Category: Abilene High Eagles

by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cooper’s Carillo takes this week’s award

Slowly but surely, the Cooper Cougars have emerged as one of the most explosive teams in the Big Country. And in its latest exploit, CHS rolled up 517 yards in total offense in a 66-16 win over Lubbock Cooper. 

At the top of the stat sheet: Cooper quarterback Jaden Carrillo, who hit 18 of 27 throws for 263 yards and six touchdowns. He also rushed 11 times for 80 yards and another score to help the Cougars improve to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in District 2-5A DII. 

His six TD passes tied a school record held by Zac Allen and Clayton Nicholas. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 7 REPORT: Abilene High, Amarillo High and Lubbock Monterey pick up wins

Photos by Susanna Jackson, HubCityPreps.com

Abilene High 35, Lubbock Coronado 6 — The Eagles ran for 258 yards, getting 178 of those and two touchdowns from Ethan Joyner, to cruise to a workmanlike win over the Mustangs.

Symanni Strahan also had a big game for Abilene High (5-2, 3-0), rushing for 36 yards and two touchdowns while adding a third TD receiving, as the Eagles bu8ilt a 21-6 lead by halftime.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Abilene High grinds out 35-6 win at Lubbock Coronado to improve to 3-0 in district

Photos by Susanna Jackson, HubCityPreps.com

LUBBOCK — Ethan Joyner ran for 178 yards and two touchdowns, and Symanni Strahan ran for a pair of scores and received for another to help Abilene High run away from Lubbock Coronado for a 35-6 win Thursday at Lowrey Field.

Led by those two, the Eagles rushed for 258 yards as a team, while limiting the Mustangs to 184 yards of total offense to improve to 5-2 on the year and 3-0 in District 2-5A Division I play.

AHS also won the turnover battle 3-1 in shutting Coronado out for the game’s final 33 minutes.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Haskell’s Pinkerton takes the top spot

The season’s midpoint usually offers little in the way of big-time performances, with most of the area teams taking a bye week prior to the opening of district play. 

This year was an exception. 

Haskell junior quarterback Haegan Pinkerton delivered an astonishing effort in last week’s 56-42 win over Seymour, that could have taken our weekly accolade at any given point in the season. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 6 REPORT: Abilene High rallies past Amarillo High; Tascosa, Monterey cruise to easy wins

Abilene High 24, Amarillo High 21 — Ethan Joyner ran 112 yards, while Brayden Henry ran for 111 yards and passed for 34 yards and three touchdowns to help the Eagles rally from a 21-0 second-quarter deficit to secure a thrilling win over the Sandies.

Down 21-7 at halftime, Abilene High (4-2, 2-0) tied the game with a pair of third-quarter touchdown passes from Henry. Elisha Batendji then hit a 40-yard field goal with 5:10 remaining in the fourth quarter for what proved to be the winning points.

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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.

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by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Abilene High nose guard Starks a disruptive force in middle of Eagles defense

In Abilene High’s 3-4 defense, no player has a more important job than the nose guard. 

Manning the interior of the defensive line, that player is responsible for occupying multiple blocks most snaps to route ball-carriers into gaps where waiting linebackers can make plays — ideally at or near the line of scrimmage.

More often than not, the fruit of that player’s (sometimes thankless) labor will show up more in others’ stats than his own. But without those efforts, the integrity of the entire defense falls apart.

This year, those monumental responsibilities have fallen once again on the sizeable shoulders of Jayden Starks. And if you’re searching for a reason to explain why the Eagles defense has been as successful — and disruptive — as it has, the 6-foot-1, 270-pound senior would be a pretty good place to start.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 5 REPORT: Abilene High, Amarillo High and Tascosa

Photo by Tori Bunch, PressPassSports.com

Abilene High 42, Amarillo Caprock 7 — Brayden Henry and Tristan Beal each threw for a pair of touchdowns, and John Rangel caught a TD pass from both to help the Eagles to a convincing win over the Longhorns in the district opener for both squads.

The Abilene High defense, meanwhile, pitched a shutout until late in the third quarter, allowing the Eagles () to stretch a 28-0 halftime lead to 42-0 before Caprock finally got on the board.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Abilene High kicks off district play with blowout win over Amarillo Caprock

Photos by Tori Bunch, PressPassSports.com

AMARILLO — The Abilene High football took care of business in its District 2-5A Division I opener Friday, cruising to a 42-7 win over Amarillo Caprock at Dick Bivins Stadium.

