Month: December 2025

by Daniel Youngblood

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Jim Ned outlasts Christoval in Eula Holiday Classic semis to earn title title with Holliday

EULA — The Jim Ned boys basketball team outlasted Christoval in the semifinals of the Eula Holiday Classic on Tuesday to earn a spot in Wednesday’s championship game against regional nemesis Holliday, which routed Graford in Tuesday’s other semifinal to set up the title game between the two Region I-3A contenders.

Trailing 32-31 with less than five minutes to play, the Indians closed the game on a 7-0 run to defeat the Cougars in their semifinal matchup. The Eagles, meanwhile, cruised past the Jackrabbits, outscoring GHS 31-7 in the second half on their way to a 57-26 victory.

With those victories, Jim Ned and Holliday advance to play for the tournament championship at 4 p.m. at Mary Mosley Gymnasium, while Graford and Chrisoval will play for third place at 1:20 p.m. at the same site.

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by Daniel Youngblood

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Eula, Jim Ned girls lock up spots in championship game of Eula Holiday Classic

EULA — The Eula and Jim Ned girls basketball teams played their way into the championship game of the Eula Holiday Classic on Tuesday, scoring semifinal wins over Tolar and Hermleigh, respectively, to set up a clash of Big Country powers for the tournament title on Wednesday. 

The Lady Pirates rallied from a 12-9 first-quarter deficit to pull away for a 37-27 win over the Lady Rattlers, while the Lady Indians pulled off the comeback of the tournament, digging out of a 30-11 second-quarter hole to slip past the Lady Cardinals 51-50 in a thriller.

Eula and Jim Ned will tip off at 2:40 p.m. at the Mary Mosley Gymnasium for the championship following a noon third-place game between Tolar and Hermleigh. At Eula Middle School, meanwhile, Clyde will play Spur for the tournament’s consolation title after defeating New Deal 55-47 in the consolation semifinals.

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by Evan Ren

The Top 10 Big Country high school sports stories of 2025

In most years, the Big Country is too big and too deep in talent for it not to compete for state championships across the spectrum of sports. And the calendar year of 2025 was no different, with multiple state titles taken at various levels. 

So many, in fact, that most of our Top 10 area sports stories for 2025 involved an area team taking a state title.

Here, we take a look at those stories in descending order, counting down to No. 1. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Graford boys cruise into semifinals, Holliday nips Clyde in OT on Day 1 of Eula Holiday Classic

EULA — The Graford boys basketball team encountered little resistance on the opening day of the Eula Holiday Classic, following a 97-18 win over Abilene TLCA in its tournament opener with a 68-37 quarterfinals win over Tolar to become the first area team to earn a spot in the event’s semifinals.

Clyde almost joined the Jackrabbits, after earning a 58-53 win over Eula in the first round. But the Bulldogs were edged 59-56 in overtime by Holliday in the quarterfinals, leaving Graford to play the Eagles in the semifinals on Tuesday for a spot in Wednesday’s championship game.

Jim Ned, which defeated Muenster 47-37 in its opener, is the only other area team remaining with a chance at the tournament title. The Indians will play Bells in the quarterfinals at 9:20 a.m. Tuesday, while Christoval and Andrews will face off in the final quarterfinals matchup at 10:40 a.m. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Tolar, Eula girls earn way to semifinals on first day of Eula Holiday Classic

EULA — The Tolar and Eula girls basketball teams were the first to punch their tickets to the semifinals on the opening day of the Eula Holiday Classic, earning a pair of wins on Monday to earn a matchup against each other on Tuesday for a spot in Wednesday’s championship game.

Tolar followed a 54-42 win over Clyde in its opener with a 49-41 victory over Hico in the quarterfinals, while Eula picked up double-digit wins over larger programs from New Deal (36-24) and Holliday (52-38).

