Here are the Big Country’s rushing leaders after Week 2:
Category: Big Spring Steers
BCP GAME OF THE WEEK: Cisco, Wall square off in a clash of area powers (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 43-13, .767
SEASON TOTAL: 43-13, .767
The beauty of Week 1 of the football season is that it throws all sorts of new questions into your face. The beauty of Weeks 2 and 3 is that most of those questions get answered.
Our Big Country Preps Game of the Week — Wall at Cisco — should serve as a moment of clarity.
Just how good is this Wall team that routed perennial power Mason 47-7 at the Puncher Dome last week? Entering as a nine-point favorite, the Hawks shattered the computer projections leading some to believe this could be a vintage Hawks football team.
At this point, however, we don’t know exactly where Mason stands.
We do, however, have a pretty fair idea about Cisco, which handed a rapidly improving (albeit young) Class 4A Sweetwater team a 49-27 loss in the Mustang Bowl. This is your standard, tough Cisco football team with an excellent running game and physical defense.
So we’ll find out precisely where Wall is on Friday.
BCP Podcast No. 60: Evan, Daniel talk Big Country pigskin with Texas Football’s Greg Tepper
As the managing editor of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine and an analyst for Fox Sports Southwest, Greg Tepper is respected statewide for the passion and knowledge he brings to his Texas high school football coverage.
This week, Tepper took a few minutes to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about the Big Country football scene and his work for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wenesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the biggest surprises of high school football’s opening week and preview some of the Big Country’s top matchups in Week 2.
Continue to check back at BigCountryPreps.com each Wednesday night at 7 p.m. when Evan and Dan discuss the current happenings in Big Country High School sports — often with an interesting sports figure from around the area.
You can also peruse our BCP Podcast archive, which features dozens of our previous shows with prominent coaches and Big Country media fixtures.
Inquiries regarding these podcasts may be directed to Evan Ren at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
If you have a suggested topic of conversation or a recommended guest, don’t hesitate to contact us!
District 2-4A Division I: Week 1 Report
Midland Greenwood 42, Big Spring 6 — Greenwood piled up 247 yards rushing while holding Big Spring to 150 yards in total offense to win the season opener for both schools.
Trey Cross rushed for 170 yards on 14 carries and Weston Wilber threw for 144 yards and two scores to lead the Rangers, who led 21-6 at the break.
Orlando Sanchez was the top gainer for Big Spring, rushing for 59 yards on 17 carries.
FEATURE: Sustained success puts milestones in reach for Big Country football programs
Anyone who follows high school football in Texas knows that the Big Country has a rich tradition of producing winners on the gridiron.
But just how rich is that history?
Of the top 100 winningest 11-man programs in Texas history (regardless of classification), 11 call the Big Country home.
Brownwood is the standard-bearer with 738 wins in program history, which ranks sixth all-time. The Lions have a winning percentage of .654, which ranks 38th of programs that have a minimum of 500 games played.
The Lions, who have been playing football since 1907, are one of just 12 programs in the state to scale the 700-win plateau. But that number could grow by as many as six teams this fall, with three of those six teams hailing from the Big Country.
BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Quarterbacks
After a week of highlighting area standouts, we close our eight-part preseason position rankings series with the Big Country’s top gunslingers.
To complete our look at the area’s best players, we’ve ranked our top-10 quarterbacks with a list of others to watch in 2019.
We hope you enjoy this list and that you have enjoyed our position rankings as we get set to kickoff a new season.
BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Running Backs
As we wind down our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we’ve finally arrived at the Big Country’s top ball-carriers.
After breaking down this year’s crop of receivers and tight ends Monday, we move now to the area’s top running backs, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch in 2019. Don’t forget to check in Wednesday night when we unveil our top 10 area quarterbacks to conclude this series.
We hope you enjoy tonight’s list and encourage you to check out the other position groups, which are linked below.
BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
We’re now approaching the home stretch of our eight-part preseason position rankings series, and it’s time to look at the Big Country’s top pass-catchers.
After starting the offensive portion of our series Sunday with the big boys up front, we now shift our attention to the playmakers on the edges, ranking our top 10 wide receivers/tight ends with a list of others to watch in 2019.
We hope you enjoy our list and encourage you to check out the other position groups, which are linked below.
BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Offensive Linemen
With the defensive and special teams rankings behind us, it’s time to look at the area’s offensive standouts. And we’ll start where any productive offense begins: on the line.
