Category: Cooper Cougars

by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Lady Cougars on verge of playoff berth after thrilling win over Abilene High

The District 4-5A showdown between Abilene High and Cooper had the look and feel of a playoff matchup Saturday afternoon at Cougar Gym.

Neither team created any separation until Cooper senior Amiya Mayes’ free throw with 5.55 seconds to play put the Lady Cougars up five as CHS held off an Abilene High squad that was looking for its first district win, 33-28, to all but lock up a playoff spot. It was Cooper’s first home win over Abilene High since a 60-36 victory on Dec. 16, 2022.

To officially clinch a playoff berth, the Lady Cougars will need to win one of their final two games (at Wichita Falls Memorial, versus Wichita Falls Legacy) or see Abilene High lose one of its final two games against Legacy or Wylie. It would be Cooper’s first playoff berth since the 2019-20 season.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie boys use big third-quarter run to pull away from crosstown rival Cooper

Trailing 20-18 after a wild first quarter, the Wylie boys basketball team outscored Cooper 45-23 over the middle two periods to pull away in the second half for a 73-53 win Thursday at Bulldog Gym.

A 21-7 run through the third quarter proved the knockout blow for the Bulldogs, who hit nine 3-pointers in the game, which was twice postponed by the winter storm that hit Abilene last weekend.

Swade Sipe and King Lloyd combined for eight of those 3s, scoring 24 and 21 points, respectively, to help Wylie complete a doubleheader sweep after the Lady Bulldogs rolled past the Lady Cougars 69-18 in Thursday’s early game.

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by Daniel Youngblood

THIS WEEK IN BOYS BASKETBALL: Big games in full supply despite weather-related schedule changes

Mother Nature did her best to bring the high school basketball season to a standstill, sending a winter storm that put most Big Country teams on the shelf for a week. But the action around that unexpected break gives us plenty to talk about in this week’s look at the area boys basketball scene.

With a number of excellent (and meaningful) games last week and some big matchups slated for the next few days, the area district races remain as intriguing as ever.

Let’s go ahead now and take a look at the biggest games the area slate has to offer this week and some of the outcomes last week that helped shape the weeks to come.

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN’S 2025 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. 

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by Evan Ren

2025 BIG COUNTRY PREPS RISING STARS TEAM: The top underclassmen in the Big Country

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.

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by Daniel Youngblood

THIS WEEK IN BOYS BASKETBALL: District races taking shape as title, playoff favorites begin to emerge

District races are heating up throughout the Big Country and the cream is quickly rising to the top in our area leagues.

Last week and helped provide some clarity in a number of district’s throughout the BCP coverage area, and this week will, no doubt, do the same.

Without further ado, let’s go ahead and dive into this week’s column and take a look at the biggest games on this week’s slate and some of the top results last week had to offer.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Putback at buzzer lifts Memorial to win over Cooper boys in District 4-5A opener

After struggling for most of the game to put the ball through the net, and spending the first 28 minutes trailing as a result, the Cooper boys basketball team rallied late in the fourth quarter to put itself in position to steal a district-opening win over Wichita Falls Memorial on Friday at Cougar Gym.

But the Mavericks scored seven second-chance points in the final three minutes — the last two on a putback by Nash Melton as time expired — to escape Abilene with a dramatic 38-36 win.

The buzzer-beater by Melton completed a doubleheader sweep for Memorial, which picked up a 54-29 win in the girls game earlier in the evening.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Cooper girls stymie archrival Abilene High in 43-18 win, boost playoff hopes in District 4-5A

Entering Tuesday’s crosstown rivalry game off lopsided losses to open District 4-5A play, both the Abilene High and Cooper girls basketball teams were looking to break into the win column and get an early leg up in the race for the league’s fourth playoff spot.

With just four wins between them coming into the week, both squads have faced their share of adversity this season. But competing in a five-team district guarantees that at least one of them will close a tough year of transition and/or growth in the playoffs.

On Tuesday at Eagle Gym, it was Cooper that took a running leap toward that goal, using relentless pressure defense to stifle Abilene High in a dominant 43-18 victory. The Lady Cougars, who forced more turnovers than points allowed, trailed only once (at 5-4 early in the second quarter), scoring 17 second-quarter points to pull away for a commanding 21-7 lead by halftime.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sipe takes our weekly award with unbelievable shooting night

There are memorable shooting nights. Then there are shooting nights one is unlikely to ever forget.

Wylie senior guard Swade Sipe had one of the latter on Friday night, with a 33-point effort in a 74-62 win over Brock. 

