Month: April 2025

by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Brock’s Mylee Cedillo takes this week’s accolade with two doses of late-game heroics

If one is to play the role of hero, there’s not a better time to do it than in postseason play in your senior year. 

Brock’s Mylee Cedillo lived that experience — not once, but twice in last week’s uber-intense bi-district series with fifth-ranked Levelland that saw the Lady Eagles edge the Loboettes 2-1 and 7-6 in 13 innings. 

It all began Friday night in Game 1, with Levelland pitcher Aubrey Rivas carrying a no-hitter and a 1-0 lead into the seventh inning. Cedillo responded to the pressure with an RBI double to drive home both Lily Springstead (who walked) and courtesy runner Emily Faddis (running for Ali Coleman who reached on an error) to give Brock a 2-1 win. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Bangs slips past Hawley in wild bi-district series, earns second-round date with Forsan

ABILENE — Less than 24 hours after Bangs opened its Region I-2A Division I bi-district series against Hawley with a decisive 17-7 victory, the Lady Dragons and Lady Cats treated those who returned to the Abilene Christian University campus for the end of the best-of-three affair to a couple of classics Saturday afternoon at Poly Wells Field.

Facing elimination after Friday’s run-rule loss, Hawley answered a two-run Bangs top of the seventh with two runs of its own in the bottom of the inning to walk-off with a 7-6 win in Game 2, before BHS rallied from a 6-4 deficit in the fifth inning to earn a series-clinching 8-7 win in Game 3.

As a result of those outcomes — and 14 nail-biting innings for the fans of both teams — the Lady Dragons (22-7) earned a trip to the area round to take on District 5-2A champion Forsan next week, while Hawley saw its season end in heartbreak at 14-15.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Brock remains unbeaten with 13-inning marathon victory over Levelland to win 4A DII bi-district series

EULA — To get past a difficult Levelland team in their Class 4A DII bi-district series, the Brock Lady Eagles had very little margin for error. In fact, through Friday’s 2-1 win in Game 1 and Saturday’s 7-6 win in 13 innings, Brock played error-free softball to advance to the area round. 

Twenty full innings without a single miscue.

Mylee Cedillo was 6 of 7 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored (including the 13th inning game-winner) while freshman phenom Ali Coleman went the distance in the circle to lead the top-ranked and still-unbeaten Lady Eagles (27-0-2), who will face Burkburnett in the area round next Friday and Saturday in Graham. 

Levelland closed its season at 28-6-1, led by Saydi Mendez, who was 6 of 7 with a triple and two RBIs.

“We had to play that way to win,” said Brock coach Greg Connors of his team’s fielding perfection — knowing full well that fifth-ranked Levelland would be a handful. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Haskell opens playoffs with dominant performance against Ballinger

CLYDE — Paige Sheets was dominant in the circle and her teammates gave her plenty of run support, scoring early and often as the Haskell Maidens opened the Region I-2A Division II playoffs with a 12-0 run-rule victory over Ballinger on Friday at the Hanner Sports Complex.

Sheets struck out 10 in a five-inning shutout, limiting the Lady Cats to just three hits, while she and her teammates roughed up Ballinger for 12 hits, including a pair of doubles and two home runs.

The end result was a thorough victory that pushes the Maidens into next week’s area round, where they will face off with Reagan County, which easily dispatched of Eldorado in its bi-district playoff.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Damron’s bat propels Eula to series-clinching win over Hamlin

Emma Damron finished a double shy of hitting for the cycle and had a walk-off three-run inside-the-park home run as Eula finished off a two-game sweep of Hamlin with a 15-4 win at ACU’s Poly Wells Field on Friday night.

Damron tripled in the first inning and had an RBI single in the fourth before ending the game in the fifth inning.

She also earned the praise of coach Jayton Thompson for the work she did behind the plate, catching Macy Flatt, who made her first career postseason start in Eula’s 22-3 win in the series opener.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Stephenville outlasts Big Spring in bi-district sweep of the Lady Steers

ABILENE — It took more than five hours of combined play for Stephenville and Big Spring to settle their bi-district issue on Friday at Bulldog Field, with the Honey Bees taking consecutive wins to move into the area round. 