The Eagles built a 21-0 lead by the end of the opening quarter and were never threatened after, doing all of their scoring before the Longhorns finally got on the board late in the third period.

Brayden Henry and Tristan Beal both threw two touchdown passes, while John Rangel caught a TD pass from each. Beal and Ethan Joyner each added rushing scores for AHS, which improved to 3-2 with the win.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wylie junior takes the top spot

Wylie junior Haddie Mock was at her very best against difficult competition last week, helping the Lady Bulldogs to wins over seventh-ranked 3A Bushland (25-8) and 21st-ranked 4A Stephenville last week. 

Mock finished a whopping combined total of 19 blocks in the two matches to help the Lady Bulldogs improve to 24-7. She also had 16 combined kills. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 4 REPORT: Legacy rallies past Abilene High; Monterey picks up league’s only win

Midland Legacy 42, Abilene High 28 — The Eagles took a 28-21 lead into halftime and had a chance to stretch that advantage to two scores in the second half, but an interception in the end zone ended that threat, and the Rebels closed with 21 unanswered points to rally for a two-score win.

JP Reyes passed for 469 yards and three touchdowns for Legacy, which got 135 yards rushing and three TDs from Hayes Hamm and 162 yards and a score receiving from Jermaine Laster. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Abilene High competes well but can’t hold off Midland Legacy rally in 42-28 loss

MIDLAND — Abilene High scored the game’s first 14 points and took a 28-21 lead into halftime Friday, but the Eagles couldn’t add to their point total in the second half, allowing Midland Legacy to rally for a 42-28 win at Astound Broadband Stadium.

The Eagles had an opportunity early in the second half extend their lead to two scores, but an interception in the end zone ended that scoring chance, and the Rebels closed the game with 21 unanswered points to earn the come-from-behind victory.

The loss dropped AHS to 2-2 on the season, while Legacy improved to 1-3 against one of the state’s toughest schedules with the win.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 3 REPORT: Abilene High falls to Permian in 3-4 week for league

Odessa Permian 38, Abilene High 21 — The Eagles started fast, taking a 7-0 lead just two minutes and change into the game, but the Panthers responded with 24 unanswered points over the next 36 minutes to take control on their way to a three-score win.

Permian, which took advantage of a couple of AHS mistakes to go to halftime up 21-7, passed for 285 yards, getting 207 of those and two touchdowns from Jakob Garcia, while Aaron Navarrette led the Panthers in receiving with 95 yards.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High can’t keep pace with Permian in 38-21 loss

A 36-minute scoring drought proved too much for the Abilene High football team overcome Friday, as the Eagles saw an early 7-0 lead become an 24-7 deficit before rallying in vain in the fourth quarter of a 38-21 loss to Odessa Permian.

AHS started fast on both sides, following a quick three-and-out defensively with its first touchdown drive just 2 minutes and 11 seconds into the game. But the Eagles wouldn’t score again until the 9:43 mark of the fourth quarter, allowing the Panthers to build a three-score lead in the interim.

The loss dropped Abilene High to 2-1 on the season with a road trip to Midland Legacy set to close out its nondistrict schedule next week.

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by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Abilene High’s do-it-all senior Henry happy to be back, making major impact for Eagles

If Brayden Henry was a baseball player, he’d be a home run hitter.

An electrifying athlete with the speed to take any play to the house, the Abilene High senior is a true game-breaker any time he steps on the field.

But after having his junior campaign cut short by a torn ACL in his left knee, Henry considers being on the field at all a blessing. And with just one more year to play for coach Mike Fullen and the Eagles, the athletic playmaker is looking to make the most of each and every opportunity he has out there this fall.

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Marcos Rios
by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Big Spring quarterback takes the top spot

Our Big Country Preps Player of the Week is seldom an easy choice and this week was no exception. But Big Spring senior quarterback Marcus Rios had the numbers to snag the top spot in a brilliant performance against Lubbock High on Friday. 

