Author: Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Character, chemistry fueling Forsan’s resurgence under second-year coach Casey Thompson

As Forsan rides a six-game win streak into its District 4-2A Division I game at Ballinger on Friday, the undefeated Buffaloes are also eyeing something that didn’t seem likely at this time last season: a playoff berth.

In 2025, under then first-year coach Casey Thompson, the Buffs started 1-4 heading into district play. Then they lost their district opener.

“We had,” acknowledged Thompson, “a rough start.”

Fortunately for Forsan, there’s a very significant “but …” to add, because it was at roughly this time in the season when it became apparent to Thompson, to Forsan fans, and, especially, to the members of the Buffaloes’ roster that a corner had been turned.

The team went 3-1 over its final four regular season games, which entitled the Buffs to add another, in the playoffs, thus fulfilling a goal perhaps only Thompson envisioned as possible to achieve as the October stretch of the schedule played out.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Branham’s return from February car crash has close-knit Santo squad playing inspired football

Even if you’re a fervent follower of Big Country football (the tipoff being that you consider Wednesday a holiday because that’s when you can peruse the stats for all the area leaders), you might not be aware of the following:

  • The most important rushing feat of 2026 already took place.
  • It happened during the first week of the season.
  • It covered all of 17 yards.
  • And, finally, Santo’s Dillan Branham was the ball carrier.

Don’t bother looking for his name in this week’s statistical roundup. It won’t be there. No matter; after reading this story, regardless of your conventional rooting tendencies, the Santo Wildcats will almost certainly join your roster of favorite teams.

And Branham will definitely become one of your favorite players.

Here’s why …

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

ANSON FEATURE: Dynamic playmaker St. John a coach’s dream, matchup nightmare

After an 8-4 season in 2025, during which Anson came one point from having a chance to advance to the third round of the Class 2A Division I football playoffs, there’s plenty of speculation focused on how good the Tigers might be this year.

One thing is fairly certain, however: How far Anson goes — up the standings in District 5-2A DI or through a probable postseason run — Malachi St. John is going to lead the way.

As a junior last fall, St. John caught 90 passes. That was an average of more than seven receptions per game. By the time he was tackled after making those grabs he had gained 1,244 yards. That’s more than 100 yards per contest. Thirteen times he could have gone farther but didn’t, because stat keepers finished their recording once he crossed the goal line.

And then there’s this, which should keep opposing defensive coordinators up late nights during the run-up to the Anson game: St. John, who also rushed for 230 yards and another seven touchdowns, is slated to carry the ball even more this season.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

2026 ANSON FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Talented Tigers squad out to improve on last year’s 8-4 finish

As with practically any sport, football is a game of inches. Though the 2025 Anson Tigers had what would be classified as a solid season by almost any measure, they were literally inches away from a special one.

In the second round of the playoffs last fall, the Tigers fell to Spearman 28-27. Ask practically any coach, and he will tell you a one-point defeat is defined by an inch here or an inch there. In a heartbreaking defeat like the Tigers experienced in their final game of the year, the inches that decide the outcome produce a series of “what ifs?” that can torment you for months.

Anson coach Kyle Wheeler has spent roughly eight months asking that question in various incarnations. But now he’s ready for his team to make a statement.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

COLORADO CITY FEATURE: QB Mejia ready to take next step after promising season as a sophomore

With a year under his belt as a starter at the toughest position on the field, Colorado City quarterback Ace Mejia stands to be one of the area’s more interesting breakout candidates this fall.

And that’s just partly because that year was spent as a sophomore.

Though the Wolves went just 1-9, Mejia put up respectable numbers in 2026, especially for a youngster. He completed 105 of 203 passes for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. Maybe just as impressive was the stat most QBs long to avoid — the 5-foot-9, 150-pounder threw just five interceptions.

To further hone his craft, Mejia attended five different quarterback camps over the summer, during which he worked on all aspects of his game. His coach — and father — Daniel Mejia, said he can already see a bigger, better version of the quarterback that finished the 2025 season.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

2026 C-CITY FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Wolves hope to ride momentum of season-ending win to successful season

When the nine preceding lines on your 2025 season record showed an “L” beside the final score, a victory in Game 10 isn’t just another outcome. It’s all at once a tribute to persistence, a testament to the notion that “hard work eventually pays off,” and — maybe most importantly — a symbol of hope that wasn’t born until a few seconds after the last whistle of the season blew.

Indeed, a final score on Nov. 7, 2025 that read “Colorado City 42, Sonora 12” served a multitude of purposes, not the least of which was the exclamation point it attached to what first-year coach Daniel Mejia and his staff had preached for three months, even after the defeats continued to mount:

“ALL IS NOT LOST!”

