Here are our second-team selections for the 2026 All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Here are our second-team selections for the 2026 All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to release our 2026 All-Big Country Preps baseball teams.
Here, you will find our Rising Stars Team honoring the top freshmen and sophomores in the Big Country.
For the rest of this year’s baseball selections, please click the links below.
Here are our first-team selections for the 2026 All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Here are our second-team selections for the 2026 All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to release our 2026 All-Big Country Preps Softball teams.
Here, you will find our Rising Stars Team honoring the top freshmen and sophomores in the Big Country.
For the rest of this year’s softball selections, please click the links below.
ROUND ROCK — The Brock baseball team outhit Waco Robinson 10-3 on Friday in the Class 4A Division II state championship game, but it wasn’t enough as a scrappy Rockets squad did more to capitalize on its opportunities in a 3-1 win at Dell Diamond.
With lefty starter Cayden Birkes pitching into and out of trouble for six strong innings and his lineup turning three singles, three Brock errors, three walks and a pair of hit batsmen into consistent base traffic, Robinson never trailed, scoring the game’s first run in the bottom of the first before breaking a 1-all tie with a pair of runs in the fifth.
The teams combined to go just 1 for 16 with runners in scoring position, with Cayden Coe’s two-run single in the pivotal fifth inning serving as as the difference both in that statistical category and the game.
Brock, which closed its season at 32-7, falling in the state championship game for the second time in three years, loaded the bases in the top of the seventh. But Robinson reliever Eddie Villarreal got Asher Strait to pop out to end the game, setting off a dogpile near the mound as the Rockets (30-10) claimed their first state title in program history.
In the biggest game of his high school career — and in the most important moment in Brock High School’s recent baseball history — Canon Lightfoot did … well … what Canon Lightfoot does.
He delivered the goods on time.
Last Saturday, in a win-or-go-home game that served as the climax to the Class 4A Division II state semifinal series, Lightfoot laced the first pitch of the first inning from Frisco Panther Creek starter Cross Rodriguez. The ball went just over Rodriguez’s head, then shot past him, on a line to a spot some 30 feet in front of the Panthers’ center fielder, Graylyn Fry.
A little more than two hours later, Brock was on its way to the state championship game.
SAGINAW — Colton Ripple pitched five innings of no-hit ball, and Canon Lightfoot and Evan O’Connor combined for three hits, three runs and a pair of RBIs to lift the Brock baseball team to a 5-2 win over Frisco Panther Creek on Saturday evening.
As a result (lest we run the risk of burying the lead here), the Eagles are going to Round Rock for the Class 4A Division II state championship game!
The victory at Saginaw Eagle Mountain Lake High School’s Knight Field capped a stellar weekend for the Eagles. It helped Brock avenge a heart-wrenching 1-0 loss to the Panthers on the same field two days prior. It capped two straight wins in the state semifinal series when just one defeat would have ended their season. And …
(Most importantly …)
It gave coach Koby Page and a determined group of players a chance to record the school’s second state title and first as a Class 4A competitor. Brock (32-6) will play Waco Robinson (29-10) at noon on Friday at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, with the winner earning the right to hoist the 2026 state championship trophy.
WEATHERFORD — After dropping a wild 1-0 affair in the opener of its Class 4A Division II state semifinal series with Frisco Panther Creek on Thursday, the Brock baseball team bounced back with a season-saving effort in Friday’s Game 2.
The Eagles rode a three-run third inning and a gritty start on the mound from lefty ace Evan O’Connor to a 4-2 triumph at Weatherford College, forcing a deciding third game at 6 p.m. Saturday back at Saginaw Eagle Mountain High School, the site of Game 1.
Brock only outhit the Panthers 7-6, but the Eagles did more damage with those knocks, tallying four extra-base hits to Panther Creek’s one, including a three-double day from Cade Vidal.
SAGINAW — A batter who didn’t hit the ball wound up making the most important pitch of the night to propel Frisco Panther Creek to a 1-0 victory over Brock in the opening game of a best-of-three Class 4A Division II state semifinal baseball series that will decide which team will play for the state title next week.