The other semifinal qualifiers on the girls side of the tournament will be determined Tuesday morning, following quarterfinals matchups between Nazareth and Jim Ned (9:20 a.m.) and Springtown and Hermleigh (10:40 a.m.). Jim Ned defeated Strawn 49-37 in its opener, while Hermleigh routed Andrews 89-56.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jaybird takes our final award for 2025 with remarkable effort

In helping the Jayton Jaybirds to a second-straight state title last week, senior running back Bode Ham not only produced the top game in our coverage area, but his performance will likely remain part of six-man lore forever. 

With Jayton topping Richland Springs 99-54, Ham’s numbers were nothing short of shocking, with 430 yards rushing and a state championship record 10 TDs on 28 carries. 

For good measure, he was 3 of 4 through the air for 118 yards and an additional three scores, giving him 548 total yards and a direct hand in a state championship-record 13 touchdowns at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DANIEL YOUNGBLOOD: Stephenville goes ‘old school’ in state title win over Kilgore

ARLINGTON — In Stephenville’s first six state championship games — all wins — high-flying Yellow Jackets offenses averaged 38 points per contest, including outputs of 70 and 38 points in their last two. 

Friday’s game was, well, different.

In this one, a 10-0 win over Kilgore, the Jackets traded their trademark offensive fireworks for old-school physicality and execution. And the result, while unStephenville-like in nature, was no less impressive.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Stephenville captures seventh state title with win over Kilgore

Stephenville hoists the 4A DI state championship trophy after defeating Kilgore 10-0 on Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington

ARLINGTON — With many prognosticators expecting a low-scoring rock fight in Friday’s Class 4A Division I state title game between Stephenville and Kilgore, the game delivered precisely that. 

Trot Jordan rushed for a game-high 86 yards and threw for 78 and one touchdown to lead Stephenville (16-0) to a 10-0 win, closing the season with the seventh state title in program history. 

Limiting Kilgore to only 150 yards in total offense, the Yellow Jackets broke a scoreless tie at the 11:08 mark of the third quarter when Jordan hit Adan Jergins with a 40-yard TD pass. 

It proved to be the game-winner for the ‘Jackets, who took the title with just 251 yards in total offense, 173 of which were on the ground.

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: Containment of Newton’s speed a key as Wall slips past Eagles for first football state title

Wall’s defense often loaded the box with eight to 10 players to attack Newton’s vaunted running game.

ARLINGTON — Whether or not you believe the old axiom that defense wins championships, the Wall Hawks put forward a strong argument for it in Thursday’s 3A Division II state championship game at AT&T Stadium. 

In a matchup that was widely considered to be pairing of Texas’ best 3A defense against the state’s top 3A offense, Wall combined several defensive stops with a handful of big plays to earn a thrilling 25-24 win.

“It hasn’t set in yet,” Slaughter said at the postgame news conference. “We really couldn’t breathe with (Newton’s) explosive offense, but I couldn’t be happier. 

“It was a special year from the jump. We knew we had a chance to play here tonight. Then we see a loaded Newton team (on tape) and we knew we’d have to play well. If you had told me that we’d hold them under 24 points, I probably (wouldn’t have believed it.) 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wall rides fast start, defense and special teams to first-ever state championship

ARLINGTON — The Wall football team didn’t win the stat sheet Thursday night in its Class 3A Division II state championship game against Newton at AT&T Stadium. But the Hawks won where it mattered: on the scoreboard.

Buoyed by a near-perfect start and a strong defensive performance throughout, the Hawks built a 25-8 halftime lead, before holding on for dear life over the final 24 minutes to secure a thrilling 25-24 win and its first state title in program history.

The victory capped a perfect season for coach Craig Slaughter’s squad, which improved to 16-0, while Newton closed its campaign at 14-2, bookending the year with one-score losses to Class 4A DII title hopeful West Orange-Stark and Wall. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Hungry Stephenville Yellow Jackets ready for program’s next championship moment

When talking about the Stephenville football program, you never have to go back too far in time to find the the Yellow Jackets’ last trip to a state championship game. The program has, after all, played for a state championship six times — all since 1993.

