Category: Abilene High Eagles

by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Albany’s Beal earns this week’s accolade

With the Albany Lions winning last week’s district game with Winters by a score of 60-0, there were ample opportunities for the Lions to produce a Player of the Week-worthy performance. 

They found one in senior Branson Beal, who rushed 11 times for 144 yards and five scores. He also caught a 46-yard TD pass to chart six touchdowns on the night. 

“He might have the quickest feet of any (player) I have coached,” Albany coach Denney Faith said. “Combine that with great vision it makes him fun to watch.” 

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 8 REPORT: Abilene High routs Lubbock High; Monterey, Coronado pick up wins

Photos by Kaylee Wilkerson, HubCityPreps.com

Abilene High 69, Lubbock High 14 — Tristan Beal passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start to help the Eagles breeze to a 69-14 road win over the Westerners.

In addition to Beal’s production, Abilene High (6-2, 4-0) got big games from running back Ethan Joyner (18-137, 3 TDs rushing) and receivers Ryland Bradford (8-152, 2 TDs receiving; 2-9, 1 TD rushing) and Bryson Perez (3-80, 1 TD rushing; 5-57, 1 TD receiving) in expanding a 27-7 halftime lead to 62-7 by the start of the fourth quarter.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Beal steady, defense strong as Abilene High cruises to win at Lubbock High

Photos by Kaylee Wilkerson, HubCityPreps.com

LUBBOCK — Making the first start of his high school career in the absence of injured standout Brayden Henry, sophomore quarterback Tristan Beal passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns — two of those during a 21-point first quarter — to help lead Abilene High to a 69-14 win over Lubbock High on Thursday at Lowrey Field.

The Eagles also got big offensive games from running back Ethan Joyner and receivers Ryland Bradford and Bryson Perez, while their defense limited the Westerners to a single touchdown until the final 10 seconds of the game.

The thorough victory improved AHS to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in District 2-5A Division I play, putting coach Mike Fullen’s squad alone atop the league’s standings heading into regular season-ending matchups with Amarillo Tascosa and Lubbock Monterey.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Comanche’s Terrell takes this week’s award

It isn’t often that a place-kicker nails down our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, but Comanche’s Alex Terrell has done exactly that with a pressure-packed performance in a 13-10 overtime win over Jim Ned in our Game of the Week last Friday. 

Aside from hitting a game-tying 30-yard field goal to send the contest into overtime, Terrell connected on a 31-yard field goal in the extra period to give CHS the win. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 7 REPORT: Bradford leads AHS past Coronado; Amarillo High, Monterey cruise to wins

Abilene High 59, Lubbock Coronado 40 — Ryland Bradford received for 158 yards, rushed for 92 and scored five total touchdowns to lead the Eagles to a comfortable win over the Mustangs on a night when standout quarterback Brayden Henry was knocked out in the first half due to a lower-leg injury.

Sophomore Tristan Beal exceled in Henry’s absence, passing for 210 yards and two TDs, while running back Ethan Joyner also had a big game, rushing for 140 yards and two scores.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Eagles defense comes up with key plays to help propel prolific offense to win over Coronado

On a night when Lubbock Coronado’s offense had one of its best games of the season, the Abilene High defense that made enough big plays to help the Eagles to a 59-40 win in a District 2-5A Division I matchup Friday night at Shotwell Stadium.

Trae Shaw’s strip sack was followed by a M’Aujehl Aboso interception, leading to 10 points for the Eagles in the third quarter, giving AHS the breathing room it needed to put away a pesky Mustang offense that averaged 12.4 yards per play on Friday.

Despite the down-to-down struggles, Abilene High coach Mike Fullen was proud of how the defense came up big when it mattered most.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Comanche plays host to Jim Ned (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)

LAST WEEK: 32-12, .809
SEASON TOTAL: 279-91, .757

Now it’s time to get down to business. 