The crazy, tell-tale moment came in the bottom of the sixth inning of an ever-tense battle between two stellar baseball teams. And, because of how it played out, it overshadowed one of the better-pitched games played anywhere in the state this spring.
It went down like this:
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Brock-Canyon Randall softball regional final playoff (48 images)”
As is our tradition, with the UIL State Track and Field Championships now over, we conclude our Big Country Preps Player of the Week column for the 2025-26 school year. We’ll pick it up again on Monday, Aug. 31.
In the meantime, our final award of the school year belongs to Gordon senior Stryker Reed, and with good reason. At the state track meet, Reed won state titles in both the 110 and 300 hurdles, breaking his own state records in both events at 14.20 and 37.24. He took an additional gold with the 1600 relay team with a 47.8 split and bronze in the pole vault at 14-0. He nearly captured a fifth medal in Austin, taking fourth in the high jump at 6-2.
Oh, and did we mention he plays baseball?
Well, he does — well enough to help the Longhorns to a series sweep of Oglesby last week, going a combined 4 of 5 with a double, triple, two RBIs, three runs scored and two steals. He also pitched in Game 2, allowing one earned run in three innings of work with four strikeouts.
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Brock-Levelland baseball bi-district playoff (44 images)”
LUBBOCK — The Brownwood girls track team feasted at the Region I-4A meet Friday and Saturday at Lowrey Field, collecting nine medals and five automatic state berths to make a comfortable run to the event’s team championship.
The Lady Lions, who accounted for all but two of the area’s medals on the girls side, got scoring from 13 entries on their way to 107 points — topping second-place Canyon by 31 points and third-place Krum by 44.
The BHS girls success headlined a strong overall showing by area athletes, who combined to claim 22 medals and 12 automatic spots to the Class 4A state meet May 14 in Austin.
EULA — Instead of letting a bases-loaded situation with no outs in the first inning that saw them score on two wild pitches and nothing else demoralize them, the Brock baseball team used it as a way to demonstrate that it will take what an opposing pitcher gives it and cruised to a 12-1 win over Levelland to close out a sweep of the Region I-4A Division II bi-district series.
The Eagles achieved the series win without having to use Arizona State University signee Evan O’Connor on the mound — though he was ready and available to start Game 3.
Instead, Brock coach Koby Page turned to Colton Ripple for Game 2 after Weston Pickard earned the win on the mound in the series opener on Thursday. Page said that pitching depth is a nice luxury to have.
If you’re going to top someone who throws a perfect game in our in our Big Country Preps Player of the Week column, you had better do something very special.
This rare occurrence took place last week when Brock sophomore shortstop Kayden Blue helped the Lady Eagles to a three-game bi-district series win over Levelland with a truly memorable performance. In the process, she edged Abilene High ace George Ferguson, who delivered a perfect game win over Cooper.
With Brock sandwiching wins in Games 1 and 3 (5-1 and 5-2) around a 5-4 loss in Game 2, Blue was quite literally unstoppable, going 10-for-10 in the series with five runs scored (accounting for more than a third of BHS’ run tally. Yet it doesn’t stop there. She also posted a pair of walks (one intentional), making her a perfect 12 for 12 in reaching base throughout a difficult series against excellent competition.
“Kayden showed all the characteristics of a great leader in all three games and was phenomenal in the leadoff spot for us”
ABILENE — If it were possible for two high schools separated by 308 miles to become rivals, Brock and Levelland may have just achieved it.
A year removed from a pair of one-run bi-district wins over the Loboettes, Brock eliminated Levelland yet again on Saturday, taking a 4A DII bi-district series with a come-from-behind 5-2 win in Game 3 at McMurry University’s Edwards Field.
After falling to Levelland in a 5-4 Game 2 thriller on Saturday, the Lady Eagles regrouped behind backup pitcher Delanee Parsons and a mind-blowing performance from shortstop Kayden Blue to take Game 3 and advance to the area round. There, they will meet Fort Worth Eagle Mountain in a best-of-three series beginning next week.