And since SHS is six for six in converting those appearances into titles, that means you never have to go back too far to find the Jackets’ last championship.

But for the 2025 team, which will take on Kilgore for the Class 4A Division I championship on Friday, that 11 a.m. kickoff will mark the first state championship experience for any of its players. Stephenville’s seniors were eighth graders when the 2021 team won the program’s last title, and while many of them were in the stands with their now teammates to root that squad on, the current Jackets are ready to make their own memories on the AT&T Stadium field. 

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by Evan Ren

2025 BIG COUNTRY PREPS MAX EFFORT TEAM: The hardest-working players in area volleyball!

While our All-Big Country Preps Volleyball team is in place to honor those who achieved the most on-court success, our “Max Effort” team is something much more uncommon. 

This is a special accolade, which has nothing to do with talent or stats.

It is here where character, grit and work ethic — traits that coaches wish every player had — are recognized. It is here where we honor the best teammates and best citizens that area volleyball has to offer.

It is for that reason that this team is selected by area coaches and described in their own words.

Big Country Preps is now honored to present these individuals to you — the hardest-working, toughest volleyball players in our coverage area.

Ladies and gentlemen: Our 2025 Big Country Preps Max Effort Team. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

All-Big Country Preps Superlatives: Donaldson, Bolden, Mock, Graves and Branch nab awards

Here are our superlative award winners for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps volleyball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

2025 All-Big Country Preps Volleyball Rising Stars Team: The top freshmen and sophomores in the area!

Here is our 2025 All-Big Country Preps volleyball Rising Stars Team, comprised of the top freshmen and sophomores in the area. For the rest of this year’s volleyball selections, click the links below.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: With Gunter win in rearview, Wall takes aim at Newton and first state championship

Since practice began in preparation for the 2025 football season, the Wall Hawks have had two dates figuratively circled on their calendars:

• Whenever — if ever — they got a chance for revenge against Gunter

• And Dec. 18.

Thanks to a thrilling 28-25 win last week, Wall placed a big X over the first box. By dispatching the three-time defending Class 3A Division II state champion Tigers in the state semifinals, the Hawks helped erase the memories of last season’s 42-32 loss, also in the semifinals. In the process, Wall ran its record to 15-0.

Consequently, there is still one more X to apply. And it’s THE BIG ONE.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SIDEBAR: Ham’s performance for Jayton goes down as the greatest in championship game history

ARLINGTON — Jayton senior running back Bode Ham admitted that he was cramping up in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s Class 1A Division II state championship game at AT&T Stadium.

When he found out that he was on the precipice of history, however, he fought through the cramps and made sure that he would be back on the field for the final time in a storied high school career.

The gutsy effort saw him run for 430 yards on 28 carries, throw for 118 yards and account for a UIL record 13 total touchdowns — including a record-breaking 10 rushing — as the Jaybirds took a 99-54 win over Richland Springs to cap off a perfect 15-0 year.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Ham’s historic performance helps Jaybirds beat Richland Springs, repeat as champions

ARLINGTON — Richland Springs coach Harley Ethridge opened his postgame press conference by simply stating: “Jayton is good, and I think I underestimated them. I hate to admit that.”

Behind a record-breaking performance from senior Bode Ham, Jayton was able to repeat as Class 1A Division II state champions with a resounding 99-54 win over the Coyotes on Wednesday at AT&T Stadium. 

Ham set UIL records for rushing touchdowns (10) and total touchdowns (13) in a state championship game. The Jayton senior also narrowly missed setting a record for most rushing yards in the title game after finishing with 430 yards on just 28 carries.

Jayton’s star added 118 yards and three touchdowns passing while earning Offensive and Defensive MVP honors in the game. He had eight tackles, including three for a loss, and one pass breakup.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Gordon cements legacy among best six-man teams of all time with third straight title

ARLINGTON — The Gordon Longhorns cemented their place in the conversation for the greatest six-man dynasty of all time with a 69-22 win over Rankin in the Class 1A Division I state championship game on Wednesday morning at AT&T Stadium.

