Big-time performances are the norm this year for the 13-0 Brock Eagles, who earned a trip to the Region I-4A DII championship game with last week’s 66-3 win over Seminole.
At the forefront of that: This week’s Big Country Preps Player of the Week, junior running back Bryer McDonald.
And with good reason.
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we offer fans the chance to pick the winners of all games involving our local and area football teams. The results of these weekly polls, which will close at 5 p.m. each Thursday, will be included in our weekly Pick ‘Em Panel.
Here are the games for Week 15:
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Brock-Seminole regional semifinal football playoff (106 images)”
GODLEY — In a game that took nearly six hours to complete due to two lengthy lightning delays, it was a stretch of just over four minutes of game time that proved to be the difference in Axtell’s 28-17 Region II-2A Division I semifinal win over De Leon on Friday at Wildcat Stadium.
After taking a narrow 7-6 lead into halftime following a hyper-competitive first of half of football, the Longhorns turned a pair of Heston Jobe interceptions into touchdowns — the latter directly — to take a 21-6 third-quarter lead that would never dip below two scores the rest of the way.
The gap eventually reached three touchdowns (27-6) in the fourth quarter, before the Bearcats mounted a late rally that ended with their third failed two-point conversion try and a lost fumble after forcing a red-zone stop with just over four minutes to play.
SAN ANGELO — Branson Lacy ran for 184 yards and three touchdowns and Boston Weise ran for a pair of scores as Water Valley took a 50-28 win over Robert Lee in the Region II-1A Division I final on Friday night at San Angelo Stadium.
It was the Wildcats’ second win over the Longhorns this year — backing up a 67-30 win in district play on Oct. 24.
Water Valley coach Trey Sisco was proud of what he saw out of his squad in a game that the Wildcats knew would be tough.
SAN ANGELO — The Brock football team is just three wins away from a state championship after a thorough dismantling of Seminole, 66-3, in a Region I-4A Division II semifinal on Friday afternoon at San Angelo Stadium.
Having beaten Fort Worth Dunbar (49-0), Lubbock Estacado (65-18) and the Indians in the first half of the postseason, the road to Arlington now gets considerably tougher for coach Billy Mathis’ 13-0 squad with games looming against Midland Greenwood next week, potentially Carthage in the semifinals and whoever comes out of the opposite side of the bracket (where the average margin of victory in the first two rounds was 26.6 points) at 3 p.m. on December 19th at AT&T Stadium.
Even with the path that lies ahead, you won’t find the Eagles looking ahead.
We’ve reached the third week of the playoffs and the rubber has hit the road at the six-man level. Every team remaining is a heavy-hitter, which makes every game on this week’s slate of region finals matchups a marquee-worthy affair.
With the state semifinals up next and a trip to Arlington within reach, the nine area teams remaining in the six-man playoffs will all be looking to play their best ball this week. And with four all-area matchups to look forward to Friday, we’re guaranteed to see at least four teams from the Big Country Preps coverage survive to play another game.
It’s time now to preview our Thanksgiving week matchups in this week’s “Six-Man Lookahead” column. We hope you enjoy this preview of of an action-packed week.
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games and select six-man games, in addition to the results of our weekly fan polls for each matchup.
For those interested in voting, polls go up on Sunday night each week and close Thursday evening.
Disagree with our picks or the fan poll consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
LAST WEEK: 21-7, .750
SEASON TOTAL: 521-111, .824
JIM NED (11-1) VS. PARADISE (11-1)
Similar schedules with similar results, but Paradise does hold a slight edge both offensively and defensively and outperformed the Indians against common opponent Breckenridge.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Merkel-Slaton area round football playoffs (80 images)”
Nine teams from the Big Country Preps coverage area survived the second round of the playoffs, setting up a huge slate of games this week in the region championship round.
But before we discuss state quarterfinal matchups later this week, it’s time to take a look at how we got here in this week’s “Six-Man Lookahead” column.
As you might expect the cream rose to the top, with Water Valley, Robert Lee, Gordon, May, Jayton, Benjamin, Strawn, Three Way and Richland Springs all earning games after Thanksgiving with a shot at the state semifinals on the line. We hope you enjoy this look back at the performances that helped them lock down those opportunities.
Not only is our Big Country Preps Player of the Week holding down the top spot with big numbers, but his performance in Graham’s 35-28 area round win over Lubbock Cooper Liberty was a virtual seminar on poise.
Helping the Steers (9-3) to overcome three separate deficits, senior QB/kicker/punter Jace Gill was 15 of 28 for 239 yards and three TDs. He also rushed 12 times for 118 yards and another score.
