Here are the boys area track bests through April 9 (top 15 in each event):
Category: Clyde Bulldogs
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cisco junior takes the top spot with no-hitter
While no-hitters are fairly common at the high school level, the bulk of them are of the five-inning variety — ending early while locking down a mercy rule win.
Going the full seven innings without allowing a hit, however, is much less common. And in the case of Cisco junior Case Williams, his seven-inning no-no in a 2-0 win over a good Coleman team last Tuesday secured our Big Country Preps Player of the Week for the Week ending April 5.
Evan Ren’s 2025 Gym Rat Team: The hardest-working players in the Big Country!
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 2024-25 season.
Players are listed in no particular order.
Enjoy.
Area Softball Stat Leaders (through March 27)
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through March 27:
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.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his or her email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Area Baseball Stat Leaders (through March 27)
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through March 27.
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.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
PHOTO GALLERY: Merkel-Clyde baseball (73 images)
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GAME STORY: After honoring Turner’s legacy, Clyde gets emotional win over Merkel
CLYDE — “Aiden might have only had one best friend, but there were 30 people that called him their best friend.”
On a night when Clyde honored junior Aiden Turner after he passed away early Saturday morning from injuries sustained in a car wreck, Turner’s mother Amber Courson had those words to say about her son.
Turner, a JV player for the Bulldogs, was a passenger in the wreck that occurred as Clyde’s 14-2 road win over Merkel was getting started on Friday night. The two District 6-3A foes made sure that Tuesday’s rematch honored Turner before the Bulldogs took a 6-0 win at the Hanner Sports Complex.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde hurler takes this week’s award
Clyde softball has been overdue for landing a Big Country Preps Player of the Week award and senior pitcher Kaycee Bingham has just ended the drought.
The Lady Bulldogs have been posting big numbers on a weekly basis, falling just short of the top spot. But Bingham has landed the spotlight with a 26-0 mercy rule perfect game win over San Angelo Grape Creek last week. She followed that with a three-hit 11-0 shutout of Merkel.
Continue reading “BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde hurler takes this week’s award”
Area Baseball Stat Leaders (through March 20)
20Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through March 20.
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.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Area Softball Stat Leaders (through March 20)
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through March 20:
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.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his or her email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Gordon’s Stryker Reed earns this week’s accolade
At the Class 1A level, where it is common for athletes to participate in multiple sports at the same time due to a lack of numbers, individuals who excel in different disciplines are invaluable.
At Gordon, junior multi-sport star Stryker Reed falls into this category, and our Big Country Preps Player of the Week is now demonstrating it on the heels of an amazing effort.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Eula’s Hailie Cauthen earns this week’s spotlight
Fresh off a successful basketball season, Eula’s Hailie Cauthen has transitioned to softball as though she were in mid-season form.
In fact, the senior shortstop was good enough through five games last week to take our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award for the Week ending March 8.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Stephenville’s Gentry lands the top spot
While Stephenville’s Tristian Gentry is no stranger to this column, it’s usually via football that he lands in our Top 10 — especially after missing track last year due to injury.
Well, it’s track season again and it just so happens that the SHS senior is healthy this time around — returning as one of the area’s top guns in that sport. He’s already off to a great start, having captured four gold medals at a talent-loaded Brock meet last week.
Aside from first place leaps in the long jump (21-1) and triple jump (43-2), he also helped SHS’ 400 and 800 relay teams take gold with splits of 43.26 and 1:30.1, respectively.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Stamford softballer takes the top spot
For two years, Stamford’s Emma Follis has been one of our area’s elite softball players, both as a pitcher and a hitter.
Last week, Follis picked up right where she left off a year ago, notching a 3-1 record in the circle with 35 strikeouts at the Slaton Tournament.
She was even better at the plate, hitting .714 with a triple, four homers and nine RBIs.
At this rate her numbers could be staggering by season’s end. And keep in mind, many of these games were shortened to accommodate the tournament schedule.
In several shortened games Emma came out hot in the circle and at the plate,” coach Sean Slavis said. “We are pumped to finally be playing again!”
Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Feb. 13): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Feb. 13.
This database will be 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.
Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Feb. 13): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 13.
This database will be 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.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Comanche’s Alex Terrell takes this week’s spotlight
While it wasn’t a perfect two-game stretch for the Comanche boys basketball team, the Indians did clinch a postseason berth last week and one of their players earned the spotlight.
