Category: Cooper Cougars

by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 4 REPORT: Cooper earns first victory; Palo Duro knocks Amarillo High

Abilene Cooper 53, Lubbock Coronado 7 — JQ Scroggins and Peyton Ewing both eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark, and the CHS defense was dominant as the Cougars broke into the win column with a blowout victory over the Mustangs. 

Scroggins ran for 137 yards and a touchdown, while Ewing rushed for 102 yards and a score of his own to help lead a 359-yard rushing effort for Cooper (1-3), which also got 119 yards and two touchdowns passing from Austin Cummins and 56 yards and one TD receiving from Zavian Alexander.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Cooper rolls through Lubbock Coronado 53-7 to claim first win

Photos by Mark Rogers, HubCityPreps.com

LUBBOCK — The Cooper football team broke into the win column in dominant fashion Friday, outgaining Lubbock Coronado 492-148 in a 53-7 win at Lowrey Field.

After dropping their first three games by a combined 20 points, the Cougars took control of this one quickly, following a scoreless first quarter with 21 unanswered points in the second before increasing their lead to 40-0 by the end of the third.

With the victory, Cooper closed the nondistrict portion of its schedule at 1-3, giving the Coogs some positive momentum heading into next week’s District 2-5A Division II opener at Wichita Falls Memorial.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Rattlers play host to Comanche

LAST WEEK: 47-11, .810
SEASON TOTAL: 141-59, .705

After nosediving in Week 2 with one of the worst pick records I’ve ever had, the column rebounded in Week 3 with an .810 percentage to push my overall tally over .700 again. 

As for this week’s Big Country Preps Game of the Week, Mr. Yale Youngblood will be on hand in Tolar to cover Comanche’s road game with the Rattlers in what should be a fun one.

I’ll be heading to Ballinger, where the Bearcats (3-0) will play host to Brady (2-1) in a battle of upstarts. 

Let’s dive into this week’s picks: 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 3 REPORT: Wylie, Lubbock Cooper and Memorial cruise to wins

Wylie 41, Lubbock Coronado 12 — After a slow start, the Bulldogs pulled away from the Mustangs, scoring 34 unanswered points to turn a 12-7 second-quarter deficit into a blowout win.

Bear Meng passed for 169 yards and two touchdowns, while Jaegan Smith (10-111, 1 TD) and Julius Laine (5-74, 2 TDs) led a 295-yard rushing attack in the win, which improved Wylie to 2-0 on the year.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: San Angelo Central spoils Cooper rally in 31-27 victory

Heading to the fourth quarter down 24-7, the Cooper football team rallied to score 20 unanswered points and take a lead on San Angelo Central in the final four minutes Friday at Shotwell Stadium.

But the 3:41 left on the clock after the Cougars’ go-ahead touchdown proved too much time in a gut-wrenching 31-27 loss to the Bobcats.

Taking possession at its own 25, Central drove 75 yards in 10 plays, converting three third downs — including a third-and-10 from its own 37-yard line, to regain the lead for good with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Christian English to Mason Van. That score, combined with an interception on the first play of the Cougars’ ensuing possession, allowed the Bobcats (1-2) to celebrate their first win under new coach Mark Smith, while dropping Cooper to 0-3.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Glen Rose visits Brownwood (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)

LAST WEEK: 46-28, .621
SEASON TOTAL: 94-48, .661

Abysmal. 

That’s about the only adjective that comes to mind when trying to describe my Big Country football picks, which are off to the single worst start through two weeks that I’ve ever experienced in 18 years of covering area football. 

A percentage of .621 after two weeks of play is beatable by throwing darts, flipping coins, or even consulting with your local horoscope page. Yet here I sit, trying to dig myself out of the hole I’ve created. But enough of that, Glen Rose at Brownwood is our Big Country Preps Game of the Week, in a week filled with interesting matchups. 

Let’s have a look at them:  

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Cooper rides emotional opening set to home sweep of Mineral Wells

Facing game point in a back-and-forth first set against Mineral Wells on Tuesday, the Cooper volleyball team used a 4-1 run to rally for a 28-26 win. That shifted momentum to the Lady Cougars’ side, and it stayed there the rest of the way as coach Nora Campbell’s team won the next two games 25-14 and 25-18 to secure a nondistrict sweep at Cougar Gym.

