Stephenville 47, Canyon Randall 7 — Ryan Gafford threw for 198 yards and three scores and Sawyer Wilkerson rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns to help the Yellow Jackets to a rout of Randall.
Stephenville totaled 399 yards in total offense en route to the win. Tristian Gentry was the leading receiver for SHS, with eight catches for 158 yards and two scores.
LAST WEEK: 24-2, .923
SEASON TOTAL: 578-139, .806
Big Country Preps carries 16 teams from its coverage area into Week 14 and it’s my guess that at least nine of them will survive Thanksgiving weekend.
And on that subject, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from all of us at BCP.
Here are this week’s picks, we’ll see you on the road!
Sunray 49, Hawley 40 — Sunray (12-0) edged Hawley (10-2) for the right to face Post (12-0) in the regional semifinals.
Keagan Ables had a huge night in a losing effort for Hawley, hitting 23 of 40 passes for 444 yards and four TDs in his final game as a Bearcat.
His younger brother Camden was his top target, hauling in nine passes for 221 yards and one TD.
It’s been a little while for Anson’s Corey Layne.
The AHS senior quarterback took our Big Country Preps Player of the Week way back on Sept. 16, but has missed the top spot for two months — until today.
Layne, who led Anson to a 45-11 bi-district rout of Christoval last week, took our Player of the Week with an effort that included 197 yards rushing and four scores on only 20 carries. He also hit 12 of 20 passes for 171 yards and three more TDs to give him a direct hand in seven scores.
But that’s just the half of it.
Miles 29, Roscoe 13 — 
Liam Yancy threw for 275 yards and three scores as Miles defeated Roscoe on Friday. Cooper Ellison was on the receiving end of two of those TD strikes and finished with seven catches for 73 yards.
The Bulldogs improved to 8-2 and 4-1 with the win.
Roscoe fell to 4-5 and 3-2.
LAST WEEK: 45-8, .849
SEASON TOTAL: 464-122, .791
The regular season ends Friday night (if you can believe it) and there’s no better way to close things up than with No. 5 Class 2A DI Hawley (9-0, 4-0) at No. 1 Stamford (9-0, 4-0).
The winner will earn the District 4 championship and No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs, so much is at stake.
I’m leaning toward Stamford here for three reasons: First, the overall team speed of SHS is unmatched by anyone in the area.
Secondly, the Bulldogs have an intangible working here — specifically a last-second miracle touchdown scored by Hawley’s
Camden Ables from 45 yards out with 0:47 left in last year’s game.
Hamlin 27, Cross Plains 24 — The Pied Pipers rushed for 220 yards as a team to overcome Cross Plains in a thriller.
Hudson Smith, Kyson McGee and Ian Gruben all found the end zone for the Pipers (6-3, 2-2), who clinched a postseason berth with the win.
ROSCOE — Great defense, big plays and a handful of Roscoe mistakes were the story line in a 38-7 Albany win over the Plowboys on Friday.
Branson Beal rushed for 130 yards, had 118 yards receiving and accounted for four touchdowns to lead the Lions (7-2, 4-0), who clinched their fifth straight district championship with the win.
Following a highly competitive first quarter that saw the score deadlocked at 7-7, the Lions reeled off 31 unanswered points to turn the District 7-2A DII title game into a rout.
Photos provided by Melissa Carroll and Kelly Moody
There’s a great deal of excitement brewing around the Tolar volleyball team heading into postseason play and with good reason. If the Lady Rattlers (28-9, 12-1 District 8-3A) manage to knock off Comanche on Tuesday, they will set a school record for wins in a season.
Secondly, senior setter Abbie Soileau is dishing assists like they were going out of style — including the 47 she tallied last week in wins over No. 25 Peaster and Early. That lifted her season total to a Tolar school record 1,032 assists on the year and more 1,700 for her career.
Miles 41, Hamlin 0 — 
Liam Yancy threw for 243 yards and three scores and Tevin Meade rushed for 98 yards and another score to lead the Bulldogs over Hamlin.
Jaylen Torres led the defensive effort for MHS with nine tackles, two for loss, one pick and a blocked punt.
LAST WEEK: 41-10 .803
SEASON TOTAL: 367-108, .772
Football season doesn’t feel complete without at least one visit to Chesley Field in Cisco. And Friday night, the Big Country Preps Game of the Week will stop by for a crucial District 4-2A DI matchup between the Loboes (5-2, 1-1) and Hawley (7-0, 2-0).
For Hawley, a win here will keep open the possibility of an unbeaten regular season. For Cisco, a victory would signal the beginning of a climb back into area prominence.
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.
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.”
Albany 68, Winters 0 — Chip Chambers threw for 234 yards and three scores and Branson Beal rushed for 144 yards and five more TDs to lift Albany over Winters.
The Lions improved to 5-2 overall and 2-0 in district play.
Winters fell to 2-5 and 0-2.
Albany 47, Miles 15 — Branson Beal rushed for 115 yards and three scores and Chip Chambers threw for 127 yards and two more TDs to lift Albany to a win the district opener for both teams.
Facing a 27-8 deficit at the break, Miles (4-2, 0-1) could never muster enough offense to make a serious threat.
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:
HAWLEY — For most of Tuesday’s match, the Hawley and Albany volleyball teams were locked in a slugfest that featured both teams’ service and receiving games executing exactly how they wanted to.
The District 6-2A rivals combined for just 15 aces in the match, which saw the Lady Bearcats sweep the Lady Lions 25-21, 25-21, 25-19 at Bearcat Gymnasium.
