Here are the standings for all boys basketball districts involving Big Country schools through Feb. 13 (with Tuesday’s results, Friday’s schedule):
Category: Breckenridge Buckaroos
BCP Podcast No. 81: Evan, Daniel talk Ballinger boys hoops with coach Jamal Anene
In his four years as Ballinger’s boys basketball coach, Jamal Anene has built the Bearcats into a consistent playoff team. The same is true this year of BHS, which enters a big game Friday against San Angelo TLCA at 23-8 overall and 8-2 in District 4-3A.
Earlier this week, Anene took a few minutes to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about this season, his goals for the program and his unique background for the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the end of the girls basketball regular season and some of the biggest storylines in the final week of boys district games.
GAME STORY: Brock sweeps Breckenridge in district doubleheader.
BROCK — The Breckenridge Buckaroos arrived in Brock ready to play on Tuesday, with a No. 2 seed in the playoffs in the balance.
They left in third place, after seeing a strong early effort was gradually whittled away by a Brock inside game for which they had no solution in a 58-41 win for the Eagles.
Brock’s win in the boys game capped a two-game varsity sweep for the Eagles, who also took the girls game 68-20 before the boys took the floor.
Nathan Jones scored 15 points and Zane Cook added 12 more to pace Brock (24-9, 10-2), which holds a one-game lead on Breckenridge for the No. 2 seed in district with two games to play, along with a tie-breaker by virtue of a season sweep of the Buckaroos.
FEATURE: Breckenridge’s Medina given the green light to attack at any time
BRECKENRIDGE — He has quietly become the top scorer in the Big Country, at least from the perspective of most area fans.
But make no mistake, opposing coaches are keenly aware of Breckenridge senior guard Aaryn Medina, and have utilized virtually every known method to slow him down, to no avail.
Medina, who tops the area scoring chart with a 23.7 point-per-game average, may not be on your personal radar screen. Having missed much of last basketball season with a broken tibia suffered during football, his name seldom surfaced in media circles. And even after he did return, he was less than 100 percent while still recovering from the injury.
He is also notably efficient. So efficient, in fact, that he is taking a rather inconspicuous 15 shots per game — far fewer shots than most top scorers would take over the course of 32 minutes.
BIG COUNTRY GIRLS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Feb. 7)
Big Country Preps publishes area boys and girls basketball statistical leaders each Thursday 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.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
BIG COUNTRY BOYS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Feb. 7)
Big Country Preps publishes area boys and girls basketball statistical leaders each Thursday 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.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
UIL hands out its share of surprises to area schools (w/ five video interviews)
ABILENE — The University Interscholastic league released its new athletic districts for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years on Monday.
As always, a sizable contingent of area coaches was on hand at the Region 14 Education Service Center to receive their information packets and arrange for any last-second schedule changes that were forced by realignment.
Perhaps the biggest stunner was a move north by Class 2A Division I power San Saba, which has been shifted to the new District 4 with Cisco, Coleman, De Leon, Goldthwaite and Winters.
If you’re not subscribed at Big Country Preps yet, here’s what you missed last month …
If you’re not subscribed at BigCountryPreps.com yet, this is what you’ve missed over the past month:
— 16 player features,
— On-site coverage of 18 of the area’s top games
— Boys and girls stat leaders (updated weekly)
— Area standings (updated twice weekly)
— Columns
— Our All-Big Country Preps football teams
— Evan Ren’s Big Country True Grit Football Team
— Four BCP Players of the Week
— Breaking sports stories.
For as little as $3 per month you can gain access to the most comprehensive coverage of high school football, basketball, baseball, softball and track in the Big Country.
We have three low subscription options for you to choose from — monthly, semiannual and annual — with prices that always stay the same. No sign-up gimmicks here.
