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.
Category: Comanche Indians
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Hermleigh senior takes this week’s accolade
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.
Evan Ren’s 2024 Gym Rat Team: The hardest-working players in the Big Country!
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.
2024 All-Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Rising Stars Team: The top freshmen and sophomores in the area!
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.
- Girls Superlative Award Winners
- Girls First Team
- Girls Second Team
- Girls Third Team (w/ honorable mention)
- Boys Superlative Award Winners
- Boys First Team
- Boys Second Team
- Boys Third Team (w/ honorable mention)
- Gym Rat Team: The toughest, hardest-working teammates in the Big Country! (Sunday)
2024 All-Big Country Preps Girls Basketball Rising Stars Team: The top freshmen and sophomores in the area!
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.
- Girls Superlative Award Winners
- Girls First Team
- Girls Second Team
- Girls Third Team (w/ honorable mention)
- Boys Superlative Award Winners
- Boys First Team
- Boys Second Team
- Boys Third Team (w/ honorable mention)
- Boys Rising Stars Team (area’s top underclassmen)
- Gym Rat Team: The toughest, hardest-working teammates in the Big Country! (Sunday)
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wall junior has huge day in San Angelo to capture our award
Wall junior Briggs Jones may be on the verge of a major breakout season in area track and field.
Our Big Country Player of the Week not only won five medals at the coveted Angelo State Spring Break meet, but he broke two solo school records and helped break a third. It seldom gets much better than that.
Aside from setting school marks in the long jump at 23-9.5 (for gold) and the triple jump at 45-2 (for gold), Jones was part of the 800 relay team’s silver medal performance of 1:28.49 — another Wall school mark.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jayton’s Gentry takes this week’s award
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.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Colorado City freshman takes this week’s award
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.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Anson freshman takes the spotlight
It may be a little too early to label Anson freshman softball pitcher Kayme Elrod as a star in the making. But our Big Country Preps Player of the Week is off to a pretty good start.
Last week her performance was nothing short of startling, both offensively and defensively.
In the circle, Elrod finished with a 5-0 record with a five-inning no hitter, a 0.77 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 27 innings of work.
PHOTO GALLERY: AISD Icebreaker Softball Tournament Day 3 (94 images)
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GAME STORY: Defense carries Jim Ned girls past Comanche and into Region I-3A semifinals
ABILENE — Just three days after the Jim Ned girls used a stifling defense to eliminate high-powered Eastland in the area round, the Lady Indians repeated that effort in a 48-24 win over Comanche in a Region I-3A quarterfinal.
Gracie Cooley scored 16 points and Lexi Wishert added 13 more to pace Jim Ned (34-2) which now advances to face the winner of Idalou and Spearman in the Region I-3A Tournament.
Facing a Comanche team that had been held under 50 points in only three of its 34 prior games, the Lady Indians held the Maidens to a season-low 24 points by limiting standout scorers J’Lee Salinas and Kinsey Glasgow to a combined 12 points — more than 24 points below their combined seasonal average. It was eerily similar to Friday’s win over Eastland, in which Jim Ned held EHS’ standout Mya Wesley, the leading scorer in the Big Country at 24.2 points, to only eight.
Comanche finished its season at 31-4, with Salinas leading the Maidens with 10 points.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Merkel senior closes the curtain in a big way.
Merkel senior Kooper Darby picked the right time to post the best all-around game of his high school career.
Playing in his final basketball game as a Merkel Badger, our Big Country Preps Player of the Week tallied a career-high 44 points to go with 16 rebounds, five assists, five steals in a 79-42 win over San Angelo Grape Creek.
With the Badgers (17-16) missing the playoffs, Darby had a final opportunity to make an impact as a high schooler and he did — like a meteor.
PHOTO GALLERY: Jim Ned-Eastland, Comanche-Merkel girls basketball area-round playoff doubleheader (107 images)
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GAME STORY: Comanche too much for Merkel, advances to regional quarterfinals
ABILENE — Already considered an underdog against high-flying Comanche, the Merkel Lady Badgers were facing even longer odds in Friday’s 3A area round game with the Maidens.
With four girls coming off a stomach illness, the Lady Badgers had neither the depth nor the stamina to cope with Comanche, which pressed and ran its way to a 71-43 win in the second game of an area round doubleheader at Hardin-Simmons University.
Jim Ned topped Eastland 65-33 in the first of the two games on Friday. Comanche (31-3) will now meet Jim Ned (33-2) in the Region I-3A quarterfinals at a site and time to be determined.
Sophomore J’Lee Salinas scored 28 points and junior Kinsey Glasgow added 21 more to lead Comanche, which claims its first area title in the 10-year tenure of coach Diana Salinas and the first overall in more than 15 years.
Merkel (23-13) was led by Amirah Navarrette with 12 points; Alexandria Farmer and Camryn Stone added eight each.
GAME STORY: Glasgow lights up Vernon with 32 points as Maidens advance to 3A area round
ANSON — Facing a dangerous Vernon team in the Region I-3A bi-district round, the Comanche Maidens needed to get off to good start to gain some early confidence and momentum after not playing a game for a full week.
