As impressive as the 2025 Stephenville Yellow Jackets were on the football field – winning the Class 4A Division I state championship with a 16-0 record – they were even more impressive in the classroom.
Stephenville was the undefeated state champion on the football field. The Yellow Jackes were national champions in the classroom.
The Irving-based National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame recently announced Stephenville High School as the national winner of the 2025-26 NFF Hatchell Cup, the highest academic team honor in high school football.
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.
Coach Drew McDorman said the Stephenville boys’ basketball team is ahead of schedule in Year 3 of building a consistently successful program.
The Cross Plains boys’ and girls’ track teams have qualified all six of their relay teams for the Class 1A UIL State Track and Field Meet at Austin on Saturday. The Buffaloes and Lady Buffs accomplished the same feat last year, but they have received more recognition this year since they won all six relays at regional.
Back in February, Aspermont High School hadn’t fielded a softball team in 13 years. The Lady Hornets’ coach was going to be the ag teacher, and she was finishing up a maternity leave of absence.
It became obvious after her sophomore track season in 2021 that Avery Holloway needed to find another individual event to replace the 100-meter hurdles.
It’s not unusual for one sprinter to lead the area in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Breckenridge has two such sprinters in juniors Sean Cooksey and Adrian Ruiz.
The Goldthwaite boys’ basketball team lists seven seniors on its roster, yet the Eagles’ leading scorer is freshman Luke Sanderson.
Early High School’s Vic Cooper was a good basketball player last season, when he averaged 16.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game as a junior. But second-year Early coach Eric Davis said Cooper is even better this season as a senior.
DRIPPING SPRINGS – The Three Rivers Lady Bulldogs rallied from a nine-point deficit in the third quarter and beat the Goldthwaite Lady Eagles 38-34 Thursday night in a Class 2A girls’ area playoff basketball game.
HICO — As Grace Booth nears the halfway point of her high school basketball career, the Hico sophomore can’t help but draw comparisons to Marissa Warren, the previous Lady Tigers’ star player.
The Brownwood Lions’ basketball team has hit to court running – literally – this season under new head coach Will Parker.
Tessa Goodwin’s individual statistics aren’t as impressive as last season when the Brownwood forward made all-state, but the Class 4A Lady Lions are enjoying a better season and are in line to return to the playoffs.
The Wall Lady Hawks volleyball team has made the playoffs in all six seasons with Robynn Jones as head coach. But like with most successful sports teams, the Lady Hawks want more.
Team photo by De Leon student Tayla Rainwater.
The role of libero requires a mentally tough leader determined to get to every ball to flip the game from defense to offense with the dig, pass, set and kill sequence for her volleyball team.
The Dublin Lions have four players with more than 300 yards receiving halfway through the regular season, with junior Dalan Rasberry emerging as the receptions leader.
Despite a season-ending ACL knee injury last year, Campbell Beard become an inspiration as the 2020 Abilene Christian School volleyball team advanced to the TAPPS Class 2A regional final.
Haigan Thompson’s Big Country-leading 10.9 digs per set begins with studying video of opponents with first-year Breckenridge coach Paula Taylor.
Konlyn Anderson has exceeded expectations through four games this season as Brownwood’s latest bell-cow running back, a crucial role in Lions head coach Sammy Burnett’s run-first offensive scheme.
There’s no denying the impact of versatile senior Jazzane Potts on the Sweetwater volleyball team. The Lady Mustangs opened this season 1-12 while Potts was undergoing treatment on both her knees, but Sweetwater is 6-5 since her return.
There was no doubt what play Cisco football coach Kevin Stennett wanted to call when he made the decision to go for two extra points while trailing Breckenridge 27-26 in overtime last Friday night.
GOLDTHWAITE — Jackson Patrick has played on a state championship golf team and a state runner-up golf team. He has qualified for state in track and field in the pole vault. He has been the best 3-point shooter on a playoff basketball team.
If one high school has one male that qualified for state in three different sports — all within the same academic year — most people would expect the guy to be 6 feet and 180 pounds.
BROWNWOOD — Saturday’s Class 2A softball area playoff game between Hawley and Miles seemed more like two games. There was the first inning, which Hawley fell behind 3-0. Then there was the rest of the game, which the Lady Cats dominated with a dozen unanswered runs.
Two-plus years of effectively handling adversity and injuries paid off in a big way for Wylie senior Kylor Aguilar at the recent Region I-5A track and field meet.
Dublin freshman Kevin Patton handles his hip disease so discreetly, his coaches sometimes forget about it.
Taking on a new role this season is nothing new for Jonas Arellano. The Breckenridge senior has played almost every position a baseball player can during his high school career.
Lane Powledge’s elbow issues of 2020 were left in 2020.
No 2020 track and field season. No problem in 2021 for Albany sophomore Cole Chapman.
Imagine taking over for a popular, 24-year head coach. Then imagine inheriting a young team that has started 3-6 overall and 1-3 in District 2-6A. Oh yeah, your team also is currently sitting out for a two-week COVID-19 quarantine.
A 5-1 start hardly tells the story of the Wylie volleyball season so far.