So, now, as the Wolves prepare for the 2026 campaign, there is reason for players, coaches and fans of the program to adopt an even more significant mantra:

“THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

WINTERS FEATURE: Two-way standout Martinez looking to make mark for building Blizzards

A year ago, as coach Ryan Pannell was just settling into his new office after being named the football coach at Winters, there were more questions than answers.

Pannell and the Blizzards were already being tasked with a daunting challenge, which was how to reverse a trend that had seen the program accumulate just 17 wins since 2019. In fact, Winters hadn’t had a winning season since 2018, when it went 8-5.

To put that in perspective, among the players Pannell inherited or recruited out of the school’s halls for his first season, most of the seniors were just 10-year-olds riding bikes the last time the school enjoyed the kind of success rewarded with a playoff berth.

The 2025 squad didn’t reverse the trend — at least not in the standings, finishing 2-8. But the Blizzards did show a lot of fight toward the end of the season by snapping a five-game scoreless streak with 32 points in their final two games.

Two of the primary mainstays during the late rally go by the name of Martinez. Coy, the quarterback, wound up the year completing 71 of 173 passes for 1,079 yards and 10 touchdowns. His brother Nolan was second on the team in receiving, hauling in 19 passes for 415 yards and seven scores. He also added 48 yards and a touchdown when called on as a rusher. And he even spelled his brother behind center on occasion.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

2026 WINTERS FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Short on depth, Blizzards hope to build on foundation in Pannell’s second year

On the surface, what the Winters Blizzards accomplished on the football field last fall was pretty nondescript, save for a magical evening in late September when they did a lot of things right en route to a 59-0 thumping of Abilene TLCA.

The victory was one of only two the Blizzards mustered in 2025 — against eight defeats. Overall, Winters scored 136 points, gave up 375 and generally was outmanned almost every time it took the field.

No matter. That wasn’t the ultimate measure of what coach Ryan Pannell and Co. were able to do in his first season at the helm of a program that hasn’t recorded as many as four wins since 2020.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

HAMLIN FEATURE: Senior LB Holden a playmaker on the field, leader off it for young Pipers

While Rowdy Holden’s 2025 defensive statistics were head-turning in and of themselves, they probably didn’t do justice to what the now-senior linebacker means to the Hamlin Pied Pipers.

We’ll share them, anyway, because … well … these are the kind of numbers from which legends are born.

In 11 games during which Hamlin went 8-3 and advanced to the Class 2A Division II playoffs, Holden recorded 145½ tackles. Of those, 23 came in the backfield before opponents could even reach the line of scrimmage. He also forced four fumbles, broke up three passes and pressured the quarterback into sacks or hurried throws 12 times.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

2026 HAMLIN FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Pied Pipers hoping to build on recent success despite graduation losses

Following an 8-3 season during which Hamlin made the playoffs for the second consecutive year, the Pipers will try to ride a wave of momentum into the 2026 football season. But to match or exceed the exploits of their predecessors, the latest version of Pipers will likely have to see a number of new players evolve into heroes this fall.

Hamlin returns just 11 lettermen, which means a good number of starters this season — particularly at the skill positions — haven’t taken many meaningful snaps under the Friday night lights. The good news is that the new front-line players are already blending nicely with the proven leaders, giving coach Jason Botos reason for optimism when the Piper open the season on Aug. 28 hosting Crosbyton.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Brock shortstop, team leader Lightfoot a catalyst for Eagles’ run to state title game

In the biggest game of his high school career — and in the most important moment in Brock High School’s recent baseball history — Canon Lightfoot did … well … what Canon Lightfoot does.

He delivered the goods on time.

Last Saturday, in a win-or-go-home game that served as the climax to the Class 4A Division II state semifinal series, Lightfoot laced the first pitch of the first inning from Frisco Panther Creek starter Cross Rodriguez. The ball went just over Rodriguez’s head, then shot past him, on a line to a spot some 30 feet in front of the Panthers’ center fielder, Graylyn Fry.

A little more than two hours later, Brock was on its way to the state championship game.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Brock makes state finals return with 5-2 win over Frisco Panther Creek in Game 3

SAGINAW — Colton Ripple pitched five innings of no-hit ball, and Canon Lightfoot and Evan O’Connor combined for three hits, three runs and a pair of RBIs to lift the Brock baseball team to a 5-2 win over Frisco Panther Creek on Saturday evening.

As a result (lest we run the risk of burying the lead here), the Eagles are going to Round Rock for the Class 4A Division II state championship game!

