Month: February 2026

by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Stanaland’s block, overtime run lift No. 1 Jayton to epic win over second-ranked Gordon

ABILENE — In what felt in both environment and quality of play like a state championship game, the top-ranked Jayton Jaybirds outlasted the No. 2 Gordon Longhorns for a 47-42 win in overtime Friday night at Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum.

The matchup, which was being played for the second straight year in the Region II-1A Division II area round, was tight throughout with eight ties and 10 lead changes — six of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime.

But a key defensive play at the end of regulation and a 7-0 run in the extra period were enough to lift two-time defending state champion Jayton to a thrilling victory in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd of partisans for both squads.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Top-ranked Gordon girls ride second-quarter run to 46-36 win over Jayton, earn trip to state semis

ABILENE — A 13-0 run spanning the final 6:45 of the second quarter and and first 30 seconds of the third provided the difference for the top-ranked and undefeated Gordon Lady Longhorns in a 46-36 win over No. 14 Jayton in the Region II-1A Division II championship game Friday night at Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum.

The first game of a highly anticipated and strongly attended doubleheader between the two schools’ basketball programs, Friday’s matchup was tied on four occasions in the first 10 minutes — the last at 14-all with 6:45 to play in the opening half. But Gordon went into halftime on a 10-0 run and opened the second half with a 3-pointer to take a game-high 13-point lead that it would defend the rest of the way.

The victory improved coach Matt Garnett’s squad to 34-0 and earned the Lady Longhorns a trip to the state semifinals, where they’ll take on 24-time state champion Nazareth early next week at a time, date and site to be announced.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Wall uses big second-half run to eliminate Coahoma (box score included)

BIG SPRING —If the rankings are correct, the Wall Lady Hawks are not only the top Class 3A team in the state, but they’ve now beaten two of the top three teams in the span of three days.

Their latest victim: The Coahoma Bulldoggettes, who entered Friday’s Region I-3A DII championship ranked second by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, only to fall 56-42 to the Lady Hawks. 

Four Wall players scored in double-digits at the Dorothy Garrett Coliseum, with Jewels Johnson and Kathrine Lewis leading the way with 14 and 12 points respectively.  Kenzzie Covert and Brynlee Graves added 10 each as the Lady Hawks improved to 35-3. 

Wall, which  toppled third-ranked Idalou in the regional semis on Tuesday, now advance to face sixth-ranked Paradise (33-4) in the state semifinals.  This will be a rematch of a previous meeting between the two teams, won by Wall, 55-37 on Dec. 30.

Coahoma closed its season at 34-2, led by Addison Schmidt with a game-high 19 points and Bree Lewis with 13.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Riddle’s 3-pointer propels crucial Brock run as Lady Eagles advance to state semifinals

MERKEL — In 2025, it took a buzzer-beating shot for the Brock girls basketball team to beat Lubbock Cooper Liberty 37-36 in the bi-district round of the Region I-4A Division II playoffs.

The stakes were much higher when the two sides met again on the hardwood Friday night at Merkel’s Badger Gym — but the result was the same as the No. 3 Lady Eagles claimed a 37-29 win in the Region I-4A Division II championship game to earn a berth in the state semifinals for the 23rd time in school history as they chase their 10th state championship.

While the state semifinals are no longer part of the state tournament in San Antonio, Brock coach Alex Stephenson said he doesn’t care where the Lady Eagles play Dallas Lincoln in the early part of the week.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Cisco girls hold off Collinsville rally to advance to Class 2A DI state semifinals

SAGINAW — Pearson Hearne scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Cisco to a 54-45 win over Collinsville in the Region II-2A Division I championship game Friday night at Eagle Mountain High School.

The victory improved the Lady Loboes’ record to 35-2 and earned Cisco a trip to next week’s 2A DI state semifinal game against Panhandle at a neutral site. A victory there would propel the Lady Loboes into the state championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, with a chance to win the first state title in school history. Collinsville finished 34-4.

