Here are the Big Country’s receiving leaders through Week 11:
Category: Albany Lions
BCP Boys Basketball Position Rankings: Guards
With boys basketball season beginning this week, it’s time to shine a spotlight on some of the players you’ll be reading about throughout the 2021-22 season.
For the first installment in a three-part series that will cover all positions on the area boys basketball scene, we’ll be taking a look at the Big Country’s top guards, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch this winter.
We hope you enjoy reading through our list.
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Roscoe’s Watts claims this week’s award
Nobody ever truly obtains perfection on the football field. And even if you believe you’ve achieved it, any competent coach can quickly scan the game film and point out when and where you could have been better along the way.
Roscoe sophomore Jax Watts, however, came about as close as one can come to that lofty goal in Friday’s 61-0 win over Hamlin.
To begin with, our Capital Farm Credit/Big Country Preps Player of the Week hit 17 of 18 passes for 436 yards and six touchdowns as the Plowboys (9-1) closed the season with a nine-game winning streak and district title.
Week 8-2A Div. II Week 11 Report: Albany blasts Cross Plains to finish perfect regular season
Albany 61, Cross Plains 3 — The No. 4 Lions piled up 506 yards of total offense in a blowout win over the Buffaloes to close out the regular season at 9-0 overall and 4-0 in district play.
Behind big games from quarterback Cole Chapman (15-22-0—193, 2 TDs passing) and running back Jaheim Newton (14-124, 3 TDs rushing), Albany raced out to a 34-3 halftime lead and cruised from there.
The loss dropped Cross Plains to 5-4 overall and 1-3 in district play.
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT WEDNESDAY NIGHT PODCAST: Albany legend Denney Faith joins the show
Albany coach Denney Faith joins the show to talk football with Evan Ren and Dan Youngblood
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Brock QB Moody takes this week’s accolade
I suppose we should have seen Brock’s 80-7 rout of archrival Peaster coming last Friday.
The Eagles have been getting better and more explosive by the week as they adjust to first-year coach Billy Mathis’ offensive scheme, and quarterback Tyler Moody has only gotten more efficient along the way.
Our Capital Farm Credit/Big Country Preps Player of the Week was nearly perfect against Peaster, hitting 11 of 12 throws for 239 yards and five scores. He also rushed five times for 54 yards and an additional touchdown, giving him a direct hand in seven TDs.
PHOTO GALLERY: Santo-Albany football (110 images)
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District 8-2A Div. II Week 10 Report: Hico closes regular season with shutout win over Meridian
Hico 42, Meridian 0 — The Tigers wrapped up the No. 3 playoff seed out of this district with a shutout win over the Yellowjackets.
Hico (5-5, 2-2) led just 14-0 at halftime, but coach Todd Swearengin’s squad scored three unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter to pull away.
Angel Gonzalez led the effort for the Tigers, rushing for 164 yards and three touchdowns on just 17 carries. Reese Polk (12-59 rushing) and Price Mullin (7-37) also had rushing scores for Hico, which posted its best regular-season record and highest playoff seed since 2017.
BCP GAME OF THE WEEK: Albany takes district title with win over Santo
ALBANY — There are whispers that the Albany football team is fielding its best product in several years this season. And the Lions did very little to shed doubt on that rumor on Friday with a 33-6 win over previously unbeaten Santo in the Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
Jaheim Newton rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns and Cole Chapman threw for 114 yards and another score to lead Albany (8-0, 3-0 District 8-2A Division II), which clinched the district title with the win.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Santo gets its chance in the spotlight (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 39-8, .830
SEASON TOTAL: 361-82, .814
Since absorbing Santo into our coverage area last season, we have yet to have the Wildcats in our Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
That all changes on Friday night when the unbeaten ‘Cats head to Albany, where they will face what might be the best AHS team we’ve seen in five or six years. And given Albany’s track record, that’s saying a great deal.
To the winner: A District 8-2A Division II title, a No. 1 seed in the playoffs and a slightly more equitable postseason path in a tough region.
Here’s this week’s forecast:
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sweetwater QB Holsey snags this week’s accolade
It’s never a surprise to see Sweetwater senior quarterback Leo Holsey among the top performers in our Capital Farm Credit/Big Country Preps Player of the Week column.
