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: Goldthwaite-Martin’s Mill boys basketball state semifinal playoff (30 images)”
CHINA SPRING — After battling through Region IV as an unranked team, the Goldthwaite Eagles had one final hurdle to clear in order to make it to their first-ever state championship game.
As luck would have it, however, the Eagles’ final challenge on the road to San Antonio was the toughest that Texas could provide in top-ranked Martin’s Mill.
The Mustangs ended the Eagles’ remarkable postseason run with a 66-33 loss on Tuesday at China Spring High School.
While Stephenville’s Tristian Gentry is no stranger to this column, it’s usually via football that he lands in our Top 10 — especially after missing track last year due to injury.
Well, it’s track season again and it just so happens that the SHS senior is healthy this time around — returning as one of the area’s top guns in that sport. He’s already off to a great start, having captured four gold medals at a talent-loaded Brock meet last week.
Aside from first place leaps in the long jump (21-1) and triple jump (43-2), he also helped SHS’ 400 and 800 relay teams take gold with splits of 43.26 and 1:30.1, respectively.
SAN ANTONIO — Through the first two quarters of Friday’s Class 3A Division I state championship game, the Jim Ned Lady Indians handled the basketball flawlessly against Fairfield, committing no turnovers before the break.
That number jumped with the outset of the second half, however, and helped the Lady Eagles (33-6) to a come-from-behind 50-44 win in overtime at the Alamodome.
Blayke Brackens had 17 points and six rebounds, while Jaci Abram and Jacelynn Schmidt added 12 points each to lift Fairfield (33-6), which took its third state title with the win. Brackens, who hit a game-tying shot at the buzzer to send the game into overtime, was named as the game’s MVP.
SAN ANTONIO — It took the San Saba Lady Dillos the better part of three quarters to finally find the range in Thursday’s Class 2A Division I state title game with Nocona. And when they did, they captured the momentum and cut an 18-point deficit to six by the 6:30 mark of the fourth quarter.
Then it happened.
Almost as if someone had flicked a switch, Nocona recaptured the initiative with seven unanswered points and suddenly a six-point lead turned to 13 in under a minute, eventually leading to a 54-37 win for NHS in the Alamodome.
SAN ANTONIO — After battling their way through five playoff games, including tough matchups with Westbrook, Garden City, Hermleigh and Borden County, the Eula girls were mentally ready for Thursday’s Class 1A Division I state title game against Broaddus.
Unfortunately for the Lady Pirates, they had no answer for a Broaddus team that featured four 6-footers, a 6-2 post and more overall length than virtually any 1A team in the state.
Eula fell 56-39 in the Alamodome, after struggling to get open looks or compete on the glass from start to finish.
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: Eula-Borden County girls basketball state semifinal playoff (30 images)”
ABILENE — A quick glance at the stat sheet reveals what helped the Eula Lady Pirates rally to defeat Borden County 51-44 in Tuesday’s Class 1A DI state semifinal at Wylie High School.
A sizzling 18-of-20 team effort from the free-throw line provided the Lady Pirates with the margin of victory as Borden County struggled with a 9 of 17 tally from the stripe. The win propels Eula (36-2) into Thursday’s state championship game with Broaduus (34-4) at 1 p.m. in San Antonio’s Alamodome.
Kamryn Franklin scored 15 points with a game-high five 3-pointers and Emma Damron scored 11 points, including a 7-of-8 tally from the line to lift Eula, which rallied from a 25-20 halftime deficit to get the win.
Borden County closed its season at 28-9, led by Raelee Granthum with 14 points (including four 3-pointers) and Addison Schmidt with 11.
Munday’s Caisen Lee isn’t the first freshman to whom we’ve given our Big Country Preps Player of the Week Award. But during the basketball playoffs, it is indeed a rare occurrence.
Nonetheless, Lee takes our top spot with a pair of top notch efforts in playoff wins over Aspermont (77-48) and Westbrook (48-36).
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: Jim Ned-Dalhart girls basketball region championship playoff (30 images)”
LUBBOCK — Not since 2012 had perennial girls basketball power Jim Ned captured a regional championship — a span of 13 years that saw the Lady Indians reach nine regional tournaments with three losses in championship games and six others in the semifinals. Toss in two regional quarterfinal losses and one in the area round and you have a remarkable run of success that was usually capped by an annual regional heartbreak.
That streak ended on Friday when the top-ranked Lady Indians advanced to the state semifinals with a 44-33 win over No. 4 Dalhart in the Region I-3A DI title game before a packed house at Lubbock Cooper-Liberty High School.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 20.
This database will be 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.
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: Coahoma-Wichita Falls City View girls basketball region semifinal playoff (30 images)”
STAMFORD — Entering their first regional semifinal in 24 years, the Coahoma Bulldogettes were optimistic about Wednesday’s matchup with Wichita Falls City View.
And after a half of play, Coahoma had reason to believe that a regional championship game was within reach after taking a 25-15 lead into the locker room at the break.
There was just one problem: City View’s relentless defensive pressure began to take a toll on a thin Coahoma rotation of six players and gradually wore the Bulldogettes down in a 53-42 win at Stamford High School.