During the course of this performance, Sipe was 11 of 11 from the field, 6 of 6 from 3-point range, 5 of 5 from two-point range and 5 of 6 from the foul line.

This explosive, nearly perfect effort against a very good 4A Brock team earns Sipe our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award, during a week when several players posted numbers good enough to claim the accolade.

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by Daniel Youngblood

THIS WEEK IN BOYS BASKETBALL: Several games on the docket with district title implications

With district play either underway or starting this week for all area boys basketball teams, it’s time to start taking a closer look at how our Big Country hoops races are shaping up.

And as we’ve done in the past, we’ll break down our top upcoming matchups, the top results from the previous week and the area’s biggest surprise right here each Sunday, starting with this column.

We hope you enjoy a look at this week in area boys basketball.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie girls push through slow start to rout crosstown rival Cooper in district opener

It took 3½ minutes to get on the board and a boost from its bench to get going in the right direction Friday, but once the Wylie girls basketball team found its footing, it never lost it in a 71-12 road win over Cooper to open District 4-5A play.

With the game still scoreless more than three minutes into the game, Lady Bulldogs coach Duane Hopper subbed out his entire starting group in a hockey-style line change. And that second unit provided exactly the type of spark he was hoping for, closing the opening quarter on a 15-2 run to set the wheels in motion for the rout to come.

The victory, which saw Wylie limit Cooper to two points in each of the first three quarters and just two field goals for the game, improved the Lady Bulldogs to 20-5 overall and 1-0 in league play, while the Lady Cougars fell to 3-22 and 0-1.

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Carter Toof
by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cisco guard captures award with amazing week

If you were told that the Big Country had a possible boys basketball star in the making, where would you guess he was from? 
Jim Ned? Eula? San Saba? 

While those choices often make sense, there is a rising star on the block from an area that is seldom attached with basketball greatness. His name: Carter Toof, a junior from Cisco where pigskin has served as the athletic identity of the school for more than two decades. 

Named as our Big Country Player of the Week for the week ending Dec. 13, Toof, a gifted guard, earned our accolade with a performance that bordered on scary. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Stephenville girls grind out 30-20 over Cooper in defensive slugfest

Frustrated at times by Cooper’s athleticism and defensive intensity, the Stephenville girls basketball team found itself in a dogfight late in the third quarter Tuesday at Cougar Gym. But after leading just 15-12 at halftime and 21-17 with 10 minutes remaining in the game, the Honeybees closed the contest on a 9-3 run to grind out a 30-20 win.

SHS made just 10 shots from the field in a physical defensive game that saw 17 field goals made between the teams. But coach Jason Hodges’ squad held the Lady Cougars to five points or fewer in three of the four quarters to record its fifth straight win.

The victory improved the Honeybees to 10-2 on the year, while Cooper fell to 1-12 with the loss.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wylie senior earns this week’s award

It’s one thing to pour in points. 

It’s quite another to do it against difficult competition in a big-school tournament.  Wylie senior Swade Sipe, our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, did exactly that in last week’s Granbury tournament, helping the Bulldogs to a 2-2 mark in the challenging event. 

Sipe’s weekend began with a 22-point effort in a 54-48 win over Saginaw. It continued with 12 points in a 56-50 loss to Prosper Rock Hill, 20 points in a 59-51 win over Midland Christian and a 33-point night in a 46-43 loss to Arlington Lamar. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Abilene High, Cooper kick off Key City Classic with victories

The Abilene High and Cooper boys basketball teams both scored impressive wins on the opening night of the Fyzical Therapy and Balance Centers Key City Classic on Thursday evening to earn their way into the championship bracket for the remainder of the three-day event.

AHS whipped El Paso Jefferson 73-33 at Eagle Gym in its opener, while Cooper downed Cleburne 49-42 at Cougar Gym.

For full results of the tournament’s first day and the schedule for Friday’s second-round action, click here.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

SIGNING DAY: Cooper’s Davis, Brock’s Matlock are poised to help turn around UTEP football program

For the second year in a row, the University of Texas-El Paso football coach Scotty Walden found a member of his recruiting class in Abilene as the Miners signed Cooper defensive lineman Dycin Davis to a Letter of Intent on Wednesday morning.

Davis’ addition came one year after the Miners signed former Abilene High wide receiver Ryland Bradford.