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we offer fans the chance to pick the winners of all games involving our local and area football teams. The results of these weekly polls, which will close at 5 p.m. each Thursday, will be included in our weekly Pick ‘Em Panel.
Here are the games for Week 14:
ABILENE — While the Graham Steers may have won Friday’s Region I-4A DII area round matchup with Lubbock-Cooper Liberty, the 35-28 victory might be better described as a seminar on answering the bell.
On three separate occasions, the Steers erased deficits and eventually overcame a major momentum shift in the final minutes to advance to the regional semis.
Jace Gill threw for 239 yards and three scores and rushed for 118 yards and another TD to lift Graham (9-3), which now advances to face Midland Greenwood (12-0).
Gill’s final TD pass — an 8-yarder to Thomason Burkett with only 1:11 to play, proved to be the game-winner, after which the Steer defense closed the door on Liberty’s final possession.
After a week full of blowouts in the bi-district round of the six-man playoffs, the area-round should prove to be much more competitive.
This week’s area slate is chock full of excellent games, with marquee matchups as far as the eye can see.
As we do every week here in this column, it’s time to break down the biggest games of the week in our “Six-Man Lookahead.” We hope you enjoy this preview of the week’s action.
Continue reading “SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Playoffs heat up with bevy of intriguing area-round games”
SNYDER — After seeing last season end in heartbreaking fashion with an emotional loss to Gunter in the state semifinals, the Wall football team has made it no secret that it plans to earn a rematch with the Tigers in the same round on its way to Arlington this season.
If there were any worries that such a mission-focused approach might lead to overlooking earlier steps in the process, the Hawks did a pretty good job of allaying those Thursday in a 50-0 area-round win over Childress at Grant Teaff Tiger Stadium.
In scoring on every possession but one in the first half, Wall built a 33-0 lead by the halftime break and never let down after, securing its second consecutive shutout and sixth of the season to earn a Region I-3A Division II semifinals date with Slaton at 1 p.m. next Friday in Sweetwater.
SWEETWATER — The Merkel offense dug deep into its bag of tricks for Thursday’s Region I-3A Division II area-round matchup with Slaton at the Mustang Bowl.
Three different players threw touchdown passes to three different players, but it wasn’t enough as the Badgers dropped a 43-36 heartbreaker to the Tigers.
Slaton scored the game-winning touchdown on a 28-yard screen pass from Jacob Lopez to Trae Harris with nine seconds to play and held on for the win when Eli Delgado was tackled at the Slaton 44 on the ensuing kickoff as the horn sounded after a 34-yard return — keeping the Badgers from winning multiple playoff games in a season for the first time since the 2017.
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 our weekly fan polls for each matchup.
For those interested in voting, polls go up on Sunday night each week and close Thursday evening.
Disagree with our picks or the fan poll consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
LAST WEEK: 28-3, .903
SEASON TOTAL: 500-104, .828
Before I get going this week, I’d like to thank those of you who have sent me all of the well-wishes over the past month, which has seen my wife and I suffering through two deaths in our families and me going through two separate stays in the hospital with a minor surgery thrown in for good measure.
It’s been a bear, but it’s good to be back again and we appreciate all of your kindness.
Here’s this week’s playoff forecast:
TOP MATCHUPS
CISCO (10-1) VS. PANHANDLE (9-2)
I seldom pick upsets when the spread is more than 20 points, but the 23-point number in this game comes with a unique intangible.
The Loboes are 4-0 in games decided by two scores or less while Panhandle, which has destroyed nearly everything in its path this year, is 0-2 in the only close games it has experienced (Dalhart and Stinnett West Texas).
The first week of the playoffs is in the books, and that’s a good thing for those who enjoy competitive games.
The area’s bi-district round was marked by excellent performances — both team and individual — but it largely rendered lopsided results, as all but three games involving Big Country Preps squads ended by mercy rule.
It’s time now to take a look at the teams that are still standing and the individual performances that have them in that position in this week’s “Big Country Rewind.” We hope you enjoy this look back at Week 12.
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.
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we offer fans the chance to pick the winners of all games involving our local and area football teams. The results of these weekly polls, which will close at 5 p.m. each Thursday, will be included in our weekly Pick ‘Em Panel.
Here are the games for Week 13:
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Early-Holliday bi-district football (54 images)”
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Hawley-Forsan bi-district football (74 images)”
ALEDO — Graham may not have the playoff experience that it’s enjoyed in the past, but the Steers looked like a team peaking at the right time in a 32-0 victory over Godley Friday night.
By scoring on their first five possessions and limiting the Wildcats to seven first downs, Graham made sure there would be no late-game drama or upset inside Bearcat Stadium.