Following a well-played, 6-3 Stephenville win in Game 1, the night cap saw a far sloppier performance by a pair of tired clubs, with the Honey Bees topping Big Spring 22-7 to lock up the series. 

Stephenville (17-13-1) now advances to face either Springtown or Fort Worth Southwest at a site and time to be determined. Big Spring closed its season at 12-12. 

“When you start this thing with the first pitch at 5:30 and it being 11 p.m. on the last out it makes for a long day,” Stephenville coach Chase Cleland said. “But that’s what doubleheaders in postseason are for — to see who can outlast the other one and try to play the cleanest ball you can play.”

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Cooper outlasts Abilene High for 2-0 win to take season series, top playoff seed

After grinding out a gritty 3-1 win over Abilene High on Tuesday to kick off its final home-and-home series of the District 4-5A season, the Cooper baseball team won another pitcher’s duel over its crosstown rival Friday, edging the Eagles 2-0 at Blackburn Field.

Playing AHS with the season series and their district’s top Division I playoff seed on the line, the Cougars broke a scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning, and the pitching duo of Brady Henderson and Alejandro made those hold up with a combined four-hit shutout.

Henderson pitched the first five innings for Cooper, allowing just two hits and two walks with six strikeouts, before handing the game over the Ibarra, who navigated the final two frames for the save.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Anson holds off Cisco rally to secure bi-district sweep, advance to area round

EULA — The Anson Lady Tigers punched their ticket to the area round of the Region I-2A Division I softball playoffs Thursday night, advancing past a spirited Cisco squad with a doubleheader sweep at the Eula softball field.

After surging late to pull away for a 10-3 victory in Game 1, the Lady Tigers fought off a Lady Loboes rally in Thursday’s nightcap, following a four-run Cisco seventh with a three-run top of the eighth to clinch the series with a 9-6 extra-innings win in Game 2.

Those results earned coach Mistrie Vinson and her team at least one more week together, as they’ll gear up for a second-round meeting with Colorado City, which routed Ozona 20-0 in a one-game playoff Thursday.

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by Evan Ren

Final Area Softball Stat Leaders (through April 24)

Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 24:

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. 

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by Evan Ren

Area Baseball Stat Leaders (through April 24)

Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 24.

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. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Pitching, defense key Cooper to 3-1 win over crosstown rival Abilene High

The Cooper baseball team didn’t generate a lot of offense Tuesday night at Cougar Field, but it was enough to hand crosstown rival Abilene High a 3-1 loss thanks to a strong pitching performance by Jeron Flores and Johnathon Rico and some excellent defense played behind them.

The two CHS pitchers combined to limit the Eagles to just two hits, putting out what few fires they encountered to keep the Cougars in the hunt for District 4-5A’s No. 1 playoff seed in the large school division.

The Coogs, who improved to 18-8 overall and 5-6 in district play with Tuesday’s win, will meet up with Abilene High (17-9-1, 6-5) again on Friday at Blackburn Field with the season series between the two teams on the line. The winner will take the No. 1 seed in the Class 5A Division I playoffs while the loser will take the No. 2 seed.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Hermleigh freshman softballer blanks Hawley 10-0; HHS baseball celebrates first district title

HERMLEIGH — For both teams, it was little more than a dress rehearsal for the upcoming playoffs. But by game’s end, Hermleigh gave the impression that it is again ready to do some damage in the 1A softball bracket after handing a 10-0 mercy rule loss to Class 2A Hawley in Tuesday’s playoff warmup game at Lady Cardinal Field.  

Freshman Peyton Miller tossed a six-inning, three-hit shutout with six strikeouts while Hailey Minton and Brooklyn O’Quinn were both 1-for-2 with a combined three RBIs to lead Hermleigh (17-1), which took advantage of 12 walks, three passed balls, two wild pitches and an error to take control of the game. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wall’s Jones holds down the top spot yet again

At Big Country Preps, we pride ourselves on sharing the love as much as possible. But Wall senior Briggs Jones has been so spectacular of late, that he’s making that difficult. 