Parsons delivered four solid innings to earn the win with a save from ace pitcher Alison Coleman. Blue, in the meantime, capped a 10-for-10 batting tally for the series with a 2-for-2 effort in Game 3 with two runs scored to help Brock improve to 26-10 with the win.
In a week that featured at least a half dozen athletes who could have taken our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, we finally settled on a Stephenville senior for our weekly award.
Willis Jackson, one of the premiere speedsters in the Big Country, took four district titles in the District 6-4A meet last week
This included individual gold medals in the 100 meters (10.66), long jump (22-8.5) and Triple jump (43-8.5). He also collected gold with the 800 relay team (1:28.53), along with a silver with the 400 relay (42.45).
“Willis is headed to the area track meet in five events,” coach Kolt Kittley said. “He comes to workouts every day with a big smile and a great attitude.
“He was huge in helping us win the district track meet this year.”
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 that championship foundations are built upon.
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 2025-26 season.
Players are listed in no particular order.
Enjoy.
In a week that features three entries from Brock, the top spot goes to one of the Eagles and with good reason.
Senior southpaw Evan O’Conner takes Big Country Preps Player of the Week Award after throwing a six-inning no hitter against Glen Rose last week.
The Arizona State-bound hurler was nearly perfect, throwing only 80 pitches, walking just one and fanning 13 Tigers. He is consistently pegging the radar gun in the mid 90s.
As one would expect, the Jim Ned Relays had a quality field of competition last week, opening the door for one of its athletes to snag Big Country Preps Player of the Week honors.
So it’s not surprising that its top performer sits atop of our weekly list of highlighted competitors from around the area.
Wall senior Bryson McFarden takes our weekly accolade after medaling five times in Tuscola with four golds and a silver.
Taking a brief break from their respective district races, the Abilene High and Brock baseball teams met for a nondistrict matchup Saturday at Blackburn Field, and the outcome was a competitive game between two league-leading squads.
AHS led 2-1 after four innings, but the visiting Eagles scored the game’s final three runs to leave Abilene with a 4-2 victory and a six-game winning streak that included a pair of run-rule wins over defending regional finalist Graham last week.
Brock (13-3 overall, 2-0 in District 6-4A) took advantage of some shaky defense by Abilene High to pull ahead with a pair of runs in the fifth, before tacking on an insurance run in the seventh. And that late offense was all the support necessary for Austin Gallogly and Brody Burns, who earned a win and save, respectively, in relief of starter Colton Ripple.
In the pitcher’s circle, there are varying degrees of perfection. And in the case of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, that statement was fully illustrated on Friday in a 6-0 Clyde win over Merkel.
Yes, CHS freshman Brynli Reynolds threw a perfect game. But this wasn’t your standard, every day, run-of-the-mill, garden variety perfecto.
In fact, it may have been the most dominating performance by a baseball or softball pitcher the Big Country has seen in the last two decades.
Aside from retiring 21 straight hitters from a very good Merkel team (19-2), Reynolds fanned the first 17 batters she faced and finished with 20 strikeouts. She also helped herself at the plate, going 1-for-2 with an RBI.
It was the second time this season that the Clyde freshman has taken our weekly accolade.
ARLINGTON — Amarion Hunter scored 16 points, Terrell Jackson added 14 and a tenacious Dallas Carter defense recorded eight steals as the Cowboys defeated Brock 52-44 in the Class 4A Division II state semifinals Tuesday night.
The victory improved Carter’s record to 30-6 and earned the Cowboys a trip to San Antonio on Friday for a chance to win the state championship. They will play LaMarque, which beat Houston Wheatley 68-67 in the other semifinal game.
The loss snapped a 12-game winning streak for the Eagles, who finished with a 28-10 record.
A sellout crowd at the Arlington ISD Athletic Center saw a great basketball game for most of the evening. But, in the end, it was the end of periods that sealed the Eagles’ fate.
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
CLYDE — When the boys basketball teams from Lubbock Cooper Liberty and Brock met in tournament play over the Christmas break, the Patriots held on for a 53-52 win after the Eagles closed the game on a 10-3 run.
