Category: Boys basketball

by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s 2024 Gym Rat Team: The hardest-working players in the Big Country!

Scoring and rebounding is only part of the story when it comes to basketball. Behind the scenes and beyond the view of the public, is where character is often measured. And it is with our Big Country Preps Gym Rat Team that we salute the individuals who exude the most of it. 

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 effort, discipline, toughness, coachability and selflessness — traits that coaches love above all else and upon which championship foundations are built.

It is for that reason that our Gym Rat team is selected entirely by area coaches, described in their own words. And Big Country Preps is absolutely honored to present these individuals to you — the best “team players” (boys and girls) that the area had to offer during the 2023-24 season.

Players are listed in no particular order. 

Enjoy.

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by Evan Ren

2024 All-Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Superlatives: Stanaland, Rigdon, Gleaton, Lee and Bleiker all honored

Here are our superlative award winners for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

2024 All-Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Team: First-Team Roster

Here are our first-team selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

2024 All-Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Team: Second-Team Roster

Here are our second-team selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

2024 All-Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Team: Third-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)

Here are our third-team selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.

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by Evan Ren

2024 All-Big Country Preps Girls Basketball Rising Stars Team: The top freshmen and sophomores in the area!

Here is our 2024 All-Big Country Preps girls basketball Rising Stars team, comprised of the top freshmen and sophomores in the area. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jayton’s Gentry takes this week’s award

Big moments attract big-time players and our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, certainly made the most of his opportunity over the weekend. 

After scoring nine points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing four assists in a state semifinal win over Fayetteville last Thursday, Jayton sophomore Colt Gentry, saved his best for last in a 60-53 win over Benjamin in the 1A boys state title game on Saturday.

Gentry charted a team-high 19 points to go with six boards, four assists, a steal and a block to help the Jaybirds to the state title and earn state tourney MVP honors in the process. 

It was his second straight week of huge performances under pressure, the first of which helped the Jaybirds win the regional tournament.

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by Evan Ren

CLASS 1A BOYS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Jayton boys outlast Benjamin to take state title

Jayton coach Ryan Bleiker works one of the officials in Saturday’s 60-53 1A state title win over Benjamin in the Alamodome.

SAN ANTONIO — In three previous trips to the state tournament, coach Ryan Bleiker’s Jayton Jaybirds had fallen short in their quest for the program’s first-ever state championship. 

Trip No. 4, however, was the charm, ending in Saturday’s dramatic 60-53 win over highly touted Benjamin and star guard Grayson Rigdon at the Alamodome. 

Colt Gentry scored 19 points while Ayden Salazar and Sean Stanaland added 14 points each to pace Jayton (38-3), which fought its way through four ties and 12 lead changes to finally emerge on top in the end. 

Rigdon, who entered as one of the nation’s top scorers at more than 45 points per game, led the Mustangs (24-2) with a game-high 32 points. 

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Jayton uses suffocating defense to beat Fayetteville in 1A state semifinal

Fayetteville

SAN ANTONIO — The Fayetteville Lions entered Thursday’s state semifinal with Jayton as one of the highest-scoring 1A teams in Texas, having scored more than 100 points four times, including a peak of 111.

They left shooting 16 percent from the floor with three single-digit quarters and a 3-of-26 tally beyond the arc (11.5 percent) in a 65-26 blowout loss to the Jaybirds in the Alamodome. 

Sean Stanaland charted a career-high 32 points, nine boards and seven assists to lead Jayton (37-3), which advances to face fellow Big Country school, Benjamin (24-1), in Saturday’s 1A state title game at 8:30 a.m. in the same venue. Other top contributors for the Jaybirds included Colt Gentry with nine points, 11 rebounds and three steals, along with Griff Reel (seven points two assists, one steal).

By forcing the matchup with Benjamin, Jayton’s win guarantees a 1A boys state title for the Big Country, which hasn’t won a boys basketball state championship in any class since Eula did it in 2011.

Fayetteville finished its season at 32-6. Easton Jaeger was the only Lion in double digits, leading his team with 10 points. 

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Unsung heroes help lift Benjamin to convincing state semi win over Gordon

SAN ANTONIO — Entering Thursday’s Class 1A semifinal between Benjamin and Gordon, the prominent question being asked was on amount of production BHS could get from the supporting cast surrounding standout guard Grayson Rigdon. Could the Mustangs get enough points to support him and reach the title game? 

The answer following a 75-58 Benjamin win in the Alamodome was an unequivocal yes. While Rigdon led all scorers with 32 points, it was 15 points below his nation-leading average of 47 and presented the Longhorns with a more threats that they expected to deal with. 

Weston Weatherford tossed in 20 points and Jules Pugi added 13 more to help support Benjamin (23-1) which now advances to face Jayton (37-3) in Saturday’s 1A state title game at 8:30 a.m. 

