SPRINGTOWN — With Porcupine Stadium serving as the backdrop for the Region II-2A Track and Field Championships, a couple of teams from the Big Country Preps coverage area scored big in the event.
The Hico boys earned the team championship with 78 points, topping Tioga (66) and Bosqueville (62). In the meantime, the Cisco girls earned second in the team standings with 65 points behind Hamilton’s 93.
STAMFORD — Many of those who follow Big Country softball expected the Coahoma Bulldogettes to take a major step backward following the graduation of standout pitcher Hannah Wells (now at the University of Texas). And needless to say, the notion of them winning an unprecedented fourth straight state title hasn’t been getting a large amount of attention.
Nonetheless, Coahoma remains alive in postseason play in the aftermath of winning a Region I-3A DII area championship on Saturday by eliminating Childress, 5-1, at the Stamford High School softball field.
Addi Hart and Blakely Rodgers both had solo homers and Kyndal Lee delivered 6.1 innings to get the win in the circle to lead Coahoma (22-3), which advances to face Holliday (29-3) in the regional semifinals.
Lee was a key element in the win, holding Childress scoreless on two hits through the first six innings. She was eventually replaced by Bentli Wright after giving up a run on one hit and two walks in the seventh.
She finished with four walks and six strikeouts.
ABILENE — With Mother Nature doing her best to interfere with sporting events across the Big Country this week, area athletes still managed to gather on Friday at Abilene Christian University for the UIL 3A Region I and II-1A Track and Field Championships.
The schedule wasn’t exactly as originally scheduled at Elmer Gray Stadium, with all field events bumped to Saturday to escape inclement weather and running preliminaries bumped to late Friday evening.
There was, however, an opportunity for a pair of area athletes to punch their tickets to the state meet in the 1A girls and boys 3200 meters, with Jayton’s Jace Chisum and Roby’s Camden Lummus both taking regional gold at 11:49.38 and 9:51.21 respectively.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 30. This will be our final baseball stat leaders post for the 2026 season.
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.
COAHOMA — One great game deserves another.
Only 24 hours after Cisco had edged Forsan 2-1 in Game 1 of their 2A DI area round series, the Lady Buffaloes evened things up by taking Game 2 in a 7-6 nailbiter in eight innings on Wednesday.
Madi Roach doubled home Elyssa Amaro with the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the eighth — the latter of whom was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored to lead Forsan (20-10). The decisive third game of the series is currently slated for 8 p.m. on Saturday in Clyde.
Forsan, which saw leads of 4-1 and 6-4 evaporate by the seventh inning, took the disappointments in stride — retaining a lighthearted demeanor that saw them dancing together as a team during warmups.
It eventually paid off.
“If they’re not doing some sort of dance routine before the game I know they’re nervous,” Forsan coach Jason Phillips said. “We want them relaxed, because believe it or not, they’re as dialed in as you could ever believe.”
ABILENE — Defense and pitching were at the forefront in Game 1 of a Region I-2A DI area round series between Cisco and Forsan on Tuesday at Cooper High School.
Cisco’s Aubrey Corpus outdueled Forsan’s Makayla Garza in a 2-1 win for Lady Loboes, who can close the series with a Game 2 victory on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Coahoma. If needed, Game 3 of the series will be on Saturday in Clyde at 8 p.m.
AJ Pevey was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and Corpus was 1-for-3 with the game-winning RBI to lead Cisco (20-8-2), which broke a 1-1 tie when Pevey singled and scored on a Corpus triple in the bottom of the sixth.
Forsan dropped to 19-10 with the loss.
“Both teams are coached well and both showed up to play today,” Cisco coach Vanessa Longoria said. “(The win) was very important. It gives us the momentum, but we can’t get too calm and take it easy tomorrow.”
If you’re going to top someone who throws a perfect game in our in our Big Country Preps Player of the Week column, you had better do something very special.
This rare occurrence took place last week when Brock sophomore shortstop Kayden Blue helped the Lady Eagles to a three-game bi-district series win over Levelland with a truly memorable performance. In the process, she edged Abilene High ace George Ferguson, who delivered a perfect game win over Cooper.