As luck would have it, they had an insurance policy in their back pocket in junior guard Kinsey Glasgow, who poured in 32 points, including 16 in a red-hot first quarter to lift the Maidens to a 72-48 win at the Anson High School Gym.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cisco senior takes this week’s top spot
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.
THIS WEEK IN BOYS BASKETBALL: There’s still plenty to be decided as we approach end of regular season
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:
BEST OF BCP WEDNESDAY NIGHT PODCAST: Comanche coach Diana Salinas
Due to illness, our Big Country Preps Wednesday Night Podcast has been cancelled. We now present the Best of the BCP Wednesday Night Podcast with an episode that originally aired a month ago with Comanche coach Diana Salinas.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Rigdon has another huge week
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.
PHOTO GALLERY: Eastland-Comanche girls basketball (51 images)
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GAME STORY: Comanche forces second-place tie in District 8-3A with win over Eastland
COMANCHE — With high-flying, high-scoring Eastland coming to town on Tuesday, the 12th-ranked Comanche Maidens never even considered slowing tempo or limiting possessions.
They simply did what they always do — keeping their foot on the gas pedal to hand the Lady Mavs a 79-62 loss at the Comanche ISD Special Events Center.
J’Lee Salinas scored 22 points and Kinsey Glasgow added 21 more to pace the Maidens (27-3, 10-2 District 8-3A) who have forced a second-place tie with Eastland in the league race.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Eula’s Clayton Gray claims this week’s top spot
The 15th-ranked Eula Pirates (22-3) needed sweep of Baird and Cross Plains to finish the first half of district play at 5-0 and they did just that with the help of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week.
Senior forward Clayton Gray posted big numbers in both contests, beginning with a double-double of 32 points and 14 boards in the Baird win.
THIS WEEK IN BOYS BASKETBALL: Several district leads on the line in loaded area slate
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:
Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 25): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks
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.
Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 25): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks
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.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Comanche’s Glasgow claims this week’s accolade
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?
Evan Ren’s 2023 True Grit Team: The toughest, hardest-working players in the Big Country!
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.
Welcome to Big Country Preps’ “True Grit” team — a collection of area players nominated by their head coaches and Big Country Preps staff, who exemplify the character traits football mentors want throughout their roster.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS RISING STARS TEAM: The top football under classmen in the Big Country for 2023
Here are our selections for the 2023 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.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cooper’s Sloan takes this week’s top spot
Nobody needed a pair of district wins more than the Cooper Lady Cougars last week, and with the help of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, J’Lee Sloan, they did just that.
After starting their district slate at 0-4, the Lady Coogs had to have a win over Lubbock, which they achieved, 60-53, behind 27 points and 17 boards from Sloan.
Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 11): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Jan. 11.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 11): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Jan. 11.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
PHOTO GALLERY: Brock-Comanche girls basketball (46 images)
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GAME STORY: Perennial power Brock slows red-hot Comanche with 47-32 defeat
COMANCHE — The road to winning a district championship in girls basketball often runs through Brock. And after an impressive 47-32 win by the Lady Eagles at Comanche on Tuesday, it does again.
Unranked by the Texas Girls Coaches Association (13th by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches) and suiting only seven players, Brock used lockdown defense and broke Comanche’s full-court press to rally for the win at the Comanche ISD Special Events Center.
Jacee Riddle scored a game-high 19 points, including six 3-pointers and Keira Mathews added 12 points to lead Brock (15-8, 4-0), which overcame a 17-13 first-quarter deficit by limiting Comanche to only 15 total points over the last three quarters.
PHOTO GALLERY: Eula Holiday Classic Day 3 (242 images)
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PHOTO GALLERY: Eula Holiday Classic Day 2 (164 images)
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TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Comanche, San Saba girls advance to Eula Holiday Classic title game; Jim Ned boys fall in semis
EULA — The Comanche and San Saba girls basketball teams, ranked No. 5 and 16 in Class 3A and 2A respectively, completed perfect runs through the Eula Holiday Classic semifinals on Friday to claim spots in the event’s championship game Saturday evening.
Comanche, which cruised through Roscoe (72-43) and Hermleigh (73-44) on the tournament’s opening day Thursday, survived a test from Class 1A No. 10 Whiteface on Friday, outlasting the Lady Lopes for a 45-38 victory in the semifinals. And San Saba followed Thursday’s 63-37 win over Ballinger with hard-fought victories over Canadian (59-45) and tournament host Eula (59-55) to earn its spot in the title game.
The Maidens and Lady Dillos will match up for the tournament championship at 5:20 p.m. on Saturday, while Eula will take on Whiteface for third place at 1:20. The Jim Ned boys will also compete for third place, taking on Tolar at noon after dropping a tough 50-48 game to Holiday in the semifinals Friday.