Along with Davis, UTEP’s class on the first day that high school seniors could sign also included Brock’s Colt Matlock, who the program advertised as a defensive signee. UTEP signed a total of 25 players on Wednesday with 23 Texas high school players being joined by two additions from the transfer portal.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Graham senior Jace Gill takes this week’s accolade

Not only is our Big Country Preps Player of the Week holding down the top spot with big numbers, but his performance in Graham’s 35-28 area round win over Lubbock Cooper Liberty was a virtual seminar on poise. 

Helping the Steers (9-3) to overcome three separate deficits, senior QB/kicker/punter Jace Gill was 15 of 28 for 239 yards and three TDs. He also rushed 12 times for 118 yards and another score. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Rough start, mistakes doom Cooper’s upset hopes in 77-35 area-round loss to Argyle

GODLEY — Heading into its Region I-5A Division II area-round matchup with state-ranked Argyle, the Cooper football team knew its margin for error would be narrow if it hoped to advance past the Eagles and into the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2019. 

So when the Cougars found themselves down 14-0 just 32 seconds in, it became clear pretty quickly that they might be in for a long night.

That disastrous start set the course for a 77-35 loss at Wildcat Stadium, ending Cooper’s best season in five years at 7-5. And though neither the process nor the outcome matched that which he and his players were hoping for Friday night, coach Aaron Roan left the stadium proud of how his team continued to fight no matter how deep the hole got — a hallmark of a 2025 squad that handled adversity and itself well all season.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Abilene High’s Henry takes award after record-setting performance

You have to love a great all-around performance and in the case of Brayden Henry, our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, his effort in last week’s 84-25 bi-district win over El Paso Bel Air was a record-setter.

Aside from going 6 of 7 through the air or 56 yards and one TD, he also rushed five times for 137 yards and three more scores.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Cooper rallies from three-score halftime deficit to beat El Paso Chapin in 42-35 thriller

Trailing 24-7 at halftime and struggling to contain El Paso Chapin quarterback Daveon Singleton, the Cooper football team found itself in a deep hole Friday in its Region I-5A Division II bi-district game at Shotwell Stadium.

But it wasn’t deep enough to bury a Cougars team that has stood tall in the face of adversity all season long.

Using a big special teams to play to turn the momentum on the opening kickoff of the second half, Cooper outscored the Huskies 35-11 over the final two quarters to rally for a dramatic 42-35 win, advancing to the area round of the playoffs to take on fifth-ranked Argyle next week.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 11 REPORT: Wylie routs Plainview to close season, Palo Duro takes top spot over Cooper

Wylie 70, Plainview 52 — Julius Laine ran for 300 yards and five touchdowns as WHS scored on 10 of its 11 possessions in a shootout win over Plainview.

Coach Clay Martin’s Bulldogs (5-5, 3-3), who finished with 615 yards of total offense, forced three consecutive turnovers to start the second half to turn a 31-28 halftime deficit into a 56-31 lead by the start of the fourth quarter. In addition to Laine’s big game, Wylie got big games from quarterback Jadin Karleskint (11-15-0—139, 3 TDs passing; 9-99, 1 TD rushing) and receiver Dylan Regala (5-76, 2 TDs; 1 interception defensively).

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Mistakes doom Cooper in 52-28 road loss to Amarillo Palo Duro

Photos by Joe Garcia, PressPassSports.com

AMARILLO — Visiting Dick Bivins Stadium on Thursday with a chance to lock up a share of the District 2-5A Division II championship and clinch the league’s top playoff spot, the Cooper football team saw five turnovers doom those hopes in a 52-28 loss to Amarillo Palo Duro.

The Cougars outgained the Dons 443-319, but a trio of lost of fumbles and a pair of interceptions proved too much to overcome against a Palo Duro squad that has won nine straight games since dropping its opener to Amarillo Tascosa.

Aided by Cooper’s miscues, the Dons built a 21-0 lead by the 10:32 mark of the second quarter. And after the Cougars rallied back to pull within seven at halftime and again in the third quarter, Palo Duro responded with 24 unanswered points to put the game away and lock up its first outright district title since 2001.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 10 REPORT: Lubbock Cooper tops Wylie; Palo Duro, Memorial cruise to wins

Photo by Riley Smith, HubCityPreps.com

Lubbock Cooper 42, Wylie 35 — Chamayne Johnson ran for 141 yards and a touchdown and received for 25 yards and another score, while Cade Gant received for 121 yards and two scores to lead the Pirates to a big win over the Bulldogs.