With most of the Big Country taking an open date last Friday as a prelude to district play, we now dive headfirst into the games that count the most.

District play opens tomorrow for most leagues in the area, the intensity of which is already tangible. 

Can you feel it? 

We’ll see you on the road. 

Here’s this week’s area picks: 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie takes care of Abilene High to stay unbeaten in District 4-5A play

The Wylie volleyball team improved to 3-0 in District 4-5A play Tuesday, smothering any upset hopes crosstown rival Abilene High had early in a 25-11, 25-12, 25-20 sweep at Bulldog Gym.

The Lady Bulldogs (16-14 overall) overwhelmed the Lady Eagles at the net, taking the visitors out of their rhythm with a towering block and an efficient attack.

That combination allowed coach Shay Cox’s squad to cruise to comfortable wins in each of the first two sets, before fending off a stiffer challenge in the third.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Coahoma has planted a Vineyard in its backfield

With the bulk of the area’s football teams taking the night off in a bye week prior to district, the question last Friday was if we could find an ample supply of top games and top performances to cover.

We actually found several — topped by a show-stopping effort by Coahoma’s Jaidyn Vineyard in an unforgettable 71-70 win over Littlefield in our Big Country Preps Game of the Week.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 6 REPORT: Eagles pull away from Amarillo High; Monterey rolls Coronado

Photo by Carter Pirtle, PressPassSports.com

Abilene High 63, Amarillo High 42 — Brayden Henry ran for three touchdowns and passed for two more, and Ryland Bradford caught two touchdown passes around a scoring run to fuel the Eagles to a wild win over the Sandies.

Abilene High (4-2, 2-0), which also got 104 yards rushing from Ethan Joyner, finished with 619 yards of total offense, using a three unanswered touchdowns from the 1:13 mark of the second quarter to the 10:57 mark of the fourth to create some separation in a game it led just 28-27 late in the first half.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Henry, Abilene High offense too much for Sandies to handle in big road win

Photos by Carter Pirtle, PressPassSports.com

AMARILLO — Between his arm and his legs, Brayden Henry combined for 363 yards and five touchdowns Friday to lead Abilene High to a big 63-42 win over Amarillo High at Dick Bivins Stadium. 

Henry’s big night fueled a 619-yard effort for the Eagles offense, which put up nine touchdowns to pull away from the Sandies in the second half after a back-and-forth first two quarters.

Leading just 28-27 late in the first half, Abilene High got a 24-yard touchdown run from Henry with 1:13 to play before halftime to take an eight-point lead into the break. And the Eagles rode that momentum into the second half,  scoring the only touchdown of the third quarter and the first of the fourth to finally create the separation they needed to put away a game Amarillo High squad.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Fast start fuels Abilene High to four-set win over crosstown rival Cooper

Entering Tuesday’s crosstown match in need of a win to avoid an 0-2 district start, the Abilene High volleyball team started fast and kept its foot on the gas on its way to a 25-20, 25-23, 19-25, 25-20 win at Cougar Gym.

In a match where both teams struggled to find a rhythm on the attack, the Lady Eagles were just a little cleaner in all phases, taking advantage of 29 Cooper hitting errors and 11 service errors to grab the momentum early and maintain it throughout the contest.

Playing in front of a raucous crosstown crowd, the fast start was a point of emphasis coming in and, ultimately, a key to the leaving with a win, first-year AHS coach T-Keeyah Hall-Fanner said.

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Volleyball Statistical Leaders (as submitted by area coaches through Oct. 1)

Big Country Preps is publishing area volleyball statistical leaders each Tuesday at 7 p.m. roughout the regular season.

This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Graham volleyballer takes Player of the Week with a Noble effort

Overwhelming. If there were a one-word description for last week’s performance by six-foot Graham senior Lillian Noble, that would be it. 

Noble, a four-year varsity player who has already committed to Oklahoma Baptist, was far and away the most dominant player in both a 3-1 win over Wichita Falls Memorial and a 3-1 loss to Glen Rose last week. 