The victory at Saginaw Eagle Mountain Lake High School’s Knight Field capped a stellar weekend for the Eagles. It helped Brock avenge a heart-wrenching 1-0 loss to the Panthers on the same field two days prior. It capped two straight wins in the state semifinal series when just one defeat would have ended their season. And …

(Most importantly …)

It gave coach Koby Page and a determined group of players a chance to record the school’s second state title and first as a Class 4A competitor. Brock (32-6) will play Waco Robinson (29-10) at noon on Friday at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, with the winner earning the right to hoist the 2026 state championship trophy.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Wild play involving bat toss contributes to only run as Frisco Panther Creek edges Brock in Game 1

SAGINAW — A batter who didn’t hit the ball wound up making the most important pitch of the night to propel Frisco Panther Creek to a 1-0 victory over Brock in the opening game of a best-of-three Class 4A Division II state semifinal baseball series that will decide which team will play for the state title next week.

The crazy, tell-tale moment came in the bottom of the sixth inning of an ever-tense battle between two stellar baseball teams. And, because of how it played out, it overshadowed one of the better-pitched games played anywhere in the state this spring.

It went down like this:

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Argyle takes advantage of nine walks, fast start to down Wylie 7-5 in Game 1

SAGINAW — The Argyle Eagles walked past the Wylie Bulldogs 7-5 in the opening game of their best-of-three Region 1-5A Division II final series Tuesday afternoon.

You pretty much can add the word “literally,” if you want to.

Wyle pitchers issued nine free passes, including five in the first two innings, and Argyle used the Bulldogs’ generosity to score six runs in their first two at-bats.

The Bulldogs gamely answered the Eagles’ three-run first inning with three runs of their own in the top of the second, but Argyle put up a carbon-copy bottom half of the inning. And while Wylie made it interesting down the stretch, the Eagles (23-14-1) held on and are now a win away from a trip to the state semifinals.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Late surge lifts Dallas Carter over Brock in Class 4A DII state semifinals

ARLINGTON — Amarion Hunter scored 16 points, Terrell Jackson added 14 and a tenacious Dallas Carter defense recorded eight steals as the Cowboys defeated Brock 52-44 in the Class 4A Division II state semifinals Tuesday night.

The victory improved Carter’s record to 30-6 and earned the Cowboys a trip to San Antonio on Friday for a chance to win the state championship. They will play LaMarque, which beat Houston Wheatley 68-67 in the other semifinal game.

The loss snapped a 12-game winning streak for the Eagles, who finished with a 28-10 record.

A sellout crowd at the Arlington ISD Athletic Center saw a great basketball game for most of the evening. But, in the end, it was the end of periods that sealed the Eagles’ fate.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Gaylor, late run propel Lipan past district rival Graford, into state semis

MINERAL WELLS — Court Gaylor scored 29 points to lead Lipan to a 51-40 victory over District 11-2A rival Graford on Friday night before a loud, sellout crowd at the Mineral Wells High School Gymnasium.

The win gave the Indians a three-game sweep of their nemesis this season and bumped their record to 37-1. They’ve now won 35 straight games.

Still, what set off the biggest celebration in the Lipan stands was affirmation that Coach Brent Gaylor’s squad remains in the hunt for the school’s third state championship in the past four years — and the fourth since the 2017-18 season.The Indians will play undefeated Gruver (23-0) at a neutral site early next week, with the winner going to San Antonio for the state title game on Thursday.

Graford finished its season with a 30-5 record.

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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 Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: With Gunter win in rearview, Wall takes aim at Newton and first state championship

Since practice began in preparation for the 2025 football season, the Wall Hawks have had two dates figuratively circled on their calendars:

• Whenever — if ever — they got a chance for revenge against Gunter

• And Dec. 18.

Thanks to a thrilling 28-25 win last week, Wall placed a big X over the first box. By dispatching the three-time defending Class 3A Division II state champion Tigers in the state semifinals, the Hawks helped erase the memories of last season’s 42-32 loss, also in the semifinals. In the process, Wall ran its record to 15-0.

Consequently, there is still one more X to apply. And it’s THE BIG ONE.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Close-knit Brock squad relishing opportunity to face off with Carthage in state semifinals

There’s no question that, of all the challenges the Brock football team has faced en route to a 14-0 record this fall, Friday’s game with Carthage, also 14-0, represents the holy grail for the Eagles.

Even if, technically, it’s only Holy Grail 1.0.

It earns that distinction because a win over the vaunted Bulldogs would still leave Brock one victory away from the Class 4A Division II state championship. No state title is ever proverbial “gravy.”

Still, the Carthage game is more than just a giant step toward potential history. It’s a giant step, period, especially when you consider two especially enticing plot elements that surround this week’s matchup at 7 p.m. in Mesquite between the two unbeatens.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Undefeated Gordon Lady Longhorns making waves, headlines with historic start to season

Photos courtesy of Matt Garnett

On Nov. 18, coach Matt Garnett and his Gordon High School girls basketball squad did the unthinkable: They — and not the principals of the 12-0 and two-time defending state champion football team — became the talk of the town.