Comanche went 1-1 on the week, dropping a game against Tolar while securing a playoff spot Friday with a win over Breckenridge. In the meantime, senior guard Alex Terrell came up with two big efforts to capture our Big Country Preps Player of the Week.
Terrell put up solid numbers on both nights, beginning with 20 points, five rebounds and two steals in the Tolar loss. Three nights later, he finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and four steals in a tough 32-26 win at Breck to clinch a postseason berth.
SIGNING DAY 2025: Top area athletes sign on the dotted line
National Signing Day is typically a busy one in the Big Country Preps’ coverage area and 2025 was no exception with several players inking and/or confirming their commitments to play at the next level.
At various signing ceremonies held throughout the area, athletes celebrated their final choices to pursue a degree while competing collegiately.
Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 30): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Jan. 30.
This database will be 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.
Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 30): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Jan. 30.
This database will be 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.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde’s Underwood takes accolade after passing the 1,000 milestone a second time
It was a month of milestones for Clyde senior post Maddie Underwood, who takes our Big Country Preps Player of the Week with a combination of great numbers, along with team and career achievements.
To begin with she charted a combined 42 points and 29 boards in wins over Grape Creek and Merkel.
In the process, she helped the Lady Bulldogs (20-8, 8-2) lock up their first playoff berth in nine years and their first 20-win season in 10.
Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 23): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Jan. 23.
This database will be 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.
Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 23): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Jan. 23.
This database will be 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.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Gorman junior takes this week’s accolade
Back-to-back double-doubles in two dominating efforts were enough to give Gorman junior Delila Crain our Big Country Player of the Week for the week ending Saturday, Jan. 18.
Opening the week with an 83-7 rout of Bluff Dale, Crain posted 30 points and 10 boards to go with five assists, five deflections, six steals and four blocks.
She followed that with 21 points, 12 boards, five deflections, four assists and three steals in a 58-27 win over Huckabay.
Evan Ren’s 2024 True Grit Team: The toughest, hardest-working 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 2024 “True Grit” team — the one place in the Big Country where guys who fall into this category are recognized for it.
2024 All-Big Country Preps Football Team: First-Team Roster
Here are our first-team selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
2024 All-Big Country Preps Football Team: Second-Team Roster
Here are our second-team selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
2024 All-Big Country Preps Football Team: Third-Team Roster (w/honorable mention)
Here are our selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps Football Team (Third-Team roster). For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS RISING STARS TEAM: The top football under classmen in the Big Country for 2024
Here are our selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps Rising Stars Team — an honor reserved for the area’s top freshman and sophomore football players. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
PHOTO GALLERY: Wall-Clyde basketball doubleheader (72 images)
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: Wall-Clyde basketball doubleheader (72 images)”
GAME STORY: Offensive outbursts help Wall sweep Clyde in 6-3A doubleheader
CLYDE — With logjams atop the District 6-3A basketball standings for both the boys and girls, the Wall Hawks earned a pair of crucial wins on Tuesday night, sweeping Clyde at Bulldog Gymnasium.
The Lady Hawks got 18 points from Kennedi Graves as they rolled to a 70-26 win in the opener, while Jager Thompson had 12 of his 15 points in the second half to lead Wall to a 46-33 win in the nightcap.
In both games, it was the second quarter that proved pivotal.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jim Ned’s Wyatt Nickson takes first honor of 2025
Wyatt Nickson was on fire over Christmas Break.
In fact, in six games the senior guard averaged 19.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent overall and 48 percent from the 3-point line.
“Wyatt has been putting in the extra work to make himself the best scorer possible,” coach Blake Allen said. “He has been on an absolute tear and he is fun to watch play basketball”
The Indians enter this week at 12-6.
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Eula girls claim title with pair of top-10 wins
EULA — Since the Eula Holiday Classic expanded to 16 teams for both the boys and girls tournaments in 2005, neither of the Pirates programs had won the tournament title.
That changed on Saturday when the Lady Pirates, who entered the tournament ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 1A, knocked off 10th-ranked Hermleigh 50-41 in a spirited championship match at Mary Mosley Gymnasium.
