Category: Big Spring Steers

by Daniel Youngblood

District 2-4A Div. I Week 7 Report: Sans QB Baeza, Big Spring struggles at Pampa

Pampa 58, Big Spring 7 — Playing without standout quarterback Gabriel Baeza, the Steers had a rough night in Pampa, turning the ball over five times in a blowout loss to the Harvesters.

Trailing just 10-7 after Gavin Padron hit Devin Manning with a touchdown pass about five minutes into the second quarter, Big Spring (5-2) allowed 48 unanswered points the rest of the way, falling behind 23-7 by halftime.

Led by Padron (43-60-3—285, 1 TD passing), Kavien Ford (9-71 rushing, 11-71 receiving) and Manning (12-82, 1 TD receiving), the Steers finished with 373 total yards. But they were hurt by three interceptions and two lost fumbles and allowed four scoring plays of 40 yards or more in surrendering 461 yards to Pampa.

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by Evan Ren

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 …

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by Evan Ren

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.

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by Evan Ren

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. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

District 2-4A Div. I Week 6 Report: Fort Stockton, Big Spring stay hot; Andrews drops tough one to Hereford

Fort Stockton 44, Crane 8 — The Panthers enjoyed their second straight blowout win, following last week’s 42-0 rout of Pecos with a lopsided victory over Crane.

Fort Stockton (5-1) led 15-0 after a quarter and increased that lead to 38-8 by halftime, setting the tone for the rest of the night.

The Panthers outgained the Cranes 532-220, rushing for 428 yards on 36 carries in the win. Quarterback Dominic led the way for Fort Stockton, rushing for 190 yards and three touchdowns on just nine carries while passing for 104 yards and two more scores. Isaiah Garcia also had a nice game, rushing for 95 yards and one TD and receiving for 84 yards and another score.

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by Evan Ren

BCP GAME OF THE WEEK: Big Spring holds off Littlefield rally

Gabriel Baeza

BIG SPRING — Their execution may not have been up to coach Cannon McWilliams’ standards. But at the end of the night, the Big Spring Steers were athletic enough to wrestle a 47-29 win away from Littlefield in the Big Country Preps Game of the Week.

Gabriel Baez threw for 319 yards, rushed for 167 and accounted for seven touchdowns to lead Big Spring (5-1) which led from the first quarter onward. 

Ethan Garcia topped the stat sheet for Littlefield (3-3) with 186 yards passing and 89 yards rushing. 

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by Evan Ren

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? 

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by Evan Ren

CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Snyder’s Benitez takes the top spot

Defensive specialists seldom get the attention they deserve in volleyball. Not unlike offensive linemen in football, who do the dirty work behind the scenes that enables the glamour positions to shine. 

That isn’t the case at Big Country Preps, where we take pride in giving credit to those willing to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty. 

Snyder libero Abby Benitez, perhaps the best defender in the entire Big Country, fits that mold and has captured our Capital Farm Credit/Big Country Preps Player of the Week award for the week ending Sept. 25. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

District 2-4A Div. I Week 5 Report: Big Spring pulls away in second half to blow out Clint

Big Spring 42, Clint 16 — Leading the Lions 13-10 after a quarter and 20-16 at halftime, the Steers outscored Clint 22-0 the rest of the way to turn a tight game into a blowout.

Led by quarterback Gabriel Baeza, who passed for 254 yards and four touchdowns, Big Spring outgained the Lions 407-283 in improving to 4-1 on the season.

Kaegen Mitchell led all Steer receivers with 10 catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns, while Quetavian Lewis caught a pair of passes for 96 yards and a score and Eli Cobos had four receptions for 86 yards and two TDs. Adonis Lewis paced the defensive effort with nine tackles.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Jim Ned, Snyder clash in battle of unbeatens (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country picks)

LAST WEEK: 36-16, .692
OVERALL: 163-46, .779

After four straight weeks of picking 80 percent or better, the USS Ren ran aground last Friday, bottoming out with a season-low .692 percentage and dropping my season tally to .779.

I generally like to be above 80 percent by midseason, so last Friday served as a wakeup call. Actually, it was more of a gut punch. But I’ll get over it.

This week’s Big Country Preps Game of the Week will see me traveling to Snyder, where the unbeaten Class 4A Tigers will play host to 3A DI state champion Jim Ned in what should be an absolutely electric atmosphere. 

You all set? Let’s dive in to this week’s picks. 

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Volleyball Statistical Leaders (through Sept. 21)

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.

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by Daniel Youngblood

District 2-4A Div. I Week 4 Report: Big Spring tops Brownfield in weather-shortened game

Big Spring 7, Brownfield 6 — The Steers had their homecoming game against the Cubs called in the first quarter due to lightning.

After Brownfield took an early lead with a long touchdown run, Big Spring (3-1) answered with a scoring drive, going up by one on Gabriel Baeza’s three-yard pass to Sa’Quan Fizer. But the game was stopped there, with the Steers outgaining the Cubs 49-47.

Baeza had completed four of his five passes for 24 yards and a score while adding a 14-yard run. But the Steers were able to run just seven offensive plays before play was stopped.

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Volleyball Statistical Leaders (through Sept. 14)

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.

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by Daniel Youngblood

District 2-4A Div. I Week 3 Report: Monahans hands Big Spring its first loss

Monahans 28, Big Spring 13 — The Loboes answered a first-quarter touchdown by the Steers with 20 unanswered points over the middle two periods and held off Big Spring from there for the victory.

The win kept Monahans (3-0) unbeaten, while coach Cannon McWilliams’ Steers (2-1) suffered their first loss of the season.