Here’s a look at the entirety of our January coverage (plus links):
BIG COUNTRY BOYS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Jan. 30)
Big Country Preps publishes area boys and girls basketball statistical leaders each Thursday 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.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
BIG COUNTRY GIRLS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Jan. 30)
Big Country Preps publishes area boys and girls basketball statistical leaders each Thursday 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.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
BCP Podcast No. 79: Geter talks Cooper girls hoops turnaround with Evan, Daniel
Sitting at 22-8 overall and 4-1 in District 4-5A play, the Cooper girls basketball team is in the midst of its best season in more than a decade under the leadership of first-year coach Arsenio Geter.
Earlier this week, Geter took a few minutes to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about the Lady Cougars’ turnaround, the goals for the remainder of the season and the future of the program for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss some of the Big Country’s biggest surprises of the boys and girls basketball season.
BIG COUNTRY BOYS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Jan. 23)
Big Country Preps publishes area boys and girls basketball statistical leaders each Thursday 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.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
BIG COUNTRY GIRLS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Jan. 23)
Big Country Preps publishes area boys and girls basketball statistical leaders each Thursday 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.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
BCP Podcast No. 78: Eula’s Josh Fostel talks Pirate hoops with Evan, Daniel
Under longtime boys basketball coach Josh Fostel, the Eula Pirates have been among the best and most consistent Class 1A programs in the state. And EHS, which reached the state semifinals in 2007 before winning the state championship in 2011, has another strong team this year, sitting at 19-6 after routing Moran on Tuesday.
Earlier this week, Fostel took a few minutes to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about this year’s team, its 62-56 upset of Class 4A Brownwood last week and the program he’s built for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss some of the biggest boys and and girls basketball storylines of the season so far.
BIG COUNTRY BOYS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Jan. 16)
Each Thursday at 7 p.m., Big Country Preps will publish area boys basketball statistical leaders.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
BIG COUNTRY GIRLS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Jan. 16)
Each Thursday at 7 p.m., Big Country Preps will publish area girls basketball statistical leaders.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
BCP Podcast No. 77: Evan Daniel discuss Jim Ned basketball with coach Eric Phelps
Since taking over the Jim Ned boys basketball program, coach Eric Phelps has put his stamp on a program that has long been one of the Big Country’s best.
Earlier this week, Phelps joined Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood to discuss this year’s team, the pressure of leading one of the area’s most successful programs and his time as a Texas Tech student manager under Bobby Knight for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the retirement announcement of longtime Wylie football coach Hugh Sandifer as well as the other prominent Big Country coaches who hung up their whistles this school year.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Breckenridge senior takes the top spot
Not only are the Breckenridge Buckaroos off to a flying start at 17-3, but senior guard Aaryn Medina is drawing plenty of attention as well.
Our Big Country Preps Player of the Week lit up both Boyd (64-28) and Millsap (72-57) to lead the Buckaroos to a district sweep last week, with an eye-popping 35-point scoring average for the two games.
Along the way, he collected a total of 20 rebounds, eight assists and nine steals to keep the Buckaroos unbeaten in district play at 3-0.
Evan Ren’s 2019 Big Country True Grit Team: The toughest players in the Big Country!
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 2019 “True Grit” team — the one place in the Big Country where guys who fall into this category are recognized for it.
BCP Podcast No. 76: Evan, Daniel discuss All-Big Country Preps football teams, area hoops
- Superlative Award winners
- First-Team
- Second-Team
- Third-Team
- Evan Ren’s Big Country True Grit Team (To be released Thursday)
After a two-week holiday break, Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood return to the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast to discuss the All-Big Country Preps football teams, released Wednesday.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel speak briefly on the Big Country hoops scene.
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!
All-Big Country Preps Football Team: First-Team Roster
Here are our first-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
- Superlative Award winners
- Second-Team
- Third-Team
- Evan Ren’s Big Country True Grit Team (To be released Thursday)
All-Big Country Preps Football Team: Second-Team Roster
Here are our first-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
- Superlative Award winners
- First-Team
- Third-Team
- Evan Ren’s Big Country True Grit Team (To be released Thursday)
All-Big Country Preps Football Team: Third-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)
Here are our first-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
- Superlative Award winners
- First-Team
- Second-Team
- Evan Ren’s Big Country True Grit Team (To be released Thursday)
FEATURE: Years of hard work paying off for Hartfield, Breckenridge boys
For high school coaches, patience is not only a virtue, it’s a necessity.