Her combined totals: 54 kills, 23 digs and 12 blocks — making her the most effective two-way player the area saw on both sides of the net last week.

“Lillian has become a true utility player for us this season,” coach Marci Faulk said. “It’s exciting to see her embrace this new role and have so much success doing so!”

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by Daniel Youngblood

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

Abilene High 55, Amarillo Caprock 14 — Brayden Henry ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 53 yards and two more scores to help the Eagles to a district-opening blowout of the Longhorns.

Ethan Joyner (12-106, 2 TDs rushing) and Ryland Bradford (2-66, 1 TD rushing; 6-24, 2 TDs receiving) also had productive days offensively for Abilene High (3-2, 1-0), which collected five interceptions on defense, led by John Rangel with two.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High dominates Amarillo Caprock, eases to 55-14 win in district opener

The Abilene High football team bounced back from consecutive losses to former Little Southwest Conference rivals with a dominant performance in its District 2-5A Division I opener against Amarillo Caprock on Friday, cruising to a 55-14 homecoming victory at Shotwell Stadium.

The Eagles, who had struggled defensively in losses to Odessa Permian (42-37) and Midland Legacy (62-42), controlled Friday’s game from the outset, racing out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and maintaining a multi-score advantage the rest of the way.

AHS wasn’t perfect, turning the ball over three times on offense and allowing a handful of big plays on defense, but coach Mike Fullen’s squad outgained Caprock 515-273 in improving to 3-2 overall and, more importantly, 1-0 in district play.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Ables takes the top spot after big win over De Leon

Hawley’s Keagan Ables is no stranger to the Big Country Preps Player of the Week column — appearing among our top performers multiple times over the last three years. 

However, his latest effort to help HHS defeat De Leon 54-21 on Friday, may rank as one of his best. 

The Hawley senior connected on 16 of 32 passes for 441 yards and six touchdowns to help Hawley improve to 4-0 on the year.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 4 REPORT: AHS falls to Midland Legacy; Lubbock High wins third straight

Midland Legacy 62, Abilene High 42 — Sophomore J.P. Reyes set a single-game school record for passing yards, throwing for 422 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Rebels past the Eagles.

Legacy, which big receiving days from Aiden Serrano (9-197, 4 TDs) and Kayden Iglesias (4-116, 1 TD) put up 49 points in the first half, taking a three-touchdown lead into halftime that it would increase to 62-21 by the start of the fourth quarter.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Midland Legacy’s record-setting night too much for Abilene High to overcome

The Abilene High defense learned the hard way on Friday night that records are made to be broken in a 62-42 loss to longtime rival Midland Legacy at Shotwell Stadium.

Sophomore J.P. Reyes set the Rebels’ single-game passing record by throwing for 422 yards and six scores in his first career start, while senior wide receiver Aiden Serrano’s nine catches gave him sole possession of the school’s career record for receptions.

All of that came from a Class 6A squad that entered the night 0-3 on the year after not shying away from playing high quality opponents Allen, Euless Trinity and Austin Lake Travis.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Rattlers play host to Comanche

LAST WEEK: 47-11, .810
SEASON TOTAL: 141-59, .705

After nosediving in Week 2 with one of the worst pick records I’ve ever had, the column rebounded in Week 3 with an .810 percentage to push my overall tally over .700 again. 

As for this week’s Big Country Preps Game of the Week, Mr. Yale Youngblood will be on hand in Tolar to cover Comanche’s road game with the Rattlers in what should be a fun one.

I’ll be heading to Ballinger, where the Bearcats (3-0) will play host to Brady (2-1) in a battle of upstarts. 

Let’s dive into this week’s picks: 

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 3 REPORT: AHS falls at Permian; Monterey, Caprock and LHS earn victories

Odessa Permian 42, Abilene High 37 — The Eagles rallied from down 19 points at halftime to give themselves a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter, but a late turnover on downs in the red zone ended their hopes of a dramatic comeback win.