It was such a close match, Hawley coach Amy Eckoff and M.J. Reneau, her counterpart at Albany, both had nothing but praise for how their team handled the match between the two frontrunners for the district championship.
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.
Roscoe 26, New Home 6 — Ivan “The Terrible” McCann rushed for 154 yards and two scores and took a fumble back 23 yards to lead Roscoe (1-4) to its first win of the year.
New Home fell to 2-3 with the loss.
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.
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:
Versatility is a definite advantage for nominees in our Big Country Preps Player of the Week column. And for Anson senior quarterback Corey Layne it was enough to put him in this week’s top spot.
Leading the Tigers (3-0) to a 49-28 over Dublin, Layne connected on 18 of 27 throws for 284 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed eight times for 65 more yards and two additional scores.
Layne was equally effective from his linebacker spot, collecting 10 tackles and one interception.
Miles 46, Johnson City 6 — 
The Bulldogs piled up 504 yards in total offense and seven TDs in an impressive win over Johnson City.
Tevin Meade rushed for 168 yards and three TDs on only 13 carries and Cooper Ellison caught five passes for 198 yards and three scores to lead Miles (3-0), which has only allowed 40 combined points through three games.
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:
Miles 32, Sonora 14 —Tevin Meade rushed for 145 yards and four TDs to lead Miles to an impressive road win over Sonora.
Cooper Ellison was the top receiver for MHS, reeling in four catches for 96 yards and another score.
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.
ALBANY — In an era when long-term coaching stability is becoming increasingly rare at the high school level, the Albany football program has become an exception of staggering proportions.
With head coach Denney Faith (37 years) and assistants Rod Britting (28 years), David Fairchild (21 years), Jimmy Fuentes (22 years), Ryder Peacock (13 years) and Tate Thompson (nine years) comprising the Lions’ staff, Albany has roughly 130 combined years of coaching stability among six guys.
Not only has Faith become the dean of area football coaches, but his support staff is just as firmly entrenched as he is. The net result is a family, built on trust, professionalism, ethics and hard work.
ALBANY — After winning back-to-back 2A DII state titles, the Albany Lions enter this season on a 27-game winning streak and ranked No. 2 in the state by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine.
Statewide, the expectations are for the Lions to make a deep playoff run and possibly get to Arlington for a third straight year.
But will the numbers — and the loss of all-state running back Adam Hill — allow them to get there?
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.
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.
We continue in Class 2A Division II with the Albany Lions. On Sunday, we will take a look at the Cross Plains Buffaloes, followed by the Hamlin Pied Pipers on Monday.
Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Albany Lions … 44 days to two-a-days”
ABILENE — It took seven tense innings and three lead changes, but the Hawley Bearcats emerged as the victor from their Region I-2A quarterfinal series with area rival Albany — capped by a 6-5 win at Walt Drigger’s Field on Saturday.
Westyn Balch was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and Gavin Olney delivered 1.2 innings on the hill to pick up the win in relief as Hawley took the best-of-three series, 2-0.
The Bearcats (21-9) faced two deficits — 1-0 in the early innings and 5-4 after six full — yet managed to overcome both.
They now advance to face Ropes in the Region I-2A semifinals next week. Albany finished another successful campaign at 19-4.
ABILENE — Fresh off one of the most dominant pitching performances in Big Country baseball history, Hawley ace Westyn Balch delivered another gem Friday, tossing a complete-game one-hitter to fuel the Bearcats to a 4-0 win over district rival Albany in the opener of a best-of-three Region I-2A quarterfinal series at McMurry’s Walt Driggers Field.
The senior left-hander took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, before allowing an infield single to shortstop Drew Siller. That would be the only hit allowed by Balch, who struck out 10 to pitch around an error and a pair of walks.
The victory puts the Bearcats one win away from a trip to region semifinals when the series resumes at noon Saturday at the same site.
AUSTIN — After area Class 3A and 4A competitors opened the UIL Track & Field State Meet with a combined 10 medals on Thursday, Big Country Preps athletes took partial ownership of the medal stand at Mike A. Meyers Stadium at the University of Texas on Friday in the Class 2A and 5A portions of the event.
Area athletes combined to claim 18 medals on the day, with Hico junior Kaylee Hunt joining Goldthwaite seniors Lainey Jernigan and Hope Hermesmeyer in a dominating performance.
The trio combined for six medals on the day as Goldthwaite, Stamford and Hico all posted top-five finishes in the 2A girls team competition.
Coming off a subpar performance in Game 1 of last week’s 2A bi-district series with Hawley, Cisco pitcher Hannah Rogers did something few expected: a complete about-face.
Rogers, who had been beaten up in an 11-4 loss on Friday afternoon that saw her allow 14 hits, quickly regained her form for Game 2 that evening. Limiting Hawley to seven hits, she led Cisco to a series-tying 5-2 win.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 25.
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.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 18.
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.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 18.
With the end of the regular season, this will be our FINAL softball leaders posting for 2024.
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.
With plenty of competition for the top spot, our Big Country Preps Player of the Week goes to Clyde senior pitcher Trip Ancheta.
When in doubt, a dominating no-hitter is usually a solid choice.
Ancheta did exactly that in a 14-0 mercy rule win over Grape Creek that saw him work all five innings with 11 strikeouts — narrowly missing a perfect game by one walk.
Albany, idle — The Lions entered their bye week with a 3-2 overall record. They will open district play against Miles (4-1) at home on Oct. 11.