You have to love a great all-around performance and in the case of Brayden Henry, our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, his effort in last week’s 84-25 bi-district win over El Paso Bel Air was a record-setter.
Aside from going 6 of 7 through the air or 56 yards and one TD, he also rushed five times for 137 yards and three more scores.
Albany 33, Hamlin 0
Clay Chapman threw for 172 yards, rushed for 72 and accounted for two TDs as Albany clinched the district title. Albany’s defense was nothing short of dominant, holding Hamlin to only 28 yards in total offense.
The Lions improved to 8-0 and 5-0 with the win. Hamlin fell to 8-2 and
Hamlin 43, Cross Plains 18 — Luke White rushed for 171 yards and one TD and Isaiah Hutchings rushed for 62 yards and three TDs as Hamlin dominated Cross Plains.
The Buffaloes were led by Landry Savell, who rushed for 57 yards and one score.
Hamlin improved to 8-1 and 4-0 with the win; Cross Plains fell to 3-6 and 1-3.
Roscoe 42, Winters 0 — 
The Plowboys (2-6, 2-1) pounded out 208 yards as a team and limited Winters to 38 yards in total offense to score a district win.
Jace Arnwine topped the stat sheet with 64 yards passing and 72 yards rushing.
Winters, which fell to 2-6 and 0-3, was limited to only six yards rushing as a team.
It’s mid-October, the weather is cooling, we have a pretty good idea of what our top football teams are and as tradition would have it, now is the time when we start talking about everyone’s postseason chances.
Having covered the Big Country since 2006, I’ve been through seasons when we’ve sent five or more teams to state championship games. And in general, we almost always send at least two, so championship chat around the water cooler isn’t unrealistic at this point.
That said, it’s time to take a quick peek at those teams that I believe have the best chance of playing for a state title in December at AT&T Stadium.
We’ll break it down into three categories: Favorites (those I expect to see in Arlington), contenders (those who might get there) and longshots (those who can get there if things line up just right).
Hamlin 21, Roscoe 14 (OT) — 
Hamlin rushed for 239 yards via committee in a tough overtime win on the road. Reece Rainey led the Pied Pipers (6-1, 2-0) with 85 yards rushing on four carries and one TD.
It was the sixth straight win for Hamlin since a season-opening loss to Anson.
Roscoe (1-6, 1-1) was led by Jace Arnwine, who threw for 136 yards, rushed for 19 and accounted for two scores.
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.
Hamlin 49, Winters 0 — Javier Ramos threw for 117 yards and two scores while Isaiah Hutchings and Cade Jones both added rushing TDs to lead Hamlin (5-1) to its fifth straight win since a season-opening loss to Anson.
Winters, which had won two of its last three starts, fell to 2-4.
Albany (3-2), Idle — The Lions were open yesterday, but will see action again next Friday when they travel to Miles (1-4).
Albany will enter that game on a two-game losing skid, having fallen to Coahoma (5-1) and Anson (5-0) in succession.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Hawley-Albany volleyball (55 images)”
ALBANY — Even after losing in straight sets, Albany volleyball coach MJ Reneau was encouraged by how her team performed against No. 7 Hawley at home on Tuesday night.
Hawley claimed a 25-17, 25-23, 25-19 win in the District 6-2A matchup to move to 2-0 in district play while the Lady Lions fell to 1-1.
After the match, Reneau said the final score didn’t indicate how close the two squads are, especially the opening set, which saw Hawley go on a 12-3 run.
Hamlin 36, Quanah 6 — Javier Ramos threw for 313 yards and two scores and Hudson Smith rushed for 105 yards and two more TDs to lift Hamlin to a lopsided win over Quanah.
It was the fourth-straight win for Hamlin (4-1) since a season-opening loss to still-unbeaten Anson.
Quanah dropped to 3-2 with the loss.
ANSON — Friday’s Big Country Preps Game of the Week was expected to be a street fight of sorts, pairing off Albany and Anson —two of the more physical small school teams in the area.
It didn’t disappoint.
Anson (5-0), behind a top-notch defensive effort and a big night from Malachi St. John, shut down an Albany rally attempt in a 20-6 win to remain unbeaten.
Led by Shawn Keen’s 60 yards rushing and one score, Albany slipped to 3-2.
LAST WEEK: 38-10, .791
SEASON TOTAL: 199-56, .780
ALBANY (3-1) AT ANSON (4-0)
Nothing stirs my interest early in the football season more than having a surprise team square off with an established powerhouse.
So when selecting our Big Country Preps Game of the Week for Sept. 26, Albany’s visit to Anson (4-0) was a big blip on the area radar screen.
Albany (3-1) a perennial power coming off a loss to unbeaten Coahoma, will now face an Anson club that some believe is the biggest surprise in the Big Country thus far.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Albany-Abilene TLCA volleyball (52 images)”
Albany coach MJ Reneau said before Tuesday night’s District 6-2A opener that she was hoping to see her team snap out of a funk that had seen them lose nine of 13 matches and 12 of their last 14 sets.