For the fifth installment of our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we turn our attention to the big boys, ranking the Big Country’s top-10 offensive linemen with a list of others to watch in 2019.
We hope you enjoy reading through our rankings.
BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Kickers/Punters
After recognizing the top defensive players throughout the Big Country over the past three days, it’s time to honor the specialists.
We continue our eight-part preseason position rankings series by naming our top five kickers and punters to watch this fall.
We hope you enjoy this list and that you have enjoyed our position rankings as we get set to kickoff the 2019 season.
BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Defensive Backs
After starting with the linemen and linebackers, we turn to the secondary to complete our look at the top defenders in the Big Country.
For the third installment in our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we key on the defensive backs, giving our list of the area’s top-10 players and others to look out for in 2019.
We hope you enjoy our list.
BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Linebackers
After taking a look at the area’s top defensive linemen on Wednesday, it’s now time to examine those who will backing them in 2019.
Continuing with Big Country Preps’ eight-part preseason position rankings series, here’s our top 10 linebackers to watch this fall as well as a list of the others we’re expecting big things from.
We hope you enjoy our list.
BCP Podcast No. 58: Evan, Daniel discuss predictions for upcoming football season
With the 2019 high school football season now less than two weeks away, Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood have decided to utilize this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast to break down every 11-man district race and dive deeper into their predictions for the upcoming season.
In this episode, Evan and Daniel share who they think will win each district and why, and go into deeper detail why they picked they teams they did to advance to the playoffs.
Continue to check back at BigCountryPreps.com each Wednesday night at 7 p.m. when Evan and Dan discuss the current happenings in Big Country High School sports — often with an interesting sports figure from around the area.
You can also peruse our BCP Podcast archive, which features dozens of our previous shows with prominent coaches and Big Country media fixtures.
Inquiries regarding these podcasts may be directed to Evan Ren at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
If you have a suggested topic of conversation or a recommended guest, don’t hesitate to contact us!
BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Defensive Linemen
With football season fast approaching, it’s time to take a look at the players who will be making the biggest waves in 2019.
For the first installment in an eight-part series that will cover all position groups, we’ll be taking a look at the area’s top defensive linemen, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch this fall.
As with any such list, these rankings are subjective. We hope you enjoy reading through them.
DISTRICT PREDICTIONS: Evan and Dan make their picks
Without further ado it is time for us to make our Big Country predictions, district-by-district.
This is the culmination of several weeks of research and two solid months of summertime labor, so we’re more than ready to post it.
So dive in and study our take on the upcoming season, along with the more than 80 preseason stories we posted earlier today. Enjoy! We’ll see you on the road.
FEATURE: Big Spring’s Harris, Nelson ready to run
With a sophomore starter at quarterback for the third consecutive season, Big Spring will be leaning on the run game this fall to take pressure off its young signal caller and keep the chains moving.
Fortunately for first-year head coach Cannon McWilliams and his Steers, they’ve got a pair of explosive backs to share that heavy load.
Built about as different as two players could be, seniors C.J. Harris and Zephaniah Nelson may look at first glance like an odd couple. But put them together, and they form one dynamic duo.
BIG SPRING TEAM PREVIEW: Steers look to take step forward in McWilliams’ first season
BIG SPRING — Taking over the Big Spring football program after previously serving as the school’s defensive coordinator, coach Cannon McWilliams is excited about the Steers’ future.
His first order of business, though, is laying the foundation necessary to ensure that that forecast stays bright.
McWilliams believes he has the talent on his roster to improve on last season’s 3-9 mark, but his top priority in Year 1 is developing the type of program culture that will lead to long-term, sustainable success.
BCP COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: Big Spring Steers
Football is fast approaching, 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 Friday, Aug. 16. But you won’t have to wait until then to sate your gridiron appetite.
Running through 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 2019 as part of our “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.
After featuring Brownwood and Stephenville on Friday, we move to District 2-4A Division I with the Big Spring Steers. On Sunday, we will take a look at the Wylie Bulldogs, followed by the Cooper Cougars and Abilene High Eagles on Monday.
BCP BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AND SUPER DOZEN: Yeager claims top spot
On the heels of announcing our first-ever Big Country Preps Girls Athlete of the Year, it’s now time to announce our first boys winner.
Again, our Athlete of the Year and subsequent “Super Dozen” represent the Big Country Athletes who contributed the most to their athletic programs — most often over a broad range of disciplines.
So, at this time, Big Country Preps proudly announces its Boys Athlete of the Year: Kevin Yeager of De Leon.