Hearne did most of the heavy lifting for the Lady Loboes in the first half, scoring nine points in the first quarter and seven more in the second. Her offense and a tenacious Cisco defense helped the team build a 34-25 lead at intermission. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps Preseason Baseball Position Rankings: Utility Players

After recognizing the Big Country’s top pitchers, catchers, infielders and outfielders, we wrap up our baseball position rankings series with the area’s multi-position standouts.

For the final installment in our five-part series, we take a look at the top utility players, ranking our top-10 with others to watch in 2026. 

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading through these lists and are as excited as we are that baseball season is underway.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Damron plays through pain, helps Eula to regional title win over Hermleigh

BIG SPRING — Long-time Eula basketball coach Josh Fostel may have never envisioned himself as a boxing “cut man.” But after standout senior Emma Damron was tripped up and face-planted in the third quarter, the EHS mentor was quickly pressed into service.

His efforts paid off — so much so that Damron (despite leaking blood out of a nasty gash over her left eye) led the Lady Pirates to a 58-44 win over Hermleigh in the Region II-1A DII championship game at Dorothy Garrett Coliseum.

Damron, with Fostel periodically toweling the blood from her face and adjusting her bandage, finished with a game-high 27 points to lift the Lady Pirates (37-2). They will now advance to face either Spur or Bordon County in the state semifinals.  

Hermleigh closed its season at 34-3, led by Kolbie Campbell with 13 points and Syreah Callaway with nine.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps Preseason Baseball Position Rankings: Outfielders

For the fourth installment of our five-part baseball position rankings series, we shift our focus from the infield dirt to the outfield grass.

After highlighting the Big Country’s top pitchers, catchers and infielders earlier this week, we now do the same with the area’s best outfielders, ranking our top 10 with others to watch in 2026.

We hope you enjoy our list.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Waco Live Oak Classical tops No. 2 Abilene Christian in title game for second straight year

ROBINSON — The Abilene Christian girls basketball team’s bid for its first state championship since 1979 came to an end Thursday with a 56-48 loss to Waco Live Oak Classical in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Class 3A state title game at Waco Robinson High School.

For the second straight year, the top-ranked Lady Falcons used a big first quarter to grab an early lead and held off a spirited effort by the Lady Panthers the rest of the way to secure a single-digit win for the championship.

After racing out to an 11-4 first-quarter lead on its way to a 47-39 win that ended a Cinderella run for ACS last season, Live Oak sprinted out to a 19-11 advantage after the first quarter Thursday, leaving the second-ranked Lady Panthers to complete a comeback that never quite materialized in finishing as the TAPPS Class 3A runner-up for the second consecutive year.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps Preseason Baseball Position Rankings: Infielders

After ranking the top pitchers and catchers on the Big Country baseball scene the past two nights, we now turn our attention to the infield.

For the third installment in our five-part position rankings series, we list our top-10 infielders in the area with a list of others to watch in 2026.

We hope you enjoy reading through our rankings.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: No. 2 Abilene Christian girls cruise past Rockwall Heritage Christian, into state title game

WACO — The Abilene Christian girls basketball team is headed to the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Class 3A state championship game for the second consecutive year after coasting to a 75-31 win over Rockwall Heritage Christian Academy on Wednesday afternoon at University High School.

The second-ranked Lady Panthers dominated the state semifinal matchup from the outset, stretching a 29-8 lead after one quarter to 49-17 by halftime to give themselves another shot at their first state championship since 1979.

With the win, ACS (22-3) earned a title game rematch with No. 1 Waco Live Oak Classical, which defeated San Antonio Lutheran in Wednesday’s other semifinal to punch its ticket to the final, which is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday at Waco Robinson High School. Live Oak defeated the Lady Panthers 47-38 in last year’s championship game. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Wylie boys rally past Lubbock Monterey in fourth for first playoff win since 2018

SNYDER — The Wylie boys basketball team claimed its first playoff win as a Class 5A program on Tuesday, rallying from a fourth-quarter deficit to knock off Lubbock Monterey 62-58 in a Region I-5A Division II bi-district matchup at Tiger Gym.

Trailing 32-29 at halftime and 47-45 after three quarters, the Bulldogs outscored the Plainsmen 17-11 over the final eight minutes to reach the area round for the first time since advancing to the Region I-4A championship game in 2018. 