Friday brought a rematch in the Region I-4A Division II championship game, and the two squads went toe-to-toe for 28 minutes of action at Clyde’s Bulldog Gym. But it was the other four minutes that made the difference as Brock claimed a 56-42 win.
Brock junior guard Eli Paez hit a career milestone in the first quarter when he sank a free throw for the 1,000th point of his career. He finished with a game-high 17 points as the Eagles rode a strong finish to the first quarter to the victory and into next week’s state semifinals.
On the opening day of the Abilene ISD Invitational Tournament, Abilene High and Cooper both picked up a pair of wins while Wylie split its two games as offenses took advantage of a howling wind that was blowing out at all three ballparks during nearly all of the dozen games that were played on Thursday.
In addition to the success of the three local schools, Wall picked up wins over Arlington Sam Houston and Copperas Cove with Brock and Brownwood going a combined 1-3 — the lone win coming by Brock against Wylie.
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
MERKEL — In 2025, it took a buzzer-beating shot for the Brock girls basketball team to beat Lubbock Cooper Liberty 37-36 in the bi-district round of the Region I-4A Division II playoffs.
The stakes were much higher when the two sides met again on the hardwood Friday night at Merkel’s Badger Gym — but the result was the same as the No. 3 Lady Eagles claimed a 37-29 win in the Region I-4A Division II championship game to earn a berth in the state semifinals for the 23rd time in school history as they chase their 10th state championship.
While the state semifinals are no longer part of the state tournament in San Antonio, Brock coach Alex Stephenson said he doesn’t care where the Lady Eagles play Dallas Lincoln in the early part of the week.
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Before their Region I-4A Division II bi-district matchup with Lubbock Estacado, Brock boys basketball coach Zach Boxell thought it was a matchup that was better suited in a region final as opposed to the opening round of the postseason.
Both squads made Boxell’s pregame thoughts look prophetic in a matchup of teams that finished the year ranked in the top 25.
Led by Eli Paez’s 24 points, No. 24 Brock outlasted No. 14 Lubbock Estacado 80-72 in overtime on Monday night at McMurry University’s Kimbrell Arena in a matchup between two squads that won their respective district championships but wound up facing off because of how the Division I/II splits played out in the respective districts.
When Cisco junior guard Carter Toof is on his game, there is little one can do to stop him. He’s going to get his point, whether you like it or not.
That was the case last week when Toof helped Cisco to a win over Abilene TLCA with 43 points, 14 rebounds and three assists. He followed that with 20 points, seven boards, four assists and three steals in a playoff warmup loss to Benjamin.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 19. With the end of the regular season, this will be the FINAL boys basketball leaders we post this year.
This database has been continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Brock-Levelland girls basketball (65 images)”
BAIRD — The third-ranked Brock girls basketball team scored the first seven points of the game and never looked back to open the postseason with a 64-35 win over Levelland in a Region I-4A Division II bi-district game Monday night at Baird High School.
Led by Laney Hudson with a game-high 17 points, the Lady Eagles saw 10 players score in the game and hit nine 3-pointers to advance to play Krum (20-16) at 6 p.m. Thursday at Saginaw High School.
Brock coach Alex Stephenson was happy with what he saw in what he called a “total team effort” as the Lady Eagles picked up their 12th straight victory and 15th win this season by at least 23 points.
Aside from being a traditional area area power in softball, the Clyde Lady Bulldogs are known for getting off to fast starts every spring and quickly establishing the fact that they’re a team to be reckoned with.
But this year, with freshman pitcher Brynli Reynolds making a major splash, Clyde is not only good, it’s scary good.
At this point, the Lady Bulldogs are 3-0, with wins over good teams from Hawley (8-1), Littlefield (10-0) and most recently, over three-time defending 3A state champion Coahoma (7-0).
Reynolds, who has taken our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, tossed a no-hitter in the Hawley win. And in 21 innings of work last week, she allowed only one earned run on seven hits with — get this — 51 strikeouts. Yes, you read that correctly.