With a stunning 49-42 overtime victory over Plano West, the Lady Longhorns instantly became the stuff of legends.

The win was the fifth of eight straight to open the season. It resulted because Gordon doubled up on the Lady Wolves 14-7 in the extra period. It represented the climax of a 230-mile round trip in a GISD school bus.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Gordon football team, community excited for first home game since tornado

Photos courtesy of Mike Reed

When the 2025 Texas high school football season comes to a close next month, some 1,151 educational institutions will have played a homecoming game this fall.

None of the principals or fans of any of those schools will have celebrated theirs as vociferously — or gratefully — as will the Gordon Longhorns when they play host to Gorman at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Nearly six months after a devastating tornado descended on the tiny Big Country town, taking precise aim at the burgh’s only high school and all its sports facilities, the ‘Horns are finally — literally — coming home.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Sophomore signal caller McIlroy making major impact for 7-1 Cisco Loboes

When the 2025 season opened, most fervent followers of District 4-2A Division I football likely took a look at the Cisco starting lineup, noticed that a sophomore was pencilled in as the starting quarterback, and pegged the Loboes as a potential playoff team.

The “potential playoff team” part of the equation was a given, considering that, since 2020, the Loboes have made four postseason appearances and have twice earned 11 wins. In fact, Cisco playing quality football has become routine under coach Kevin Stennett and his predecessor and mentor Brent West.

But the “sophomore quarterback” aspect … Well, in a district that also includes perennial powers Hawley and Stamford, having to play a youngster in the most important position generally represents a big red flag — especially if you hope to win the league championship.

Fast forward to this Friday, when the Loboes will play host to Anson (6-2 overall, 1-2 in district) at 7 p.m. Cisco isn’t just hoping to hoist a big trophy; the Loboes can assure themselves of that achievement with a win. With victories already in hand over Hawley and Stamford, Cisco can clinch the title this week.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Senior quarterback Jobe, strong supporting cast have De Leon in position for special season

With senior quarterback Heston Jobe leading the way, the De Leon offense is averaging 47 points a game this fall. So it’s not surprising that the Bearcats have raced to a 6-2 start overall and are 3-0 in District 5-2A Division I play and in a battle with Hamilton for the league title.

What is a slight, but very pleasant, revelation for first-year coach Brennan Whitaker and the Bearcat faithful is how well the four-year starter at QB has transformed from a gunslinger into a surgeon in very short order.

“Heston played very well his freshman, sophomore and junior years, but he was running an offense that did a lot of hurry-up and put a lot of emphasis on the vertical passing game,” Whitaker said. “There weren’t a lot of reads for him to make. He would just try to hit whatever receiver was streaking down the field. This year, we’ve installed something a little different, and he has taken great strides in really learning the quarterback position.”

Continue reading “FEATURE: Senior quarterback Jobe, strong supporting cast have De Leon in position for special season” →

by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Multi-talented Maidens raising the standard, expectations for Comanche volleyball program

Photos courtesy of Krista Wilcox

After earning a playoff spot for the first time in nearly a decade last fall, the Comanche Maidens volleyball team is already a lock for postseason play in 2025.

Though Comanche fell in three sets on Tuesday to perennial District 8-3A champion Peaster, the Maidens are 27-8 overall and 9-4 in league play. Riding a five-game win streak to open district, they set a highly competitive tone that helped them clinch back-to-back playoff berths under second-year coach Krista Wilcox.

Even so, Wilcox said there is a big difference in how her team is approaching a prospective run into November compared to the way they did it in 2024.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Senior playmaker Fisher brings steady leadership, consistent production to injury-plagued Mineral Wells offense

Pretty much across the football landscape, there is one opponent nobody wants to play. He doesn’t wear a uniform, and he comes in all manner of configurations. But ask any coach, and he will tell you a bite by the “Injury Bug” can be as devastating as any heartbreaking scoreboard defeat.

Or, as in the case of the Mineral Wells Rams, you can suffer multiple chomps, keep on shooing, and convert disaster into what still might have the promise of a successful season.

It certainly helps the Rams’ cause that the primary swatter is six-feet tall, weighs 180 pounds, runs faster than a speeding cornerback and is able to leap tall safeties to catch pretty much any ball thrown his way.

But (much) more on Jaidun Fisher in a bit. First, consider why the Mineral Wells receiver has been so important this year.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Wall volleyball eyeing District 6-3A title, deep playoff run in Branch’s first year as coach

Photos courtesy of Kimberly Branch

With its sweep of San Angelo TLCA on Tuesday, the Wall volleyball team ran its District 6-3A record to a perfect 10-0 and its overall mark to 29-7.