While the Lady Lions struggled, including six service errors in the final set, Albany still began district play with a 25-16, 25-10, 25-19 win over Abilene TLCA at Eagle Gymnasium.
The win pushed Albany to 10-10 overall while the Lady Eagles are now 2-10.
Hamlin 48, Munday 14 — The Pied Pipers improved to 3-1 with a convincing win over Munday.
Isaiah Hutchings threw for 222 yards and two scores to lead Hamlin. Reece Rainey led Hamlin on the ground with 116 yards and two scores on only eight carries.
The Moguls fell to 3-1.
Albany 69, Seymour 6 — The Lions rushed or 399 yards as a team, led by Bennett Neece’s 155 yards and three TDs on only six carries.
Lyle Wheeler led the Lion passing game with 101 yards and three scores to help push Albany to 3-0.
Trailing 62-0 with seven minutes to play, Seymour notched its only score of the evening on a 45-yard rushing TD by Slade Tucker.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Hawley-Albany football (36 images)”
Hamlin 35, Seymour 21 — Isaiah Hutchings threw for 190 yards and two scores and rushed for 127 yards to lead the Pied Pipers (1-1) to their first win of the year.
Kyson McGee rushed for 107 yards and one TD and Reece Rainey rushed for 68 yards and another score to bolster the Hamlin offense.
The Pied Pipers will travel to Crosbyton next Friday; Seymour (1-1) will play host to Albany (2-0) on the same evening.
ALBANY — If it’s raining in the Big Country during football season, two things are a virtual guarantee: the West Texas Fair & Rodeo is in Abilene and Albany is scheduled to play Hawley.
For the first time in four meetings, the Lions and Bearcats were able to play at their scheduled location as Albany took a 21-7 win on Friday night at Faith Field at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium. The previous three seasons had seen the game played twice at Hardin-Simmons University’s Shelton Stadium and once at Wylie’s Hugh Sandifer Stadium.
The latest matchup was a defensive slugfest that saw the Lions knock off Hawley for the second time in three years despite the fact that the Bearcats have dominated the series since 2018.
Albany 21, Stamford 7 — Breylon Billington rushed for 119 yards and two scores on 19 carries to lift Albany to a win over Stamford in a tough, defensive battle on Friday.
Lyle Wheeler led the Lions through the air with 101 yards passing and one score.
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.
ALBANY — While Denney Faith could be called an Albany icon, we’re actually well beyond that point now. As the dean of Big Country football coaches and one the most successful mentors the area has ever seen, he’s really more of a Big Country icon than anything else.
Because of that, area football fans are now witnessing a truly unique time — one where the accomplishments of an area legend are becoming more and more appreciated late in his career.
The question it spawns comes at Faith on a nearly daily basis: “So coach, how much longer are you going to keep working?” And to that his answer is generally the same: “As long as I’m feeling well and still enjoying it.”
In other words, nobody, including Faith, really knows the answer.
ALBANY — In terms of overall talent and depth, the Albany Lions could be on the high end, even by their perennially tough standards.
Entering this season with seven offensive and nine defensive starters among 20 lettermen from last year’s 9-3 team, the Lions will get an added boost from players promoted from an 8-2 JV squad.
Their keys to success: settling on a quarterback, a running back and simply staying healthy through a tough non-district slate.
OTHER 2025 ALL-BIG COUNTRY PREPS TEAMS
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Albany Lions.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 24:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his or her email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 24.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
The best way to describe the area meet performance of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week (Wall’s Briggs Jones) is to simply let his coach, Craig Slaughter do the talking.
“He ran a blistering 10.41 to set a school record and win the 100 meters,” Slaughter said. “He broke his long jump record with a jump of 23-11.5. I only let him jump twice because he was running out of room in the pit and I need that dude cranked up this week.
“Then he destroyed his triple jump record with a jump of 48-7.25
While no-hitters are fairly common at the high school level, the bulk of them are of the five-inning variety — ending early while locking down a mercy rule win.
Going the full seven innings without allowing a hit, however, is much less common. And in the case of Cisco junior Case Williams, his seven-inning no-no in a 2-0 win over a good Coleman team last Tuesday secured our Big Country Preps Player of the Week for the Week ending April 5.
While scoring and rebounding garner much of the attention in basketball, there are other elements, crucial to success that seldom grab headlines.
Behind the scenes is where character, effort and sacrifice set the foundation for teams to reach their full potential. And it is with our Big Country Preps Gym Rat Team that we salute the individuals who bring these elements to the table.
This team isn’t about who the best players are — though some of the area’s top players are on this list.
The Gym Rat Team is about outworking, outhustling and outgiving everyone around you, both on the floor and off. Hard-working, honest, selfless, tough, coachable kids are what we seek for this roster.
A Gym Rat Team member can be your best player or the last player off the bench. But the one thing all of them bring is an uncompromisingly good attitude.
It is for that reason that our Gym Rat Team is selected entirely by area coaches. And Big Country Preps is truly honored to present these individuals to you — the best “team players” (boys and girls) that the area had to offer during the 2024-25 season.
Players are listed in no particular order.
Enjoy.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through March 27:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his or her email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.