STEPHENVILLE — The Brock Eagles finished Friday’s key District 6-4A boys’ basketball game with a 15-3 run — erasing a six-point deficit, forcing overtime and eventually overcoming the Stephenville Yellow Jackets 58-52 at Gandy Gym.
The win improved Brock’s record to 23-9 overall and 8-1 in District 6-4A. The Eagles will secure the district championship and No. 1 seed for the Class 4A Division II playoffs with a win Tuesday over Mineral Wells, which hasn’t won a district game.
“It’s been a battle,” Brock coach Zach Boxell said of the 6-4A race. His Eagles lost 74-59 to Glen Rose and trailed the Tigers halfway through the district schedule.
“We knew coming in here to Stephenville tonight with a big crowd that it was going to be hard to get a win. Being in a tough district should help prepare us for the playoffs,” Boxell said.
Stephenville lost at home for the first time in 13 games in Gandy Gym this season. Despite Friday’s loss, the Jackets (28-4, 6-3) still secured a Class 4A DI No. 1 seed because Graham (4-5) lost against Glen Rose.
“Our crowd was awesome. I wish we could have gotten a win for them,” said Stephenville coach Drew McDorman, whose Jackets began this week with a 63-37 home win over Glen Rose. “I told the kids that, when you beat good teams, people will show up to see you play.”
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Feb. 12. This will be our FINAL girls stat leaders for 2026.
This database has been continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his or her email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
The boys basketball regular season is nearing its end, and district championship and playoff pictures across the area are coming into view.
Most leagues now have clear favorites in both their title and playoff races, but several remain unresolved with just two or three games left to play.
With just a couple of weeks of games remaining, let’s dive in and take a look at this week’s biggest games and last week’s most significant developments.
Surprised — and in some cases, stressed out — faces could be seen in abundance Monday morning at Abilene’s Region 14 Education Services Center, where coaches from throughout the area and beyond gathered to learn their new district homes as part of the University Interscholastic League’s biennial realignment.
In what can best be described as a seismic shift in the Big Country football landscape, a majority of area schools were placed in unfamiliar environs — be that a new district with new foes or even a new region entirely.
The now venerated process by which the UIL releases the packet containing the new district alignments for football, basketball and volleyball is frequently compared by coaches to waking up on Christmas morning to find what presents await under the three. And on this day, in particular, few found the gifts they were expecting.
Last week’s winter storm made for a wild week of action, condensing a week’s worth of games into three day’s time. And the results were as unpredictable as you might expect given the circumstances.
We saw several district championship and playoff races shaken up by upsets and others take shape as the cream continued its rise to the top.
As we do here weekly, it’s time to take survey of the Big Country boys basketball landscape. We hope you enjoy this look at the biggest developments from last week and the biggest games this week’s slate has to offer.
Mother Nature did her best to bring the high school basketball season to a standstill, sending a winter storm that put most Big Country teams on the shelf for a week. But the action around that unexpected break gives us plenty to talk about in this week’s look at the area boys basketball scene.
With a number of excellent (and meaningful) games last week and some big matchups slated for the next few days, the area district races remain as intriguing as ever.
Let’s go ahead now and take a look at the biggest games the area slate has to offer this week and some of the outcomes last week that helped shape the weeks to come.
The winter storm that blew across most of the state over the weekend wreaked havoc on the area basketball schedule, forcing most of last Friday’s games to be pushed up a day and the bulk of this week’s early games to postponed all the way to Thursday.
But icy weather — and the bevy of schedule changes that came with it — have done little to cool the area’s rapidly heating district races.
We still had a number of thrilling and significant results last week and have a bunch of intriguing games to look forward to over the next few days. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the biggest of those in our weekly look at the Big Country girls basketball scene.
Most high school football teams have that one player acknowledged by the coaching staff as the prime example of what a teammate should be.
He’s the guy who seldom misses any practice time and is a regular in the weight room. He’s early to arrive. He’s late to leave and takes pride in being coachable, though he seldom needs direction.
He always sets the right example for younger players. He doesn’t complain and, above all else, he’s tough enough to make all the aforementioned traits consistently possible.
Know someone like that? Here is where they are honored.