Yet, as impressive as those numbers are, the record is not the most remarkable stat of the year for the Lady Hawks.

While forging its identity as the 6-3A “team to beat,” Wall has dropped just one set in district play.

That astounding number, coupled with the fact that Wall faced a pre-district schedule that included a bevy of quality Class 6A and 5A opponents, has the Lady Hawks primed for what could be a special season.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Resilient Hamlin Pied Pipers riding wave into league play despite rash of injuries

More often than not, a football team’s season is defined in some manner by injuries. A key physical setback involving a star — or, worse, several breaks/tears/pulls to multiple players — can completely alter dreams that appeared oh, so promising back in August.

Then again …

If you’re the Hamlin Pied Pipers, you just call on the “next man up” and keep on rolling.

By halftime of the Pied Pipers’ season-opening game against Anson, coach Jason Botos had witnessed four starters being helped to the sideline by the school’s training staff. The post-game diagnosis list included a torn ACL, a broken collar bone, a broken ankle and a significantly damaged shoulder.

Not surprisingly, the final score — Anson 49, Hamlin 6 — showed the immediate toll injuries can take. What happened thereafter, however, showed a team forged amid the school’s first playoff appearance in half a decade in 2024 still hungering for that kind of success. And, injuries or no injuries, this feisty bunch plans to play to — and perhaps through — mid-November once again.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: ‘Young’ Wylie volleyball squad upholding program’s established standard of excellence

With three quarters of the 2025 volleyball season in the books, the Wylie Lady Bulldogs find themselves in a familiar position: contending for yet another postseason berth.

No surprise there — in each of her previous 11 seasons as Wylie’s coach Shay Cox guided her team to the playoffs. Heading into a home match against Wichita Falls Memorial at 6 p.m. Tuesday, this year’s Lady Bulldogs are 27-7 overall and 3-0 in District 4-5A. Memorial (25-5) is also 3-0 in district, so the winner of the critical battle will take the pole position as league favorite down the stretch of district play.

While the fact that Wylie is prominent, yet again, isn’t unusual, how the Lady Bulldogs became so this fall is a little unorthodox — for title-vying sports teams in general and for Cox’s program in particular.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Junior Smith growing into workhorse back role for rapidly improving Comanche Indians

Though Ladainian Smith routinely displays his skills on Friday nights in Comanche, he unofficially began making his run to a spot among the elite Big Country running backs some five months ago and about 140 miles south of his hometown.

And it didn’t take place on a football field.

Late last April, running the first leg on the Indian’s 400-meter relay team, Smith helped Comanche earn a trip to Austin for the state track meet. The Indians finished seventh — a noteworthy feat, considering there are 231 Class 3A sprint teams who field sprint relay teams. 

But what Smith accomplished as he concluded his stay in the state capital was even more significant: He decided that he had a chance to be special in multiple sports.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Freeman has experienced Clyde squad rolling in second year as head coach

When Courtney Freeman was named the new volleyball coach at Clyde shortly before the beginning of the 2024 season, she immediately was met with an array of formidable challenges. 

Surprisingly, the biggest one wasn’t the fact that she was succeeding the highly successful Laura Carr in that position.

Carr led Clyde to the playoffs routinely throughout her nine-year stay there, and her 2023 team made it to the Region I-3A semifinals. 

Meanwhile, as Carr moved on after that season (to become an assistant principal in Wichita Falls ISD), so, too, did some of the better senior volleyball players in Clyde High School history. The cupboard Freeman inherited was far from bare, given the type of program Carr established, but it wasn’t filled with experienced, heirloom-quality athletes, the likes of which helped Carr make Clyde a perennial volleyball contender.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Tidwell a two-way difference-maker for improving Bangs program

When Bangs visits Colorado City at 7 p.m. Friday, the Dragons will have a chance to take a giant step toward something that hasn’t happened in recent years: three football victories and a winning record heading into district play.

Bangs has finished each of the past two seasons with a 2-8 record. But after splitting their first four games, the Dragons are primed to create the foundation for a campaign that could extend beyond the first week of November. In fact, coach Colton Buzzard said, save for some first-game jitters and an unfortunate bounce or two in Week 2, the Dragons could be undefeated.

“We had chances to be 4-0,” he said as his team was preparing to wrap up preparation for the game against the 0-4 Wolves. “But that’s how it goes sometimes. Our offense is starting to jell, and our defense understands what needs to be done. If we continue to improve and cut down on the mistakes, we could be pretty competitive moving forward.”

