After nursing a sore back which prevented him from jumping for a few weeks, Wall senior Briggs Jones made a return to the stage in a big way last week.
Competing in Wall’s very own Cotton Patch Relays, Jones took five gold medals, winning the long jump, triple jump, 100 meters, 200 meters and yet another with the 800 relay team.
While scoring and rebounding garner much of the attention in basketball, there are other elements, crucial to success that seldom grab headlines.
Behind the scenes is where character, effort and sacrifice set the foundation for teams to reach their full potential. And it is with our Big Country Preps Gym Rat Team that we salute the individuals who bring these elements to the table.
This team isn’t about who the best players are — though some of the area’s top players are on this list.
The Gym Rat Team is about outworking, outhustling and outgiving everyone around you, both on the floor and off. Hard-working, honest, selfless, tough, coachable kids are what we seek for this roster.
A Gym Rat Team member can be your best player or the last player off the bench. But the one thing all of them bring is an uncompromisingly good attitude.
It is for that reason that our Gym Rat Team is selected entirely by area coaches. And Big Country Preps is truly honored to present these individuals to you — the best “team players” (boys and girls) that the area had to offer during the 2024-25 season.
Players are listed in no particular order.
Enjoy.
Here are our superlative award winners for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s girls and boys basketball selections, click the links below.
Here are our second-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
Here are our second-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
Here is our 2025 All-Big Country Preps Boys’ Basketball Rising Stars team, comprised of the top freshmen and sophomores in the area. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
Here are our first-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
Here are our superlative award winners for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps girls basketball team. For the rest of this year’s girls and boys basketball selections, click the links below.
Here are our first-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps girls basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
Here are our second-team selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps girls basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
Here are our third-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps girls basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
Here is our 2025 All-Big Country Preps Girl’s Basketball Rising Stars team, comprised of the top freshmen and sophomores in the area. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
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: AHS-Wylie softball (71 images)”
After being down for the count with some sort of illness for the past two days, Abilene High pitcher Avah Reyes took to the circle for a massive District 4-5A softball showdown against Wylie on Friday night at Bulldog Field.
With coach Jenna Aguirre thinking she might have to lift her star junior, Reyes gutted it out and matched Wylie’s Avie Faries pitch-for-pitch, allowing the Lady Eagles to take a 1-0 win to finish off a perfect first half of district play.
Maiya Badon scored the lone run of the game on a seventh-inning throwing error by Wylie catcher Cameron Gregory when pinch runner Claudia Ceballos stole second base with one out.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through March 27:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his or her email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through March 27.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
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: Merkel-Clyde baseball (73 images)”
The Abilene High and Cooper baseball teams were on opposite ends of a shutout Tuesday, as the Eagles routed Wichita Falls Legacy 11-0 on the road and the Cougars suffered a 9-0 home loss to Wichita Falls Memorial.
Connel Colley pitched a five-inning one-hitter to lead AHS, which improved to 12-5-1 overall and 4-1 in league play to take a half-game lead over Wylie (12-3-1, 3-1) in the District 4-5A standings.
Cooper, meanwhile, saw Jeron Flores outdueled by Brady Pope in a battle of left-handed standouts to fall to 12-5 on the season and 2-3 in 4-5A action.
The Abilene High and Cooper softball teams both picked up lopsided victories in District 4-5A action Tuesday, as the Lady Eagles cruised to an 8-0 home win over Wichita Falls Legacy and the Lady Cougars rolled to an 11-4 triumph at Wichita Falls Memorial.
Junior pitcher Avah Reyes tallied nine strikeouts in three perfect innings to eclipse the 300 career strikeout milestone for AHS, while Maddie Fry earned a complete-game win for Cooper. Both pitchers got plenty of run support, as the Lady Eagles outhit Legacy 10-2 and the Lady Coogs used a couple of big innings to post their second double-digit scoring output in three league games.
With Tuesday’s result, Abilene High (11-7) improved to 3-0 in 4-5A play, maintaining a one-game edge on Cooper (12-9, 2-1), which moved a half-game ahead of idle Wylie (13-6, 1-1) for second place.