With Brock sandwiching wins in Games 1 and 3 (5-1 and 5-2) around a 5-4 loss in Game 2, Blue was quite literally unstoppable, going 10-for-10 in the series with five runs scored (accounting for more than a third of BHS’ run tally. Yet it doesn’t stop there. She also posted a pair of walks (one intentional), making her a perfect 12 for 12 in reaching base throughout a difficult series against excellent competition.
“Kayden showed all the characteristics of a great leader in all three games and was phenomenal in the leadoff spot for us”
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: Brock-Levelland softball bi-district playoff (60 images)”
ABILENE — If it were possible for two high schools separated by 308 miles to become rivals, Brock and Levelland may have just achieved it.
A year removed from a pair of one-run bi-district wins over the Loboettes, Brock eliminated Levelland yet again on Saturday, taking a 4A DII bi-district series with a come-from-behind 5-2 win in Game 3 at McMurry University’s Edwards Field.
After falling to Levelland in a 5-4 Game 2 thriller on Saturday, the Lady Eagles regrouped behind backup pitcher Delanee Parsons and a mind-blowing performance from shortstop Kayden Blue to take Game 3 and advance to the area round. There, they will meet Fort Worth Eagle Mountain in a best-of-three series beginning next week.
Parsons delivered four solid innings to earn the win with a save from ace pitcher Alison Coleman. Blue, in the meantime, capped a 10-for-10 batting tally for the series with a 2-for-2 effort in Game 3 with two runs scored to help Brock improve to 26-10 with the win.
ABILENE — In a rematch of last year’s thrilling Class 4A DII bi-district series, the Brock Lady Eagles posted a workmanlike 5-1 win over Levelland on Friday at McMurry University’s Edwards Field.
It scarcely resembled what occurred a year ago, when Brock escaped with a pair of one-run victories — 2-1 in Game 1 and 7-6 in 13 innings in Game 2. This time around, the Lady Eagles (25-9) took control of Game 1 early and never relinquished it behind the pitching of Alison Coleman.
Kayden Blue was 4-for-4 with four singles and one run scored and Sloan Booth was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs to lead Brock, which coasted behind a one-hitter from Coleman. The Lady Eagles can end the series with a win in Game 2 on Saturday at noon at McMurry.
Game 3 (if needed) will follow 30 minutes after Game 2.
“I thought our girls came out and (played) hard with a lot of first-game jitters,” Brock coach Gregory Connors said. “We have six freshman starting and it was their first time in a playoff atmosphere. But we started off in that first inning with our bats the way we needed to and it carried us throughout the game.”
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 23.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 23. With the regular season now concluded, this will be our final softball stat report for 2026.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his or her email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Jim Ned-Wall softball (30 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: Anson-Stamford baseball (25 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: Hawley-Stamford baseball (35 images)”
There are varying degrees of “no-hitter” in both high school baseball and softball. This is especially true when the mercy rule is concerned, with pitchers holding the opposition hitless through five innings (in a 10-run rule game) and in the case of the 15-run rule, through only three frames.
Whether those should be called actual no-hitters, depends on who you speak to.
There was, however, nothing arguable about the potential no-no delivered by Abilene junior pitcher George Ferguson in last week’s 2-0 win over Wichita Falls Memorial. To begin with, Ferguson held Memorial hitless through 8.2 innings before finally giving up an infield single in the ninth. In the process, he walked only one batter and fanned 17.
It was nothing short of a brilliant performance against a Memorial team that had won eight straight games. If ever one deserved credit for a no-hitter without actually throwing one, it’s Ferguson.
“George did a great job on the mound from start to finish and that included a 45-minute weather delay,” coach Brad Harman said.
WALL — It was the polar opposite of a 13-10 Jim Ned win in the District 6-3A opener with Wall way back on March 6. Friday’s rematch at WHS saw the Lady Indians top Wall yet again. But this time, the product was a well-pitched, cleanly played, 3-2 defensive struggle.
Halle Nielson was 4-for-4 with the game-winning RBI and Hadley Sanders was 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead 13th-ranked Jim Ned (25-4, 12-0) which concluded a perfect run through district play with the win. Seventh-ranked Wall dropped to 24-5 overall and 9-3.
Trailing 2-1 heading into the final inning, Jim Ned rallied with two runs in the top of the seventh then held Wall scoreless in the bottom of the frame to seal the win.