The Longhorns held the ball for just 3:56 and scored nine touchdowns on just 16 plays in securing their third straight state championship.

After the game, Gordon coach Mike Reed didn’t shy away from that conversation.

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by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s Playoff Forecast: Stephenville, Wall, Jayton, Gordon, Richland Springs head to Arlington

LAST WEEK: 3-0, 1.000
SEASON TOTAL: 543-113, .828

Jerry World, here we come. 
Five teams from the Big Country Preps coverage area — Stephenville, Wall, Gordon, Jayton and Richland Springs will take the field this week with state titles at stake. The latter three, beginning today at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. 
Let’s dive in, shall we? 

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by Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Undefeated Gordon, Jayton squads look to defend Class 1A titles

Gordon is one victory away from history.

Winners of 43 straight games, the Longhorns can capture their third consecutive state championship when they play at 11 a.m. Wednesday against Rankin at AT&T Stadium.

Gordon coach Mike Reed remembers the last time a Big Country team was attempting a three-peat at the Class 1A Division I level. Westbrook had a chance to pull off that feat in 2023, but instead a sophomore-heavy Longhorns squad overwhelmed the Wildcats 70-20.

Gordon hasn’t been tested in the two years since, but Reed cautioned that Rankin shouldn’t be overlooked now.

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by Daniel Youngblood

SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Three area teams ready for state championship action

We’ve reached the final week of the season, and as expected, teams from the Big Country Preps coverage area will play a significant role in deciding both six-man state championships.

In Division I, the two-time defending state champion Gordon Longhorns will try to further cement their legacy as one of the most impressive dynasties in six-man football history when they take on Rankin for a third consecutive title at 11 a.m. Wednesday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

And in Division II, it’s an all-area matchup between the defending state champion Jayton Jaybirds and perennial power Richland Springs immediately following the Division I game.

The culmination of another outstanding year of six-man action, these two contests should provide a fun celebration of the sport for both longtime fans and those newer to the six-man game. Without further ado, let’s dive in and take a look at both matchups in our final “Six-Man Lookahead” column of 2025.

Continue reading “SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Three area teams ready for state championship action” →

Carter Toof
by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cisco guard captures award with amazing week

If you were told that the Big Country had a possible boys basketball star in the making, where would you guess he was from? 
Jim Ned? Eula? San Saba? 

While those choices often make sense, there is a rising star on the block from an area that is seldom attached with basketball greatness. His name: Carter Toof, a junior from Cisco where pigskin has served as the athletic identity of the school for more than two decades. 

Named as our Big Country Player of the Week for the week ending Dec. 13, Toof, a gifted guard, earned our accolade with a performance that bordered on scary. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

WEEK 17 FAN POLLS … Pick this week’s state championship winners!

Each week here at Big Country Preps, we offer fans the chance to pick the winners of all games involving our local and area 11-man football teams, as well as select six-man games. With the state championship games upon us, we’re expanding beyond our coverage area again this week to pick all of this week’s title games.

The results of these weekly polls, which will close at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, will be included in our weekly Pick ‘Em Panel.

Here are the games for Week 17:

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Carthage pulls away from Brock for 49-21 win, eliminates Eagles in semis for second straight year

MESQUITE — The Brock football team saw its season come to a close in the Class 4A Division II state semifinals on Friday, falling to the defending state champion Carthage Bulldogs 49-21 at Memorial Stadium.

After reaching the end zone late in the first quarter to knot the score at 7-all, the Eagles were outscored 42-7 over the middle two quarters to close their campaign in the state semifinals for the third consecutive year.