The win capped off a day that saw Roscoe and Clyde fall in the third- and fifth-place games, respectively, while the Tolar Lady Rattlers won the consolation championship.
2024 BIG COUNTRY PREPS MAX EFFORT TEAM: The hardest-working players in area volleyball!
Our All-Big Country Preps Volleyball team, released today, is in place to honor those who achieved the most on-court success in 2024. It is off the court, however, where character, grit
and work ethic are often measured. And it is with our Big Country Preps Max Effort Team that we wish to honor those players who were the hardest-working, best teammates in the
area this fall.
This team isn’t about who the best volleyball players were.
The Max Effort team honors hustle, discipline, toughness, coachability and selflessness — traits that coaches wish every player had.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Ira junior takes the spotlight with huge week
Ira junior Hudson Luft had a week that was nothing short of eye-popping — eye-popping enough to earn him our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award for the week ending Dec. 7.
Luft takes it this time around with a performance that went as follows: 28 points, 10 boards vs. Spur, 18 points, eight steals vs. Eden, 46 points, four steals vs. Loraine, 21 points vs. Robert Lee, 30 points, six steals vs. Roscoe and 24 points vs Winters.
PHOTO GALLERY: Clyde-Cooper girls basketball (50 images)
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: Clyde-Cooper girls basketball (50 images)”
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wall quarterback grabs the spotlight with huge performance
Only a year removed from running a ground-based flexbone option attack, the Wall Hawks have managed to put that approach in the distant past with a remarkable effort through the air in 2024.
And who would have thought that making that difficult transition could have happened so quickly?
Now, having committed to a full-blown spread attack under new coach Craig Slaughter, the Hawks have already accumulated nearly 3,000 passing yards, placing them near the top in that category among Big Country teams.
DISTRICT 3-3A DIV. I WEEK 11 REPORT: Jim Ned, Comanche, Breckenridge notch Week 11 wins
Jim Ned 45, Sweetwater 28 — Aiden Ellis rushed for 262 yards and three scores on 43 carries in a bulldozer-like effort for Jim Ned, which rushed for 400 yards as a team.
With the score tied at 21 at the break, the Indians took command with a 24-7 second half.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Stamford, Hawley clash in rematch of last season’s thriller
LAST WEEK: 45-8, .849
SEASON TOTAL: 464-122, .791
The regular season ends Friday night (if you can believe it) and there’s no better way to close things up than with No. 5 Class 2A DI Hawley (9-0, 4-0) at No. 1 Stamford (9-0, 4-0).
The winner will earn the District 4 championship and No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs, so much is at stake.
I’m leaning toward Stamford here for three reasons: First, the overall team speed of SHS is unmatched by anyone in the area.
Secondly, the Bulldogs have an intangible working here — specifically a last-second miracle touchdown scored by Hawley’s
Camden Ables from 45 yards out with 0:47 left in last year’s game.
DISTRICT 3-3A DIV. I WEEK 10 REPORT: Jim Ned, Sweetwater, Comanche win in Week 10
Jim Ned 45, Clyde 6 — 
Aiden Ellis rushed for 159 yards and three scores and Gray Beasley threw for 123 yards and two more TDs to lead the Indians to an important district win.
Jim Ned (6-3, 3-1) remains in district title contention with the win and could potentially win the crown with a win at Sweetwater next week, depending on the results of the Clyde-Comanche game.
DISTRICT 3-3A DIV. I WEEK 9 REPORT: Comanche, Sweetwater and Jim Ned notch wins
Comanche 34, Breckenridge 21 — 
The Indians rushed for 330 yards collectively to improve to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in district play.
Cayden Davis rushed for 121 yards and one score and Ladainian Smith rushed for 101 yards and another TD to lead Comanche.
Breckenridge fell to 0-8 and 0-3.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Loboes play host to Hawley in Big Country Preps Game of the Week
LAST WEEK: 41-10 .803
SEASON TOTAL: 367-108, .772
Football season doesn’t feel complete without at least one visit to Chesley Field in Cisco. And Friday night, the Big Country Preps Game of the Week will stop by for a crucial District 4-2A DI matchup between the Loboes (5-2, 1-1) and Hawley (7-0, 2-0).
For Hawley, a win here will keep open the possibility of an unbeaten regular season. For Cisco, a victory would signal the beginning of a climb back into area prominence.