Rios hit 11 of 19 throws for 261 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-27 win. But that’s just the beginning. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 2 REPORT: AHS joins Tascosa, Monterey and Amarillo High in win column

Abilene High 34, Cooper 13 — Trailing 7-0 after Jaden Carrillo hit Tayvious Collier for a 36-yard touchdown pass on the game’s opening possession, the Eagles outscored the Cougars 34-6 the rest of the way to pull away for a three-touchdown win in the Big Country Preps Game of the Week.

Brayden Henry ran for 76 yards and two touchdowns, passed for 119 yards and a score and received for 36 yards to lead Abilene High (2-0), which also got 148 total yards (3-70 rushing; 3-78 receiving) and two total TDs from M’Aujehl Aboso.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Abilene High pulls away for 34-13 win over Cooper

For the second week in a row, Abilene High weathered an early storm to pull away for a comfortable win. This time, it was against crosstown rival Cooper in the Big Country Preps Game of the Week.

Trailing 7-0 early after the Cougars scored on their first possession and thwarted the Eagles’ with a tip-drill interception, AHS responded with 19 unanswered points to take a two-score lead it would eventually extend to three scores in a 34-13 victory Friday at Shotwell Stadium.

Led by senior utility back Brayden Henry, who passed for 119 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 76 yards and two scores and received for 36 yards, Abilene High outgained Cooper 465-331 in improving to 2-0 on the season. Junior M’Aujehl Aboso also had a big game for the Eagles, rushing for 70 yards and a touchdown and receiving for 78 yards and a score as AHS took a 27-13 lead into halftime, before shutting the Cougars out in the second half.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Abilene High, Cooper clash in Crosstown Showdown

LAST WEEK: 54-14, .794
SEASON TOTAL: 54-14, .794

Hitting nearly 80 percent accuracy in Week 1 is considerably better than the .705 I stumbled out of the gate with last year.

Hopefully, it will be a good omen. 

This week, the Crosstown Showdown between Abilene and Cooper shares the spotlight Stephenville opening the gate of its new football digs — named after the architect of the SHS dynasty, Art Briles. 

Here’s this week’s forecast. I’ll see you on the road. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Jim Ned outlasts Abilene High in five-set thriller

TUSCOLA — It became apparent very early in Tuesday’s nondistrict volleyball match between Abilene High and Jim Ned that the two squads would be in for a fight.

As it turned out, that fight would last five grueling sets before the Lady Indians finally prevailed with a 25-23, 19-25, 25-27, 25-19, 15-12 victory at Bill Thornton Arena.

Jim Ned, which trailed 12-10 in the fourth set after dropping the second and third, used a 6-0 run to change the momentum and maintained it the rest of the way to knock off the Lady Eagles a week ahead of a highly anticipated District 6-3A opener at Clyde.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Comanche senior crosses 500-kill milestone while helping CHS to tourney win

Photo provided by Randy Day

Milestones catch our eye when selecting our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, as do great weekly performances. But when both occur at the same time, you can rest assured that player will be in the running for the top spot. 

This week the spotlight goes to Comanche senior outside hitter J’Lee Salinas, who not only helped the Maidens to the Heart of Texas Tournament Championship in Brownwood, but she also hit the 500-kill milestone in process. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 1 REPORT: Abilene High, Tascosa and Amarillo High triumphant in openers

Abilene High 42, San Angelo Central 14 — Brayden Henry ran for 176 yards and two touchdowns while also adding a punt return score for the Eagles in a season-opening blowout of the Bobcats.

Ethan Joyner also ran for 75 yards and a TD for AHS, which used a 65-yard fumble return score by Jayden Starks to erase an early 7-0 deficit before scoring 28 unanswered points over the middle two quarters.

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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.

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: Top games worth traveling for during the 2025 football season

Got the truck started yet?

Ready to jump on one of those farm-to-market roads to watch high school football into the late hours on a Friday night?

You’re not alone.

And, as tradition would have it, I tip my cap to those of you who will be hitting the trails each week in search of pigskin. My method: a preseason menu of sorts.

Each week for the next 11 weeks, Big Country Preps will be searching for its Game of the Week, and we’re already looking ahead. We now present our preliminary list of Big Country Games worth traveling for, but keep in mind: the following list is subject to change as surprises and disappointments emerge.

And as we all know … surprises and disappointments always emerge.

So, without further delay, here is our list of Big Country games worth traveling for in 2025.

