Author: Brandon McAuliffe

by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Wichita Falls Memorial offense tops 500 yards in big win over Wylie

Wylie entered Friday night’s District 2-5A Division II game against Wichita Falls Memorial at Hugh Sandifer Stadium with the potential to be part of a three-way tie for the district championship in a few weeks as the league has featured shocking results on a weekly basis.

After a 45-14 loss to the Mavericks, the Bulldogs are now headed into their open week trying to find answers while knowing that a trip to the playoffs isn’t nearly the guarantee that it seemed to be Friday morning.

With Amarillo Palo Duro rallying past Lubbock Cooper and Abilene Cooper pulling away from Plainview on Friday, the Bulldogs (4-4 overall, 2-2 district) find themselves in third place in a massive logjam in the postseason race.

Plainview, Wichita Falls Legacy and Memorial are all tied for fourth place at 1-2 in district while the Lubbock Cooper is now 1-3.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Fourth-quarter rally leads Clyde past Breckenridge in district opener

CLYDE — Having a drive where a team needs to gain at least 30 yards to convert a first down is usually something that can derail an offense’s momentum in a football game.

If it happens twice in a game? That’s a recipe for disaster.

Despite the odds being against them, the Clyde Bulldogs overcame two possessions where it needed a least 35 yards for a first down with a fourth-quarter rally to beat Breckenridge 22-14 at Bulldog Stadium to open District 6-3A Division I play on Friday night.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Abilene Christian falls to Covenant Classical in match for share of district championship

Abilene Christian Schools volleyball coach Arnett McClure was optimistic heading into Thursday’s TAPPS District 1-3A showdown with Fort Worth Covenant Classical that his team could get an upset win and have a shot to tie for the district championship.

His belief stemmed from a five-set loss two weeks ago to the Lady Cavaliers on the road.

Instead, it was Covenant Classical that took a 25-14, 25-14, 25-14 straight-sets win at Panther Gym to wrap up the district title.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Batendji brothers play crucial roles as Abilene High rallies past Amarillo High

Through the first half of the 2025 season, the race for the District 2-5A Division I championship has appeared to be a three-team battle between Abilene High, Amarillo High and Amarillo Tascosa — all of which opened district play with wins last week.

Friday night at Shotwell Stadium, the Eagles and Sandies squared off to see which AHS would be in control of its own destiny ahead of its respective showdown against Tascosa.

In the end, it was the Eagles who knocked off the Golden Sandstorm, 24-21, in thrilling matchup between two teams that had both spent time ranked in the Class 5A Division I top 10 at different points this year.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Hawley sweeps Albany in hard-fought 6-2A volleyball match

ALBANY — Even after losing in straight sets, Albany volleyball coach MJ Reneau was encouraged by how her team performed against No. 7 Hawley at home on Tuesday night.

Hawley claimed a 25-17, 25-23, 25-19 win in the District 6-2A matchup to move to 2-0 in district play while the Lady Lions fell to 1-1.

After the match, Reneau said the final score didn’t indicate how close the two squads are, especially the opening set, which saw Hawley go on a 12-3 run.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Bangs uses first quarter flurry to pound Colorado City

COLORADO CITY — After going 2-8 in his first year as a head coach, Bangs’ Colton Buzzard set the bar high for his second year leading the Dragons.

“Our expectations are to make the playoffs and win that first-round game,” he said. “We wanted to treat this trip like a playoff road trip because in the second round we are going to have to travel like this.”

Friday night, the Dragons ruined Colorado City’s homecoming with a 56-0 win at Wolf Stadium, using two turnovers and a special teams score in a span of 60 seconds to turn a scoreless game into a blowout.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Albany opens District 6-2A play with win over Abilene TLCA

Albany coach MJ Reneau said before Tuesday night’s District 6-2A opener that she was hoping to see her team snap out of a funk that had seen them lose nine of 13 matches and 12 of their last 14 sets.

While the Lady Lions struggled, including six service errors in the final set, Albany still began district play with a 25-16, 25-10, 25-19 win over Abilene TLCA at Eagle Gymnasium.

The win pushed Albany to 10-10 overall while the Lady Eagles are now 2-10.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Cooper dominates Lubbock Coronado to earn shutout for Homecoming, Senior Night

The Cooper football team entered Friday night’s homecoming against Lubbock Coronado having been involved in a pair of thrilling games the last two weeks — even though they’d come out on the wrong end of the decision against crosstown rival Abilene High and San Angelo Central.

Any frustrations that the Cougars had from those two games were quickly vanquished as Cooper closed out nondistrict play with a 59-0 thumping of Lubbock Coronado at Shotwell Stadium.