The Bulldogs, who at 15-13 ensured a winning season with the victory, will now take on El Paso Andress (23-9) at 4 p.m. Friday in Fort Stockton.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Wall uses suffocating defense to get past perennial power Idalou (box score included)

SNYDER — It may not have been the prettiest brand of basketball ever displayed. But Tuesday’s 35-25 win by the Wall Lady Hawks over Idalou in a Region I-3A DII semifinal, was in its own way, noteworthy. 

Using a crushing halfcourt defense which all but stymied the third-ranked Lady Cats, top-ranked Wall limited Idalou to six points or less in each of the first three quarters, all the while gradually building a nine-point lead to carry into the final period.

The cushion was more than enough for a Wall defense which had allowed a grand total of just five field goals through the first three quarters.

McKenzie Lopez had a game-high 19 points and Jewels Johnson added seven more to lead Wall (34-3), which advances to play Coahoma (34-1) for the regional title on Friday at 6 p.m. at Howard College.  Karsyn Lutrick finished with 14 points for Idalou, which closed its season at 30-5.

“We preach defense every single day,” Wall coach Silas Crisler said. “And when the challenge is at its highest and at its biggest moment, our kids continue to show up over and over again.”

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Stephenville boys pull away from Frenship Memorial for first playoff win since 2018

ABILENE — It was a milestone kind of a night for the Stephenville boys basketball team Tuesday as the Yellow Jackets notched their 30th win of the season with their first playoff victory since 2018, knocking off Frenship Memorial 62-50 in a Region I-4A Division I bi-district matchup at Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum.

Trailing 9-2 less than three minutes into the game, the Jackets rallied to take their first lead since the game’s opening bucket on a Dillinger Thiebaud layup with 5:41 to play in the second quarter. And coach Drew McDorman’s team protected that advantage the rest of the way, stretching its 21-19 lead to 25-21 by halftime and 41-31 by the start of the fourth quarter.

Stephenville’s lead grew as wide as 15 points in the final period, eliminating any suspense as to whether or not the Jackets (30-4) would be advancing to the area round later this week.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Maidens fall victim to Shallowater rally (box score included)

SNYDER — If one searches for a turning point in Tuesday’s Region I-3A DI semifinal between Comanche and Shallowater, it’s easy enough to spot. 

With Comanche seemingly in control, leading 31-19 with 1:49 left in the second quarter, Shallowater closed the half on a 6-0 run to pull within six. From the moment that run started to the end of the game, the Fillies outscored Comanche 51-29 to walk away with a 70-60 win at the West Texas College Coliseum. 

Linley Wright scored 23 points, Keelie Williams scored 17 and Carlie Buckley added 14 more to lift Shallowater (27-7), which advances to face Bushland for the regional title. 

Comanche closed its season at 22-11, led by J’Lee Salinas with 16 points, Kaysi Wilcox and Emily Sierra with nine and Dakota Dudley with eight. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Explosive second-half run propels Jayton girls to win over upset-minded Blackwell

HAMLIN — For two and a half quarters Tuesday night, offense was at a premium in the Region II-1A Division II girls semifinal between No. 14 Jayton and unranked Blackwell at Piper Gymnasium.

Both teams appeared to be trying to fit a basketball through the eye of a needle over that time period before shots finally started to fall for the Lady Jays, who pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 37-17 win, eliminating the Lady Hornets for the second consecutive year in the regional semifinals.

Jayton will face its biggest test of the season at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum, where the Lady Jays face top-ranked and undefeated Gordon in the first game of a playoff doubleheader including both schools. The boys game will feature the top two ranked teams in the state in a rematch of a game that was played in front of a standing room only crowd at Wylie’s Bulldog Gymnasium in 2025.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps Preseason Baseball Position Rankings: Catchers

After opening our baseball position rankings series with the pitchers on Monday, it’s time to shift our attention to their battery mates.

For the second installment in our five-part series, we celebrate the Big Country’s top catchers, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch in 2026.