Jones has not only taken our Big Country Preps Player of the Week for a second straight time, but for a third time this year and a fourth time in his athletic career. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

CLASS 4A REGIONAL TRACK ROUNDUP: Brownwood girls take team title, area athletes earn 23 medals at I-4A meet

LUBBOCK — The Brownwood girls won a team title and Stephenville finished second behind Canyon on the boys side over the weekend to headline a strong effort by programs and athletes from the Big Country Preps coverage area at the Region I-4A track meet.

The Lady Lions earned 113 points to run away from the competition at Lowrey Field, topping second-place Canyon by 38 points and third-place Canyon Randall by 53. The Stephenville boys, meanwhile, finished with 76 points to fall 15 shy of Canyon for the team championship.

Those efforts highlighted a successful meet that saw area athletes claim 23 total medals — 13 on the girls side and 10 on the boys.

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by Daniel Youngblood

LOCAL TRACK ROUNDUP: Wylie’s Washington earns silver in boys triple jump to punch ticket to state meet

LUBBOCK — Wylie senior Andre Washington is headed to the state track meet after taking silver in the triple jump over the weekend at the Region I-5A meet at Lowrey Field.

Washington jumped 46 feet, 10½ inches to finish less than a foot behind event winner Taniela Ake O’Neal of Argyle (47-9½) and punch his ticket to Austin.

That effort, which accounted for eight of Wylie’s 12 team points, headlined all local performances at the meet, which also saw the Abilene High girls earn 11 points.

Continue reading “LOCAL TRACK ROUNDUP: Wylie’s Washington earns silver in boys triple jump to punch ticket to state meet” →

by Evan Ren

REGIONAL TRACK: Wall, Gordon take boys regional titles; Eula snags 1A girls regional championsip

ABILENE — Both teams had dominated the Big Country and surrounding area for the entire track season, so few were stunned on Saturday when both Wall and Gordon captured the Region I-3A and II-1A boys championships at Abilene Christian University’s Elmer Gray Stadium.

It completed a near clean sweep of the regional meets from teams in the Big Country Preps coverage area, with Eula taking the 1A girls title and Wall finishing second to Holliday in the 3A girls regional meet. 

“That’s always awesome ,” Wall coach Craig Slaughter said of taking the regional team title. “You have to have talented kids who perform at the right time.

“We just had some monster performances all weekend long. Kid after kid PR’d and we just had an incredible couple of days.” 

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by Daniel Youngblood

REGION II-1A TRACK MEET: Big Country athletes dominate medal stand on Day 1

Area athletes cleaned up on the first day of the Region II-1A track meet Friday, claiming 28 combined medals, including golds in all but one of the 14 completed events at Abilene Christian University’s Elmer Gray Stadium.

Between the boys and girls divisions, competitors from the Big Country Preps coverage area locked up at least 19 berths to the state track meet on the meet’s opening day, which saw all field events and the 3,200 meters completed ahead of expected overnight thunderstorms.

In addition to the 13 gold medals, Big Country qualifiers accounted for six silvers and nine bronzes while setting themselves up for another big day Saturday with strong performances in the running prelims. The meet will conclude with the running finals, which are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. back at ACU.

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by Daniel Youngblood

REGION I-3A TRACK MEET: Area athletes nab 12 field event medals on first day

ABILENE — Area athletes got off to a successful start at the Region I-3A track meet, combining to collect 13 medals and earn nine automatic berths to the state track meet during the event’s first day Friday at Abilene Christian University’s Elmer Gray Stadium.

With expected overnight storms pushing all field events to Friday, male competitors from the Big Country Preps coverage area tallied seven total medals — four golds, a silver and two bronzes — while area girls athletes claimed six medals, earning two of each shade.