The loss was the first of the season for Brock, which capped 2025 at 14-1. Carthage, which downed Brock in the state semis for the second straight season, improved to 15-0, earning its 11th state championship game appearance since 2008 and 12th all time. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

SIDEBAR: Revenge game turns into survival for Wall in epic state semifinal win over Gunter

STEPHENVILLE — The Wall football team had circled a state semifinal rematch with Gunter and was zeroed in on getting revenge for the past 364 days after a 42-32 loss in 2024.

A sign in the Hawks locker room even read: “Hey Gunter — we have been looking for you!”

But what started out as a revenge game turned into a heavyweight prize fight as the Hawks held on for a 28-25 win at Art Briles Stadium to earn a berth in the Class 3A Division II state championship game at 7 p.m. Thursday night against Newton, which beat East Bernard 74-20 on Thursday night.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Wall edges Gunter in state semifinal rematch

STEPHENVILLE — In the end, it came down to who made the final set of big plays. 

Wall’s thrilling 28-25 win over three-time defending state champion Gunter in a Class 3A Division II state semifinal rematch went beyond what many expected. The topsy-turvy matchup saw Wall build a 14-0 first-half lead, lose it in second half and recover it with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to earn their second trip to a state title game (the first coming in 2013).

Landon York threw for 182 yards and two scores while the Wall defense limited Gunter to 285 yards and forced two turnovers to key the win for the Hawks, who now advance to face powerhouse Newton (14-1) in the Class 3A DII state championship game on Thursday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. 

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: DeVivo’s 45-yard field goal lifts Stephenville to thrilling win over Celina in state semis

FORT WORTH — Advancing to a state championship game isn’t supposed to be easy, and it certainly wasn’t for the Stephenville Yellow Jackets on Friday at Knight Stadium.

But at the end of four grueling quarters, it was coach Sterling Doty’s squad hoisting its sixth gold ball of the season following a wild 24-21 win over Celina in the Class 4A Division I state semifinals.

SHS trailed trailed at the end of each of the first three quarters and never led until Brighton DeVivo’s 45-yard field goal split the uprights with two seconds remaining the game. But that slight edge was enough to lift the Yellow Jackets to their seventh state championship game, where they’ll face off with Kilgore next Friday at AT&T Stadium.

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by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Dominant Wall defense ‘the quiet force’ behind Hawks’ return to state semifinals

When the season began, Wall coach Craig Slaughter was confident he’d have an explosive offense. After all, the Hawks returned the area’s third-leading passer in Landon York and a deep and talented group of pass-catchers, led by speedy senior Reid Robertson.

When it came to the defense, though, the veteran coach wasn’t quite as sure what to expect. Wall graduated seven of its 11 starters from last year’s state semifinalist squad, and Slaughter felt the offense may need to carry some extra weight while the defense found its stride.

As it turned out, though, the defense’s learning curve was much shorter than expected. In fact, it was basically nonexistent. The Hawks established a brisk defensive pace through a tough nondistrict schedule and have done nothing but improve since, allowing seven points or fewer in 10 of their 14 games (all victories), including a total of 14 points in the four playoff wins leading up to Friday’s clash with three-time defending state champion Gunter.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Close-knit Brock squad relishing opportunity to face off with Carthage in state semifinals

There’s no question that, of all the challenges the Brock football team has faced en route to a 14-0 record this fall, Friday’s game with Carthage, also 14-0, represents the holy grail for the Eagles.

Even if, technically, it’s only Holy Grail 1.0.

It earns that distinction because a win over the vaunted Bulldogs would still leave Brock one victory away from the Class 4A Division II state championship. No state title is ever proverbial “gravy.”

Still, the Carthage game is more than just a giant step toward potential history. It’s a giant step, period, especially when you consider two especially enticing plot elements that surround this week’s matchup at 7 p.m. in Mesquite between the two unbeatens.

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by Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Junior RB McClendon shining in featured role for state hopeful Yellow Jackets

With 1,505 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns, it’s fair to say that Stephenville running back Zyler McClendon is having a special junior season.

Just don’t expect Yellow Jackets’ coach Sterling Doty to say he’s surprised by McClendon’s output.