The victory, which snapped a four-match losing streak, improved Cooper to 10-13 with four matches to play before their Sept. 27 District 4-5A opener against crosstown rival Wylie. 

Mineral Wells, meanwhile, dropped to 10-10 with the loss, which saw the Lady Rams lose outside hitter Liliana Rodriguez for the final two sets to a broken pinky.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Wylie, Lubbock Cooper and Palo Duro stay perfect with wins

Wylie 29, Lubbock Monterey 28 — Bear Meng passed for 277 yards and two touchdowns while adding another score on the ground to fuel the Bulldogs to a season-opening win over the Plainsmen.

Wylie, which had its Week 1 game at Brownwood canceled by lightning, led 20-14 at halftime and 26-14 early in the third quarter, before Monterey (0-2) responded with back-to-back touchdowns to enter the fourth quarter with a 28-26 lead. The score stayed there until the 3:42 mark of the final period, when Noah Rehburg hit a 25-yard field goal for what proved to be the winning points.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Henry, Abilene High outlast resilient Cooper 42-33 in Crosstown classic

Cooper pushed Abilene High deep into the fourth quarter Friday in the 64th annual Crosstown Showdown, but in the end, quarterback Brayden Henry and the Eagles offense was just too much for the Cougars to handle in a 42-33 victory at Shotwell Stadium. 

The electric junior passed for 216 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 144 yards and three more scores to fuel coach Mike Fullen’s squad, which never trailed in earning its third consecutive victory over its archrival.

The Cougars rallied from three two-score deficits to give themselves a chance to tie the game with just over seven minutes remaining, but Abilene High made a stop on a two-point conversion attempt and countered with one final touchdown drive to seal the game midway through the final period.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 1 REPORT: Abilene Cooper drops opener; LCP, Palo Duro and Memorial all score wins

Azle 41, Abilene Cooper 34 — Leading 20-19 at halftime, the Cougars couldn’t hold off the Hornets in the second half, being outscored 22-14 over the final two quarters to drop a thriller in the season opener for both teams.

Hagan Hughes rushed for 202 yards and two touchdowns and King Stephens added 108 yards and three touchdowns on the ground for Azle, which also got 191 yards and one TD passing from Derrek Vowell in a 485-yard effort.

Cooper, which had 333 yards of total offense, was led in rushing by Peyton Ewing (14-74), in passing by Austin Cummins (16-29-0—195, 2 TDs) and in receiving by Zavian Alexander (6-95, 1 TD). 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Azle holds off Cooper 41-34 in season-opening shootout

Hagen Hughes ran for 202 yards and two touchdowns to lift the Azle Hornets to a thrilling 41-34 win over Cooper in the season opener for both teams Friday night at Shotwell Stadium.

Hughes scored twice on counter plays in the second half — once from 77 yards and a second time from 34 — and those sprints basically spelled the difference in a battle featuring very evenly matched teams lifted by big plays all evening long.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Albany travels to Stamford in Game of the Week

LAST WEEK: 0-0, .000
SEASON TOTAL: 00-00, .000

Week 1 is often loaded with difficult picks and 2024 is no exception. 

Our first slate of games this year has a number of contests that could have qualified for the Big Country Preps Game of the Week. But we finally settled on Albany at Stamford for the spotlight. 

The two-time defending state 2A DII state champions, minus several key players lost to graduation, facing a Stamford club bringing back most of its skill and a ton of speed. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

COOPER FEATURE: Two-way standout Alexander poised for big senior year

After having his junior season cut short by a broken collarbone, Cooper senior Zavian Alexander can’t wait to get back on the field and make plays again for coach Aaron Roan and his teammates.

The good news for the talented athlete is he’ll have ample opportunity to do so in 2024.

