Haskins specialty) to limit possessions down the stretch, protect Rigdon and melt enough clock to advance to their second straight state tournament. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Jayton rallies past Texline for thrilling 51-46 win, earns another trip to state

LEVELLAND — The second-ranked Jayton Jaybirds trailed No. 4 Texline by six points on a pair of occasions — the last late in the third quarter — and saw their first two-possession lead narrowed to a single bucket with 51 seconds to play Saturday at South Plains College’s Texan Dome. 

But in a Region I-1A championship game full of punches and counterpunches, coach Ryan Bleiker’s squad landed the biggest and last, outscoring the Tornadoes 21-14 in the fourth quarter to escape Levelland with a thrilling 51-46 win.

Jayton, which trailed at the end of each of the first three periods, punched its ticket to the Class 1A state tournament in the process, earning its second consecutive trip to San Antonio and fourth in the last six years.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Eula uses big second quarter to take control in 51-40 win over Robert Lee

SNYDER — The Eula boys basketball team used a 19-4 run through the second quarter on Friday to overcame a slow start and steal the momentum for good in a 51-40 win over Robert Lee in the second Region II-1A semifinal at Western Texas College Coliseum.

The Pirates trailed 9-2 after eight minutes, but the big second period created enough cushion to keep the upset-minded Steers at bay the rest of the way.

Standout forward Clayton Gray fueled the effort for Eula, scoring all of his game-high 24 points after the first quarter to lead the Pirates (31-4) to the Region II-2A championship game, where they’ll face off with No. 3 Benjamin (22-1) on Saturday.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Benjamin survives test from Irion County, advances to Region II-1A title game

SNYDER — Irion County bottled up Benjamin and its star guard Grayson Rigdon for most of Friday’s Region II-1A semifinal at Western Texas College Coliseum, limiting the Mustangs to fewer points as a team than Rigdon has averaged per game this season.

But BHS showed it can win in more ways than one, closing out a defensive struggle on a 7-0 run to turn a late 35-34 deficit into a gutsy 41-35 victory.

Rigdon, who saw his season scoring average drop to 47.6 points per game, “only” scored 18 points in the win, relying on contributions from his teammates and strong team defensive performance to carry the day. But the Mustangs and their standout junior survived the challenge from a determined Irion County squad to improve to 22-1 on the season and earn a region championship date with Eula on Saturday.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Patient, poised Martin’s Mill overcomes big Goldthwaite start in 2A state semi

SAN ANTONIO — The key stat in Friday’s 54-43 Class 2A state semifinal win for Martin’s Mill over Goldthwaite nearly required a double take to spot. 

Facing an early 11-4 deficit, the Lady Mustangs used a disciplined, poised offensive approach to rally for the win at the Alamodome, committing a miniscule five turnovers in the process. 

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