Since his freshman year, the four-year starter has topped our weekly list multiple times, including this week after helping Sweetwater to a 61-37 win over Pecos on Friday.
Holsey only threw 15 passes, but he connected on 12 of them for 364 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed six times for 75 yards and two more scores, giving him a direct hand in 439 yards and seven TDs.
District 8-2A Div. II Week 9 Report: Cross Plains routs Meridian for first district win
Cross Plains 60, Meridian 12 — The Buffaloes snapped a two-game district losing streak and all but clinched the No. 4 playoff seed in this league with a lopsided win over the YellowJackets.
Needing a win to avoid missing the postseason for the first time since 2014, coach Daniel Purvis’ squad raced out to a 35-6 lead by halftime and cruised from there to the blowout. Cross Plains outgained Meridian 520-225, rushing for 341 of those yards.
Kade Purvis passed for 185 yards and three touchdowns, while Ryan Hopkins (3-113, 2 TDs rushing; 7-80, 2 TDs) had a huge day in both the running and passing game.The 60 points were a season-high for the Buffs, which had been limited to 13 points through its first two district contests.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Cisco to battle Coleman with top seed in the balance (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 35-11, .760
SEASON TOTAL: 322-74, .813
This week’s Big Country Preps Game of the Week will send me south to historic Hufford Field in Coleman, where the Bluecats (6-0) will play host to perennial power Cisco (6-1) in what is essentially the District 4-2A Division I championship.
Opened way back in 1934, Hufford is one of the Big Country’s oldest and most unique venues and if you are looking for a game to go to on Friday, this one will not only offer some good football, but some nostalgia as well.
The immense rock wall surrounding the field was built in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration or WPA as the nation battled its way out of The Great Depression.
Hope to see you there.
Here are this week’s picks:
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jim Ned’s Wishert claims the top spot
It’s one thing to rush for more than 300 yards and three scores against a struggling program. We see that all the time from the area’s top running backs.
But it’s an entirely different thing when those yards come against a solid team with a sturdy defense. That’s earning it the hard way.
Jim Ned’s Xavier Wishert, our Capital Farm Credit/Big Country Preps Player of the Week, took that route on Friday night when he charted 313 yards rushing and three scores on just 20 carries in a 37-20 road win over the Wall Hawks.
District 8-2A Div. II Week 8 Report: Santo blasts Cross Plains to remain undefeated
Santo 42, Cross Plains 7 — The Wildcats scored early and often in a big district win over the Buffaloes, piling up 367 rushing yards in the victory.
Quarterback Case Procter (13-137, 1 TD) and running back Sam Henderson (10-100, 3 TDs) both went over the century mark for rushing yards, while Procter also threw a touchdown pass to Billy Sandoval. Elijah Pennington had Santo’s other score.
The Wildcats (7-0, 1-0) built a 28-0 lead by halftime and increased that advantage to 42-0 before Cross Plains (4-3, 0-2) finally got on the board. Santo outgained the Buffs 394-163, limiting CPHS to just 57 yards rushing.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Roscoe travels to Ralls for crucial district game (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 40-7, .851
SEASON TOTAL: 287-63, .820
Week 8? Are you kidding?
I ask the same question, or some variant of it virtually every year. We just finished with two-a-days. How can we possibly be this deep in the season so quickly?
Yet hear we are. A cold weather snap approaching. Thanksgiving right around the corner —as are the playoffs.
This week’s Game of the Week will see me traveling north to Ralls where the surprising Roscoe Plowboys, off to their best start in years, will be in a showdown for the district lead.
The column hit at 85 percent accuracy last week and is now up to 82 percent on the year. So we’ll see if we can keep the momentum going through the home stretch.
Let’s have a look at this week’s picks:
Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel vs. Twitter Polls (Week 8)
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games, in addition to the results of Evan Ren’s Twitter polls for each matchup.
For those interested in voting, polls go up on Monday night each week and close Thursday morning.
Disagree with our picks or the Twitter consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
Big Country Volleyball Statistical Leaders (through Oct. 12)
Big Country Preps is publishing area volleyball statistical leaders each Tuesday at 7 p.m.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
We will continually update the database throughout the regular season.
FEATURE: Albany’s Chapman making move to quarterback look easy
Albany’s Denney Faith had high expectations before the 2021 season regarding Cole Chapman taking over the reins of the Lions’ attack.