“He got some good burn last year and he had a really good offseason,” Doty said as Stephenville prepares to face defending state champion Celina in the 4A Division I semifinals. “Sawyer (Wilkerson) graduated so he knew he had an opportunity to start and compete for carries.”

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 16)

Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games and select six-man games, in addition to the results of our weekly fan polls for each matchup.

For those interested in voting, polls go up on Sunday night each week and close Thursday evening.

Disagree with our picks or the fan poll consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Stephenville girls grind out 30-20 over Cooper in defensive slugfest

Frustrated at times by Cooper’s athleticism and defensive intensity, the Stephenville girls basketball team found itself in a dogfight late in the third quarter Tuesday at Cougar Gym. But after leading just 15-12 at halftime and 21-17 with 10 minutes remaining in the game, the Honeybees closed the contest on a 9-3 run to grind out a 30-20 win.

SHS made just 10 shots from the field in a physical defensive game that saw 17 field goals made between the teams. But coach Jason Hodges’ squad held the Lady Cougars to five points or fewer in three of the four quarters to record its fifth straight win.

The victory improved the Honeybees to 10-2 on the year, while Cooper fell to 1-12 with the loss.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie girls push through slow start to run away from Graham

It took the Wylie girls basketball team a few minutes to find its stride Tuesday, but once the Lady Bulldogs did they never lost it in a 68-20 win over Graham at Bulldog Gym.

Tied with the Lady Blues at 4-all more than halfway through the opening quarter, Wylie closed the period on a 14-2 run and extended its 18-6 first-quarter lead to 34-13 by halftime to set the tone for the lopsided win.

Using aggressive defense to speed Graham up and force turnovers, the Lady Bulldog never allowed more than seven points in any quarter. And on the other end of the floor, coach Duane Hopper’s team moved the ball through and around the Lady Blues’ zone to get open looks both on the perimeter and in the lane.

The result was a convincing win that improved Wylie’s record on the season to 13-2 with another month to go before the start of District 4-5A play.

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN’S PLAYOFF FORECAST: Stephenville, Brock, Wall aiming for Jerry World

LAST WEEK: 6-2, .750
SEASON TOTAL: 540-113, .827

With six-man teams from Gordon, Richland Springs and Jayton having already qualified for next week’s state championship games in Arlington, there are three additional 11-man possibilities for the Big Country Preps coverage area in the state semifinals.

Stephenville will take on Celina in 4A DI; Brock will face Celina in 4A DII and Wall will square off with Gunter in 3A DII. All three of those games will take place on Friday, with the winners advancing to their respective title games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington next week. 

All three matchups are razor-thin when it comes to looking for reasons to pick one team or the other. But frankly, that’s what we want at this time of year, so here goes nothing.

Here’s this week’s playoff forecast. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

SIX-MAN REWIND: Three area teams headed to Arlington after earning convincing wins in state semifinals

With five teams playing in the four Class 1A state semifinal games, the Big Country Preps coverage area was guaranteed to have a presence in next week’s state championship games. 

As it turns out, our area will have a substantial one.

With Gordon advancing in Division I and Jayton and Richland Springs earning spots in the DII title game, the Big Country Preps area will have three of the four state participants when games kick off next Wednesday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

For the final time this year, it’s time to take a look at how we got here in the last “Big Country Rewind” column of the 2025 season. We hope you enjoy this look back at last week’s action.

Continue reading “SIX-MAN REWIND: Three area teams headed to Arlington after earning convincing wins in state semifinals” →

by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wylie senior earns this week’s award

It’s one thing to pour in points. 

It’s quite another to do it against difficult competition in a big-school tournament.  Wylie senior Swade Sipe, our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, did exactly that in last week’s Granbury tournament, helping the Bulldogs to a 2-2 mark in the challenging event. 