Gordon closed its season at 21-7, led by Stryker Reed with 27 points and Brayden Walters with 11. 

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by Evan Ren

CLASS 1A STATE PREVIEW: Jayton, Gordon, Benjamin head to Alamo City

SAN ANTONIO — A 13-year championship drought for the Big Country may be on the verge of ending. 

Not since Eula’s Class 1A Division I boys basketball state championship way back in 2011 has a team from Texas’ Big Country area won a boys basketball state championship. This year, however, there are no fewer than three area teams converging for the Class 1A equivalent of the Final Four in San Antonio, giving the Big Country its best opportunity to put an end to the streak. 

Longtime area power Jayton (36-3) out of Region I, Region II champion Benjamin (23-1) and Region III champion Gordon (21-6) give the area three chances at cutting down the nets in the Alamodome. A fourth entry, Fayetteville (32-5), is the potential spoiler out of Region IV. 

Gordon and Benjamin will tip off in the first semifinal at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday. Jayton and Fayetteville will square off at 10 a.m. with the winners converging for Saturday’s 1A state championship game at 8:30 a.m. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Colorado City freshman takes this week’s award

As if the Big Country’s collection of softball catchers wasn’t already “scary-good,” the area can count a worrisome new addition to its ranks: Colorado City freshman Bryanna Munoz, our Big Country Preps Player of the Week for the week ending March 2.

How’s this for frightening? 

Munoz, who was in junior high only a year ago, was an absolute wrecking ball in last week’s Brownfield Tournament, hitting a combined .818 in the event with an 18 of 22 tally at the plate. But that’s not the half of it. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Young Gordon Longhorns earn program’s first state trip with OT win over No. 1 Graford

MANSFIELD — A year after making their region tournament debut, the still-youthful Gordon Longhorns are headed to state. And it took an overtime win over two-time defending state champion Graford in the Saturday’s Region III-1A championship game to secure the trip.

The Longhorns, who fell to Graford 61-37 in the region semis last year, rallied from down nine points in the third quarter and eight in the fourth in Saturday’s rematch to force overtime, before pulling away for a 42-34 win over the top-ranked Jackrabbits at Mansfield High School.

The victory improved eighth-ranked Gordon to 21-6 on the year and earned coach Shad Reed’s squad a spot in the state field, along with No. 2 Jayton (36-3), No. 3 Benjamin (23-1) and No. 12 Fayetteville (32-4). 

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Benjamin advances to state behind 34 points from Rigdon and an age-old tactic

SNYDER — When push came to shove, the run-and-gun Benjamin Mustangs borrowed a page from a very famous former coach at BHS (Don Haskins) to eliminate Eula 57-44 and win the Region II-1A Championship at the Western Texas College Coliseum.

Leading Eula 42-31 heading into the fourth quarter with star player Grayson Ridgon saddled with four fouls, Benjamin coach Aaron Kuehler went to the four-corners stall (a Haskins specialty) to limit possessions down the stretch, protect Rigdon and melt enough clock to advance to their second straight state tournament. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Jayton rallies past Texline for thrilling 51-46 win, earns another trip to state

LEVELLAND — The second-ranked Jayton Jaybirds trailed No. 4 Texline by six points on a pair of occasions — the last late in the third quarter — and saw their first two-possession lead narrowed to a single bucket with 51 seconds to play Saturday at South Plains College’s Texan Dome. 

But in a Region I-1A championship game full of punches and counterpunches, coach Ryan Bleiker’s squad landed the biggest and last, outscoring the Tornadoes 21-14 in the fourth quarter to escape Levelland with a thrilling 51-46 win.

Jayton, which trailed at the end of each of the first three periods, punched its ticket to the Class 1A state tournament in the process, earning its second consecutive trip to San Antonio and fourth in the last six years.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Eula uses big second quarter to take control in 51-40 win over Robert Lee

SNYDER — The Eula boys basketball team used a 19-4 run through the second quarter on Friday to overcame a slow start and steal the momentum for good in a 51-40 win over Robert Lee in the second Region II-1A semifinal at Western Texas College Coliseum.

The Pirates trailed 9-2 after eight minutes, but the big second period created enough cushion to keep the upset-minded Steers at bay the rest of the way.

Standout forward Clayton Gray fueled the effort for Eula, scoring all of his game-high 24 points after the first quarter to lead the Pirates (31-4) to the Region II-2A championship game, where they’ll face off with No. 3 Benjamin (22-1) on Saturday.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Benjamin survives test from Irion County, advances to Region II-1A title game

SNYDER — Irion County bottled up Benjamin and its star guard Grayson Rigdon for most of Friday’s Region II-1A semifinal at Western Texas College Coliseum, limiting the Mustangs to fewer points as a team than Rigdon has averaged per game this season.