“Our philosophy all year has been if you have a chip and a chair, you’re in the game,” said Jim Ned coach Erica Jones, using poker terminology to describe the Lady Indians’ comeback win. “I never doubted. I knew we were going to (come back). … We just had to be a little more disciplined and find some gaps.”
TUSCOLA — While it may be a bit early to start talking about the best Jim Ned softball teams of all time, one thing can be backed up with facts: the Lady Indians have clinched their first district title in nearly two decades and coach Erica Jones believes it’s about time The Tribe received a little recognition.
And, after having endured a 22-minute butt chewing from Jones (I timed it) on Wednesday, I certainly wouldn’t disagree.
Entering today’s matchup with seventh-ranked Wall, the Lady Indians are 24-4 overall (despite a very difficult schedule) and 11-0 in District 3-3A. They are ranked 13th in the state and are coming off an impressive 7-3 win over 15th-ranked Clyde on Tuesday night — a victory that locked up the district title and one I missed to cover an area baseball game.
That didn’t go over too well, which is understandable.
The Lady Indians, regardless of the outcome against Wall today, will have the district’s top seed heading into the playoffs — something we haven’t seen from Jim Ned softball since the George W. Bush Administration. That’s a long time ago. So long ago, that it predates the birth dates of any current Jim Ned player.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 16.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 16.
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.
ANSON — For Stamford it was a game that solidified its position in the District 8-2A standings. For Anson, it became one of those games that a team would just as soon forget about.
For the record, Stamford took Tuesday’s contest at AHS, 13-3 via the mercy rule in five innings. What relegated it to Anson’s spam file, however, was the fact that the Bulldogs achieved this with only six hits. The gaps between those hits were filled with multiple Tiger miscues (eight in all), along with five walks and two hit batsmen.
It made the job of Stamford southpaw knuckleballer Carlos Vega much easier than one may have expected. Vega worked all five innings to get the win, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. He also helped himself at the plate with a 2-for-4 effort that included a three-run homer.
Stamford improved to 14-6 overall and 6-3 in district play. Anson fell to 8-8 and 4-5.
In a week that featured at least a half dozen athletes who could have taken our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, we finally settled on a Stephenville senior for our weekly award.
Willis Jackson, one of the premiere speedsters in the Big Country, took four district titles in the District 6-4A meet last week
This included individual gold medals in the 100 meters (10.66), long jump (22-8.5) and Triple jump (43-8.5). He also collected gold with the 800 relay team (1:28.53), along with a silver with the 400 relay (42.45).
“Willis is headed to the area track meet in five events,” coach Kolt Kittley said. “He comes to workouts every day with a big smile and a great attitude.
“He was huge in helping us win the district track meet this year.”
Scoring and rebounding is only part of the story when it comes to basketball. Behind the scenes and beyond the view of the public, is where character is often measured. And it is with our Big Country Preps Gym Rat Team that we salute the individuals who exude the most of it.
This team isn’t about who the best players are, though some of the area’s top players are on this list.
The Gym Rat team is about effort, discipline, toughness, coachability and selflessness — traits that coaches love above all else and that championship foundations are built upon.
It is for that reason that our Gym Rat team is selected entirely by area coaches, described in their own words. And Big Country Preps is absolutely honored to present these individuals to you — the best “team players” (boys and girls) that the area had to offer during the 2025-26 season.
Players are listed in no particular order.
Enjoy.
Here are our superlative award winners for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s girls and boys basketball selections, click the links below.
Here is our 2026 All-Big Country Preps Boys’ Basketball Rising Stars team, comprised of the top freshmen and sophomores in the area. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
Here are our superlative award winners for the 2026 All-Big Country Preps girls basketball team. For the rest of this year’s girls and boys basketball selections, click the links below.
Here is our 2026 All-Big Country Preps Girl’s Basketball Rising Stars team, comprised of the top freshmen and sophomores in the area. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 9.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his or her email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 9.
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.
STAMFORD — In a game that saw them outhit 9-7, there was one big plus for the Hawley Bearcats in Tuesday’s 7-2 win at Stamford: performance in the clutch.
Aside from several timely hits, Hawley also got a big-time pitching effort from starter Jesse Nieto, who escaped multiple jams and stranded 12 Stamford baserunners to help the Bearcats break a first-place tie in District 8-2A.