Sipe’s weekend began with a 22-point effort in a 54-48 win over Saginaw. It continued with 12 points in a 56-50 loss to Prosper Rock Hill, 20 points in a 59-51 win over Midland Christian and a 33-point night in a 46-43 loss to Arlington Lamar. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

WEEK 16 FAN POLLS … Pick this week’s state semifinal winners!

Each week here at Big Country Preps, we offer fans the chance to pick the winners of all games involving our local and area 11-man football teams. With the season winding down, we’re expanding beyond our coverage area this week and picking all of this week’s state semifinal games.

The results of these weekly polls, which will close at 5 p.m. each Thursday, will be included in our weekly Pick ‘Em Panel.

Here are the games for Week 16:

Continue reading “WEEK 16 FAN POLLS … Pick this week’s state semifinal winners!” →

by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Ethridge’s big game, dominant defensive effort fuel Richland Springs past Strawn in state semis

STEPHENVILLE — Cohen Ethridge had another monster game for the Richland Springs offense, and the Coyotes defense shut down Strawn’s rushing attack from start to finish Saturday to pull away for a 66-20 win over the Greyhounds in a Class 1A Division II semifinal matchup at Art Briles Stadium.

Behind Ethridge, who finished with 200 yards and five touchdowns rushing, returned a kickoff 60 yards for a score and added 69 yards and a TD passing for good measure, Richland Springs scored on eight of its nine offensive possessions. And defensively, the Coyotes limited Strawn to minus-31 rushing yards on 19 attempts to take a 56-14 lead into halftime before closing out the 45-point-rule win with 5:08 remaining in the third quarter on their second safety of the game.

The thorough victory improved Richland Springs to 12-1 on the year and, more importantly, earned the nine-time state champion Coyotes their first trip to a state title game in Arlington since 2020.

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Wall 2025
by Evan Ren

GAME REPORT: Wall crushes Idalou, advances to state semifinals

Throughout their unbeaten run through the 2025 season, nobody gave the Wall Hawks more difficulty than Idalou in a 35-21 WHS win on Oct. 3.  

However, Friday’s rematch in the Region I-3A DII title game, followed a completely different script. 

Rather than a mistake-filled night on the part of Wall as in the first matchup, the Hawks forced four Idalou turnovers and ran away with the regional championship in a 48-7 rout at San Angelo Stadium. 

Landon York threw for 307 yards and four scores to lead Wall (14-0) which now advances to face Gunter in a rematch of last year’s 3A DII state semifinal on Friday at 6 at Art Briles Stadium in Stephenville. 

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by Evan Ren

GAME REPORT: Stephenville rallies to eliminate Canyon West Plains

Photos by James Abel, PressPassSports.com

A stunning reversal in momentum saw Stephenville advance to the Class 4A DI state semifinals on Friday when the Yellow Jackets overcame a 21-7 second-quarter deficit with 34 uananswered points in a 41-21 win over Canyon West Plains at Lubbock’s Lowrey Field. 

Trot Jordan threw for 212 yards and two scores and rushed for 72 yards and two additional TDs to lead Stephenville (14-0), which will face Celina (14-0) next week with a trip to the state championship game on the line. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Winters too much to handle as West Texas ends strong Cisco season in Region I-2A DI final

LUBBOCK — For most of the first half Friday, it appeared as though the Cisco Loboes and Stinnett West Texas Comanches were headed for an old-school thriller in the the Region I-2A Division I championship game at Lubbock Cooper’s Pirate Stadium.

But when momentum turned late in the second quarter, it did so sharply and for good, allowing still-undefeated West Texas to pull away for a 48-22 win and end the Loboes’ best season since 2014 at 12-2.

Led by senior quarterback Cayde Winters, whose bowling ball running style proved too much for the Cisco defense to handle over the course of four quarters, the Comanches rallied from first-half deficits of 7-0 and 14-8 to take a 24-14 lead into halftime. And they continued to pile on after the break, stretching their lead to 40-14 by the 8:55 mark of the final period to stamp out any hopes of a Loboes comeback.

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