Cooper (6-4, 3-3), which locked up a playoff spot with the win, overcame second-half deficits of 9-14 and 25-20 to build a 35-25 fourth-quarter lead. And after Wylie tied the game with 10 unanswered points, the Pirates got a touchdown pass from Ryan Rodriguez to Reed Watters with just over six minutes remaining for what proved to be the winning points.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 9 REPORT: Abilene Cooper, Palo Duro separate selves from pack; LCP picks up key win

Abilene Cooper 53, Wichita Falls Legacy 24 — The Cougars ran for 287 yards as a team, getting 102 yards and two touchdowns rushing and 27 yards receiving from Peyton Ewing in a thorough win over the Leopards.

Cooper (6-3, 4-1), which also got productive days from Jaden Carrillo (10-15-0—106, 1 TD passing; 4-51, 1 TD rushing) and Markquel Sims (11-87, 1 TD rushing), raced out to a 22-0 second-quarter lead and closed the third quarter with three unanswered touchdowns to increase a 29-17 lead to 50-17 by the start of the fourth quarter.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Fast start, strong third quarter fuel Cooper to blowout win over Wichita Falls Legacy

The Cooper football team didn’t start the week expecting to play a Thursday night game, but you wouldn’t have known that by the way the Cougars executed in a 53-24 home win over Wichita Legacy.

Playing a night earlier than scheduled due to thunderstorms forecasted for the area on Friday, the Cougars raced out to a 22-0 second-quarter lead and never let up in a thorough victory at Shotwell Stadium.

The win improved coach Aaron Roan’s squad to 6-3 on the year and 4-1 in District 2-5A Division II play, setting up a showdown with Amarillo Palo Duro (7-1, 4-0) for the league’s top playoff seed on Nov. 6, following the Cougars’ open date in Week 10.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 8 REPORT: Cooper outlasts Plainview; Memorial routs Wylie; Palo Duro rallies past LCP

Abilene Cooper 56, Plainview 43 — Jaden Carrillo accounted for 380 total yards and five total touchdowns to fuel the Cougars to a two-touchdown road win over the Bulldogs.

The senior quarterback passed for 203 yards and two TDs and ran for 177 yards and three more scores, while Peyton Ewing (18-134, 2 TDs rushing) and Zaylon Johnson (8-127, 2 TDs receiving) also had big games for Cooper (5-3, 3-1).

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Carrillo shines again as Cooper pulls away late for 56-43 win at Plainview

PLAINVIEW — Jaden Carrillo passed for 203 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 177 yards and three more scores to lead Cooper to a 56-43 win over Plainview on Friday at Greg Sherwood Memorial Stadium.

Peyton Ewing added 134 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and Zaylon Johnson received for 127 yards and two scores as the Cougars used a 28-point fourth quarter to break open a game that was tied after each of the first three periods.

The wild victory improved Cooper to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in District 2-5A Division II play, keeping coach Aaron Roan’s squad within a half-game of league leader Amarillo Palo Duro (6-1, 3-0) with two games to play.

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by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: First-year Cooper QB Carrillo far more than just an athlete taking snaps

When Jaden Carrillo was tabbed to be Cooper’s starting quarterback in the preseason, beating out fellow seniors Johnathon Rico and Jared Clancy for the role, it was likely eyebrow-raising news for some. 

That’s because for most of his time as a Cougar, the speedy playmaker was catching passes, not throwing them.

Carrillo cut his teeth as a varsity football player at the slot receiver position, amassing 71 receptions for 657 yards and five touchdowns across his sophomore and junior seasons. But the senior three-sport standout has always thought of himself as a quarterback — and given the chance to man the position in his final high school season, he’s showing others exactly why.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High fends off upset bid from spirited Cooper squad in crosstown thriller

Coming into the second crosstown volleyball match between Abilene High and Cooper, the youthful Lady Cougars had yet to win a set in five District 4-5A matches. So when coach Kandice Williams’ squad had its rival down 9-2 in the fifth set Tuesday, there were a lot of surprised — and nervous — fans in Cougar Gym.

But after struggling to wrestle momentum from the feisty Lady Coogs for most of the match, thanks in no small part to a large and rowdy crowd, the Lady Eagles recovered just in time to avoid an upset loss, rallying for a 25-13, 24-26, 22-25, 25-17, 15-13 win to level their district record at 3-3.

The match was a far cry from the first meeting between the teams, which saw AHS breeze to a 25-8, 25-10, 25-12 victory at home. And after it, Lady Eagles coach Emily Gravitt was just happy to see her team escape with the hard-earned win.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cooper’s Carillo takes this week’s award

Slowly but surely, the Cooper Cougars have emerged as one of the most explosive teams in the Big Country. And in its latest exploit, CHS rolled up 517 yards in total offense in a 66-16 win over Lubbock Cooper. 