CLYDE — “Aiden might have only had one best friend, but there were 30 people that called him their best friend.”
On a night when Clyde honored junior Aiden Turner after he passed away early Saturday morning from injuries sustained in a car wreck, Turner’s mother Amber Courson had those words to say about her son.
Turner, a JV player for the Bulldogs, was a passenger in the wreck that occurred as Clyde’s 14-2 road win over Merkel was getting started on Friday night. The two District 6-3A foes made sure that Tuesday’s rematch honored Turner before the Bulldogs took a 6-0 win at the Hanner Sports Complex.
Clyde softball has been overdue for landing a Big Country Preps Player of the Week award and senior pitcher Kaycee Bingham has just ended the drought.
The Lady Bulldogs have been posting big numbers on a weekly basis, falling just short of the top spot. But Bingham has landed the spotlight with a 26-0 mercy rule perfect game win over San Angelo Grape Creek last week. She followed that with a three-hit 11-0 shutout of Merkel.
Continue reading “BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde hurler takes this week’s award”
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Abilene High-Cooper softball (76 images)”
Abilene High junior Avah Reyes had 15 strikeouts and took a no-hitter into the seventh inning as the Lady Eagles claimed a 4-3 win over Cooper in District 4-5A play on Saturday afternoon.
Cooper rallied in the seventh inning behind two AHS errors and had the tying run in scoring position when Reyes struck out Sabrina Lopez-Calhoon swinging to end the game.
The showdown was the first time that AHS coach Jenna Aguirre faced off against Cooper coach Kaegan Jimenez. The two were best friends in high school, making the win bittersweet for the fourth-year AHS coach.
With Abilene High’s George Ferguson and Cooper’s Brady Henderson both coming off no-hitters in their most recent trips to the mound, Tuesday’s Crosstown Showdown was expected to be a low-scoring pitcher’s duel with a limited margin for error.
As it turned out, Friday’s matchup between the Eagles and Cougars for a share of the District 4-5A lead was exactly that.
Ferguson outdueled Henderson in a 4-1 Eagles win at Blackburn Field that saw AHS score two unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth to break open a game that was shaping up to be a classic to that point. The victory narrowed a three-way tie atop the 4-5A standings to two teams, as Abilene High kept pace with Wylie following the Bulldogs’ 13-3 home win over Wichita Falls Legacy in Friday’s other league game.
20Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through March 20.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through March 20:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his or her email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
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: Cooper-Wylie softball (46 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: Wylie-Cooper baseball (28 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: Wall-Sweetwater baseball (30 images)”
After watching her team complete a rigorous nondistrict schedule with a 10-8 record, first-year Cooper softball coach Kaegan Jimenez felt her Lady Cougars were ready for the start of District 4-5A play.
On Tuesday, they proved as much, using a seven-run fifth inning to turn a 5-2 deficit after four frames into an 11-8 road win over crosstown rival and regional stalwart Wylie.
With the victory, CHS — which posted a combined district record of 7-27 from 2022 to 2024 — is now tied atop the 4-5A standings with Abilene High, which routed Wichita Falls Memorial 13-0 in the league’s other opener Tuesday.
Tuesday was a banner night for Abilene ISD baseball squads, as both Abilene High and Cooper picked up big District 4-5A wins to move into an early tie with crosstown rival Wylie for the league lead.
The Eagles rode a gritty start from Connel Colley and some timely offense to a 4-2 road win over Wichita Falls Memorial, while the Cougars rallied for two runs in the bottom of the fifth against Wylie to make a 3-2 winner out of left-hander Jeron Flores at home.
The night’s results created a three-team logjam atop the 4-5A standings, where AHS (10-4-1), Cooper (12-3) and Wylie (11-3-1) are all 2-1, while Memorial (9-6 overall) sits just a half-game behind at 2-2.
Coming off a 3-1 win over Class 6A No. 6 Midland High on Thursday to close out its nondistrict schedule, the Abilene High softball team kept the positive momentum going Tuesday, opening District 4-5A play with a resounding 13-0 home victory over Wichita Falls Memorial.