Jake Bristow was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI while Nieto delivered 6.1 innings on the bump to lift Hawley (14-7-1, 6-1) which took sole possession of first place with the win. Stamford slipped into second at 13-5 and 5-2.
“This is big for us because we’re a young team, just like Stamford,” Hawley coach Jamie Seago said. “This is always a tough place to play so it was a big-game environment for us.
“Hopefully, as we move along this will help us (develop) some confidence.”
In a week that features three entries from Brock, the top spot goes to one of the Eagles and with good reason.
Senior southpaw Evan O’Conner takes Big Country Preps Player of the Week Award after throwing a six-inning no hitter against Glen Rose last week.
The Arizona State-bound hurler was nearly perfect, throwing only 80 pitches, walking just one and fanning 13 Tigers. He is consistently pegging the radar gun in the mid 90s.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 2.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 2.
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.
As one would expect, the Jim Ned Relays had a quality field of competition last week, opening the door for one of its athletes to snag Big Country Preps Player of the Week honors.
So it’s not surprising that its top performer sits atop of our weekly list of highlighted competitors from around the area.
Wall senior Bryson McFarden takes our weekly accolade after medaling five times in Tuscola with four golds and a silver.
HASKELL — The first time Haskell and Hawley met on the softball diamond this season, the Maidens edged the Lady Cats 7-6 in a thrilling eight-inning road win on March 9.
Flash forward to Friday in Haskell, with both teams expecting another nail-biter and the results didn’t match what was anticipated. Haskell simply overwhelmed Hawley in the rematch, ending the contest via the 15-run rule with a 19-4 win in four innings.
Paige Scheets was 4-for-4 with a double, a homer and six RBIs and Rebekah Cunningham was 3-for-3 with a two-run homer to lead Haskell (10-6, 5-1 District 8-2A), which remains a game behind first-place Anson in the league race.
Hawley fell to 15-8 and 3-3, missing its chance to force a second-place tie with the Maidens. The Lady Cats were led by Lily Bailey, who was 2-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through March 26:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his or her email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through March 26.
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.
In the pitcher’s circle, there are varying degrees of perfection. And in the case of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, that statement was fully illustrated on Friday in a 6-0 Clyde win over Merkel.
Yes, CHS freshman Brynli Reynolds threw a perfect game. But this wasn’t your standard, every day, run-of-the-mill, garden variety perfecto.
In fact, it may have been the most dominating performance by a baseball or softball pitcher the Big Country has seen in the last two decades.
Aside from retiring 21 straight hitters from a very good Merkel team (19-2), Reynolds fanned the first 17 batters she faced and finished with 20 strikeouts. She also helped herself at the plate, going 1-for-2 with an RBI.
It was the second time this season that the Clyde freshman has taken our weekly accolade.
CLYDE — You know you’re witnessing a masterful pitching performance when fans of the opposition have been reduced to cheering foul balls. And in Friday’s 6-0 Clyde win over Merkel, CHS hurler Brynli Reynolds delivered exactly that — a game so dominating that any contact made by the opposition was greeted with encouragement.
To begin with, Reynolds tossed a perfect game against a Merkel team that entered the contest with a 19-1 overall record. There were no hits, no walks and no Clyde errors while 21 straight Merkel hitters were retired.
But that doesn’t fully illustrate what occurred at Clyde’s Hanner Sports Complex. In fact, it undersells it.
Reynolds, you see, is only a freshman. And in seven innings of work against a legitimate district title contender, she struck out 20 batters. Not only that, but she fanned the first 17 hitters she faced, with the only ball put into play being a routine groundball out to second base by McKinley Crouch with two outs in the sixth inning.
Lost in all this was an effective pitching performance by Crouch, who allowed four earned runs on eight hits against a 19-0 Clyde team with 11 strikeouts of her own.
The Lady Badgers fell to 19-2 overall and 3-1 in District 6-3A. Clyde is now 6-0 in district.
Our Big Country Preps Player of the Week earned the accolade on the state’s biggest stage.
Jayton senior guard Sean Stanaland was a big contributor in several areas for the Jaybirds in a surprisingly easy 78-45 win over Kennard in the Class 1A Division II state title game. This began with the 28 points he scored to help JHS to its third straight championship.
He also pulled down 15 rebounds to go with five assists and three steals as Jayton capped its season with a victory in San Antonio’s Alamodome.