“We’re definitely going to enjoy this one,” Graham quarterback Jace Gill said. “You know, a lot of people are doubting us and some people didn’t even think we’d make the playoffs so it’s good to come out here and show they can do it under the Friday night lights in playoff time.”
CLYDE — First-year Early head coach Marvin Wilson learned a lot about football in college at Hardin-Simmons University under the legendary Jimmie Keeling and spent this season instilling one of those lessons in his Longhorns squad.
“We are too ignorant to ever think we are out of a game,” he said. “Coach Keeling said it all the time: ‘Go play hard no matter what the circumstances are.’ We’ve tried to play hard and know that we are never out of games.”
The Longhorns came up short at Bulldog Stadium in their Region II-3A Division II bi-district matchup with Holliday, falling 50-36, but the Longhorns battled the entire night and that left Wilson emotional as Early saw its fifth playoff appearance in the past six years end after just one game.
It was a playoff appearance hardly anyone expected when the season began just over three months ago.
We’ve reached Week 12 and with it comes the start of the high school football playoffs. While a handful of area teams kicked off their postseason runs on Thursday, most of the Big Country’s most competitive matchups are still to come.
As we did in the regular season, we’ll continue to preview each week’s top matchups through the playoffs here in our “Big Country Lookahead” column.
We’ve got plenty to talk about, so let’s go ahead and dive in. And be sure to check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page for results as these games go final.
Continue reading “SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Playoffs open with strong slate of area matchups”
SWEETWATER — Hawley junior running back Brycen Stofel has had a quiet 2025 season for the most part, but when the Hawley football team needed him to step up, he did so in a big way.
Stofel ran for 181 yards and three touchdowns on just 15 carries Thursday as Hawley claimed a 42-14 win over Forsan in a Region I-2A Division I bi-district matchup at the Mustang Bowl.
It was an effort Hawley coach Mitch Ables said he told Stofel that he hoped to see more of.
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 our weekly fan polls for each matchup.
For those interested in voting, polls go up on Sunday night each week and close Thursday evening.
Disagree with our picks or the fan poll consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
Week 11 is in the books and the regular season is officially over. But some of the season’s best six-man drama was saved for last, as we have a number of thrilling games to talk about.
Chief among those was our “Big Country Lookahead” Game of the Week, which saw Hermleigh edge Westbrook in District 7-1A Division I action. But that was one of several thrillers that took place in the area.
Without further ado, let’s dive into all of last week’s action in this week’s “Big Country Rewind” column. And make sure you check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page when you’ve finished reading for more information on your favorite team(s).
Coming off a breakout junior season that ended prematurely due to a torn ACL late in district play, Wylie running back Julius wasn’t having the type of senior season he had hoped to going into Friday’s Senior Night game against Plainview.
Running behind a young and often banged-up offensive line, Laine entered that matchup with 668 yards on 135 carries on the year, including a combined 139 yards on the ground in three consecutive losses leading up to the Plainview game.
On Friday, though, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound bruiser finally broke loose and found some open field — a lot of open field — in closing out his high school career with a memorable night worthy of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week honor. By the game’s end, Laine had run for a career-high 300 yards and five touchdowns, including scoring runs of 35, 39 and 49 yards, to lead the Bulldogs to a wild 70-52 victory.
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we offer fans the chance to pick the winners of all games involving our local and area football teams. The results of these weekly polls, which will close at 5 p.m. each Thursday, will be included in our weekly Pick ‘Em Panel.
Here are the games for Week 12:
Continue reading “WEEK 12 FAN POLLS … Pick this week’s 11-man winners!”
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Stamford-Hawley football (65 images)”
Mason 22, San Saba 0 — The Armadillos’ final opportunity to win the District 14-2A DI title ended here with a loss to Mason.
San Saba (6-4, 3-2) will open with Rosebud-Lott in the bi-district round. Mason (7-3, 5-0) will open with Marlin.
Goldthwaite 40, Mart 14 — Blake Howard threw for 287 yards and four scores in yet another easy win over Mart for the Eagles.
Goldthwaite led 19-0 at the break before stretching its lead to 33-6 late in the third quarter.
Goldthwaite improved to 7-3; Mart fell to 5-5.
Here are the Big Country football playoff pairings and results (through Dec. 17):
Collinsville 40, Santo 13 — Justin Hollingsworth scored a touchdown late in the first quarter to give the Wildcats an early lead, but the Pirates closed the first half with 34 unanswered points to take control on their way to a comfortable win.
Collinsville had four passing touchdowns and a fumble return score in the second quarter to go to halftime up 34-7 and tacked on another passing TD in the third quarter, before Santo closed out the scoring with another rushing score by Hollingsworth.