Category: Boys basketball

by Daniel Youngblood

THIS WEEK IN BOYS BASKETBALL: There’s still plenty to be decided as we approach end of regular season

We’re down to the final scheduled date of the boys basketball regular season, but there’s still plenty to be decided on the Big Country hoops scene.

Included on Tuesday’s slate are a number of matchups with district title implications and several others that will either decide or help decide playoff berths.

Here’s a peek at some of the biggest games on tap this week, as well as a look back at some of last week’s most influential results:

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by Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Lavender, Eagles adjusting well to new roles

By Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

Austin Lavender has grown up around the game he loves.

The Brock junior is the prototypical coach’s kid. He remembers all the trips taken to gyms across the state. He recalls walking down the stairs while his mom was coaching at SMU and watching Hall of Famer Larry Brown lead a practice.

“Whether it was going to games, going to practices, riding on the bus, or flying on the plane with the team, I was always around the game I loved,” Lavender said. “I was fortunate to be able to be around and watch players at the collegiate level and see what it takes to get there.”

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Cougars rally past Lubbock Cooper for thrilling win, keep playoff hopes alive

For the Cooper boys basketball team to have any shot at the postseason, the Cougars entered Friday night knowing they needed to beat District 4-5A leader Lubbock Cooper while getting an Abilene High win over Wylie at the same time.

With games at Cougar Gym running behind due to the Pirates suffering a bus breakdown in Snyder, the Cougars were in prime position to know if their game on Senior Night meant that they’d be playing for their playoff lives in the second half.

Abilene High did its part, edging Wylie 65-64 at Bulldog Gym, and Jordan Willis capped a monumental comeback with an off-balance 3-pointer with 27 seconds to help the Cougars complete a wild rally in the final six minutes of the game and earn a thrilling 42-39 win at Cougar Gym.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High wins wild one at Wylie to stay in District 4-5A title hunt

Needing a road win over Wylie to stay in the District 4-5A title race, the Abilene High boys basketball team secured the result it was looking for Friday at Bulldog Gym. But getting there was anything but easy.

The Eagles got all they could handle from a shorthanded Bulldogs squad, which rallied from a trio of 13-point deficits in the third quarter to take a five-point lead with less than four minutes remaining in the game. But coach Justin Reese’s squad had the final run in a second half that was full of them to escape with a thrilling 65-64 victory.

Down 61-56 with 3:53 to play, AHS responded with nine consecutive points, using a pair of Tyson Thompson free throws to ice the game late before a Will Evans 3-pointer at the buzzer pulled the final margin to one. Continue reading “GAME STORY: Abilene High wins wild one at Wylie to stay in District 4-5A title hunt” →

by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Indians avenge loss to Wall, knock Hawks out of first place in district race

TUSCOLA — On paper, Friday’s game between Wall and Jim Ned, meant little for the Indians, who had no mathematical chance of catching the Hawks for the No. 2 seed.  Nor were they in any danger of losing the No. 3 seed they had already clinched. 

They were, however, playing their archrival, to whom they lost to on Jan. 16 and who arrived at Bill Thornton Arena tied for first place in District 6-3A.  It was the perfect opportunity for the Indians to kill two birds with one stone and they did just that — avenging their earlier loss with a 43-29 win over Wall while knocking their rivals out of first place. 

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Feb. 8): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 8.

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 Evan Ren

SIGNING DAY 2024: Multiple area athletes have now inked their commitments

With National Signing Day taking place on Wednesday, the Big Country, as always, saw a large number of athletes finalize their commitments to compete at the next level. 

Headliners among this year’s signees include Albany running back Adam HIll and Hawley receiver Chandlin Myers, both of whom signed early with Texas Tech University. 