At the top of the stat sheet: Cooper quarterback Jaden Carrillo, who hit 18 of 27 throws for 263 yards and six touchdowns. He also rushed 11 times for 80 yards and another score to help the Cougars improve to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in District 2-5A DII. 

His six TD passes tied a school record held by Zac Allen and Clayton Nicholas. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 7 REPORT: Cooper blasts LCP; Palo Duro outlasts Wylie; Legacy upsets Plainview

Abilene Cooper 66, Lubbock Cooper 16 — Jaden Carrillo passed for 273 yards and a school record-tying six touchdowns while adding 80 yards and another score rushing to lead the Cougars to a blowout win over the Pirates.

Zaylon Johnson was Carrillo’s favorite target in the passing game, hauling in seven passes for 140 yards and four touchdowns, while Jace Johnson and Donovan Wilkerson also had TD catches for the Coogs (4-3, 2-1).

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Carrillo’s record-tying night fuels Cougars to 66-16 rout of Lubbock Cooper

After rushing for more than 300 yards in each of their first two district games — and three of their first six games overall — the Cooper Cougars seemed to be settling nicely into an identity as a power run team.

But anyone who thought the ground game was the only trick in the Coogs’ book learned differently in Friday’s 66-16 home win over Lubbock Cooper.

Sure, CHS got its yards on the ground — 249, to be exact — but it was a record passing performance by senior quarterback Jaden Carrillo that had Shotwell Stadium abuzz as coach Aaron Roan’s squad cruised to a surprising 50-point win over the Pirates.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 6 REPORT: Wylie tops Cooper in Southtown Showdown; Palo Duro, Lubbock Cooper win big

Wylie 29, Abilene Cooper 22 — After allowing 22 points and 232 yards rushing in the first half, the Bulldogs shut the Cougars out in the second to score a hard-fought win over their crosstown rivals in our Big Country Preps Game of the Week.

Jadin Karleskint passed for 246 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a team-high 76 yards to lead Wylie (4-2, 2-0), which also got productive efforts from Blaze Ruffin (3-119, 1 TD receiving) and Julius Laine (17-71, 1 TD rushing; 2-36, 1TD receiving).

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by Daniel Youngblood

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Second-half shutout fuels Wylie past crosstown rival Cooper

A back-and-forth shootout in the first half gave way to a defensive struggle in the second, but at the end of four quarters, the Wylie Bulldogs were one touchdown better than Cooper in a thrilling 29-22 victory at Hugh Sandifer Stadium.

After allowing 232 yards rushing in the first half of Friday’s Big Country Preps Game of the Week, coach Clay Martin’s defense tightened things up to pitch a shutout in the second. That allowed Julius Laine’s second touchdown of the night to serve as the go-ahead and, eventually, game-winning points midway through the third quarter as Wylie took the Southtown Showdown for the fourth consecutive year.

The victory puts Wylie (4-2 overall) alone atop the District 2-5A Division II standings at 2-0, while dropping Cooper to 3-3 on the year and 1-1 in league play.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 5 REPORT: Abilene Cooper, Wylie and Plainview open league play with victories

Abilene Cooper 42, Wichita Falls Memorial 27 — The Cougars pounded out 357 yards on the ground, getting 144 yards and a touchdown from Peyton Ewing and 127 yards and four scores from quarterback Jaden Carrillo, to score an upset win over the Mavericks in the district opener for both teams.

Markquel Sims also had 71 yards and a TD on the ground for Cooper (3-2, 1-0), which outscored Memorial 21-6 in the second half to break a 21-all tie at halftime. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Cooper ground game too much for Wichita Falls Memorial in 42-27 victory

The Cooper football team took every punch Wichita Falls Memorial had and counter-punched harder Friday, eventually landing the knockout blow in the second half of a 42-27 win at Shotwell Stadium.

The Cougars overcame a number of tough breaks throughout the game, using a punishing rushing attack and an opportunistic defensive effort to frustrate the favored Mavericks enough to pull away late in the District 2-5A Division II opener for both squads.

After going to halftime with the score tied at 21-all, Cooper outscored Memorial 21-6 over the final two quarters, finishing with 357 yards rushing and a 3-1 advantage in the turnover battle to improve to 3-2 on the season with its second consecutive victory.

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