It was a total team effort for the Cougars as coach Aaron Roan’s squad used three quarterbacks and had nine players carry the ball, six receivers catch passes, three kickers convert extra points and 18 players record a tackle.

The Coogs also had three players intercept a pass and got two fumble recoveries from Dycin Davis.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Special teams, long drives key Quinlan Ford win over Mineral Wells

MINERAL WELLS — The Quinlan Ford football team entered Thursday’s nondistrict contest with Mineral Wells at Ram Stadium having scored 49 points in each of their first three games this year.

After being shut out in the first quarter for the first time all season, the Panthers dominated the second quarter and took a 35-21 win over the Rams.

The second quarter saw Quinlan Ford score a touchdown on a blocked punt and put together a pair of scoring drives of more than 90 yards as the Panthers moved to 4-0 on the year while Mineral Wells fell to 2-2.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Wylie hammers Lubbock Coronado for 70-14 homecoming win

Any way you slice it, Friday night’s homecoming game at Hugh Sandifer Stadium could not have gone any better for the Wylie football team.

Coming off a tough three-point road loss to Lubbock Monterey last week, the Bulldogs did whatever they wanted to on offense in a 70-14 throttling of Lubbock Coronado.

The Bulldogs converted eight of 12 third downs, and when they got stopped, they converted on fourth down.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Clyde knocks off Jim Ned in thrilling opener to District 6-3A play

CLYDE — When Clyde and Jim Ned meet on the volleyball court, records can always be thrown out the window as the two squads tend to be part of a three-way battle with Wall for the District 6-3A championship.

Tuesday night’s affair at Bulldog Gym between the Lady Indians and Lady Bulldogs was nothing short of spectacular.

When all was said and done, it was the hosts who claimed a thrilling 25-22, 25-20, 23-25, 25-22 win to start district play.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Albany Lions take down Hawley as 2A powerhouses clash

ALBANY — If it’s raining in the Big Country during football season, two things are a virtual guarantee: the West Texas Fair & Rodeo is in Abilene and Albany is scheduled to play Hawley.

For the first time in four meetings, the Lions and Bearcats were able to play at their scheduled location as Albany took a 21-7 win on Friday night at Faith Field at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium. The previous three seasons had seen the game played twice at Hardin-Simmons University’s Shelton Stadium and once at Wylie’s Hugh Sandifer Stadium.

The latest matchup was a defensive slugfest that saw the Lions knock off Hawley for the second time in three years despite the fact that the Bearcats have dominated the series since 2018.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

JAYTON GRIDIRON CLASSIC: No. 4 May upsets No. 2 Whiteface for Brown’s first career win

JAYTON — The Jayton Gridiron Classic lived up to the hype this year with nine games over three days — including five on Saturday at Jaybird Stadium — as it culminated with a showdown between two of the top teams in the Class 1A Division I.

No. 2 Whiteface and fourth-ranked May, who could potentially meet in Arlington in December in a state championship game, closed it out with the Tigers posting a dominant 64-46 win over the Antelopes, the defending state runner-up, in Jacob Brown’s debut as a head coach.

Brown, a 2018 graduate of May, was quick to credit the 10 seniors on his roster for making his job easy.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Henry leaves his mark as AHS opens season with big win over San Angelo Central

After seeing his junior year end with a torn ACL last October, Abilene High quarterback Brayden Henry returned to the field on Friday night at Shotwell Stadium and led the No. 9-ranked Eagles to a 42-21 win over San Angelo Central in the season opener for both squads.

Henry ran for a pair of touchdowns and added the go-ahead score with a second quarter-punt return for a touchdown as he accounted for 283 total yards in the win.

The senior was excited to be back on the field and having the ability to play a pivotal role in the win.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

2025 ABILENE TLCA FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Ward continuing process of building Eagles program

Steven Ward’s second year leading the Abilene TLCA program has some promise but looks like it will be another year of tough learning experiences and growth from young players.

The Eagles have 20 returning lettermen from a year ago, with nine starters back on both sides of the football.

One thing that TLCA will be looking at this year is how well does the roster react to having a new offensive and defensive coordinator.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

2025 MUNDAY FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Moguls excited about Langston’s third year

It’s often said that Year 3 of a coaching tenure is when a program sees its biggest growth.

The Munday Moguls are hoping that’s the case as they enter their third season under Brandon Langston in search of their first playoff berth since 2017. Langston is fired up about the season ahead as the Moguls will have more depth than they have had at any point in his tenure.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

2025 SIX-MAN DIVISION I PREVIEW: Gordon set up for a rare three-peat

In 2024, coach Mike Reed’s Gordon Longhorns squad played just 320 minutes and 15 seconds of football in 15 games — with just the state semifinal matchup against Abbott and the title game against Whiteface extending past halftime.