We hope you enjoy our list.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Brock outlasts Lubbock Estacado in top-25 OT thriller to open playoffs

Before their Region I-4A Division II bi-district matchup with Lubbock Estacado, Brock boys basketball coach Zach Boxell thought it was a matchup that was better suited in a region final as opposed to the opening round of the postseason.

Both squads made Boxell’s pregame thoughts look prophetic in a matchup of teams that finished the year ranked in the top 25.

Led by Eli Paez’s 24 points, No. 24 Brock outlasted No. 14 Lubbock Estacado 80-72 in overtime on Monday night at McMurry University’s Kimbrell Arena in a matchup between two squads that won their respective district championships but wound up facing off because of how the Division I/II splits played out in the respective districts.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cisco junior earns this week’s award

When Cisco junior guard Carter Toof is on his game, there is little one can do to stop him. He’s going to get his point, whether you like it or not. 

That was the case last week when Toof helped Cisco to a win over Abilene TLCA with 43 points, 14 rebounds and three assists. He followed that with 20 points, seven boards, four assists and three steals in a playoff warmup loss to Benjamin. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps Preseason Baseball Position Rankings: Pitchers

After kicking off the spring sports season with our softball position rankings last week, it’s time to turn our attention to the the baseball field and the players you’ll be reading about throughout the 2026 campaign.

For the first installment in a five-part series that will cover all position groups on the area baseball scene, we’ll be taking a look at the Big Country’s best pitchers, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch this fall.

We hope you enjoy reading through our list.

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by Mike Lee, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Eagles enter playoffs flying high with 17-game win streak

Photos contributed by Terry Thompson

Entering this season, the Goldthwaite boys’ basketball team had to replace all-state guard Luke Sanderson, a four-year starter who averaged 23 points per game last year. The Luke-led Eagles won 26 games and reached the state semifinals last season for the first time in school history.

This appeared to be a rebuilding season with a young roster that includes one senior, one junior, one freshman and five sophomores. But it really wasn’t a rebuilding season; 20th-year Goldthwaite coach Jeffrey Head has waited to coach this group since they were in junior high.

Goldthwaite (25-3) will enter the Class 2A Division II playoffs with a Region IV bidistrict matchup against Sabinal (14-11) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kerrville.

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by Mike Lee, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Yellow Jackets ahead of schedule, but lacking a postseason win

Coach Drew McDorman said the Stephenville boys’ basketball team is ahead of schedule in Year 3 of building a consistently successful program.

In Year 1 in 2023-24, the Yellow Jackets fielded a mostly freshman and sophomore team and finished 16-18. They made the playoffs but lost 66-32 in bidistrict to perennial Region I-4A power Lubbock Estacado.

In Year 2 in 2024-25, the Jackets improved to 23-10 and avoided Estacado. But they still lost in bidistrict 77-65 to a 14-16 San Angelo Lake View team that made seven 3-point shots and won its first playoff game in 26 years.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Wall uses big second half to overcome Tolar

Tolar’s Jaycee Jones attempts to drive past Wall’s Maci Wagoner in Friday’s 3A DII area round game at Baird High School. Jones led Tolar with 18 points.

BAIRD — After watching his team suffer through an ice-cold start in Friday’s Region I-3A DII area round game against Tolar, Wall girls basketball coach Silas Crisler called a timeout at the 4:24 mark of the first quarter, trailing 11-2. 

However, his message to his players was far less tactical than it was soothing, giving them a moment to collect themselves. It worked. In fact it worked so well, that by the end of the quarter the Lady Hawks had cut the gap to 12-9 and eventually won, 58-42 at the Baird High School Gym.

Jewels Johnson scored 22 points and hit two 3-pointers and Katherine Lewis added 11 more points with two 3s to lead top-ranked Wall (33-3), which now advances to face No. 3 Idalou in the regional semifinals. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Eula’s depth powers Lady Pirates past depleted Hamlin in area round

ANSON — The third-ranked Eula girls basketball team had no problems continuing its postseason run with a 58-28 win over Hamlin on Friday in a Region II-1A Division I area-round game at Tiger Gymnasium.