Stephenville offensive lineman Creece Brister (TCU) and Comanche defensive back Kyler Beaty (Baylor) also inked their letters early. They’re joined Brock offensive/defensive lineman Hunter Fay (Navy) and standout hurdler Dylan Foster (Army) as the top signees in the Big Country Preps coverage area.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Hot-shooting Jim Ned boys run away from Clyde to cap dominant doubleheader sweep

TUSCOLA — Facing off with a Clyde squad playing for its postseason life, the Jim Ned boys basketball snuffed out any hope of an upset early Tuesday, raining down one 3-pointer after another in the early stages of a 66-30 win at Bill Thornton Arena.

The Indians knocked down five 3s in the first quarter and four more in the second to build a 38-19 lead by halftime and cruised from there to the 36-point victory, clinching their own playoff berth in the process.

The win capped a near perfect night for Jim Ned, which secured a 75-13 win in the girls game to kick off the doubleheader sweep.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: San Angelo TLCA blocks Coahoma’s upset bid; Bulldogettes head to postseason with a win

SAN ANGELO — Lonnie Burnam knew that his Coahoma boys basketball team would need to play a near perfect game on Tuesday night to be able to knock off District 6-3A co-leader San Angelo TLCA.

For 17-plus minutes, he got everything that he wanted out of his team.

The rest of the game, however, was a different story and the Eagles pulled away for a 71-52 win as they remained tied with Wall atop the district standings.

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by Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Hawley football standout Ramon proving to be equally dangerous in hoops

By Zach Duncan, special to Big Country Preps

At least once every game, Diontay Ramon leaves Hawley boys basketball coach Mitch Ables shaking his head.

“He’s so explosive that sometimes when you’re watching him, he does something that’s just ridiculous,” Ables said. “Whether it’s a block or maybe he hits his head on the backboard. He hasn’t had many dunks this year, but he had a good one against Hamlin.”

Ramon is best known around the Big County for his football exploits. He caught 82 passes for 1,545 yards and 19 touchdowns for the Bearcats last fall and is currently deciding on where he’ll play the sport in college.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Rigdon has another huge week

Benjamin LogoBenjamin’s Grayson Rigdon has been posting such overwhelming numbers for so long, that people scarcely blink when upon hearing of his latest exploits. 

So here we go again: Rigdon is our Big Country Preps Player of the Week after posting monstrous numbers in wins over Munday (81-60) and Electra (99-74).

In the Munday win, the junior guard tallied 41 points, nine assists and eight steals. Three nights later, he charted 51 points, six assists and 10 steals to help the Mustangs improve to 15-0 overall and 10-0 in district. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

THIS WEEK IN BOYS BASKETBALL: Key under-the-radar matchups headline intriguing slate

The regular season is winding down, and many district races — both for championships and playoff spots — have taken shape. But with another week and a half remaining before we shift our attention to the postseason, there’s still plenty of intrigue remaining for area boys basketball fans.

This week’s slate, in particular, may seem light on marquee matchups, but there are several under-the-radar games worth keeping an eye on as several Big Country squads fight for their playoff lives or to improve their postseason seeding.

We hope you enjoy this look at the biggest matchups the Big Country boys basketball schedule has to offer this week and some notes on last week’s most important happenings.

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: Why do coaches even bother?

If I were to ask one question of every high school coach in America – just one – it would be … why bother?

Yes … why bother?

While that may sound vague to some, it will quickly make sense to coaches and to those who have been paying attention.

Put simply, a once-thankless profession has sunk even lower than that (if that’s possible) – making me wonder if it’s worth the effort.

Continue reading “EVAN REN: Why do coaches even bother?” →

by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Stephenville girls get defensive in big home win over Brownwood; Jackets rally past Lions

STEPHENVILLE — Needing a win over rival Brownwood to lock up the No. 2 playoff seed out of District 6-4A, the Stephenville Honeybees turned up the defensive pressure Friday night on their home floor.

SHS limited the visiting Lady Lions to just six field goals and didn’t allow more than seven points in any quarter on their way to a thorough 38-24 victory.

