Category: Clyde Bulldogs

by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 18: Evan, Daniel talk Snyder football with coach Cory Mandrell

Former Snyder player and assistant Cory Mandrell didn’t experience much success in his first two years as the Tigers’ head coach, leading his team to one win in 2016 and two in 2017. But the Tigers have turned a corner in Year 3, starting the 2018 season at 5-1 with some of their biggest wins in years.

Mandrell took some time to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood on his program’s turnaround, the excitement level around town and the future of Snyder football in this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.

Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the Week 7 slate and where it leaves the Big Country’s football teams with four more weeks remaining in the regular season.

by Evan Ren

New-look Clyde Bulldogs rapidly improving

CLYDE — During a successful six-year run under coach Rocky Smart, the Clyde Bulldogs never suffered from an identity crises — quickly becoming known for a full-throttle, air raid attack that seldom changed gears. 

With Smart resigning in the spring and Clyde replacing him with Luling’s Scott Campbell, it may have been assumed by some that CHS would simply keep its foot on the gas offensively, given their success with an up-tempo scheme.

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by Evan Ren

District 3-3A Division I: Week 7 Report

Wall 28, Clyde 13 — Chase Rios rushed for 93 yards and two scores while Mason Fuchs rushed for 83, threw for 67 and accounted for two TDs to lead Wall (3-2, 1-0) to a district-opening win. 

With the score knotted at 7 after one quarter, the Hawks gradually took control of the game with a touchdown in each period. 

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by Evan Ren

BCP Game of the Week: Buckaroos head to Tuscola (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country picks, Drive-Time Podcast)

Evan Ren

LAST WEEK: 27-7, . 794 

SEASON TOTAL: 215-59, .785

The first game out of the chute in a merciless district is often the most important one — especially if the game doesn’t involve the league favorite. 

Applying that axiom to District 3-3A DI, a league opener between Breckenridge and Jim Ned is vital, given that Wall is expected to beat everyone.  That makes every other contest indispensable between five teams vying for three remaining playoff spots.  

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 17: Evan, Daniel talk Cross Plains football with coach Daniel Purvis

Since taking over a moribund program at Cross Plains eight years ago, coach Daniel Purvis has turned the Buffaloes into a perennial playoff team. And this year, he has his squad off to the best start of his tenure at 4-1.

This week, Purvis took some time to talk to Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about the program he’s built, the state of his current team and the District 7-2A Division II race in the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.

Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the biggest developments of Week 6, which featured a shortened schedule for the Big Country.

by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: Monstrous District 3-3A DI prepares to get underway

Evan Ren

In common gridiron parlance otherwise known as “coach speak,” the standard thing for the man wearing the headset to tell the media about his team’s district goes something like this: “Our district is strong from top to bottom. You can’t take anyone lightly because on any given night, everyone in this league can beat anyone else.” 

We’ve all heard it time and time again — so often that we’re nearly numbed by it.

Every now and then, however, there is a point in time when cliché  meets the truth — when the overall strength of a league actually matches what most coaches will say out of politeness. 

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Preps Player of the Week: Ballinger QB takes the top spot

With much of the Big Country idle last Friday, our Big Country Preps Player of the Week column is shorter than it normally is. 

That’s not to say there weren’t some noteworthy performances. On the contrary, our Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 7 led Ballinger to a 55-39 win over Anson with an effort that would challenge for the top spot more often than not. 

Edgar Nunez, a junior quarterback, rushed for 303 yards and four scores on 17 carries to help the Bearcats improve to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in District 4-3A Division II. 

But he wasn’t done there.

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by Evan Ren

District 3-3A Division I: Week 6 Report

Clyde 21, Stamford 13 — CHS was the lone team in this district to play on Friday, with the rest enjoying a bye week to prepare for the opening of district play on Oct. 12.

And needless to say, they made the most of the opportunity to snag the spotlight. 