BCP GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AND SUPER DOZEN: Masonheimer takes top spot
An Athlete of the Year award for the Big Country has been a long time coming, and Big Country Preps is officially ending the wait.
What better way to end our first school year than by honoring our top all-around athletes. By that, we mean those athletes who competed at a high level over a broad range of disciplines and had the biggest overall impact on their athletic programs (as nominated by area athletic directors).
So without further ado, we proudly announce our first Big Country Preps Girls Athlete of the Year: Anna Masonheimer of Eula.
From start to finish, Masonheimer was a key contributor to Eula’s athletic success during the 2018-19 school year, beginning with her helping the EHS cross country team reach the regional meet.
She was the MVP of Eula’s district champion basketball team, earning all state honors from both the Texas Association of Basketball coaches and the Texas Girls Coaches Association. But she was just getting started at that point.
Big Country Preps Baseball-Softball All-Hustle Team: Our hardest-working players!
OTHER 2019 ALL-BIG COUNTRY PREPS TEAMS
- ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS BASEBALL Superlative Awards (Pitcher of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, etc)
- ALL-BIG COUNTRY PREPS BASEBALL: First-Team Selections
- ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS BASEBALL: Second-Team Selections (plus honorable mention)
- ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS SOFTBALL: Superlative Awards (Pitcher of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, etc)
- ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS SOFTBALL: First-Team Selections
- ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS SOFTBALL: Second-Team Selections (plus honorable mention)
Our All-Big Country Preps Softball and Baseball Teams, released Friday and Saturday, respectively, are in place to honor those who achieved the most on-field success in 2019. 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 2019 season.
The players below are listed in no particular order.
All-Big Country Preps Baseball Superlatives: Heuertz, Dyer nab top spots
Here are our superlative award winners for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Baseball Team: First-Team Roster
Here are our first-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Baseball Team: Second-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)
Here are our second-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Softball Superlatives: Ellett, Washington headline squad
Here are our superlative award winners for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Softball Team: First-Team Roster
Here are our first-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Softball Team: Second-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)
Here are our second-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
2018-19 IN REVIEW: Softball (w/ two photo galleries)
Prior to the release of our All-Big Country Preps softball and baseball teams on Friday and Saturday, Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood will review the 2018-19 school year throughout this week and the top athletic stories produced by the area in football, boys and girls basketball, baseball and softball.
I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for fastpitch softball — I admit it.
A long time ago, it was common for men to play the game. My dad played it. I played it. So I still thoroughly enjoy getting to as many girls softball games as possible — just to see some fastpitch again.
So, it is with pleasure that I review the the 2019 season — the top teams, the top games, the top surprises and the clubs that are about to make a splash in 2020.
That said, it’s time to dive in.
Continue reading “2018-19 IN REVIEW: Softball (w/ two photo galleries)”
2018-19 IN REVIEW: Boys basketball (w/ two photo galleries)
Prior to the release of our All-Big Country Preps softball and baseball teams on Friday and Saturday, Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood will review the 2018-19 school year throughout this week and the top athletic stories produced by the area in football, boys and girls basketball, baseball and softball.
Any season that ends with two teams in the state tournament is a successful one, so the Big Country’s 2018-19 boys basketball campaign would certainly qualify.
With Brock advancing to the Alamodome in Class 3A and Jayton doing so in 1A, area teams kept us captivated until the final day of the high school season. And even those whose runs ended short of that ultimate goal gave us some great storylines to follow.
Today, we look back on the highlights of the most recent boys basketball season and remember the teams and games that helped make it such a special one.
Continue reading “2018-19 IN REVIEW: Boys basketball (w/ two photo galleries)”
PHOTO GALLERY: Daniel Youngblood’s top 100 softball photos for 2019
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery.
PHOTO GALLERY: 2019 FCA All-Star Softball Game (85 images)
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. Our company watermark “BigCountryPreps.com” will be removed from all purchased photos.
BCP Podcast No. 45: Evan, Daniel talk baseball with Clyde coach Rowley
Clyde baseball coach Colby Rowley has consistently fielded a strong product during his nine years coaching for his alma mater, and things are no different this season. His Bulldogs are currently 24-6 and slated to take on Bowie this weekend in the area round of the Class 3A playoffs.
Earlier this week, Rowley took a few minutes to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about this year’s team, his time at Clyde and more for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also on this week’s episode, Evan and Daniel recap last week’s baseball and softball playoff action and forecast this week’s slate of games.