For two years, Stamford’s Emma Follis has been one of our area’s elite softball players, both as a pitcher and a hitter.
Last week, Follis picked up right where she left off a year ago, notching a 3-1 record in the circle with 35 strikeouts at the Slaton Tournament.
She was even better at the plate, hitting .714 with a triple, four homers and nine RBIs.
At this rate her numbers could be staggering by season’s end. And keep in mind, many of these games were shortened to accommodate the tournament schedule.
In several shortened games Emma came out hot in the circle and at the plate,” coach Sean Slavis said. “We are pumped to finally be playing again!”
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Comanche-Jim Ned girls basketball area-round playoff (30 images)”
COLEMAN — Four quarters of tough defense and 27 points from Abilene Christian signee Riley Grohman were enough to push the Jim Ned Lady Indians past Comanche, 51-32 in a 3A DI area round clash on Friday at Coleman High School.
Addison Bradshaw added 14 points with two 3-pointers and Gracee Cooley added six more to help lift the Lady Indians (32-2) who will meet perennial power Shallowater in the Region I-3A semifinals next week.
Along the way, Jim Ned limited Comanche’s All-Big Country Preps duo of J’Lee Salinas and Kinsey Glasgow to a combined six points. Destiny Jamison managed to pull up some of the slack with 17 points for the Maidens, who closed their season at 22-7.
“The girls did a great job,” Jim Ned coach Hunter Cooley said. “(Comanche) is pretty explosive and I thought that overall, our individual (defensive) assignments were really good and as team I thought we played really well defensively.”
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Feb. 13.
This database will be 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 or her email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 13.
This database will be 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.
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: Hermleigh-Baird girls basketball bi-district playoff (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: Eula-Westbrook girls basketball bi-district playoff (30 images)”
ABILENE — A quick start and a hailstorm of 3s was enough to carry Hermleigh to a 73-33 win over Baird on Tuesday in a Region II-1A DI bi-district game at McMurry University’s Kimbrell Arena.
Brooklyn O’Quin scored 16 points with three 3s and Kolbie Campbell added 12 more with three treys of her own to lift Hermleigh (31-5), which advances to face Hamlin in the area round. Game time for that matchup is set for 6 p.m. Friday at the Snyder Coliseum.
Baird finished its season at 9-11, led by Raelyn Goodwin with 14 points and Katelyn Langford with nine. The Lady Bears found themselves trailing 16-4 at the end of the first quarter and never recovered — continually victimized by Hermleigh’s defensive pressure.
ABILENE — A year ago, while facing Westbrook in the Region II-1A championship game, the Eula Lady Pirates suffered a catastrophic fourth quarter shooting slump and saw a nine-point lead vanish in a 38-35 loss.
This year, the Lady Pirates came within an eyelash of suffering the same fate in the Region II-1A DI bi-district round — narrowly holding on to a 30-27 win over Westbrook on Tuesday at McMurry University. Trailing 21-5 at the break, Westbrook rallied to turn a would-be rout into a nail-biter in Kimbrell Arena, with Eula coming up with a handful of key plays down the stretch to preserve the win.
Addison Goodman scored 15 points via five 3-pointers and Emma Damron added seven more to lead Eula (32-2) which now advances to face Munday (12-19) in the area round.
Westbrook (28-3) was led by Raenee Rich with eight points and Hazel Lord with six.
While it wasn’t a perfect two-game stretch for the Comanche boys basketball team, the Indians did clinch a postseason berth last week and one of their players earned the spotlight.
Comanche went 1-1 on the week, dropping a game against Tolar while securing a playoff spot Friday with a win over Breckenridge. In the meantime, senior guard Alex Terrell came up with two big efforts to capture our Big Country Preps Player of the Week.
Terrell put up solid numbers on both nights, beginning with 20 points, five rebounds and two steals in the Tolar loss. Three nights later, he finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and four steals in a tough 32-26 win at Breck to clinch a postseason berth.
WALL — With a chance to lock up the District 6-3A title on the line, the Jim Ned Indians had to clear a familiar hurdle to get there — their archrival Wall on the Hawks’ home floor.
Wyatt Nickson scored 25 points and Dean Guffey tossed in nine more to lead Jim Ned (23-9, 11-1) which overcame a fourth-quarter Wall rally to get a 58-49 win.
Led by Paxton Brake with 18 points and Lane Stansberry with 11, the Hawks slipped to 17-12 and 8-3.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 6.
This database will be 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.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Feb. 6.
This database will be 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 or her email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
National Signing Day is typically a busy one in the Big Country Preps’ coverage area and 2025 was no exception with several players inking and/or confirming their commitments to play at the next level.
At various signing ceremonies held throughout the area, athletes celebrated their final choices to pursue a degree while competing collegiately.
GLEN ROSE — Tiger arena was the site of one of the BCP coverage area’s biggest varsity doubleheaders on Tuesday. And true to its reputation, the venue was a difficult place for visiting teams to earn a win.