PHOTO GALLERY: Eula Holiday Classic Day 1 (125 images)
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PHOTO GALLERY: Evan Ren’s top 100 football photos for 2023
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FEATURE: Hard work, youthful talent, new venue has Maidens staring at a bright future
Photos courtesy of Santos Gomez
COMANCHE — For 10 years, coach Diana Salinas and her Comanche girls basketball program have had their share of ups and downs, with an overall record of 122-130 and five playoff appearances. A widely divergent mix of veteran and very youthful clubs were a factor in this, with the program rebuilding after each set of heavy graduation losses.
There are, however, several signs that Comanche’s search for consistency is on the verge of ending, not the least of which is its current 16-1 record and top-five rankings by both the Texas Girls Coaches Association and the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. Only this time around, the Maidens are playing at an elite level, despite being extremely young.
Rather than being in another rebuilding cycle, the Maidens are riding a 12-game winning streak with a roster consisting of two seniors, two juniors, four sophomores and a freshman. Perhaps most importantly, their three leading scorers are a junior (Kinsey Glasgow, 17.3) and two sophomores (J’Lee Salinas and Jade Morin) who average 13.2 and 11.8 points, respectively.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Gordon senior Caitlyn Parsons snags this week’s award
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a Class 1A girls team from the outer reaches of our coverage area land our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award. But Gordon’s Caitlyn Parsons put an end to the drought with a huge performance in the Mesquite Pit Classic in Poolville.
Helping the Lady Longhorns to a 4-1 mark in the event, Parson tallied a combined 70 points, 50 boards, 16 steals, five assists, 11 blocks and one charge through five games to earn all-tournament honors and lead GHS to a third-place finish. She also had 10 points in a loss to San Saba earlier in the week.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Albany’s Hill takes this week’s award with big performance in regional title game
Big-time players come up with big-time performances in big games. And our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, Albany’s Adam Hill, is a big-time player.
Helping the Lions capture the Region II-2A DII title, Hill was a punisher out of the Lions’ backfield last Thursday in Iowa Park, rushing for 223 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries in a 52-14 rout of a very good Collinsville team.
The Texas Tech-bound senior also caught a pair of passes for 31 yards and an additional touchdown as Albany improved to 14-0 on the year.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Stephenville’s Butchee takes the top spot
We freely admit that more offensive players take our Big Country Preps Player of the Week than do defenders.
But a great defensive performance can, indeed, take the top spot and that is the case with this week’s award winner: Stephenville sophomore linebacker, Hudson Butchee.
With the Yellow Jackets squaring off with perennial power Celina in the Region II-4A DI semifinals, Butchee played like a man possessed in a 7-3 Stephenville win.
EVAN REN’S THANKSGIVING WEEK PLAYOFF PICKS: Big Country takes 16 teams from 1A through 5A into Turkey Day weekend
LAST WEEK: 22-5, .814
SEASON TOTAL: 535-108, .832
Turkey Day has arrived and we’ve still got 16 Big Country football teams from 1A through 5A hitting the field this week.
That’s up from 13 a year ago, giving you some perspective on the overall quality of area football in 2023. And unless I miss my guess, we’ll have at least 10 area teams still slugging it out in December.
Not too shabby.
Of those, we have roughly seven or eight that have a shot at reaching Arlington and playing for a state championship, including four that I would consider favorites to win it all.
That said, let’s take a look at this week’s matchups, shall we?
Be safe going to your games!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: With Windthorst vanquished, Ivan “The Terrible” hath seized thy weekly accolade
It’s always nice to see numbers that match a nickname. And in the case of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, there’s no worries in that department.
Roscoe junior running back Ivan “The Terrible” McCann takes the accolade for the week ending Nov. 18 after helping the Plowboys to a stunning 50-22 win over Windthorst in the 2A DI area round.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYOFF FORECAST: BCP carries 33 teams into Week 13, but how many will move on?
LAST WEEK: 36-5, .878
SEASON TOTAL: 513-103, .832
As we enter Week 13, the Big Country Preps coverage area still has 33 teams from 1A through 5A with a playoff pulse, including a handful with decent shot at a state championship.
However, as we all know, things begin to get much tougher when you get to the area round and unless I miss my guess, we’ll see around 15-17 of our area teams eliminated by Saturday.
The good news is, we should have 16-18 clubs playing over the Thanksgiving holiday, which is a pretty solid number for what will be the 14th week of the season.
So without further ado, let’s dive in.
Here’s this week’s playoff forecast:
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Hico’s Powell takes this week’s accolade
Big numbers are always great to have when we decide the winner of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award. Solid numbers across multiple tasks are even better.
That was the case with this week’s spotlight player, Buck Powell, of Hico, who helped the Tigers to a 47-14 rout of Maud in the Class 2A DII bi-district round on Friday.
2023 BIG COUNTRY PREPS BOYS BASKETBALL PREVIEW: The area’s top teams in each class throughout the BCP coverage area
With a new season of boys high school basketball poised to begin, it’s time to take a look at what the Big Country will produce on the court.
Below you will find our top teams in each classification in the Big Country Preps coverage area, from Big Spring in the West, to Brock in the east and from Brady in the south to Munday in the north.
Our rankings of the top teams in each class are given, along with a season outlook, cataloguing our expectations for each club.
Here’s our preview. We’ll see you on the road.