AHS (2-1), which trailed 35-16 at the break, ran for 375 of its 479 yards, getting big games from quarterback Brayden Henry (18-224, 3 TDs) and Ethan Joyner (21-127, 1 TD). But the Eagles’ struggles to slow the Panthers offense proved too much to overcome.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Abilene High can’t complete comeback in loss to former district rival Permian

ODESSA — The Abilene High football team rallied from down 19 points at halftime to give itself a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter Thursday against Odessa Permian, but a late turnover on downs in the red zone left the Eagles on the wrong side of a 42-37 decision at Ratliff Stadium.

After trading scores with the Panthers to start the game, AHS lost pace with Permian, which scored on every possession but one in the first half on its way to a 35-16 halftime advantage.

The Eagles tightened up on defense after halftime, limiting their former Little Southwest Conference rival to a single fourth-quarter touchdown, but that was enough for the Panthers to escape with a thrilling win thanks to a late defensive stand.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Glen Rose visits Brownwood (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)

LAST WEEK: 46-28, .621
SEASON TOTAL: 94-48, .661

Abysmal. 

That’s about the only adjective that comes to mind when trying to describe my Big Country football picks, which are off to the single worst start through two weeks that I’ve ever experienced in 18 years of covering area football. 

A percentage of .621 after two weeks of play is beatable by throwing darts, flipping coins, or even consulting with your local horoscope page. Yet here I sit, trying to dig myself out of the hole I’ve created. But enough of that, Glen Rose at Brownwood is our Big Country Preps Game of the Week, in a week filled with interesting matchups. 

Let’s have a look at them:  

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Abilene High’s Henry takes the top spot

Sometimes, the biggest stage creates the biggest performances. 

And in the Big Country, the stage doesn’t get any bigger than the annual Abilene – Abilene Cooper matchup — one of the biggest rivalries in the state of Texas and arguably the biggest in our area (though you may get an argument from Brownwood-Stephenville). 

Friday night with much of the city of Abilene paying attention, AHS quarterback Brayden Henry had a memorable night, hitting 15 of 19 throws for 216 yards passing and two TDs. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Tascosa, Amarillo High and Lubbock High join Abilene High in win column

Abilene High 42, Cooper 33 — Brayden Henry passed for 216 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 144 yards and three more scores to lead the Eagles to their third straight win against their crosstown rival Cougars.

AHS (2-0) held a two-score lead on three different occasions, but each time Cooper (0-2) rallied to pull back within striking distance. The last saw the Cougars trim the deficit to 35-33 with a chance to tie the game at the 7:08 mark of the fourth quarter, but CHS couldn’t complete the two-point conversion and the Eagles sealed the win with an Etan Joyner touchdown a minute later.

Continue reading “DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Tascosa, Amarillo High and Lubbock High join Abilene High in win column” →

by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Henry, Abilene High outlast resilient Cooper 42-33 in Crosstown classic

Cooper pushed Abilene High deep into the fourth quarter Friday in the 64th annual Crosstown Showdown, but in the end, quarterback Brayden Henry and the Eagles offense was just too much for the Cougars to handle in a 42-33 victory at Shotwell Stadium. 

The electric junior passed for 216 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 144 yards and three more scores to fuel coach Mike Fullen’s squad, which never trailed in earning its third consecutive victory over its archrival.

The Cougars rallied from three two-score deficits to give themselves a chance to tie the game with just over seven minutes remaining, but Abilene High made a stop on a two-point conversion attempt and countered with one final touchdown drive to seal the game midway through the final period.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jobe takes first Player of the Week for 2024-25 school year

DE LEON — Entering this football it was expected that De Leon junior quarterback Heston Jobe would be among the top producers in the Big Country. 

It took him all of one night to prove it in a 79-43 win over Dublin on Friday.