Big Spring, which was outgained 398-304, was led once again by quarterback Gabriel Baeza, who passed for 200 yards and rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns. The senior signal caller did throw two interceptions, though, for just his second and third picks of the year.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Brady cancels, Ren goes scrambling (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)

LAST WEEK: 42-9, .823
SEASON TOTAL: 85-21, .801

I was very much looking forward to our Big Country Preps Game of the Week – Coleman (2-0) at Brady (2-0). Unfortunately, COVID intervened by midweek, forcing a cancellation of the contest.

On a positive note, there are several other quality games throughout the area for us to focus on, and (taking a bow) the column is already hitting over 80 percent on picks and we’re only in Week 3.

Numbers of that sort are generally reserved for Weeks 7-10, so I’m feeling pressure to keep the early momentum going.

In the absence of our Game of the Week, I’ll be heading to Cross Plains on Friday, where Haskell will be paying a visit to the Buffaloes (COVID allowing, of course).

Let’s dive in to this week’s picks:

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by Evan Ren

CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Big Spring QB Baeza takes top spot

Much of the Big Country remains unaware of him. But Big Spring senior Gabriel Baeza has begun to post numbers that demand attention, and he’s starting to get it. 

His latest effort: 374 yards passing for three touchdowns in a 49-10 win over Lubbock High School to push Big Spring to a 2-0 start.

This week’s Capital Farm Credit/Big Country Preps Player of the Week also rushed 12 times for 56 yards and three additional scores, giving him a direct hand in six TDs. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

District 2-4A Div. I Week 2 Report: Baeza fuels Steers to rout of Lubbock High

Big Spring 49, Lubbock High 10 — Gabriel Baeza passed for 374 yards and three touchdowns and ran for three more scores to lead the undefeated Steers to a blowout win over the Westerners. 

Big Spring (2-0), which outgained Lubbock High 456-272 and won the turnover battle 4-1, built a 21-10 lead by halftime and shut out the Westerners over the final two periods.

In addition to Baeza’s big game, which included 56 yards rushing, the Steers got big receiving games from Eli Cobos (8-140, 1 TD), Kaegen Mitchell (4-71, 2 TDs), Kavien Ford (7-70) and Maverick Yanez (6-52).

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by Evan Ren

CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Dublin’s Chris Teten snags our first award of the school year


 

Prior to the season, we listed Dublin’s Chris Teten among our Top 10 area quarterbacks to watch in 2021. And he wasted no time in demonstrating why. 

Only a junior, Teten threw for 310 yards and five scores in a 43-14 win over area rival De Leon to capture our first Capital Farm Credit/Big Country Preps Player of the Week award for the 2020-21 school year. 

Hitting 16 of 26 throws, Teten threw a 69-yard TD pass on the first play from scrimmage, setting the tone for the rest of the evening. With the game in hand, he played a little more than a half before being taken out. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

District 2-4A Div. I Week 1 Report: Baeza leads way as Steers rally past Lions

Big Spring 31, Vernon 22 — The Steers kicked off their season with a come-from-behind win, rallying from a 22-15 fourth-quarter deficit with pair of touchdowns by quarterback Gabriel Baeza.

The senior signal caller put the Steers up 23-22 with an 11-yard touchdown strike to Eli Cobos before putting the game on ice a little later with an eight-yard TD run. Baeza passed for 321 yards and three touchdowns and led Big Spring (1-0) in rushing with 59 yards and a score on 12 carries.

The Steers, who outgained the Lions 391-274 and won the turnover battle 3-2, also got a big game from receiver Kaegen Mitchell, who caught 11 passes for 138 yards and a score, while fellow receiver Quetavian Lewis added 78 yards and a score on five receptions.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Stephenville play host to Sweetwater (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)

LAST WEEK: 0-0, .000
SEASON TOTAL 0-0, .000

At last, here we are. 

The 2021 football season has arrived, giving us a much-needed diversion every Friday night, in isolated spots all over Central Texas. As always, I will endeavor to pick the winner of all our area games, from Class 1A through Class 6A, with the top matchup serving as our Big Country Preps Game of the Week.

Our first spotlight game should come as no surprise, with long-time Hamlin coach Russell Lucas debuting as the head coach of the Sweetwater Mustangs — one of the most -storied programs in the Big Country.

Their opposition?

The Stephenville Yellow Jackets at Tarleton State’s Memorial Stadium. 

With that, let’s dive into the picks, shall we? 

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Quarterbacks

After a week of highlighting area playmakers, we wrap up our eight-part preseason position rankings series with the Big Country’s best signal callers.

To complete our look at the area’s top players, we’ve ranked our top 10 quarterbacks with a list of others to watch in 2021.

We hope you enjoy this list and that you’ve enjoyed our position rankings as we get set to kickoff a new season.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Running Backs

As we wind down our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we arrive finally 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 backs, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch in 2021. Don’t forget to check in Wednesday night when we conclude our series with the top 10 area quarterbacks.

We hope you enjoy tonight’s list and encourage you to check out the other position groups, which are linked below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

We’re approaching the final 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 linemen, we now shift our attention to the playmakers on the perimeter, ranking our top 10 wide receivers/tight ends with a list of others to watch in 2021.

We hope you enjoy our list and encourage you to check out the other position groups, which are linked below.   

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Offensive Linemen

With the defensive and special teams rankings behind us, it’s time to look at the area’s top offensive players. And we’ll start with the foundation of any productive offense: the offensive line.

For the fifth installment of our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we turn our attention to the trenches, ranking the Big Country’s top 10 offensive linemen with a list of others to watch in 2021.

We hope you enjoy reading through our rankings.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Football 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 10 kickers and top three 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 2021 season.

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