I’ll see you on the road.

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by Daniel Youngblood

ABILENE HIGH FEATURE: Undersized LB Shaw brings heart, playmaking ability to Eagles ‘D’

Over the years, it has not been uncommon for the Abilene High defensive staff to turn undersized players with big hearts and high motors into outstanding linebackers or safeties.

Few players in AHS history have fit that profile better than senior outside linebacker Trae Shaw.

Standing just 5-foot-8 and weighing in at 165 pounds, Shaw isn’t your prototypical linebacker by any stretch of the imagination. But he fits the overachieving Eagle prototype to a T, and coach Mike Fullen, who was a longtime defensive coordinator before taking over the program in 2019, has no problem whatsoever working with players like that.

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by Daniel Youngblood

2025 ABILENE HIGH FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Experienced Eagles poised for another successful season

Last year, Abilene High overcame the growing pains of a youthful defense to go 8-4 and claim a shared championship in District 2-5A Division I.

This season, with that defense mostly intact and many of the offensive weapons that helped them average 47.8 points per game a year ago, the Eagles are hoping to put an even stronger product on the field.

AHS coach Mike Fullen, who has led his team to the playoffs each of the past five years, including district title runs the last two, isn’t getting real specific in his projections for this team. But the team’s general goals and expectations are proof enough of the confidence the Eagles take into the year.

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by Evan Ren

COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Abilene High Eagles … one day to two-a-days

Football is just around the corner, and we at BigCountryPreps.com are committed to bringing you the information you need to prepare for your favorite team’s season.

We’ll be releasing our Big Country Preps Preseason Football Preview, the most comprehensive look at the upcoming Big Country football season anywhere, on Wednesday, Aug. 20. But you won’t have to wait until then to sate your gridiron appetite.

Leading up to the first day of fall football practice on Aug. 4, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2025 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.

Today, we take a look at the Abilene High School Eagles. 

by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s 2025 Big Country Preps All-Hustle Team (the hardest-working baseball and softball players in the area)

OTHER 2025 ALL-BIG COUNTRY PREPS TEAMS

  • ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS BASEBALL Superlative Awards (Pitcher of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, etc)
  • ALL-BIG COUNTRY PREPS BASEBALL: First-Team Selections
  • ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS BASEBALL: Second-Team Selections (plus honorable mention)
  • ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS SOFTBALL: Superlative Awards (Pitcher of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, etc)
  • ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS SOFTBALL: First-Team Selections
  • ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS SOFTBALL: Second-Team Selections (plus honorable mention)

Our All-Big Country Preps Softball and Baseball Teams, released Saturday and Sunday, respectively, are in place to honor those who achieved the most on-field success in 2025. It is off the field, however, where character, grit, and work ethic are often measured. And it is with our Big Country Preps All-Hustle Team that we wish to honor those players, male and female, who were (simply put) the hardest-working, best teammates in the area this spring. 

This team isn’t about who the best baseball and softball players were.

The All-Hustle team honors effort, discipline, toughness, coachability and selflessness — traits that coaches wish they had in every player and upon which championships are built.

It is for that reason that this team is largely selected by area coaches and described in their own words.

Big Country Preps is now honored to present these individuals to you — the best team players (boys and girls) that the Big Country had to offer during the 2025 season.

The players below are listed in no particular order. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

2025 All-Big Country Preps Baseball Team: First-Team Roster

Here are our first-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

2025 All-Big Country Preps Baseball Team: Second-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)

Here are our second-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.

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by Evan Ren

2025 Big Country Preps Rising Stars Baseball Team

Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to release our 2025 All-Big Country Preps baseball teams. 

Here, you will find our Rising Stars Team honoring the top freshmen and sophomores in the Big Country.

For the rest of this year’s baseball selections, please click the links below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

2025 All-Big Country Preps Softball Team: First-team Roster

Here are our first-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

2025 All-Big Country Preps Softball Team: Second-team Roster (w/ honorable mention)

Here are our second-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.

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by Evan Ren

2025 Big Country Preps Rising Stars Softball Team

Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to release our 2025 All-Big Country Preps Softball teams. 

Here, you will find our Rising Stars Team honoring the top freshmen and sophomores in the Big Country.

For the rest of this year’s softball selections, please click the links below.

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