Jobe, who connected on 13 of 20 throws for 413 yards and four scores, also rushed for 176 yards and four more TDs. 

By night’s end, the Bearcats were 1-0 and Jobe had accounted for 589 yards and five touchdowns. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 1 REPORT: Abilene High, Coronado earn only wins as league goes 2-4

Abilene High 60, San Angelo Central 36 — Ryland Bradford caught five passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns and added a 32-yard scoring run on a lateral swing pass to fuel an explosive offensive effort for the Eagles against the Bobcats.

Quarterback Brayden Henry also had a big day, passing for 205 yards and three touchdowns while adding a receiving score for the Eagles, who outscored Central 17-0 in the fourth quarter to turn a one-score game into a rout.

Central was led in the loss by quarterback Christian “Squeaky” English, who threw three touchdown passes and ran for two scores in the loss.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Explosive Abilene High Eagles pull away for 60-36 win over San Angelo Central

SAN ANGELO — The Abilene High offense scored early and often, and the Eagles got enough from their young defense to pull away late for a 60-36 win over San Angelo Central in the season opener for both teams Friday at San Angelo Stadium.

AHS used a fast start to build an early lead and a strong fourth quarter to finally put away the Bobcats in a game that was tight through the first three periods.

The Eagles never trailed, but they led by just six (28-22) at halftime and seven (43-36) heading into the fourth quarter, before outscoring Central 17-0 in the decisive final quarter to open their season on a winning note.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Albany travels to Stamford in Game of the Week

LAST WEEK: 0-0, .000
SEASON TOTAL: 00-00, .000

Week 1 is often loaded with difficult picks and 2024 is no exception. 

Our first slate of games this year has a number of contests that could have qualified for the Big Country Preps Game of the Week. But we finally settled on Albany at Stamford for the spotlight. 

The two-time defending state 2A DII state champions, minus several key players lost to graduation, facing a Stamford club bringing back most of its skill and a ton of speed. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

ABILENE HIGH FEATURE: Experienced offensive line ready to pave way for successful season

Ask any football coach and they’ll tell you that the best place to start when trying to build a successful offense is at the line of scrimmage. When you can open holes in the run game and protect the quarterback in the passing game, everything gets easier for your skill position talent — and, in turn, your play-caller.

So if you’re wondering why Abilene High coach Mike Fullen is so excited about this year’s offense, you need look no further than the big boys he’ll have blocking for his fast guys this fall. 

That line group, which returns four starters from last year’s 11-3 squad, including a trio of three-year lettermen, will be one of the most experienced in the region this season. And if all goes according to plan, it should also be one of the best.

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by Daniel Youngblood

2024 ABILENE HIGH FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Eagles expect to contend again despite heavy graduation losses

After leading Abilene High to its best season in more than a decade last fall to mark the Eagles’ third run to the third round of the playoffs or deeper since 2020, sixth-year AHS head coach Mike Fullen feels like he has his program in a healthy place.

And following an 11-3 campaign that saw the Eagles claim their first district championship since 2016, who could blame him for holding that opinion?

But when it comes to rebuilding Abilene High’s tradition of gridiron excellence, Fullen is admittedly greedy. And both he and his AHS players are ready to make seasons like last year’s a more common occurrence in North Abilene.

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by Daniel Youngblood

COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Cooper Cougars, Wylie Bulldogs and 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. 21. 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. 5, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2024 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.

Today, we take a look at the Cooper Cougars, the Wylie Bulldogs and the Abilene High Eagles.

Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Cooper Cougars, Wylie Bulldogs and Abilene High Eagles … one day to two-a-days” →

by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s 2024 Big Country Preps All-Hustle Team (the hardest-working baseball and softball players in the area)

OTHER 2024 ALL-BIG COUNTRY PREPS TEAMS

Our All-Big Country Preps Softball and Baseball Teams, released Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, are in place to honor those who achieved the most on-field success in 2024. 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 the Big Country had to offer during the 2024 season.

