Without further ado it is time for us to make our Big Country predictions, district-by-district.
This is the culmination of several weeks of research and two solid months of summertime labor, so we’re more than ready to post it.
Every year, one of the things I look forward to most, is mapping out the upcoming football season — charting the games I believe will have the greatest impact.
First and foremost, it’s a preseason menu for area fans who enjoy driving to some of the Big Country’s best football games on a weekly basis. Call it a football roadmap of sorts.
BROWNWOOD — At only 5-foot-7 and 225 pounds, Brownwood center Ethan Pesina hardly strikes an imposing figure.
Some may say he barely strikes a varsity figure.
At the end of the day, however, few Big County centers are more consistent, more diligent, or more passionate about giving their best effort than the third-year varsity senior. And that was the case early on when he won District 5-4A Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore in 2019.
BROWNWOOD — With only four offensive and six defensive starters back from last year and 40 letterman having graduated, the Brownwood Lions aren’t getting much attention from preseason prognosticators.
Generally projected as a low playoff seed, coach Sammy Burnett’s crew is young, with much of its talent coming in its junior and sophomore classes. The Lions are therefore, viewed by many as being a year away from a breakout season.
Burnett doesn’t see it that way.
Day 5 of Big Country Preps’ 2021 Photo Tour is behind us, and two more days of shooting remain from practice fields across the area.
Here are a few of the images collected Saturday from Brock, Brownwood and Brady:
Football is just around the corner, and we at BigCountryPreps.com are committed to bringing you the information you need to prepare for your favorite team’s season.
We’ll be releasing our Big Country Preps Preseason Football Preview, the most comprehensive look at the upcoming Big Country football season anywhere, on Saturday, Aug. 14. But you won’t have to wait until then to sate your gridiron appetite.
Leading up to the first day of fall football practice on Aug. 2, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2021 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.
Today, we stay in Class 4A Division I with the Brownwood Lions. On Thursday, we will take a look at the Stephenville Yellow Jackets, followed by the Wylie Bulldogs on Friday.
CHECK FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY AT BIGCOUNTRYPREPS.COM
Continue reading “LIVE: State Track and Field Meet medalists and Big Country Placings (DAY 1)”
Having already released our picks for the girls state track meet earlier this evening, we now present the boys event, using the same approach.
We’ll comb through each event involving a Big Country athlete (or athletes) and assess if they are favorites, dark horses or long shots to get on the medal stand.
Let’s not waste any time. Let’s dive in.
I don’t care who you are — even if you’re a non-fan when it comes to track and field.
The excitement of the state meet in Austin will capture your attention if you catch sight or sound of it. It’s inescapable.
And once per year, it is my pleasure to examine the multitude of Big Country athletes heading to Austin for the event and pick who we can expect to see on the medal stand from our area.
Let’s begin with the girls side, looking at each event in which a Big Country athlete has qualified for state.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 29:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
LINK … GAME STORY: Patient Stephenville offense rolls Brownwood
BROWNWOOD — Knowing that storms could potentially hit the area, Stephenville baseball coach Justin Swenson gave Tuesday night starter Bryson Dill a simple directive.
“Pound the zone and throw strikes.”
That’s exactly what Dill did and the Yellow Jackets took a 12-0 win over Brownwood in District 6-4A play Tuesday night at Morris Southall Field. Continue reading “GAME STORY: Patient Stephenville offense rolls Brownwood”
In a week filled with unforgettable moments, several of our nominees handed in by area coaches could justifiably be called our Capital Farm Credit/BCP Player of the Week.
We finally settled on Clyde sophomore Payton Phillips, who stunned attendees at the Region I-3A meet by taking gold in both the long jump (18 feet, 6 inches) and the 100 hurdles (15.12) — breaking school records that were 25 and 15 years old, respectively.
LUBBOCK — Big Country athletes accounted for 16 medals and clinched eight berths to the state track meet over the weekend at the Region I-4A meet Lowrey Field.
Area athletes claimed four gold medals, four silvers and eight bronzes during a strong all-around showing by the Big Country’s representatives Friday and Saturday.
Headlining the effort on the girls side was Stephenville sprinter Victoria Cameron, who swept the girls 100 and 200 meters, running the former in 12.12 seconds and the latter in a personal-best time of 24.81 to win the event by almost a second over Argyle’s Ja’Liyah Patterson (25.70).
On the boys side, the area’s gold medals came from Big Spring discus thrower Braxton Pearson (personal-best 160 feet, 1 inch) and Big Spring high jumper Kyler Seymore (personal-best 6-6).
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 22:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches as of April 22. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 22:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches as of April 22. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 15:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches as of April 15. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 15:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches as of April 15. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
LINK … GAME STORY: Day’s pitching, Hobbs’ hitting lead Brownwood past Gatesville
BROWNWOOD — In the bottom of the second inning, Brownwood’s Hunter Day missed the sign for a hit-and-run in which Gavin Brandstetter was thrown out stealing second.
Day and Brownwood coach Brian Harris had a discussion after the fact and Day said postgame that he has to do better as a senior and not make mental mistakes like that.
He buckled down on the mound after the hitting gaffe and that allowed the Lions to rally for a 4-3 win over Gatesville in District 6-4A play on Tuesday night at Morris Southall Field as Kris Hobbs delivered the walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 8:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches as of April 8. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 8:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches as of April 8. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
While scoring and rebounding garner much of the attention in basketball, there are other elements, crucial to success, that seldom grab headlines.
Behind the scenes is where character, effort and sacrifice set the foundation for teams to reach their full potential. And it is with our Big Country Preps Gym Rat Team that we salute the individuals who bring these elements to the table.
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 outworking, outhustling and outgiving everyone around you, both on the floor and off. Hard-working, honest, selfless, tough, coachable kids are what we seek for this roster.
A Gym Rat Team member can be your best player or the last player off the bench. But the one thing all of them bring is an uncompromisingly good attitude.
It is for that reason that our Gym Rat Team is selected entirely by area coaches. And Big Country Preps is truly honored to present these individuals to you — the best “team players” (boys and girls) that the area had to offer during the 2020-21 season.
Players are listed in no particular order.
Enjoy.
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Day 2 scores
Cooper 9, Southwest Christian 1
Wylie 3, Brownwood 1
MIdland High 14, Brownwood 3
Midland Lee 10, Wylie 4
Abilene High 13, Sweetwater 0
Wichita Falls Rider 7, Cooper 2
Records — Abilene High 2-12; Cooper 7-7; Wylie 10-3; Brownwood 5-5; Sweetwater 3-9-1
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Day 1 scores
Wylie 12, Abilene High 3
Cooper 6, Sweetwater 0
Brownwood 7, Sweetwater 5
Southwest Christian 3, Wylie 0
Crandall 4, Brownwood 1
Wichita Falls Rider 11, Abilene High 1
Midland High 5, Cooper 4
Records — Abilene High 1-12; Cooper 6-6; Wylie 9-2; Brownwood 5-3; Sweetwater 3-8-1