The Lady Eagles, who dropped five of six games from Feb. 25 to March 1, have now won three straight — a streak that started March 4 with a 12-0 run-rule win over San Angelo Central.
AHS’ latest win, which was never in doubt as the Lady Eagles scored at least two runs in every inning and got a one-hit shutout from Avah Reyes, improved coach Jenna Aguirre’s squad to 9-7 on the year and placed the Lady Eagles atop the 4-5A standings with crosstown rival Cooper, which downed Wylie 11-8 in its district opener.
SWEETWATER — After Wall produced 20 runs on 15 hits and three homers (including two grand slams) in Tuesday’s 20-5 win over Sweetwater, the Hawks’ No. 2 ranking in Class 3A was difficult to argue with.
At least, no challenges to that effect were audible as Sportsman’s Park emptied, with the Hawks (12-4, 4-0) leaving in a first-place tie with Clyde in District 6.
Hagyn Barbee was 3-for-4 with a grand slam and Caleb Braden was 2-for-3 with another grand slam to lead Wall, which built an 11-1 lead after only two innings and was able to give several reserve players a shot at some playing time.
Sweetwater dropped to 6-9 and 0-4, led by Jade Rodriguez, who was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs.
At the Class 1A level, where it is common for athletes to participate in multiple sports at the same time due to a lack of numbers, individuals who excel in different disciplines are invaluable.
At Gordon, junior multi-sport star Stryker Reed falls into this category, and our Big Country Preps Player of the Week is now demonstrating it on the heels of an amazing 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: Evan Ren’s top 100 basketball photos for 2024-25”
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: Wichita Falls Legacy-Cooper baseball (62 images)”
Brady Henderson had nine strikeouts while allowing just one walk in a no-hitter as Cooper beat Wichita Falls Legacy 20-0 on Saturday afternoon in blustery conditions at Cougar Field.
It marked the second time this week that the Leopards were no-hit, following Abilene High’s George Ferguson achieving the feat on Tuesday afternoon.
Cooper coach Brandon Stover was pleased with how Henderson attacked the zone with his 64 pitches — 44 of which went for strikes — as well as the Cougars’ defensive effort behind him.
The Wylie baseball team rallied from a pair of early deficits to defeat Abilene High 15-8 on Thursday, using a seven-run bottom of the sixth to finally put the Eagles away in a three-hour affair at Bulldog Field.
Trailing 2-0 after one inning and 5-2 after three, the Bulldogs followed three-run outbursts in the fourth and fifth innings with the seven-run explosion in the sixth to open District 4-5A play with a comfortable win.
Wylie, which outhit AHS 11-8 on the afternoon, took advantage of 12 walks and turned three Eagle errors into seven unearned runs on the way to scoring 11 of its 15 runs with two outs.
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: Wichita Falls Legacy-Abilene High baseball (20 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: Bangs-Cisco softball (30 images)”
George Ferguson was utterly dominant on the mound, and he got far more run support than needed Tuesday as the Abilene High baseball team opened District 4-5A play with a 10-0 run-rule victory at Blackburn Field.
Ferguson struck out 14 batters in a five-inning no-hitter, allowing just two base runners — one of those on an error — in an outing that was almost perfect.
And behind the hard-throwing sophomore, who struck out the side in four of his five innings, the Eagles put up four runs in the first inning and five more in the third to take control early in joining Wichita Falls Memorial atop the district standings after the Mavericks downed Cooper 8-1 in their league opener Tuesday.
CISCO — The District 7-2A softball race started in a big way on Tuesday, with Bangs and Cisco (both projected to challenge for the league title) going head-to-head in the league opener for both clubs.
Battling through windy, dusty conditions, Cisco did the better job of adjusting to the elements and came away with a 10-6 win at CHS.
Aubrey Corpus was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Cara Arnold was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles to lead Cisco (10-4, 1-0), which blew the game open with a five-run third inning.
Fresh off a successful basketball season, Eula’s Hailie Cauthen has transitioned to softball as though she were in mid-season form.
In fact, the senior shortstop was good enough through five games last week to take our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award for the Week ending March 8.