The win, which avenged a 43-37 road loss to Brownwood on Jan. 17, kicked off a doubleheader sweep for Stephenville, which saw their boys rally from an early deficit to pull away for a 52-39 victory.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Goldthwaite sweeps vital doubleheader at San Saba

SAN SABA — It was a big night in the enemy camp for the Goldthwaite basketball teams on Friday, handing archrival San Saba a pair of convincing losses in a crucial District 29-2A varsity doubleheader.

The Goldthwaite Lady Eagles (28-3, 11-0) opened the evening with 59-42 win to clinch first place in the district standings. The GHS boys (17-9, 8-1) followed with a 56-40 win in the nightcap to pull into a first-place tie with Johnson City. 

For the Lady Dillos (27-5, 9-2) the loss ended their hopes of forcing a tie with Goldthwaite atop the district standings. The San Saba boys (17-13, 6-4) have now slipped from contention for the No. 2 seed, but retain sole possession of third place. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Lubbock-Cooper escapes AHS with fourth-quarter rally

Fans showed up to Eagle Gym on Friday night with the expectation of seeing a massive showdown for the District 4-5A boys basketball lead between Abilene High and Lubbock Cooper.

The Eagles entered the contest with a 9-1 record this year on their home court and claimed a 57-56 win at Lubbock Cooper during the first round of district play.

Lubbock Cooper returned the favor with a 61-57 win, tightening its grip on the district lead with three games to go as the Pirates search for their first district championship since 2003.

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Feb. 1): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 1.

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 Brandon McAuliffe

UIL REALIGNMENT: Some basketball coaches caught by surprise with new districts

While most of the focus on the University Interscholastic League’s biennial realignment is centered on how it will impact the football landscape, it wasn’t just that one sport that was affected on Thursday.

The area basketball and volleyball landscape saw a seismic shift in its layout, too — all while the hoops programs are tied up in the thick of playoff races for this year.

One of the biggest shocks came in the form District 4-5A with Abilene High, Cooper and Wylie.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Hawley boys take control of District 10-2A race with win at Cisco; No. 14 Lady Loboes roll

CISCO — Traveling to Cisco with a chance to take firm control of the District 10-2A boys race with a win, the Hawley Bearcats did exactly that Tuesday, riding a strong defensive effort and big third quarter to a 57-48 victory and two-game lead in the loss column over both Cisco and Albany with three games to play.

Hawley, which limited Cisco to just one first-quarter point and led 20-13 at halftime, outscored the Loboes 23-11 in the third quarter and increased its lead to a game-high 23 points in the fourth before holding off a furious Cisco rally late.

The victory completed a season sweep of Cisco for the Hawley boys, who secured a split of Tuesday’s doubleheader after the 14th-ranked Lady Loboes doubled up the Lady Cats 64-32 in the girls game.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Monterey sweeps Cooper, jeopardizing Coogs’ playoff hopes; girls eliminated

The Cooper boys basketball team entered Tuesday night’s game against Lubbock Monterey at Cougar Gym knowing that it had its back against the wall in the hunt for one of the four playoff berths out of District 4-5A.

After a 50-40 loss, the Cougars’ playoff hopes are now in dire straits as CHS will need to win its final four games to have a shot at the postseason.

First-year coach Michael Bacon knows how tough the challenge is ahead of his squad.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Eula’s Clayton Gray claims this week’s top spot

The 15th-ranked Eula Pirates (22-3) needed sweep of Baird and Cross Plains to finish the first half of district play at 5-0 and they did just that with the help of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week. 

Senior forward Clayton Gray posted big numbers in both contests, beginning with a double-double of 32 points and 14 boards in the Baird win. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

THIS WEEK IN BOYS BASKETBALL: Several district leads on the line in loaded area slate

As a fan of high school basketball, I generally have no trouble finding area matchups I find interesting. Browsing this week’s slate, I had more trouble finding games that weren’t.

As we continue to barrel toward the boys basketball playoffs, we’ll see a number of Big Country district races take shape this week as league leads will be on the line in a number of marquee matchups.