Speaking of “moving forward,” no Dragon has done that better this fall than senior fullback Cason Tidwell. While he is only 16 years old — and a newcomer to the position — the 5-foot-11, 175-pound Tidwell has rushed for 464 yards and six touchdowns. He has been Bangs’ most prolific player on both sides of the ball during the team’s recent two-game win streak that included a 31-26 victory over San Angelo Grape Creek and a 71-0 rout of Abilene TLCA.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Senior standout Arrington has Glen Rose in position for another strong campaign

The bar was understandably high when the Glen Rose Lady Tigers opened the 2025 volleyball season. With a 31-8 campaign last fall that included a District 6-4A championship and a bi-district title, to boot, Glen Rose earned a postseason playoff berth for the fifth straight season.

In turn, the Lady Tigers earned something else, namely a target on their backs throughout early season tournaments and pre-district matches. That meant they were getting opponents’ best efforts almost every time out. 

Twenty nine matches into this season, Glen Rose has forged a respectable 18-11 record. With this week’s schedule featuring the final three nondistrict games on the Lady Tigers’ slate, yet another 20-plus-win season isn’t just possible, it’s almost certain.

Especially once Alex Arrington takes the court.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Freshman QB Feagan has turned Anson’s biggest question mark into strength

Coming off an 8-4 2024 season that represented the best campaign at Anson in nearly a decade, Tigers’ coaches, players and fans alike were cautiously optimistic that an even better fate might lie ahead this fall.

The 2025 team, after all, was set to return a bevy of talented skill players and all but two of the starting offensive linemen that helped Anson surge two rounds into the playoffs last December. Just as noteworthy: Every projected returning regular in the defense started at one point a season ago.

There was just one question with which the Tigers were expected to grapple, but it was a huge one: How was Anson going to fare sans the team’s best player, Corey Layne?

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Wilson, Early Longhorns looking to build on winning start

With its 35-18 season-opening victory over Bangs last Friday, the 2025 Early High School football team laid the foundation for something that never occurred in the year prior: a win streak.

That’s why the Longhorns’ next game, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Hamilton (1-0), represents a little more to first-year head coach Marvin Wilson than just the second game of the season — and, even, his head coaching career.

“It’s good to get that first one. It re-enforces that you’re doing something right,” Wilson said. “Now we’ve got to build on that.”

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

ANSON FEATURE: Senior Lozano set to take on larger role in final season for Tigers

Buoyed by an 8-4 season that saw Anson advance two rounds into the playoffs last fall, the Tigers sport even loftier’ aspirations in 2025.

The goal certainly isn’t unrealistic. In addition to establishing a winning attitude, Anson won with an attitude last year. The Tigers scored 449 points and recorded three shutouts. And they return the lion’s share of the talent — on both sides of the ball — that helped elevate the program from “hunter” to “hunted” status in District 4-2A Division I.

During the first week of preseason camp, as first-year coach Kyle Wheeler began to assess how he and his staff can build on that kind of success, he made an important personnel decision.

He named his best defensive player one of the principals on the offense, as well.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

2025 ANSON FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Tigers poised to repeat last year’s success in Wheeler’s first season

Sometimes in football, regardless of the names on the roster, the best player is named “Mo,” as in “Momentum,” which should be in ample supply this fall at Anson.

The Tigers finished 8-4 in 2024 and advanced two rounds into the Class 2A Division I playoffs. And with 14 starters coming back this fall, Anson should again be a formidable Big Country force, with old “Mo” leading the way.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

COLORADO CITY FEATURE: Coaching a calling beyond wins, losses for new mentor Mejia

Generally, the “bottom line” measuring the significance of a team’s season is the final record. 

It features a number on one side of a hyphen, followed by another digit. When the figure on the left is numerically larger than that on the right, coaches, players and fans are likely to consider that bottom line favorably. A run of “big number-little number” seasons represents sustained success. 

A trophy that accompanies the final big number is the pinnacle.

Generally, Colorado City’s new head football coach Daniel Mejia would agree with all of that. In fact, he has spent nearly three decades of coaching in pursuit of said trophy — and has been part of two teams that were a single win from vying for it.

But …

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

2025 C-CITY FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Youthful Wolves hoping size up front fuels turnaround

It has been seven years since the Colorado City football team last finished a season with double-digit wins. The 2024 record, 2-8, only served to punctuate the dire predicament in which the Wolves have found themselves recently, especially given that last year’s victory total represented a third of the school’s wins over the past 59 games.

New head coach Daniel Mejia readily acknowledges the No. 1 challenge facing him and his staff this fall: Teaching players who have never won how to win. How he goes about that might be the secret weapon Colorado City has lacked the past few seasons.