The big winner Friday was the Wall boys, who accounted for five of those medals on their way to an early lead in the team race. The Hawks, who earned 42 points take a 22-point lead on second-place Idalou, will try to close out the team championship when the meet continues at 2 p.m. Saturday with the running finals.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Big first inning, strong start by Gay help Wylie to 5-1 win over Cooper

A three-run first inning provided Wylie’s Brady Gay all the run support he would need Thursday in a 5-1 win over crosstown rival Cooper at Cougar Field.

Taking the mound with a healthy early lead, the senior right-hander delivered a gem and took advantage of some excellent defense behind him to help the Bulldogs lock up at least a share of the District 4-5A championship with the victory.

Gay allowed one run over 5.1 strong innings, allowing four hits and striking out six in the win, which improved WHS (17-4-1 overall) to 8-2 in league play with two games remaining. The Bulldogs hold a two-game edge in the loss column on both Abilene High (17-8-1, 6-4) and Wichita Falls Memorial (16-10, 8-4), putting them in position to clinch the outright district title with a single win in their final home-and-home series against last-place Wichita Falls Legacy.

Continue reading “GAME STORY: Big first inning, strong start by Gay help Wylie to 5-1 win over Cooper” →

by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Coahoma breaks state record in playoff tune-up win over Abilene High

The Coahoma softball team has been on a historic run since beating Bryan Rudder 5-0 on March 4, 2023.

Thursday night, the Bulldogettes etched their name in the history books with a 6-1 win over Abilene High at the AHS softball field — the 84th consecutive game they have gone without a loss.

Coahoma is 83-0-1 during the streak, with the lone tie coming earlier this year in a 2-2 decision in four innings in a tournament game against Lubbock High. With the record in hand, Coahoma coach Alex Orosco said that the team has been focused on doing things right daily and that allows for records to be broken.

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by Evan Ren

Area Softball Stat Leaders (through April 17)

Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 17:

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. 

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by Evan Ren

Area Baseball Stat Leaders (through April 17)

Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 17.

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. 

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Brock shuts out Mineral Wells behind masterpiece from Evan O’Connor

MINERAL WELLS — With a raucous Mineral Wells crowd aiming a wide variety of noise makers (including duck calls) at him, Brock’s Evan O’Connor had an effective countermeasure: pure heat. 

With first place in District 6-4A DI in the balance, O’Connor unleashed one of the most dominant performances the Big Country Preps coverage area has seen this year with a one-hit, 6-0 victory at Pratt Field. 

Consistently hitting the radar gun at 91 mph and pegging it at 92, the junior southpaw fanned 16 Mineral Wells hitters against only two walks and limited the Rams to a second-inning infield hit by Curry Crouch. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Cantu’s fifth-inning homer lifts Abilene High to 3-1 win over Wylie

With both the district championship and playoff seeding already locked up before the first pitch of Tuesday night’s softball matchup between the Abilene High and Wylie, neither team stood to gain or lose a whole lot from the game’s outcome.

But for those in attendance at the AHS softball field, it wasn’t hard to see how much the contest meant to both teams.

Less than three weeks after the Lady Eagles and Lady Bulldogs battled to a 1-0 AHS victory in the first of two matchups between the squads, the two teams put on another show Tuesday, with a two-run home run by Kinzley Cantu in the fifth inning serving as the difference in a 3-1 Abilene High win.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Two diving catches help lead Wylie to comeback win over Cooper

Tuesday night’s Southtown Showdown at Bulldog Field saw Cooper jump out to an early lead before the Wylie offense erupted in the fourth inning for a 6-3 win in District 4-5A action.

Diving catches by Wylie’s Tye Briscoe (fourth inning) and Jace Tomlin (sixth inning) provided the two biggest momentum swings in Wylie’s favor to help sophomore Dylan Regala earn his second consecutive win in a crosstown matchup.

Regala scattered seven hits in five-plus innings while allowing three runs. He added three strikeouts and didn’t walk anyone, shutting down the Cooper offense after the Cougars scored two runs in the top of the first inning.

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