Alexander, a rare two-way player at the Class 5A level, will see time at both receiver and defensive back for the the Cougars again this fall. And after watching the end of last season from the sidelines, he’ll be looking to maximize his impact on both sides of the football in his last go-round at CHS. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

2024 COOPER FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Talented returning group fuels optimistic outlook for Cougars

In his seven years as Cooper’s head coach, Aaron Roan has never finished a season outside of the playoffs. With a good group back from a team that reached the area round last year, a return to the postseason is the baseline expectation for the Cougars this fall.

In losing 27 of its 51 lettermen from last year, Roan and the CHS staff will have to develop some depth this season. That’s especially true with a smaller than normal roster of just 44 players.

But among that group, the Coogs return eight offensive and nine defensive starters, giving their coach a strong nucleus to build around and a lot of optimism for the season ahead.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Cooper Cougars, Wylie Bulldogs and Abilene High Eagles … one day to two-a-days

Football is just around the corner, and we at BigCountryPreps.com are committed to bringing you the information you need to prepare for your favorite team’s season.

We’ll be releasing our Big Country Preps Preseason Football Preview, the most comprehensive look at the upcoming Big Country football season anywhere, on Wednesday, Aug. 21. But you won’t have to wait until then to sate your gridiron appetite.

Leading up to the first day of fall football practice on Aug. 5, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2024 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.

Today, we take a look at the Cooper Cougars, the Wylie Bulldogs and the Abilene High Eagles.

Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Cooper Cougars, Wylie Bulldogs and Abilene High Eagles … one day to two-a-days” →

by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s 2024 Big Country Preps All-Hustle Team (the hardest-working baseball and softball players in the area)

OTHER 2024 ALL-BIG COUNTRY PREPS TEAMS

Our All-Big Country Preps Softball and Baseball Teams, released Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, are in place to honor those who achieved the most on-field success in 2024. It is off the field, however, where character, grit, and work ethic are often measured. And it is with our Big Country Preps All-Hustle Team that we wish to honor those players, male and female, who were (simply put) the hardest-working, best teammates in the area this spring. 

This team isn’t about who the best baseball and softball players were.

The All-Hustle team honors effort, discipline, toughness, coachability and selflessness — traits that coaches wish they had in every player and upon which championships are built.

It is for that reason that this team is largely selected by area coaches and described in their own words.

Big Country Preps is now honored to present these individuals to you — the best team players (boys and girls) that the the Big Country had to offer during the 2024 season.

The players below are listed in no particular order. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

SIGNING DAY: Fourteen Cooper athletes, Wylie’s Salada make college decisions official

It was a special afternoon on Wednesday inside the Cooper and Wylie gyms as 15 local athletes from a variety of sports made their college decisions official in a pair of signing ceremonies.

Cooper had nearly all of the signees as 14 seniors signed for their future with their families, friends, coaches and community members filling the bleachers of Cougar Gymnasium.

At Wylie, meanwhile, Garrett Salada was the lone signee, taking a brief break from his prep for this week’s Region I-5A quarterfinal series against crosstown rival Abilene High to solidify his pledge to Luna Community College in Las Vegas, N.M.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

STATE TRACK ROUNDUP: Hico’s Hunt, Goldthwaite’s Jernigan headline 18-medal day for area athletes

AUSTIN — After area Class 3A and 4A competitors opened the UIL Track & Field State Meet with a combined 10 medals on Thursday, Big Country Preps athletes took partial ownership of the medal stand at Mike A. Meyers Stadium at the University of Texas on Friday in the Class 2A and 5A portions of the event.

Area athletes combined to claim 18 medals on the day, with Hico junior Kaylee Hunt joining Goldthwaite seniors Lainey Jernigan and Hope Hermesmeyer in a dominating performance.

The trio combined for six medals on the day as Goldthwaite, Stamford and Hico all posted top-five finishes in the 2A girls team competition.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

LOCAL BASEBALL ROUNDUP: Wylie shuts out Coronado; Abilene High falls in finale to Lubbock Cooper

After storms in and around Abilene wreaked havoc on Tuesday’s District 4-5A baseball slate, clearer weather prevailed Wednesday, allowing Wylie, Abilene High and Cooper to complete games that were suspended due to lightning.