For starters, Mejia might be new to the head coaching job in C-City, but he’s anything but a novice when it comes to leading prep football teams. He has 28 years of experience, including stints at Memphis, Hedley, Bovina, Ozona, Sonora, San Angelo Lake View and Miles. He has twice been a part of teams that reached the state quarterfinals. A cherry on top of all that experience is his familiarity with his current squad. Mejia was the Wolves’ offensive coordinator last fall, so, despite the fact that he is technically “new” to his current position, he is quite familiar with the group he will lead.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

WINTERS FEATURE: Pannell brings culture-changing energy to first head coaching job

As Ryan Pannell began preseason workouts at Winters earlier this month, it became readily apparent to team members and fans that the first-year head coach is serious about trying to help the Blizzards turn a page that in recent times has become a chapter.

That task, without question, is a formidable challenge.

The 2024 Blizzards went 2-8. They won the season opener by a point, then proceeded to be outscored 381-90 the rest of the way. They were shut out five times. In the three years prior, they mustered only four wins — in 29 games.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

2025 WINTERS FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Veteran Blizzards hoping to reverse fortunes under new coach

With a new head coach in town, the Winters Blizzards are eager to put the past few seasons behind them and start to create a buzz in the crowd that doesn’t begin with the words, “here we go again …”

In 2024, Winters went 2-8, and over the past four seasons, the Blizzards have managed just six wins.

But that’s no hill for a climber, if the upcoming football season is the hill and that climber is coach Ryan Pannell. 

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

HAMLIN FEATURE: Defense-minded senior McGee a growing threat on offense

In neighborhoods across the state, it has been a long-standing tradition for youngsters to gather, footballs in hand, to determine who might become the next great quarterback, running back or receiver.

The highlights are a-plenty, as these dreamers hone the awe-inspiring throws, moves and receptions we eventually watch on television on fall weekends. In local backyards and on streets bounded by unfortunately parked cars, names known primarily in a household ultimately evolve into household names nationwide — all because they can pass, run and catch “better than the other kids.”

It’s a Texas rite of passage, this yearning to become a football star at one of the celebrated offensive positions.

Yet, somehow, that dream wasn’t even remotely part of the formative routine of Kyson McGee, the young man who might become Hamlin’s most explosive offensive weapon this fall.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

2025 HAMLIN FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Experienced Pipers poised to take another step forward

As Hamlin looks to build on the momentum created last season, when it went 6-4 and earned a playoff berth for the first time in four years, coach Jason Botos is cautiously optimistic that the Pied Pipers will be even more formidable this fall.

For one thing, Botos has eight starters returning on offense and another nine on the defensive side of the ball. That means that a majority of the players who finally pushed the team into the playoffs are back — and, as Botos noted, eager to build on 2024’s success.

Also helping the cause is the Pied Pipers’ stable of offensive and defensive backs, which are among the best the team has fielded in recent memory.  

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Perrin-Whitt tops Huckabay 57-44 to claim Region III-1A DI championship

WEATHERFORD — Jack McCormick scored 25 points and Cole Keeney added 15 to help carry Perrin-Whitt to a 57-44 win over Huckabay in the Region III-1A Division I championship game Saturday.

With the victory, the Pirates improved to 32-5 and earned a berth in the next week’s state semifinals against Brookeland. Huckabay finished 24-12, but with most starters scheduled to return next winter, the future appears promising for the Indians.

McCormick, son of Perrin-Whitt coach Todd McCormick, helped lead dad’s attacking offense to near perfection, as the Pirates were able to consistently draw fouls and earn trips to the free-throw line. The quick — and quick-thinking — guard enjoyed a 13-for-20 day from the line, while Perrin-Whitt shot 35 foul shots in all.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Glen Rose girls’ season comes to close with 39-32 loss to Dallas Lincoln in state semis

MANSFIELD — Jada Patterson scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Dallas Lincoln held off a late Glen Rose rally to beat the Lady Tigers 39-32 in the Class 4A Division II state semifinals Friday night.

Patterson paced a balanced Lincoln attack, as Lanae Dallas contributed 10 points, T’Anna Saddler added eight and six of the seven Dallas girls who took the court scored at least a basket. As a result, Lincoln (also the Lady Tigers) improved to 38-2 on the year and earned a spot in the state title game. Glen Rose ended its season with a 36-3 record.

LHS used a 9-0 run to start the second quarter to pull away, and although Glen Rose cut the lead to six points on four different occasions in the second half, Lincoln had a counterpunch for each Lady Tiger flurry. One of the bigger Lincoln responses came when Grace Spencer’s 3-point shot from the left corner nestled into the net as the third-quarter buzzer sounded.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Young Abilene Christian Lady Panthers relishing surprise run to state semifinals

Photos courtesy of Laura Lange

The Abilene Christian School Lady Panthers will play top-ranked Fellowship Academy of Kennedale in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools state semifinals at 8 p.m. on Wednesday at Waco University High School.

While the ultimate outcome has yet to be decided, one thing isn’t up for debate: There won’t be a “feeling out” period early in the game for either squad.