A week removed from seeing QB Peyton Bevel set state records with 789 yards passing and 12 TDs in a win over De Leon, SHS was handed a stunning upset loss by coach Scott Campbell’s Clyde team.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

Clyde stares down Bevel, upsets Stamford

CLYDE — After seeing Stamford quarterback Peyton Bevel dissect the De Leon defense with state records of 789 passing yards and 12 passing touchdowns last week, Clyde knew it was going to need a nearly perfect game to slow him down.

Consider that done.

Clyde ran just 50 plays to Stamford’s 68, but CHS kept the ball on the ground and dominated the time of possession in taking a 21-13 win at Bulldog Stadium in both teams nondistrict finale.

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by Evan Ren

BCP Game of the Week: Winters, Iraan face off in battle of unbeatens (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country picks, Drive-Time Podcast)

LAST WEEK: 42-6, . 875

SEASON TOTAL: 188-52, .783

With a limited selection of games this week, one hopes to locate a contest that belongs on the top shelf and I believe we’ve found it — albeit, with a three-hour drive to get there. 

The Big Country Preps Game of the Week will travel all the way to Iraan on Friday, where the Braves (5-0) will take on Winters (5-0) in a battle of unbeatens. 

In the last non-district matchup for both clubs, this game easily represents the toughest challenge either have faced this season. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 16: Evan, Daniel take fresh look at area district races

With district play either here or approaching for the 16 11-man leagues involving Big Country football teams, every game has heightened importance from this point forward.

In this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast, Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood forego a guest to discuss each district race and examine each of our 40 school’s chances of reaching the postseason.

by Evan Ren

District 3-3A Division I: Week 5 Report

Eastland 41, Jacksboro 27 — Third-string QB Cooper Wright stepped in to guide the Mavericks to a solid road win with 194 yards passing and two TDs. 

With the score knotted at 13, the Mavs took control the game with four second-half TDs. This included a 61-yard TD pass from Wright to Anthony Bonilla.

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by Evan Ren

BCP Game of the Week: Dublin heads to Breckenridge

LAST WEEK: 37-7, .841

SEASON TOTAL: 146-46, .761

Prior to this season, I had chosen the Dublin Lions for a Game of the Week only once in 12 years. 

This season, the Lions (4-0), who are off to their best start of this century, have landed the marquee game twice. This week, they’re off to Breckenridge (2-2) to face what I believe is the best team they have met to date. 

The Buckaroos, who are coming off back-to-back losses to monster teams from Cisco (34-13) and Brock (20-9), are far better than that .500 mark would indicate. 

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by Evan Ren

District 3-3A Division I: Week 4 Report

Wall 40, Sonora 20 — Sutton Braden rushed for 142 yards and two scores to lift Wall (1-2) to its first win on the year. 

The Hawks handed in their best defensive effort of the young season, limiting Sonora to 184 yards in total offense, including 36 yards rushing. 

The Broncos slipped to 2-2 with their second straight defeat. 

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: Eastland hosts Childress in BCP Game of the Week (w/ Big Country Picks, Drive-Time Podcast)

LAST WEEK: 38-13, .745

SEASON TOTAL: 109-39, .736

The Big Country Preps Game of the Week heads east tonight to Eastland, a day early due to anticipated thunderstorms in that area on Friday. 

On tap: Childress (3-0) pays visit to EHS (3-0) in what should be the most difficult test for the unbeaten Mavericks to date. 

If all goes as anticipated, those in attendance should be treated to a premiere quarterback matchup, pitting Childress’ Luke Latimer and Eastland standout Behren Morton.

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: Dublin to host De Leon in Big Country Preps Game of the Week (w/ Big Country picks, Drive-Time Podcast)

LAST WEEK: 38-7, .844

SEASON TOTAL: 71-26, .731

Prior to the season, had someone suggested that the Dublin/De Leon matchup would be our Big Country Preps Game of the Week for Week 3, I would have politely shrugged it off. 

But after two games, Dublin (2-0) has literally made it happen. 

Off to their first 2-0 start since 2007, the Lions will play host to a 2-0 De Leon team many believe will win their region and have a shot at reaching Arlington. 

