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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Anson-Ballinger baseball bi-district playoff (62 images)”
ABILENE — At the end of three thrilling at Abilene Christian School’s Hudson Wade Memorial Field, there wasn’t much separating the Anson Tigers and Ballinger Bearcats in the Region I-2A Division I bi-district series between the two squads.
In fact, none of the three contests had a larger gap than a single run at the completion of seven innings.
But after outlasting Ballinger for a 10-5 victory in a 10-inning marathon game on Friday, it was Anson that prevailed, rallying from a 6-5 Game 2 loss to clinch the series with a wild 9-8 win in Game 3.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through May 1.
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.
CLYDE — Paige Sheets was dominant in the circle and her teammates gave her plenty of run support, scoring early and often as the Haskell Maidens opened the Region I-2A Division II playoffs with a 12-0 run-rule victory over Ballinger on Friday at the Hanner Sports Complex.
Sheets struck out 10 in a five-inning shutout, limiting the Lady Cats to just three hits, while she and her teammates roughed up Ballinger for 12 hits, including a pair of doubles and two home runs.
The end result was a thorough victory that pushes the Maidens into next week’s area round, where they will face off with Reagan County, which easily dispatched of Eldorado in its bi-district playoff.
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.
Here are the area’s baseball 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 email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
20Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through March 20.
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.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through March 20:
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.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Feb. 13.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his or her email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 13.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
National Signing Day is typically a busy one in the Big Country Preps’ coverage area and 2025 was no exception with several players inking and/or confirming their commitments to play at the next level.
At various signing ceremonies held throughout the area, athletes celebrated their final choices to pursue a degree while competing collegiately.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Jan. 30.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Jan. 30.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his or her email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Jan. 23.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Jan. 23.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his or her email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
We all know a football player who almost never misses any practice time and practically lives in the weight room. He’s always early to arrive and late to leave. He’s coachable, but seldom needs direction because he always pays attention.
You know who I’m talking about.
The guy who sets a good example for young players. The guy who never complains and, first and foremost, is tough mentally and physically. He may not be the best player on a team (though some of them are). But he’s definitely the guy who gets the most out of the talent he’s given.
Welcome to the 2024 “True Grit” team — the one place in the Big Country where guys who fall into this category are recognized for it.
Here are our first-team selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Here are our second-team selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Here are our selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps Football Team (Third-Team roster). For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Here are our selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps Rising Stars Team — an honor reserved for the area’s top freshman and sophomore football players. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Our All-Big Country Preps Volleyball team, released today, is in place to honor those who achieved the most on-court success in 2024. It is off the court, however, where character, grit
and work ethic are often measured. And it is with our Big Country Preps Max Effort Team that we wish to honor those players who were the hardest-working, best teammates in the
area this fall.
This team isn’t about who the best volleyball players were.
The Max Effort team honors hustle, discipline, toughness, coachability and selflessness — traits that coaches wish every player had.
Ballinger 27, Hico 26 — Cade Strube passed for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and Hunter Kresta received for 114 yards and two scores to help the Bearcats clinch a playoff spot with a thrilling win over the Tigers.
Strube also rushed for a team-high 94 yards and two TDs, allowing Ballinger (5-5, 2-3) to fend off a furious Hico rally after the Bearcats increased a 12-0 halftime lead to 20 points in the second half.
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.
Coleman 14, Ballinger 7 — Hunter Edington passed for one touchdown and ran for another, while Blaine Bouldin amassed 134 yards on the ground to lift the Bluecats to a defensive win over the Bearcats.
Coleman (2-7, 2-2), which also got 56 yards and a TD receiving from Kelan Sikes, outgained Ballinger 224-129, getting Edington’s TD run in the fourth quarter to increase an 8-7 halftime lead to seven points.
Coleman 14, Hico 6 — The Bluecats were outgained 317-238, but they only allowed one second-quarter touchdown to score their first win of the year in a hard-fought defensive game against the Tigers.
Blaine Bouldin rushed for 94 yards and Anthony Espitia ran for 64 yards and a TD, while Hunter Edington added 76 yards and a score through the air to help Coleman improve to 1-7 overall and 1-2 in district play.
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.
De Leon 55, Coleman 12 — Heston Jobe passed for 150 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 60 yards and another score, while Lane Couch ran for 110 yards and two TDs to lead the Bearcats to a lopsided win over the Bluecats.
Adan Salinas (8-60, 1 TD rushing) and Christian Gilder (3-24, 2 TDs) also found the end zone on the ground for De Leon (4-3, 2-0), which got receiving scores from Lane Cooper (4-51 receiving) and Brenner Wright (1-29).
De Leon 56, Hico 0 — Heston Jobe passed for 251 yards and five touchdowns and added 110 yards on the ground to fuel the Bearcats to a lopsided win over the Tigers in the district opener for both teams.
Lane Couch also had a big game for De Leon (3-3, 1-0), rushing for 145 yards and two touchdowns and receiving for 54 yards, while Jake Cooper received for 52 yards and three scores.
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:
Florence 28, Hico 14 — The Tigers fell from the ranks of the unbeaten with a tough loss to the Buffaloes.
Hico ran for 289 yards and finished with 306 yards total, but the Tigers (4-1) found themselves down 28-0 in the final quarter before finally getting a pair of touchdown runs from Price Mullin.
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: Brady-Ballinger football (20 images)”
Hico 46, Itasca 28 — Three Tigers players topped the 100-yard rushing mark as HHS piled up 472 yards on the ground as a team in a thorough win over the Wampus Cats.
Buck Powell led all rushers with 176 yards and a touchdown on just 14 carries, while Price Mullin added 109 yards and a score on 14 attempts and Kalder Halbrook had 101 yards and a TD on seven totes to go with five catches for 58 yards and a score.