The Longhorns are guaranteed to play more football this year as Reed added 11-man schools Thorndale (Sept. 19) and Brackettville (Oct. 24) to his schedule so that his squad, which already features a pair of Division I Football Bowl Subdivision commits, could be exposed to playing the second half of games.

Gordon enters the year as the top-ranked team in Division I and a favorite to join a short list of teams that have earned a three-peat in state history.

Here’s a preview of each of the Class 1A Division I districts in the Big Country Preps coverage area with our predictions for 2025.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

2025 SIX-MAN DIVISION II, TAPPS PREVIEW: Jayton looks to repeat while ACS is a title contender

Like Gordon in Division I, Jayton opens the 2025 season as the state’s top-ranked team and favorite to repeat for the title in December.

Coach Josh Stanaland and his staff, which led the Jaybirds to their first football state championship in 39 years last fall, have built an athletic program that expects to win, regardless of the sport, and has made state trips a habit in recent years.

In TAPPS, Abilene Christian’s biggest competition for a state championship could come within its own district, and that has Kirk Wade fired up about the Panthers’ potential.

Here’s a preview of each of the Class 1A Division II districts in the Big Country Preps coverage area, as well as TAPPS Division II District 1, with our predictions for 2025.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Father-Son pairings the story of the day at FCA football

Saturday’s Myrle Greathouse FCA All-Star Classic was quite literally a family affair at Shotwell Stadium.

The Blue team was led by Hawley head coach Mitch Ables and his son Keagan and also had Stephenville’s Jeremiah and Jack Butchee.

On the opposite sideline, Wylie offensive coordinator Jason Meng had one last go with his son, Bear.

The family relationships even extended to the officiating crew with longtime umpire Winkie James getting to work with his son Cory, the referee for the game.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Historic season for Mineral Wells ends with Game 3 loss to Seminole

GRAHAM — A magical season for the Mineral Wells baseball team has drawn to a close.

After going 7-17-1 in Jacob Clay’s first year as head coach, the Rams finished Year 2 at 20-14-1, beating Seminole 7-2 in Game 2 of their Region I-4A Division I championship series, before getting no-hit into the fifth inning in a 5-0 loss in Game 3 on Saturday at the Graham High School Baseball Field.

The 2025 season marked the first time that Mineral Wells advanced to a region final since 1958.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

FEATURE: Baseball helps begin the healing process for Gordon in wake of EF-1 tornado

STEPHENVILLE — While the National Weather Service has classified the tornado that struck Gordon on Sunday evening as an EF-1, Longhorn athletic director Mike Reed says the devastation to the community of 489 people was far worse.

“The state didn’t declare that we lost enough homes to receive aid, but 90 percent of our town was affected because the school was hit,” he said. “If this would have been in the Metroplex, one school wouldn’t have as much effect, but being in a rural town, it affects a huge percentage of us. They may call it an EF-1 based on the damage, but we watched it on the security cameras at the football field before everything went out. It was pretty devastating.”

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Resilient Gordon Longhorns roll to 13-2 win over Perrin-Whitt in series opener

STEPHENVILLE — After spending all week cleaning up from a devastating EF-1 tornado that hit town on Sunday, it would have been easy for the Gordon baseball team to just go on cruise control in the opening game of its best-of-three Region II-1A championship series against Perrin-Whitt on Thursday night.

Instead, the Longhorns showed the same focus, drive and determination that has been on display all week, riding a nine-run first inning to a 13-2 win at Stephenville High School.

It was an effort that got to Longhorn coach Ligon West.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Botos homer, patient offense, pitching staff help Hamlin rally to oust Ira

EULA — When Hamlin senior first baseman Jantz Botos stepped to the plate just before 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, he didn’t know that with one swing of the bat he would trigger another five hours of baseball at Pirate Field.

With two outs in the fifth inning, the left-handed Botos, who had never homered in his career, was trying to hit a ball into the gap with the Pied Pipers trailing Ira 2-1 in Game 2 of their Region I-1A semifinal.

The senior swatted a 1-2 pitch from Brandt Cox for a three-run home run to left, propelling Hamlin to an 8-4 win in Game 2 before the Pipers outlasted Ira 15-11 in eight innings in Game 3.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Wells’ no-hitter has Coahoma one win from state semifinals

Hannah Wells threw her second no-hitter of the postseason — and third of 2025 — as Coahoma beat Jacksboro 10-0 in the opening game of the Region I-3A Division II championship series on Friday night at Abilene Christian University’s Poly Wells Field.

The senior standout struck out 11 and faced just two batters over the minimum in notching her second win over the Tigerettes this season.

Wells, a University of Texas signee, also beat Jacksboro on March 1 with an 11-strikeout one-hitter in a 4-0 win.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us