In the midst of it: A Divison I-caliber quarterback in De Leon’s Kevin Yeager (29 of 47, 471 yards,  5 TDs ), an area upstart in Dublin’s Cy Wing (19 of 37, 454 yards, 4 TDs) and a pair of excited communities.

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by Evan Ren

District 3-3A Division I: Week 2 Report

Jim Ned 48, Anson 30 — The Indians overcame two separate deficits to get the win, trailing 8-0 and 21-20 along the way.

 The Indians had 437 yards in total offense behind 174 yards passing from Dylan Martin and 135 rushing by Cooper Castro.  Drew Hagler and Elijah Moser led Anson with 184 and 113 yards rushing respectively. 

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: Big Country picks Week 2

LAST WEEK: 33-19, .634        

SEASON TOTAL: 33-19, .634

Whenever perennial powerhouses Cisco and Wall square off, it’s a candidate for the spotlight, and this year is no exception. 

Friday, the Big  Country Preps Game of the Week heads south, when the Loboes (1-0) visit Wall (0-1) with a fair amount of intrigue attached. 

The Hawks, who are coming off a 27-21 loss to No. 3 Class 2A Mason, haven’t started a season at 0-2 since 2008.  Yet Friday, they’ll be confronted with a Cisco team fully capable of pushing them down memory lane. 

This is too high-profile to ignore. People want to know just how good this Cisco team is and with Wall being a proven commodity, this is a great measuring stick.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 12: Evan, Daniel discuss Week 1 football results

The first week of the high school football season in the Big Country saw its share of thrilling finishes and surprising outcomes.

In this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast, Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood forego a guest to discuss all the action and excitement of the season’s opening week.

by Evan Ren

District 3-3A Division I: Week 1 Report

Breckenridge 43, Jacksboro 36 — The Bucks opened with a tough road win over a team expected to reach postseason play.

Kevin Franco threw for 162 yards and rushed for 113 more while accounting for four TDs to lift the Buckaroos. Owen Woodward was on the receiving end of two TD strikes while Angel Ruiz and  Diego Arellano rushed for 97 and 92 yards respectively.

Breck has 10 offensive starters back, so the explosiveness on display is no surprise.

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by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s top area games to travel to in 2018

Got the truck started yet?

Ready to jump on one of those farm-to-market roads to watch high school football into the late hours on a Friday night?

You’re not alone.

And, as tradition would have it, I tip my cap to those of you who will be hitting the trails each week in search of pigskin. My salute: a preseason menu of sorts.

Each week for the next 11 weeks, Big Country Preps will be searching for its Game of the Week, and we’re already looking ahead. We now present our preliminary list of Big Country Games worth traveling for, but keep in mind: the following list is subject to change as surprises and disappointments emerge.

And as we all know … surprises and disappointments always emerge.

So, without further delay, here is our list of Big Country games worth traveling for in 2018.

I’ll see you on the road.

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by Evan Ren

Evan Ren: Big Country Picks Week 1

LAST WEEK: 0-0, .000        

SEASON TOTAL: 0-0, .000

In picking our first-ever Big Country Preps Game of the Week, I literally could have thrown a dart at the top seven or eight games and came away with a matchup that was justifiable.

Yes, Week 1 of the 2018 season is that good.

My eventual choice: Brock at Brownwood — a matchup pairing last year’s Class 3A Division I state runner-up with a Class 4A Division I team expecting to be in the thick of one of the toughest district races in Texas.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 11: Evan, Daniel catch up with Dublin coach Bob Cervetto

When Bob Cervetto took over the Dublin football program, the Lions hadn’t won a playoff game in almost five decades. In the  seven seasons since, Dublin has twice reached the area-round in football and experienced a higher degree of athletic success during the winter and fall seasons.

This week, the always-upbeat Cervetto took some time to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about his positive outlook on coaching and life, the state of the Dublin athletic program and what keeps him coming back each year on this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.

Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the Big Country’s most intriguing storylines heading into the 2018 high school football season.

by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Running Backs

As we wind down our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we’ve finally arrived at the Big Country’s top ball-carriers.