Faith had seen Chapman excel at the position at lower levels. He’d seen Chapman thrive on varsity last season at receiver and cornerback.
Faith also knew the supporting cast Albany had would be able to put Chapman in the best position possible to succeed.
District 8-2A Div. II Week 7 Report: Hico gets defensive in big district win over Cross Plains
Hico 14, Cross Plains 6 — The Tigers scored a huge victory for their playoff hopes, intercepting the Buffaloes four times to overcome a 231-173 deficit in total offense.
Hico (4-3, 1-0), which went to halftime up 8-6, capped the scoring with a pick-six when Cooper Roach stepped in front of a third-quarter pass from Kade Purvis and returned it for a touchdown.
Angel Gonzalez added two interceptions and Jayden Crouch had one for the Tigers, who were led offensively by Reese Polk with 94 yards and a touchdown passing. Cross Plains (4-2, 0-1), which held Hico to just 87 rushing yards on 34 carries, was led on offense by Ryan Hopkins, who rushed for 40 yards and the Buffs’ only touchdown and hauled in six passes for a game-high 71 yards.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF WEEK: Unbeaten Early, Jim Ned clash in huge district opener (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 39-4, .906
SEASON TOTAL: 247-56, .815
Gramps Ren is back in the groove, hitting over 90 percent of his picks a week ago, to push this column’s season percentage to .815 as we head into district play across the area.
Whether or not I can keep the momentum remains to be seen, entering what might be the toughest week of area picks I’ve seen this year, with multiple games that I would rate as near-tossups.
This week’s Big Country Preps Game of the Week will see us heading to Tuscola where Jim Ned will begin its District 3-3A DI title defense against a red-hot, unbeaten team from Early.
Let’s have a look at this week’s picks …
FEATURE: Cotter’s arrival in Albany gives Lady Lions one of the area’s most versatile players
Albany’s Sarah Beth Cotter is still relatively new to volleyball.
Those who’ve been the victim of her thunderous kills lately would be slightly surprised to find out Cotter didn’t begin playing the sport until the eighth grade.
That’s when she enrolled in Albany ISD after previously having been home-schooled.
“I begged my mom to let me go to public school so I could play multiple sports,” Cotter said. “I had only played tennis my whole life but wanted to try something new. The switch wasn’t too hard because I already knew most of the girls at my school and on my sports teams.”
Big Country Volleyball Statistical Leaders (through Oct. 5)
Big Country Preps is publishing area volleyball statistical leaders each Tuesday at 7 p.m.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
We will continually update the database throughout the regular season.
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sweetwater QB Holsey takes the spotlight
A quick look at the box score from Sweetwater’s 70-54 win over Eastland and one just knew that the Capital Farm Credit/Big Country Preps Player of the Week was located somewhere in that massive pile of numbers.
SHS quarterback Leo Holsey emerged as the top man, hitting 17 of 19 throws for 434 yards and six touchdowns.
Add his 101 yards rushing on 15 carries with three more scores and the choice was made easy — even on a night with 1,277 yards in combined total offense between the two teams.
District 8-2A Div. II Week 6 Report: Albany crushes Olney to stay perfect at 5-0
Albany 55, Olney 6 — The Lions rushed for 294 yards, getting touchdowns from five players in a blowout win over the Cubs.
Jaheim Newton rushed for 127 yards and two TDs, while quarterback Cole Chapman rushed for 63 yards and two scores and passed for another to help Albany improve to 5-0.
Robert Bailey (2-73) and Samuel Rosas (1-18) also had rushing touchdowns for the Lions, who got a touchdown catch from Adam Hill.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Steers plays host to Littlefield, Gramps Ren rebounds (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 45-6, .882
SEASON TOTAL: 208-52, .800
After a disastrous night of picking football games on Sept. 19 that saw his season percentage dip below .800, Gramps Ren has rebounded. Thank you, thank you.
Last Friday saw this column hit with more than 88 percent accuracy on games throughout the Big Country, pulling its season percentage to an even .800 as we hit the season’s midpoint.
This week I’ll be heading west — way West — to the very edge of our coverage area to get a first-hand look at the Big Spring Steers in their matchup with Littlefield in our Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
Let’s dive in to this week’s picks, shall we?