If, like me, you enjoy hoops action, there should be plenty to pique your interest on both Tuesday and Friday. Here’s a look at the week to come:

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Surging Mustangs looking to put Sweetwater boys basketball program back on the map

In addition to raising eyebrows every Wednesday and Saturday as fans check the boys basketball scores from the previous night’s District 5-4A games, a group of players wearing red and white have embarked on an even more meaningful quest this winter.

“We would love to be able to put Sweetwater basketball back on the map,” first-year head coach Dillon Gainey said.

So far, so good for the Mustangs, who defeated San Angelo Lake View 73-66 on Friday to improve to 4-1 in district play. Halfway through league action, they are sitting in second place and hold a 15-10 overall record. Sweetwater’s only league loss was to state powerhouse Lubbock Estacado in a game that was close for most of three quarters before the Matadors pulled away.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High girls gut out big home win over Lubbock High; boys cruise past Westerners

Entering Friday with just a one-game lead on crosstown rival Cooper after the Lady Cougars upset Wylie on Tuesday, the Abilene High girls basketball team needed to protect its home court against Lubbock High to maintain a comfortable hold on District 4-5A’s fourth playoff spot.

Led by junior guard Myra Thomas and senior forward Samara Padgitt, the Lady Eagles did just that, fending off a spirited effort from the Lady Westerners to secure a 66-61 win at Eagle Gym.

Thomas scored a game-high 17 points, while Padgitt came off the bench to provide 15 points — 13 in the second half — to kick off a doubleheader sweep for AHS, which saw its boys cruise to 54-21 win Friday’s late game.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Roscoe, Miles split difficult doubleheader with back-to-back thrillers

ROSCOE — The Roscoe boys and girls basketball teams entered Friday’s doubleheader with Miles in the thick of their respective District 8-2A title races. And both needed to earn wins to solidify their positions heading into the stretch run. 

Miles, however, didn’t arrive in a cooperative mood —defeating Roscoe 49-44 in an intense girls game before falling 49-46 in another nail-biter on the boys’ side.

With its win in the girls game, Miles (21-7, 6-1) retained a piece of first place in District 8-2A (tied with Coleman), while pushing Roscoe (16-12, 4-3) to two games behind the lead in third place.  With their win in the nightcap, the Roscoe boys (14-11, 5-0) took sole possession of first place in the league race with five games to play, while dropping Miles (20-9, 4-1) to second.

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 25): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Jan. 25.

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 Evan Ren

Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 25): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Jan. 25.

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: Carrillo scores 19 as Wylie boys rally past Cooper for key district win

There’s not a lot separating the Wylie and Cooper boys basketball teams. That much is clear is after two meetings between the squads.

But thanks to WHS’ 51-49 home victory over the Cougars on Tuesday, which avenged a 56-52 overtime loss to CHS on Dec. 19, the Bulldogs now hold a two-game edge on their crosstown rival for one of District 4-5A’s final two playoff spots.

Paced by junior point guard Isaiah Carrillo, who scored a game-high 19 points, Wylie rallied from a 43-39 fourth-quarter deficit to snap a mini two-game losing streak and hand the Cougars their second consecutive one-possession loss.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Comanche’s Glasgow claims this week’s accolade

She’s third in the Big Country in scoring (17.9 points per game). She’s tied for 10th in the area with more than 40 made 3s. She hits 74 percent of her foul shots (12th in the Big Country). She’s second in the area in steals at 5.8 per game and she’s second the Big Country in pass deflections at 6.0. 

So is anyone really surprised that Comanche junior Kinsey Glasgow has put forward another effort worthy of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award? 

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by Daniel Youngblood

THIS WEEK IN BOYS BASKETBALL: Key games dot schedule as most district races reach midpoint

We’ve reached the midway point of the district schedule in most area boys basketball leagues, and district championship and playoff races are heating up.

As one might expect with February approaching, the Big Country slate is full of meaningful games. 

With that in mind, it’s time to renew our winter custom of taking a look at the most important games on the horizon and a peak back at last week’s most important results.

We hope you enjoy.

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