But BHS showed it can win in more ways than one, closing out a defensive struggle on a 7-0 run to turn a late 35-34 deficit into a gutsy 41-35 victory.

Rigdon, who saw his season scoring average drop to 47.6 points per game, “only” scored 18 points in the win, relying on contributions from his teammates and strong team defensive performance to carry the day. But the Mustangs and their standout junior survived the challenge from a determined Irion County squad to improve to 22-1 on the season and earn a region championship date with Eula on Saturday.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Holliday pulls away in fourth quarter to spoil spirited effort by Jim Ned

HASKELL — The Jim Ned boys basketball team rallied from a double-digit deficit to pull within a single possession on a pair of occasions Tuesday in its Region I-3A quarterfinal matchup with the eighth-ranked Holliday Eagles.

But trailing by a narrow 32-30 margin with 2:52 remaining in the third quarter, the Indians ran out of gas in a 57-38 loss at the Haskell High School gym.

Jim Ned, which fell behind 10-0 to start the game and faced a 30-19 deficit at halftime, trailed just 39-34 heading into the final quarter. But fueled by 6-foot-8 standout Keitenn Bristow, who had eight of his game-high 20 points in the final quarter, the Eagles closed the game on an 18-4 run to advance to the Region I-3A tournament and end the Indians’ season at 27-9.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Robert Lee earns first regional tournament trip since 1995 with dominant win over Garden City

SAN ANGELO — There was bound to be a party on the corner of Hamilton Street and 13th Street in Robert Lee on Tuesday night after the Steers punched their first ticket to the regional tournament since making it to the state semifinals in 1995.

The Steers earned that right with a strong second half against Garden City as they claimed a 45-31 win at Stephens Arena in the Junell Center on the campus of Angelo State University.

Unlike the first two matchups between the District 11-1A rivals, won by RLHS 49-44 in January and 45-38 by GCHS earlier this month, this was for all the marbles and a regional tournament berth.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Anson freshman takes the spotlight

It may be a little too early to label Anson freshman softball pitcher Kayme Elrod as a star in the making. But our Big Country Preps Player of the Week is off to a pretty good start.

Last week her performance was nothing short of startling, both offensively and defensively.

In the circle, Elrod finished with a 5-0 record with a five-inning no hitter, a 0.77 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 27 innings of work.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Wichita Falls City View stuns Wall with buzzer beater in overtime

ANSON — To the naked eye, it was impossible to tell.

Slowed down on video? Still impossible.

All that mattered, however, was that the officials ruled William Jordan II released a shot a hair before the buzzer — and with it sent Wichita Falls City View on to the next round of the postseason with an astonishing 63-62 overtime win over Wall in a Region I-3A area-round game on Friday night at Tiger Gym.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Jim Ned rallies to defeat Brock in 3A area-round classic

COMANCHE — Through three ties, 11 lead changes, a host of clutch plays and 32 physical minutes, the Jim Ned Indians finally emerged as a 54-49 victor in Thursday’s 3A area round game with Brock at Comanche High School. 

Carter Wood scored a game-high 15 points and Carter Lange added nine more to lead Jim Ned (27-8), which rallied from a 11-point third-quarter deficit to advance to the Region I-3A quarterfinals. 

Brock closed its season at 28-8, led by Colt Matlock with 14 points and Jacoby Boxell with 12.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Rigdon scores 60 in area round blowout, moves closer to history

ABILENE — In what’s been a normal occurrence during his first three years of high school, Benjamin’s Grayson Rigdon had another monster night for the Mustangs on Thursday night at Wylie’s Bulldog Gym.

The junior scored 60 points as the Mustangs rolled past Hermleigh 108-40 to secure a regional quarterfinal appearance against the winner of Friday’s game between Cross Plains and Knox City.

It was just another big night for Rigdon, who entered the game with the 15th-best points per game average in United States history.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Jim Ned boys riding wave of momentum into area-round matchup with Brock

Generally speaking, playoff games are won by (A) teams that have played consistently well throughout the season, or (B) teams playing well at the right time. After a convincing 52-29 bi-district win over Blanco on Monday night, the Jim Ned boys basketball team can claim that the best answer in this case is (C) all of the above.

From the “marathon” perspective, the Indians have put together a 26-8 season, good by any standard. Though Jim Ned finished third in District 6-3A, it had the most victories overall of any team in the very competitive league, and the Indians knocked off co-district champ Wall late in the season.

As for the “stretch-run sprint” aspect of the Indians’ season, consider this: The thumping of Blanco represented the Indians’ sixth straight victory. There are few teams in the region that are hotter than Jim Ned.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Seymour plays well beyond its .500 record, eliminates Cisco 81-50

GRAHAM — Records can be deceiving. And in the case of the Seymour Panthers (16-15) that was certainly the case during Tuesday’s 81-50 win over Cisco in a Region II-2A bi-district matchup at Graham High School. 