All 12 players on Josh Fostel’s roster saw plenty of playing time in the win, including four call-ups from the junior varsity, while the Lady Pipers played most of the game without a bench after junior Najely Hernandez aggravated a knee injury that was suffered in Hamlin’s playoff opener in the first quarter.

The depth advantage allowed the Lady Pirates to pull away starting in the second quarter as Eula’s defensive pressure left Hamlin’s five remaining players visibly struggling.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps Preseason Softball Position Rankings: Utility Players

After recognizing the top pitchers, catchers, infielders and outfielders that the Big Country softball scene has to offer, we close our position rankings series with a celebration of versatility.

For the final installment in our five-part series, we take a look at the top utility players, ranking our top-10 multi-position standouts to watch in 2026. 

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading through these lists and encourage you to come back next week when we’ll feature the top baseball players in the Big Country.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Fast start, freshman Watts propel Santo girls to comfortable win over Haskell in area round

CLYDE — The Santo girls basketball team started fast and never let up Friday in cruising to a 49-34 win over Haskell in a Region II-2A Division II area-round matchup at Bulldog Gym. 

Led by freshman guard Aubrey Watts, who scored seven of her game-high 20 points in the opening quarter, the Lady Cats grabbed a 14-2 lead by the start of the second period and never saw that advantage shrink below 11 points the rest of the way.

The thorough victory, which saw the gap grow as large as 23 points in the fourth quarter, improved coach Nick Hatten’s team to 22-12 and extended the Lady Cats’ best season in more than a decade into the region semifinals, where they’ll face off with the winner of Honey Grove (30-4) and 20th-ranked Simms Bowie (27-7) next week.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Gordon uses aggressive defense to eliminate troublesome Aspermont

ABILENE — Call it a tale of two halves. 

For 16 minutes — two full quarters, — 17th-ranked Aspermont went toe-to-toe with top-ranked, undefeated Gordon and trailed by two at the break. Then it happened: The game did a virtual about-face with Gordon stymying the Lady Hornets in the third quarter en route to a 53-37 win in a Region II-1A DII area round game at Hardin-Simmons University. 

Grace Garnett scored a game-high 18 points with five 3-pointers to lead Gordon (32-0), which now advances to face either Robert Lee or Grandfalls-Royalty in the regional semifinals. 

Aspermont (32-5) was led by Emilee Silva with 12 points. Maleah Hecht and Matti Polk had seven each. 

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by Mike Lee, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Comanche girls end their Jim Ned roadblock with 46-44 area win

BROWNWOOD — The fourth time proved to be the charm for the Comanche Maidens.

After being eliminated from the Class 3A girls’ basketball playoffs by Jim Ned the last three years, the Maidens fought off the Lady Indians 46-44 in Thursday night’s Class 3A Division I area game at the Brownwood Coliseum.

Comanche (22-10) advances to play the Shallowater-Denver City winner in next week’s regional semifinals. Jim Ned, which had to replace its entire starting lineup and coaching staff from last season, finished 19-14.

Senior J’Lee Salinas, who rallied Comanche from a brief 43-42 deficit with three free throws in the final 3:18, scored 18 points. Senior Kaysi Wilcox added 16 points for the Maidens.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps Preseason Softball Position Rankings: Outfielders

After spending the first three days of our softball position rankings series in the dirt, we move the grass for Day 4.

For the penultimate installment of our five-part series, we take a look at the top outfielders in the Big Country, ranking our top 10 with others to watch in 2026.

We hope you enjoy our list.

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Hoops
by Evan Ren

FINAL Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders for 2026: Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 19.  With the end of the regular season, this will be the FINAL boys basketball leaders we post this year. 

This database has been continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.

Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps Preseason Softball Position Rankings: Infielders

After highlighting the top pitchers and catchers on the Big Country softball scene the past two nights, it’s time to turn our spotlight to the field.

For the third installment in our five-part position rankings series, we list our top-10 infielders in the area for the 2026 season.

We hope you enjoy reading through our rankings.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High boys rally past Cooper on Senior Night to take winning streak into playoffs

The Abilene High boys basketball team began and ended its Senior Night in celebratory fashion Tuesday at Eagle Gym, overcoming a sluggish start and a spirited Cooper squad in between to earn a 60-44 win over its crosstown rival in its regular-season finale.

