Hawley 49, Roscoe 21 — Keagan Ables threw for 294 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 68 more and another TD to lift Hawley in its opener.
The Bearcats (1-0), who trailed finished with 460 yards in total offense, trailed 14-13 at the break, but took control of the contest with a 36-7 outburst in the second half.
LAST WEEK: 0-0, .000
SEASON TOTAL: 00-00, .000
Week 1 is often loaded with difficult picks and 2024 is no exception.
Our first slate of games this year has a number of contests that could have qualified for the Big Country Preps Game of the Week. But we finally settled on Albany at Stamford for the spotlight.
The two-time defending state 2A DII state champions, minus several key players lost to graduation, facing a Stamford club bringing back most of its skill and a ton of speed.
CISCO — There is no arguing that the last 22 years have been the most successful stretch in Cisco football history. In fact, it’s not even close.
Since 2002, the Loboes have won outright or shared 15 district championships, appeared in five state title games and won a state championship in 2013.
The biggest common denominators? Members of the coaching staff, many of whom have stayed with the program through coach Brent West’s retirement from the game in 2019.
Among the players, however, one name has been a constant somewhere in the program for the last 16 years: the name of Gayle — a family that has supplied the CHS athletic department with five brothers and a sister since 2008, a key factor in the two most dynamic decades of CHS sports the school has ever seen.
CISCO — Sooner or later, every high school football program hits a stretch when either numbers, experience or talent are in short supply.
The 2023 season saw perennial power Cisco take its turn in two of these areas when a young, shorthanded group of Loboes posted a 5-7 mark — the first losing campaign for CHS since 2010.
Last year’s struggles snapped a run of four consecutive seasons with double-digit wins for the Loboes, the last three of which were under fifth-year coach Kevin Stennett, who guided Cisco to regional title games in 2020, 2021 and 2023.
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 Wednesday, Aug. 21. 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. 5, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2024 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.
Today, we stay in Class 2A Division I with the Cisco Loboes.
Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Cisco Loboes … 32 days to two-a-days”
OTHER 2024 ALL-BIG COUNTRY PREPS TEAMS
Our All-Big Country Preps Softball and Baseball Teams, released Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, are in place to honor those who achieved the most on-field success in 2024. It is off the field, however, where character, grit, and work ethic are often measured. And it is with our Big Country Preps All-Hustle Team that we wish to honor those players, male and female, who were (simply put) the hardest-working, best teammates in the area this spring.
This team isn’t about who the best baseball and softball players were.
The All-Hustle team honors effort, discipline, toughness, coachability and selflessness — traits that coaches wish they had in every player and upon which championships are built.
It is for that reason that this team is largely selected by area coaches and described in their own words.
Big Country Preps is now honored to present these individuals to you — the best team players (boys and girls) that the the Big Country had to offer during the 2024 season.
The players below are listed in no particular order.
Here are the recaps of the Big Country softball playoff results in the second round of the postseason: Continue reading “SOFTBALL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP: Despite weather, 12 area teams advance to third round with Bangs-Stamford outcome still pending”
AUSTIN — After area Class 3A and 4A competitors opened the UIL Track & Field State Meet with a combined 10 medals on Thursday, Big Country Preps athletes took partial ownership of the medal stand at Mike A. Meyers Stadium at the University of Texas on Friday in the Class 2A and 5A portions of the event.
Area athletes combined to claim 18 medals on the day, with Hico junior Kaylee Hunt joining Goldthwaite seniors Lainey Jernigan and Hope Hermesmeyer in a dominating performance.
The trio combined for six medals on the day as Goldthwaite, Stamford and Hico all posted top-five finishes in the 2A girls team competition.
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: Hawley-Cisco softball bi-district playoff series (75 images)”
Coming off a subpar performance in Game 1 of last week’s 2A bi-district series with Hawley, Cisco pitcher Hannah Rogers did something few expected: a complete about-face.
Rogers, who had been beaten up in an 11-4 loss on Friday afternoon that saw her allow 14 hits, quickly regained her form for Game 2 that evening. Limiting Hawley to seven hits, she led Cisco to a series-tying 5-2 win.
CLYDE — A solid pitching performance and one big inning carried the Cisco softball team to a decisive 7-2 win over Hawley in Game 3 of a Region I-2A bi-district series on Saturday at the Hanner Sports Complex
Hannah Rogers scattered seven hits over seven innings of work with four strikeouts to lead the Lady Loboes (17-8-1), who now advance to face Miles in the area round.
Along the way, seven Hawley baserunners were stranded, including three in the first inning when Rogers escaped a bases-loaded jam.
CLYDE — Carrying a huge amount of confidence after an 11-4 win in Game 1 of a Region I-2A bi-district series with Cisco on Friday, the Hawley Lady Cats seemed poised to close things out in Game 2 later that evening.
There was just one problem: Cisco never got the memo. And in a stunning reversal of momentum, the Lady Loboes captured Game 2 at the Hanner Sports Complex, 5-2, to force a decisive Game 3 on Saturday.
That will get underway at 3 p.m. at the same venue. The victor will take home a bi-district title, then advance to next week’s area round where either Ozona or Miles will provide the opposition.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 25.
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.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 18.
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.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 18.
With the end of the regular season, this will be our FINAL softball leaders posting for 2024.
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.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 11.
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.
While we normally try to share the love in our Big Country Preps Player of the Week column, five district titles in one week isn’t easy to sidestep.
And while Wall’s Briggs Jones has already pulled down our award once this year, he earned a second with his showing at the District 6-3A meet in Clyde last week by sweeping the long jump (23-2), the triple jump (44-10.75), the 200 meters (21.92), the 100 meters (10.72) and assisting the 800 relay team to gold with a 1:29.68 split.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 4.
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.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 4.
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.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through March 28.
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.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through March 28.
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.
Sometimes the mercy rule and cheat a player a bit, limiting their number of plate appearances or the number of innings they can pitch.
But in District 15-1A, there is an added mercy rule, beyond the standard 10-run lead after five innings. There, a 15-run lead after three frames is enough to end a game early, which left our Big Country Preps Player of the Week (Hermleigh’s Summer Smith) short of what may have been a staggering set of numbers.
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.
Here is our 2024 All-Big Country Preps boys 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.
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.
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.
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.
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
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.
GRAHAM — If one were to rely on the “eyeball test” prior to Tuesday’s Region II-2A girls quarterfinal between 15th-ranked Cisco and No. 9 Nocona, one may have surmised that a far bigger Cisco team would be favored to eliminate the Lady Indians.
It didn’t turn out that way.
Utilizing a lineup with most of its players standing 5-foot-8 or smaller, the Lady Indians outquicked and outran their bigger counterparts to eliminate the Lady Loboes 56-48 at the Graham High School Gym.
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.
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:
Benjamin’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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
After Tuesday’s 49-34 win over the Anson Lady Tigers, Cisco stands as “the team to beat” in District 10-2A. With a 9-0 mark in league play and a 24-5 record overall, the 14th-ranked Lady Loboes have already clinched a postseason berth. The only question is whether they’ll be the district’s No. 1 or 2 seed.
How deep they’ll go in the playoffs next month is a matter of conjecture. This isn’t: Brooklyn Hurtado is prepared to lead the way.
The 6-foot-3 senior is averaging 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game while providing stellar, “old school” center play for the Lady Loboes, who have registered double-digit wins in each district game so far.
That latter numeric notation would suggest, rightly, that Cisco is not a one-person team (more on that shortly). But Hurtado is definitely one person on the team that opponents have tried — and consistently failed — to contain.
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?
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.