The players below are listed in no particular order. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie rides fast start to Game 3 win over Abilene High, advances to I-5A semis

Facing off with crosstown rival Abilene High in a winner-take-all Game 3 with a trip to the Region I-5A semifinals on the line, the Wylie baseball team wasted no time taking control Saturday, using a six-run first inning to build a lead it would never relinquish in a 14-4 win at McMurry University’s Walt Driggers Field.

The Bulldogs followed the big first inning with two more runs in the second to increase their early lead to 8-0, before relying on a wild — but effective — pitching performance to take the win home.

The Wylie trio of Tye Briscoe, Garrett Salada and Collin Bruning combined to no-hit the Eagles, pitching around 10 walks and two hit batters to keep AHS from ever clawing its way back into the game.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Lady Eagles’ deepest playoff run in more than two decades ends at hands of Burleson Centennial

STEPHENVILLE — The Abilene High softball program’s longest playoff run since 2003 came to a close Saturday, ending with a 7-1 loss to Burleson Centennial at Tarleton State University’s Tarleton Softball Complex.

The Game 2 defeat, which followed a 13-2 loss in Friday’s series opener, ended the Lady Eagles’ season at 25-15-1, capping the state’s second-longest playoff run this season by a fourth-seeded team.

While Saturday’s game, which was within reach until the Spartans scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend a three-run lead to seven, didn’t end the way the Lady Eagles had hoped it would, coach Jenna Aguirre said the push to the Region I-5A semifinals set a new standard for her program.

Continue reading “GAME STORY: Lady Eagles’ deepest playoff run in more than two decades ends at hands of Burleson Centennial” →

by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High, Wylie set for winner-take-all Game 3 after splitting first two games

After two days of baseball, nothing’s been settled in the Region I-5A quarterfinal series between Abilene High and Wylie.

Playing in front of standing-room-only crowds Thursday and Friday at McMurry University’s Walt Driggers Field, the Eagles and Bulldogs split the first two games of the high-profile crosstown affair, with WHS taking a weather-suspended Game 1 by a 6-1 margin and AHS responding with a 7-5 victory in Game 2.

Those outcomes, both arrived at Friday due to Thursday’s opener being stopped by lightning in the top of the seventh inning, mean the first all-Abilene playoff meeting since 1996 will go to a decisive third game, giving local fans one more chance to pack Driggers Field for a winner-take-all matchup at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Continue reading “GAME STORY: Abilene High, Wylie set for winner-take-all Game 3 after splitting first two games” →

by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Speedy Abilene High softball team riding ‘small ball’ to big season

Looking at the Abilene High softball team’s run totals, it would be easy to assume that the Lady Eagles have a lineup full of mashers. In the playoffs alone, AHS has averaged almost six runs per game — a hefty number behind a pair of standout pitchers in Diana Silva and Avah Reyes.

But coach Jenna Aguirre’s team doesn’t achieve those results the way one might think.

Doing more running that slugging, the Lady Eagles are playing big-inning softball using small ball. And in the process, they’re proving the age old idiom — speed kills.

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by Daniel Youngblood

PREVIEW: Abilene High, Wylie set for first crosstown baseball meeting in postseason since 1996

Before last week’s Region I-5A quarterfinal softball series between Abilene High and Wylie, two local teams hadn’t met in the playoffs since 2001. 

With the AHS and Wylie baseball teams set to repeat the feat this week at McMurry’s Walt Driggers Field, the Eagles and Bulldogs will be snapping an even longer drought in their sport.

That opener of that series, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, will mark the first crosstown baseball game in the postseason since 1996, when Cooper edged Abilene High 6-5 in a one-game playoff on their way to the state semifinals. And with a trip to the region quarterfinals on the line, both the Eagles and Bulldogs are preparing for what promises to be a weekend to remember for local players, coaches and fans.

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