This will be the third meeting between the TAPPS District 1-3A rivals. The Lady Mustangs sport an impressive 36-2 record — including 56-44 and 54-25 wins over Abilene Christian. But ACS coach Laura Lange believes her ever-improving team is ready to take on its biggest challenge of the season, in the biggest game of the season, so far.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Glen Rose girls top Brock for third time to earn trip to state semifinals

GODLEY — Lily Melton scored 17 points and Alexis Rynders added 11 more to propel Glen Rose to a 43-21 win over Brock in the Region I-4A Division II championship game Friday night.

In the process, the Lady Tigers ran their impressive record to 36-2 and earned a date in the state semifinals with Dallas Lincoln (37-2). Brock, meanwhile, finished its season at 25-10.

Following a tight first period, after which Glen Rose led 7-6, the Lady Tigers opened each of the succeeding quarters with 9-0, 8-0 and 7-0 runs to put an exclamation point on their third straight victory over their District 6-4A rivals.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Gaylor’s 32-point outburst fuels Lipan girls to rout of Lindsay, into state semis

SAGINAW — Hanna Gaylor scored 18 of her game-high 32 points in the first quarter to lead the Lipan Lady Indians to a resounding 55-22 win over Lindsay in the Region II-2A Division II championship game Thursday night.

With the victory, Lipan improved to 25-11 and earned a trip to the state semifinals, where it will get a rematch with Farwell, which beat the Lady Indians 42-24 in early December.

Nothing about Thursday’s game, which was highlighted by Gaylor’s remarkable shooting performance and a nearly perfect defensive effort by the Lady Indians, would suggest that next week’s state tournament matchup will mirror its predecessor. Gaylor certainly looks forward to finding out.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Talented, red-hot Coahoma Bulldogettes eyeing deep playoff run

Photos courtesy of Alyssa Peterson

When the Coahoma girls basketball team takes on Slaton at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, the Bulldogs will be riding not just a bus, but virtually unprecedented momentum to Lamesa, site of the Region I-3A Division II area-round battle.

In fact, it’s even arguable that the word “virtually” should be added to the preceding sentence.

In the team’s playoff opener, the Bulldogettes blitzed Tornillo 78-0. No, that’s not a typo.

The victory, which was founded on a 12-0 record and first-place finish in District 3-3A play, was literally decided on the Bulldogs’ first made shot, a few seconds in. Two minutes later, coach Alyssa Peterson called off the team’s full-court-press defense. By the second half, the starters had given way to younger and less-experienced teammates.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Carthage rides big second quarter to 45-17 win over Brock, ends Eagles run in state semis

Photos by Brian McLean

MCKINNEY — Carthage took advantage of big plays on both sides of the ball to score 31 first-half points en route to a 45-17 win over Brock in a Class 4A Division II state semifinal game Friday night at McKinney ISD Stadium.

An 80-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Bulldog defensive back Daquives Beck started the onslaught midway though the first period. By the time the whistle sounded to end the game’s first 24 minutes, Carthage found the endzone three more times, on a 31-yard dash by speedy running back Kelwin Edwards, on a 10-yard strike from Jett Surratt to Cade Ross, and on a 26-yard flea-flicker pass from Surratt to a wide open Junior Henderson.

To put an exclamation point on the first half, Bulldogs’ kicker Leo Medrano nailed a 30-yard field as time ran out, and Carthage (14-1) was well on its way to a championship game with Waco La Vega, which disposed of Wimberly 62-35 in the other Class 4A DII semifinal. The teams will meet next week at AT&T Stadium in the state championship game, and if the Bulldogs prevail, it will mark a state-record 10th championship for coach Scott Surratt.

Brock finished its season with a 13-2 mark, but, despite the final score, the Eagles were still in the game heading to the fourth quarter after blanking the Bulldogs 7-0 in the period.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Defending champion Gordon earns return trip to Arlington with 77-36 win over Abbott

GODLEY — Stryker Reed rushed for 186 yards, completed each of his three passes, completed all three of his passes for 97 yards and accounted for two Gordon scores to lead the Longhorns to a 77-36 thrashing of Abbott in a Class 1A Division I state semifinal game Friday night at Wildcat Stadium.

As remarkable as the versatile junior back’s individual effort was, what transpired over the entirety of 40 rain-soaked minutes was even more important. With its 14th straight win since the beginning of the 2024 season, Gordon earned a trip to AT&T Stadium in Arlington in 10 days with a chance to become a back-to-back Class 1A DI champion. The Panthers ended their season with a 13-1 record.

Friday’s game marked the first time all year that the Longhorns had to play a complete four quarters, having entered the contest outscoring opponents 721-48 and seeing all 13 previous tilts called on account of the 45-point mercy rule.

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