The Eagles, who had already locked up their first district championship since 2016, found themselves trailing for most of the first three quarters Tuesday. But a 29-8 run over the game’s final 11 minutes turned a potentially tenuous situation into a comfortable win, allowing coach Justin Reese to close the game with several senior reserves on the court.

The victory improved AHS to 20-11 on the season and closed out a 7-1 run through District 4-5A, making winners out of seniors Brooks Reese, Trae Shaw, Myles Osborne, Payton Shawver, Luke Jackson, Jeremiah Collins, Brenner Paul and Dylan Bardin in their final game on their home floor.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Montelongo, role players play pivotal roles as Wylie ends regular season with win over Legacy

As the final seconds ticked off the clock in Tuesday night’s District 4-5A boys basketball regular-season finale between Wylie and Wichita Falls Legacy, a chant broke out among the Wylie student body reminiscent of one from the movie “Rudy.”

Only this time, it was “Mon-te! Mon-te! Mon-te!”

The chants were for Wylie senior Noah Montelongo, who rarely gets into games but is one of the biggest supporters of his teammates. One of three fourth-year players being honored on Senior Night, he had the ball in his hands to dribble out the clock in the Bulldogs’ 57-35 win.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Sterling City attacks the glass to overcome Roscoe

COLORADO CITY — For the better part of three quarters, the Roscoe girls were able to use their quickness to maintain a slim lead over Sterling City in Tuesday’s Region I-2A DI bi-district game at Colorado City High School. 

There was just one problem: The much-larger Lady Eagles were continually pounding the offensive glass and gradually erased a nine-point second-half deficit to come away with a 51-46 win. 

Avery Clark scored 16 points, Charley Jo Wilson had 14 points and nine boards and Christina Geary had 13 points and nine boards to lead Sterling City (23-9), which trailed 31-22 with 4:15 left in the third quarter.

The Lady Eagles now advance to face Smyer in the area round. 

Roscoe finished its season at 21-11, led by Ava Burrell with 19 points and Chasity Rangel with 12. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps Preseason Softball Position Rankings: Catchers

After kicking off our softball position rankings series on Monday with the pitchers, we now shift our attention to their battery mates.

For the second installment in our five-part series, we rank the area’s top 10 catchers with others to watch for in 2026.

We hope you enjoy our list.

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by Mike Lee, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Region IV-2A bullies flex muscles as farewell tour begins

Goldthwaite photos contributed by Terry Thompson

COMFORT – The three bullies of Class 2A Region IV girls’ basketball – the San Saba Lady Dillos, Goldthwaite Lady Eagles and Mason Cowgirls – began their farewell tour in typical dominating fashion in bidistrict games Monday night.

San Saba beat Charlotte 70-19, and Goldthwaite beat La Pryor 77-29 at Comfort. Over at Junction, No. 2-ranked Mason beat Brackettville 88-16.

The three bullies – all members of District 29-2A – have combined to win six of the last nine Region IV-2A championships, including a sweep last year in the first season of Division I and Division II playoff brackets. San Saba won the Region IV-2A Division I championship last year while Goldthwaite edged Mason in overtime for the Region IV-2A Division II title.

In 2024, Goldthwaite beat San Saba in the regional championship game.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: No. 3 Eula girls use big second quarter to down Westbrook for second straight year

MERKEL — In a game that saw a number of extended runs both ways, the No. 3 Eula girls basketball team had the biggest and most pivotal one Monday at Badger Gym, using a 20-5 surge through the second quarter to nab the lead for good in a 52-38 bi-district win over Westbrook.

The Lady Cats had a 13-0 run in the first quarter and an 8-0 spurt spanning the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth. But coach Jeff Bontrager’s team never got closer to the lead than nine points after halftime thanks to the Lady Pirates’ big second period.

The win, which saw Eula stretch a 15-point halftime lead to a game-high 19 points with just under three minutes remaining in the third quarter, advanced the Lady Pirates (34-2) to the area round of the Region II-1A Division I playoffs, where they’ll take on Hamlin (15-18) later this week.

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