In a vocation centered around the development of young people both in and out of the competitive arena, it can take time for things to come together as hoped, planned or envisioned. And that progression isn’t always linear.
But it’s in the realization of a player or team’s potential that most coaches find their greatest reward — a fact to which fourth-year Breckenridge boys basketball coach Colby Hartfield can attest.
Sitting at 13-3 after a second-place finish at the Eula Holiday Classic on Dec. 27-28, Hartfield’s Buckaroos are off to one of the best starts of any small-school team in the Big Country. And they’re doing it with most of the same players that went 17-16 a year ago — a handful of which were part of a 6-21 squad in Hartfield’s first season.
PHOTO GALLERY: Eula Holiday Classic boys Day 2 (38 images)
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery.
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Martin’s Mill tops Breck for Eula Holiday Classic boys title
For 2½ quarters, Breckenridge played right with perennial power Martin’s Mill in the Eula Holiday Classic boys championship game Saturday. But the Buckaroos ran out of gas over the final 12 minutes, falling to the Class 2A No. 3 Mustangs 64-42 to cap two days of near-nonstop basketball action.
Breck, which defeated Jim Ned 60-47 in Saturday morning’s semifinals after an impressive 2-0 showing on Friday, was tied with Martin’s Mill at 28-all with 5:31 remaining in the third quarter. But the Mustangs closed that period on a 16-2 run and maintained control for the remainder of the game to claim their second straight title at Eula’s annual tournament.
That finish followed a 62-44 win for Childress over Jim Ned in the boys third-place game. The Bobcats, who fell to Martin’s Mill 58-53 in the quarterfinals on Friday, replaced Tolar in the third-place game to avoid a matchup with district rival Holliday in the consolation title game. Tolar ended up taking the Gold Bracket consolation championship with a 39-36 victory over Holliday.
PHOTO GALLERY: Eula Holiday Classic boys Day 1 (45 images)
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery.
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Breck, Jim Ned earn spot in boys semis at Eula Holiday Classic
After 15 games of boys action on Day 1 of the Eula Holiday Classic, two Big Country teams remain with a chance at the tournament title.
Both Breckenridge and Jim Ned swept their two games Friday to earn a spot in Saturday’s semifinals. And one of those two is guaranteed to reach the championship game as the Buckaroos and Indians are slated to face off at 10:20 a.m. for a shot to face the winner between fellow semifinalists Martin’s Mill and Tolar.
Breckenridge earned that opportunity with dominating wins over Colorado City (63-34) and Eula (50-37), while Jim Ned had to rally past Holliday for a 31-29 win in the quarterfinals after routing Christoval 61-31 in its opener.
PREVIEW: Eula Holiday Classic set to tip off Friday
The Eula Holiday Classic will tip off Friday, continuing its annual run as one of the best small-school basketball tournaments in the state.
With talented fields on both the boys and girls side, a staple of this event, the Classic will feature 58 games across four sites by the time it wraps up Saturday evening.
Continue reading “PREVIEW: Eula Holiday Classic set to tip off Friday”
PHOTO GALLERY: Evan Ren’s top 100 football 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. Our company watermark “BigCountryPreps.com” will be removed from all purchased photos.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Strong effort nets Brownwood senior the top spot
In a week that saw several top-flight performances, Brownwood senior Zach Strong handed in a genuine rarity — topping the 1000-point mark for his career while helping the Lions to a perfect record and tournament championship.
Helping Brownwood to a 5-0 record on the week, including a tournament title in Hamilton, Strong averaged 18.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game to earn all-tournament honors and our final Big Country Preps Player of the Week award of 2019.
BCP Boys Basketball Position Rankings: Guards
With boys basketball season underway, it’s time to learn the names we’ll be reading about throughout the 2019-20 campaign.
For the first installment in a three-part series that will cover all position groups on the area boys basketball scene, we’ll be taking a look at the area’s top guards, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch this fall.
We hope you enjoy reading through our list.