GAME STORY: Big Spring softball advances past Glen Rose
The Big Spring softball team notched a 20-win season on Saturday with a 4-1 win over Glen Rose in a Region I-4A area round matchup at Abilene Christian University in the deciding game of their best-of-three series.
Glen Rose held off a Lady Steers rally in Game 2 for a 6-5 win that forced the winner-take-all situation.
BCP Podcast No. 44: Daniel Youngblood, Brandon McAuliffe discuss baseball, softball playoffs
The high school baseball and softball playoffs are in full swing, and the Big Country has a number of promising teams and intriguing story lines on both sides.
With Evan Ren out of pocket for the week, Daniel Youngblood is joined by contributor Brandon McAuliffe to discuss all of the top developments and matchups involving local and area baseball and softball teams in this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Daniel and Brandon chat about recent football coaching moves and give a rundown on all the programs that will have new faces in 2019.
PHOTO GALLERY: Iowa Park-Big Spring softball (48 images)
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery.
BCP Podcast No. 43: Wylie softball coach Collier joins show to talk district title, more
After rocky start to the season, the Wylie softball team rebounded to win a district title in its first season as a Class 5A program. Now, the Lady Bulldogs are set to open the Region I-5A playoffs with a best-of-three bi-district series against Canyon Randall on Friday and Saturday at Lubbock Cooper.
Earlier this week, 19th-year Wylie head coach Heather Collier took a few minutes to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about her team’s run to the District 4-5A championship, what awaits the Lady Bulldogs in the playoffs and more for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this week’s episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the best softball pitchers in the Big Country and give a run down of some of the top storylines on the local and area baseball scene.
Big Country Preps Player of the Week: Wylie duo splits this week’s award
Wylie juniors Kaylee Philipp and Bailey Buck share much in common.
They both split their time on the diamond between the pitcher’s circle and first base.
They are both leaders — in word and deed — for the now-District 4-5A champion Lady Bulldogs.
And most recently, they’ve both been selected to share our Big Country Preps Player of the Week honor for the week ending April 20.
BCP Podcast No. 42: Brownwood’s Lynn talks Lady Lion softball with Evan, Daniel
Led by senior ace Chyanne Ellett, the Brownwood softball team is in the midst of another outstanding season, sitting at 20-2-1 overall and 6-1 in District 74A heading into Thursday’s regular season finale against Mineral Wells.
Earlier this week, Lady Lions coach Jessica Lynn took some time to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about the season her team is having and what makes this group special for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this week’s episode, Evan and Daniel recap the latest developments and look ahead to the biggest games of the Big Country baseball and softball season.
FEATURE: Fun-loving Lady Steers hopeful of deep playoff run
BIG SPRING — While it is universally accepted that remaining focused is a good thing in athletics, there are those who believe it can be taken a bit too far … beyond the point of having any fun.
Case in point: the 12th-ranked Big Spring Lady Steers (16-7) who enter this week with a District 5-4A title already in their back pocket, despite putting the enjoyment of the game at a premium.
The Lady Steers have taken the uber-serious road before and it didn’t work out so well, allowing frustration to bubble over in some of their losses.
These days, Big Spring is taking a different tack — one were obsessing over success is actually viewed as a hindrance to success.
PHOTO GALLERY: Big Spring at Sweetwater softball (31 images) 4-12-19
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. Our company watermark “BigCountryPreps.com” will be removed from all purchased photos.
GAME STORY: Big Spring edges Sweetwater in twice-interrupted thriller (photo gallery to come late tonight)
SWEETWATER — Through 3½ hours, two lightning delays and five jams that saw runners in scoring position, Big Spring right-hander Maddie Daniels somehow managed the outward appearance of being calm in Friday’s game at Sweetwater.
That was for the benefit of her teammates.
On the inside, she was anything but relaxed as she battled through a marathon 4-3 win over their District 5-4A rival.
BCP Podcast No. 41: Breckenridge’s Bartley talks Buckaroo baseball with Evan, Daniel
First-year Breckenridge baseball coach Kevin Bartley has the Buckaroos in the midst of one of their best seasons ever. Fresh off a win last Friday over then-No. 1 Brock and a run-rule victory over Peaster on Monday, Bartley’s squad is 20-2 overall, 8-1 in District 7-3A play and ranked 12th in Class 3A.
This week, Bartley took a few minutes to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about the Brock victory, the season his team having and the future of his program for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the latest developments of the Big Country baseball and softball season.