The Panthers, who entered with a .500 record, were missing two key players during a brutal stretch that saw them start the season at 1-9 against a difficult schedule. Since then, SHS is 15-6 with a second-place finish in District 9 and five straight wins, including the Cisco victory.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Shocking end to regulation lifts Sweetwater to overtime win over Graham

With 0.11 seconds left on the clock, the Sweetwater boys basketball team was searching for a miracle against Graham on Tuesday night.

The Mustangs found it, barely.

Making the most of their second chance, Sweetwater drained a pair of free throws to tie the game before claiming a 64-60 win in overtime in a Region I-4A bi-district matchup at Wylie’s Bulldog Gym.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Hawley holds off upset-minded Archer City, advances to area round with 47-40 win

BRECKENRIDGE — The Hawley boys basketball team survived its first test of the Class 2A playoffs Monday, holding off a spirited effort by fourth-seeded Archer City to claim a 47-40 bi-district win over the Wildcats at the Breckenridge ISD Athletic and Fine Arts Center.

The District 10-2A champion Bearcats found themselves down 30-29 late in the third quarter and led by just a single point with 2:29 remaining in the game. But coach Mitch Ables’ team responded to every challenge mounted by Archer City, closing the game on a 7-0 run to earn an area-round matchup with No. 10 Poolville (28-5) later this week.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Albany survives bi-district scare from Windthorst, holds on for 51-50 win

BRECKENRIDGE — Leading Windthorst by 15 points heading into the fourth quarter, the Albany boys basketball team appeared poised to cruise to a comfortable victory in its playoff opener Monday at the Breckenridge ISD Athletic and Fine Arts Center.

But a furious comeback by the Trojans left the Lions anything but comfortable over the final eight minutes of the game.

Coach Ryder Peacock’s squad found itself tied at 47-all with just over two minutes remaining and led by just a single bucket (49-47) until a pair of Wyatt Windham free throws all but iced things with 14.1 seconds to play, allowing the Lions to escape with a nerve-wracking 51-50 bi-district win.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Merkel senior closes the curtain in a big way.

Merkel senior Kooper Darby picked the right time to post the best all-around game of his high school career. 

Playing in his final basketball game as a Merkel Badger, our Big Country Preps Player of the Week tallied a career-high 44 points to go with 16 rebounds, five assists, five steals in a 79-42 win over San Angelo Grape Creek. 

With the Badgers (17-16) missing the playoffs, Darby had a final opportunity to make an impact as a high schooler and he did — like a meteor. 

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by Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Sanderson’s growth helps Goldthwaite find groove 

Luke Sanderson has always been an all-around standout on the basketball court.  

But it wasn’t until the Goldthwaite junior changed his approach that the Eagles could reach their potential.

Sanderson’s growth as a decision-maker and trusting teammate is a crucial reason why Goldthwaite has become a threat when the Region IV-2A playoffs begin this week.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Carrillo’s late floater lifts Wylie to one-point over Cooper, into playoffs

After 12 district games and two thrilling head-to-head matchups yielded identical records, the Cooper and Wylie boys basketball teams needed a rubber match Friday to decide which of the two would represent District 4-5A as its fourth and final playoff team.

It was only fitting that the third meeting — like each of the two before it — would come down to the final seconds.

After scoring 19 points in a two-point Wylie win on Jan. 23, Isaiah Carrillo broke the Cougars’ heart a second time Friday at Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum, hitting a contested floater with 1.7 seconds left to lift the Bulldogs to a 44-43 victory and into the Region I-5A playoff bracket.

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hoops
by Evan Ren

Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Feb. 15): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 15.

This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Cooper boys knock off AHS to keep playoff hopes alive, deny Eagles share of district title

Hosting Cooper with a chance to clinch a share of the District 4-5A title, the Abilene High boys basketball team had plenty to play for Tuesday at Eagle Gym.

The stakes were even higher for the Cougars, who were playing their fourth straight must-win game after opening league play with a 2-6 record.

In the end, desperation won out, as Cooper kept its playoff hopes alive once again, knocking off its chief rival 57-49 in the regular season finale for both teams to force a play-in game against Wylie on Friday for the district’s fourth and final playoff spot.

The victory marked the fourth in as many games for the Cougars, who have beaten two of the top three teams in 4-5A during their improbable district-closing run.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cisco senior takes this week’s top spot

Doing a bit of everything is a specialty of Cisco senior guard Cole Thompson, who takes our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award after a pair of big nights in an 88-53 win over Hamlin and a 57-51 loss to Albany last week.

Thompson opened on Tuesday with 29 points, five assists, four steals and three boards in the Hamlin win. He followed that with a near triple-double that saw him tally 16 points, 10 boards, eight assists and two steals against Albany on Friday. 

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