WHS completed a shutout of Lubbock Coronado, tacking on five runs Wednesday to earn a 7-0 win, while the AHS saw a late rally come up just short in a 5-4 loss to Lubbock Cooper and Abilene Cooper downed Lubbock High 4-0.

It was the final home game for all three local teams, and the final regular season altogether for Abilene High, which has clinched the district’s No. 3 playoff spot. Wylie, meanwhile, will play at Lubbock Cooper on Friday for the 4-5A championship, while Cooper will close out its season Friday at Coronado after being eliminated from playoff contention Monday with a 12-2 loss at Lubbock Monterey.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

REGION I-5A TRACK RECAP: Cooper long jumper Hatcher, AHS boys sprint relay earn trip to state meet

LUBBOCK — Cooper girls long jumper Jazlyn Hatcher and the Abilene High boys sprint relay team of Bryson Perez, Jaden Jackson, Brayden Henry and Ryland Bradford both earned trips to the state track meet May 3 in Austin with strong performances at the Region I-5A meet on Friday at Saturday at Lowrey Field.

Hatcher won gold in the long jump, leaping 19 feet, 3¼ inches to edge Justin Northwest’s Levariya Pinder (19-0), while AHS’ 400-meter relay ran a silver medal time of 42.17 seconds to finish behind only Mansfield Timberview (41.94).

Those efforts headlined a solid showing by Abilene’s three largest public schools, which combined to earn points in 11 events.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

FINAL Big Country Regular Season Softball Statistical leaders for 2024 (through April 18)

Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 18.

With the end of the regular season, this will be our FINAL softball leaders posting for 2024. 

Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Big seventh inning lifts Wylie to win over red-hot Cooper

Facing off with a red-hot Cooper team that had won five straight games to work itself back into the District 4-5A playoff race, the Wylie baseball team weathered an early storm and put together one big inning late to pull away for a 6-2 win Tuesday at Cougar Field. 

Trailing 2-0 after two innings, the Bulldogs scratched across single runs in the third and fifth innings to tie the game, before exploding for four runs in the top of the seventh to finally put the Cougars away.

The victory improved Wylie (21-4 overall) to 10-4 in district play, keeping the Bulldogs within a half-game of league-leader Lubbock Cooper (17-13, 11-4), while Cooper (12-14, 6-9) remains within a game of 4-5A’s final playoff spot thanks to Abilene High’s 7-1 win over Lubbock Monterey on Tuesday.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Cooper outlasts Abilene High in 11-inning epic, claims fifth straight victory

Friday’s crosstown baseball showdown between Abilene High and Cooper took 11 innings and nearly three hours to decide. But by the end of the epic affair, the visiting Cougars found themselves celebrating a near perfect night at Blackburn Field.

In addition to outlasting their archrival for a thrilling 8-7 win — their fifth victory in a row after a 1-8 start to District 4-5A play — the Coogs (12-13, 6-8) got the results they were looking for in both of the district’s other two matchups, pulling within a game of Lubbock Monterey for league’s fourth and final playoff spot with four games remaining.

Monterey (12-15-1, 7-7) fell 3-2 to now-sole district leader Lubbock Cooper, while Lubbock Coronado (12-16, 6-8) fell by the same score to last-place Lubbock High, adding an extra layer of satisfaction to Cooper’s marathon win over the Eagles.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Surprising turnaround has Cooper baseball back in District 4-5A playoff race

If at any point before last week you had discussed the Cooper baseball team’s playoff chances, the words “slim” and “none” might have been part of the conversation.

But following a 1-8 start to District 4-5A play, the Cougars have worked themselves back into the league’s postseason race with a four-game winning streak that few would have predicted after back-to-back losses to crosstown rivals Abilene High (4-0) and Wylie (3-2) saw their losing streak hit seven games on March 28.

In the aftermath of that loss to AHS, though, third-year coach Brandon Stover challenged his squad in a very direct way to do some self reflection and respond. And since that game, the Cougars have done exactly that, following a one-run loss at Wylie with wins over Lubbock Monterey (3-1), Lubbock High (5-4), Lubbock Coronado (6-5) and Lubbock Cooper (10-2) to pull within two games of their district’s fourth playoff spot with five games left to play.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wall’s Jones takes five district titles and our Player of the Week

While we normally try to share the love in our Big Country Preps Player of the Week column, five district titles in one week isn’t easy to sidestep. 