After breaking down this year’s crop of receivers and tight ends yesterday, we move now to the area’s top running backs, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch in 2018.

Read and enjoy, and let us know who you’re most excited to see run this fall in the comments section below.

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Preps 2018 Football Forecast

With less than a week to go now until the high school football season kicks off in earnest, it’s prediction time here at Big Country Preps.

Site co-founders Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood have put their opinions on paper to tell you how they see the 2018 football season playing out, predicting the order of finish for all 16 11-man districts featuring Big Country squads.

Take a look and let us know where you disagree in the comments section below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Defensive Linemen

With football season fast approaching, it’s time to take a look at the players who will be making waves in 2018.

For the first installment in an eight-part series that will cover all position groups, we’ll be taking a look at the area’s top defensive linemen, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch this fall.

As with any such list, these rankings are subjective. If you disagree with our selections or feel someone’s been left out, let your opinion be heard in the comments below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 10: Al Pickett joins guys to talk “Brother’s Keeper” movie, more

Al Pickett
Al Pickett

In his more than 30 years as a part of Abilene’s sports scene, Al Pickett has done a little bit of everything. In addition to serving as the sports editor of the Abilene Reporter-News for 15 years, Pickett has been the play-by-play voice for numerous local high school and college teams, hosted his own radio show, “Let’s Talk Sports,” and authored five books about sports in Abilene and Texas.

Pickett, who is both the founder and a member of the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame, took some time this week to talk about his career in sports journalism, seeing his book “Brother’s Keeper” being made into a feature film and what his future holds on this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.

Also in this episode, Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood discuss the situations each of the area’s seven 11-man coaches taking over new programs face in 2018.

by Evan Ren

Campbell taking over at Clyde in great situation

The most difficult situation imaginable for a first-year coach is to replace someone who was not only successful, but who left you an empty cupboard. You have a tough act to follow, but nothing to follow it with.

In that regard, new Clyde coach Scott Campbell can count himself among the fortunate — the very fortunate.

Campbell, who replaced the highly successful Rocky Smart following his resignation in the spring, has ample weapons at his disposal to make a splash in his Clyde debut.

Continue reading “Campbell taking over at Clyde in great situation” →

by Evan Ren

Young Clyde Bulldogs already battle-tested

There’s a difference between being young and being untested.

On paper, first-year Clyde coach Scott Campbell has a junior-laden team, likely a year away from hitting its peak. But the club is far from inexperienced.

A year ago under former coach Rocky Smart, the Bulldogs reached the playoffs and finished 6-5 despite starting multiple sophomores on both sides of the ball.

This year, Campbell, the former head coach at Luling, inherits an enormous junior class of 18 players — roughly half of whom were in starting varsity roles last year.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 7: Evan, Dan talk football with Wichita Falls’ Zach Duncan

Zach Duncan

Like Big Country Preps co-founders Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood, Wichita Falls Time Record News area writer Zach Duncan has been covering high school sports in his market for a long time.

Entering his 15th football season with the Wichita Falls newspaper, Duncan has seen more great games than he can count and worked with some outstanding coaches and players. This week, he took some time to share some his favorite football stories and talk shop with Evan and Daniel.

Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss District 3-3A Division I and District 7-2A Division II — two all-area leagues that should be competitive from top to bottom.

by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 5: Craig Slaughter talks coaching past, present, future

Wall defensive coordinator Craig Slaughter.

After spending 16 years as a head football coach, making stops at Hearne, Clyde, Sweetwater and Llano, Craig Slaughter transitioned back into an assistant role last year as Wall’s defensive coordinator.

This week, Slaughter, who’s entering Year 2 on coach Buddy Guy’s staff, took some time to talk to Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about the biggest highlights and regrets of his time as a head coach, how he’s enjoying Wall and what his coaching future holds, among other topics.

In this episode of the BCP Podcast, Evan and Daniel also debate the viability of the wishbone offense as a vehicle for winning a championship at high school and college football’s highest levels.