In Game 1, the Glen Rose girls (32-2, 10-0) connected on an eye-popping 16 3-pointers to hand Stephenville a 63-29 loss. On the boys’ side, Glen Rose (23-8, 6-2) rallied from an early deficit to hand the Yellow Jackets a 61-45 defeat to take over second place in District 6-4A.
Both clubs tightened their defense to gradually create separation and chalk up consecutive wins.
Cisco’s Law Pinnick picked the perfect night to have one of the best games he’s ever had — a crucial district showdown at Hawley, where he helped the Loboes to a 55-43 win over the Bearcats with 18 points and an eye-popping 19 rebounds.
Three days later he delivered 23 points and 10 boards to help Cisco beat Albany — lifting the Loboes to 16-6 overall and 9-0 in district.
His performance earned him our Big Country Preps Player of the Week Award for the Week ending Feb. 1.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Roscoe-Miles basketball doubleheader (30 images)”
MILES — The old adage that defense wins championships saw a couple of strong arguments on Friday at Miles High School where both the Roscoe girls and boys teams used defensive stops to hand MHS consecutive losses on its home floor and capture both District 8-2A titles.
The Plowgirls opened the evening with a 46-23 win, followed by the Plowboys, who used timely defense down the stretch to stop Miles 64-50 in the nightcap.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Jan. 30.
This database will be 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.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Jan. 30.
This database will be 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 or her email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
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: Cisco-Hawley basketball doubleheader (30 images)”
HAWLEY — It was a big night for the Cisco basketball program on Tuesday, with a varsity doubleheader sweep of area rival Hawley on its home floor.
The Cisco girls opened the evening with a 62-31 win over the Lady Cats to secure the District 10-2A championship. Things were a bit tougher for the Cisco boys, who earned their first win at Hawley in three years with a 55-43 victory in the nightcap.
It was a month of milestones for Clyde senior post Maddie Underwood, who takes our Big Country Preps Player of the Week with a combination of great numbers, along with team and career achievements.
To begin with she charted a combined 42 points and 29 boards in wins over Grape Creek and Merkel.
In the process, she helped the Lady Bulldogs (20-8, 8-2) lock up their first playoff berth in nine years and their first 20-win season in 10.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Sweetwater-Jim Ned basketball doubleheader (30 images)”
TUSCOLA — Jim Ned swept a varsity doubleheader on Friday at Bill Thornton Arena to maintain a hold on first place in both the girls and boys District 6-3A races.
The first win was routine; the second nearly brought the house down.
The girls took the opener 63-34. But in Game 2, the Sweetwater boys came within an eyelash of handing the Indians a loss on their home floor, falling to Jim Ned 52-50 before a raucous crowd that sat through four ties and five lead changes.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Jan. 23.
This database will be 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.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Jan. 23.
This database will be 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 or her email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
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: Comanche-Early basketball doubleheader (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: Brownwood-Brock basketball doubleheader (30 images)”
EARLY — In a loud, difficult environment for road teams, both the Comanche girls and boys managed to overcome sluggish shooting a sweep a District 8-3A doubleheader at Early on Tuesday.
The Comanche girls opened the evening with a 47-37 win — fighting off multiple Early rallies in the process. The CHS boys claimed the nightcap 54-45, despite a slow start.
Back-to-back double-doubles in two dominating efforts were enough to give Gorman junior Delila Crain our Big Country Player of the Week for the week ending Saturday, Jan. 18.
Opening the week with an 83-7 rout of Bluff Dale, Crain posted 30 points and 10 boards to go with five assists, five deflections, six steals and four blocks.
She followed that with 21 points, 12 boards, five deflections, four assists and three steals in a 58-27 win over Huckabay.
BROCK — A hot shooting second half and a nasty case of the flu were enough to help Brock secure a District 6-4A sweep of Brownwood in the Brock High School Gym on Friday.
The Brock girls opened the twin bill with a 64-41 win that saw the Lady Eagles close with a 41-21 second half. The Brock boys took the nightcap, overpowering a Brownwood club that had nearly half of its roster returning from and one player still missing with the flu. The Lions were simply no match for Brock on Friday, falling 82-38.
We all know a football player who almost never misses any practice time and practically lives in the weight room. He’s always early to arrive and late to leave. He’s coachable, but seldom needs direction because he always pays attention.
You know who I’m talking about.
The guy who sets a good example for young players. The guy who never complains and, first and foremost, is tough mentally and physically. He may not be the best player on a team (though some of them are). But he’s definitely the guy who gets the most out of the talent he’s given.
Welcome to the 2024 “True Grit” team — the one place in the Big Country where guys who fall into this category are recognized for it.
Here are our superlative award winners for the 2023 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Here are our selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps Football Team (Third-Team roster). For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
The fact that Riley Grohman is our Player of the Week should surprise no one, considering she was named to our All-Big Country Preps team last year. But when you toss in her stats — an all-encompassing set of numbers — it makes even more sense.
The senior guard was at the top of the stat sheet last week for the third-ranked Lady Indians, who swept Merkel (70-25) and Clyde (79-29) to improve to 24-2.