And while Wall’s Briggs Jones has already pulled down our award once this year, he earned a second with his showing at the District 6-3A meet in Clyde last week by sweeping the long jump (23-2), the triple jump (44-10.75), the 200 meters (21.92), the 100 meters (10.72) and assisting the 800 relay team to gold with a 1:29.68 split. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Cougars cap off perfect week with crucial win over Lubbock Coronado

Cooper baseball coach Brandon Stover was left paraphrasing iconic (and fictitious) Cleveland Indians manager Lou Brown on Saturday afternoon after his squad took down Lubbock Coronado 6-5 in District 4-5A play at Cougar Field.

“When you win three in a row, that’s called a winning streak. It has happened before.”

Only for the Cougars, this isn’t Hollywood.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie snaps losing streak with 19-1 win over Cooper

Riding a three-game losing streak into Friday’s home matchup with crosstown rival Cooper, the Wylie softball made it apparent early it had no intention of seeing that skid reach four games.

The Lady Bulldogs scored six runs in the first inning and eight more in the second to build a 14-0 lead and cruised from there to a dominant 19-1 win at Bulldog Field.

The victory improved WHS (20-8 overall) to 5-3 in District 4-5A play, pulling coach Heather Collier’s squad a half-game ahead of Abilene High (16-12-1, 5-4) for third in the league standings after the Lady Eagles’ 4-1 road loss to second-place Lubbock Monterey (18-11-2, 7-2) on Friday.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 4-5A TRACK MEET: AHS boys narrowly miss team title as local athletes combine to claim 48 medals

Entering the mile relay just two points down to Lubbock Cooper in the team race, the Abilene High boys track team gave itself a chance to claim team gold at the District 4-5A meet Thursday at the Shotwell Annex.

But after taking three of the top four spots in the 1,600 meters to put themselves in that position, the Eagles finished second to the Pirates in the final race of the evening to close the two-day meet with 172 points — six short of a district championship.

That 1-2 finish between LCHS and Abilene High mirrored the finish in the girls team race, which saw the Lady Pirates earn 141 points to top the second-place Lady Eagles by 29 points and the third-place Cooper Lady Cougars by 37.

The team medals, which also included a bronze for the Wylie boys (73 points) capped a successful district meet for Abilene’s three largest high schools, which combined to earn 48 medals (24 girls, 24 boys) and claim 68 spots at the Districts 3/4-5A area meet next week at Lowrey Field in Lubbock.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Flores pitches Cooper to 3-1 win over Monterey to snap skid

Entering Tuesday’s matchup at Cooper, no team in District 4-5A was playing better baseball than Lubbock Monterey.

The Cougars, meanwhile, hadn’t won a district game since edging Lubbock High 2-0 on March 5.

But after coming up on the short end of number of close games since then, coach Brandon Stover’s squad finally pulled out a tight one, handing the Plainsmen a 3-1 loss on the strength of a complete game pitching gem by Jeron Flores.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Silva tosses second straight no-hitter as shorthanded Abilene High cruises past Cooper

Coming off a no-hitter against Wylie on Thursday, Abilene High senior Diana Silva wasn’t expecting to pitch in Tuesday’s crosstown matchup against Cooper. 

But when a family emergency forced a pair of her teammates to miss the game, the senior ace responded in the best way she could — with her second no-hitter in as many outings.

Pitching around a couple of walks and her own throwing error in the seventh, Silva was nothing short of dominant, striking out 13 Lady Cougar hitters in a 8-0 victory at Cougar Diamond. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jim Ned senior takes this week’s award

While no-hitters are fairly common in high school baseball and softball, they generally put you at the top of the list where our Big Country Preps Player of the Week is concerned. 

Toss in a solid performance at the plate and you’re looking at a virtual shoe-in for the top spot. 

That is the case this week with Jim Ned senior Jake Rushing, who shut out Coahoma last week with a dominating no-hitter that featured 12 strikeouts. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us