Big Country Preps is publishing area volleyball statistical leaders each Tuesday at 7 p.m. roughout the regular season.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Brady 47, Eastland 7 — Johnny Menefield ran for 151 yards and three touchdowns to spearhead a 322-yard rushing effort for the Bulldogs, who dominated the Mavericks from start to finish in a blowout win.
Quarterback Sean Jacoby also had a big game for Brady (6-1, 2-0), running for 92 yards and a touchdown while passing for 82 yards and two more scores. Both touchdown throws went to Ashton Ramsey, who finished with two catches for 73 yards, while Ashton Taylor added 81 yards and a TD on the ground.
Brady 34, Dublin 31 — Johnny Menefield ran for 200 yards and two touchdowns and Ashton Taylor added 124 yards and two rushing scores of his own to lead the Bulldogs past the Lions in the league opener for both teams.
Mason Airheart added a 62-yard touchdown reception for Brady, which ran for 332 of its 392 yards in improving to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in District 5-3A DII play.
LAST WEEK: 32-12, .809
SEASON TOTAL: 279-91, .757
Now it’s time to get down to business.
With most of the Big Country taking an open date last Friday as a prelude to district play, we now dive headfirst into the games that count the most.
District play opens tomorrow for most leagues in the area, the intensity of which is already tangible.
Can you feel it?
We’ll see you on the road.
Here’s this week’s area picks:
Big Country Preps is publishing area volleyball statistical leaders each Tuesday at 7 p.m. roughout the regular season.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Brady 42, Ingram Moore 28 — Johnny Menefield ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns, and Ashton Taylor added 105 yards and a TD on the ground to lead the Bulldogs to a two-touchdown win over the Warriors.
Brady (4-1) rushed for 324 yards as a team, getting 41 yards and a score from quarterback Sean Jacoby, who also passed for 58 yards and a TD.
Hawley’s Keagan Ables is no stranger to the Big Country Preps Player of the Week column — appearing among our top performers multiple times over the last three years.
However, his latest effort to help HHS defeat De Leon 54-21 on Friday, may rank as one of his best.
The Hawley senior connected on 16 of 32 passes for 441 yards and six touchdowns to help Hawley improve to 4-0 on the year.
Eastland 14, Breckenridge 0 — The Mavericks piled up 286 yards rushing while limiting the Buckaroos to 200 total yards in a shutout win.
Cayden Alford rushed for a game-high 87 yards, and Chris Ojeda added 70 to lead Eastland (3-1), which got its touchdowns on a second-quarter run by Isaac Castro and a third-quarter pass from Kye Herrington to Eddie Medina.
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:
Brady 47, Ozona 45 — Johnny Menefield and Ashton Taylor both eclipsed the century mark on the ground as the Bulldogs ran for 313 yards as a team in a thrilling win over the Lions.
Menefield ran for 157 yards and three touchdowns and Ramsey had 135 yards and one score for Brady, which also got an efficient passing game from Sean Jacoby (9-10-0—126, 3 TDs) and a productive receiving game from Ashton Ramsey (4-80, 2 TDs).
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:
Tolar 23, Teague 21 — The Rattlers rebounded from last week’s loss to Peaster with a hard-fought win over the Lions.
Tolar (1-1) was limited on offense to 291 yards, including just 93 on the ground, but the Rattlers did enough on the defensive side of the football to make that hold up.
CLYDE — Only two games into their foray with the wing-T offense, the Eastland Mavericks could very well be ahead of the learning curve with their new attack.
If Friday’s dominating 35-14 win at Clyde in the Big Country Preps Game of the Week doesn’t provide enough evidence, then their 2-0 record, coupled with the 301 yards rushing they produced at Clyde should send up a red flag.
Kye Herrington threw for 119 yards and one score and rushed for an additional TD to help keep the Mavericks unbeaten while Cayden Alford (102 yards rushing and one score) and Cason Browning (90 yards rushing, two TDs) spearheaded the ground game.
Clyde, which was victimized by Eastland’s 36 minutes of possession time, finished with only two first downs and 35 plays from scrimmage.
LAST WEEK: 48-20, .705
SEASON TOTAL: 48-20, .705
I’m not going to deny that I have an endless fascination with old-fashioned offenses. And I’m not going to deny that I’m a bit eager to see Eastland’s jump to the Wing-T after more than a decade of slinging the ball all over the field.
But this has little to do with why Eastland (1-0) and Clyde (1-0) will be hooking up in our Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
The fact that both clubs are coming off quality wins — Clyde beating Cisco 43-42 in OT and Eastland stopping Coleman 21-6 — creates enough intrigue to snag the top spot. Add the fact that you have a modern spread offense going against an attack that was devised more than 70 years ago and you’re looking at a game with potential to get the spotlight.
And courtesy of a beat-up Brownwood team, this contest made the top of our list.
Brady 27, San Antonio YMLA 0 — Ashton Taylor and Johnny Menefield led a dominant rushing performance for the Bulldogs, who pounded out 319 yards on the ground in a shutout win over the Lions.
Taylor finished with 146 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, while Menefield added 101 yards and a TD on 18 attempts as Brady scored 24 points after halftime to pull away following a defensive first half.
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.
EASTLAND — Every year since 2008, the Eastland Mavericks have been associated with throwing the football and finding people in space. And more often than not, at a quick tempo.
Current Springtown coach Brian Hulett started the trend in his first year at Eastland 16 years ago. The tradition continued after Hulett’s departure under Cliff Watkins (2014-15), James Morton (2016-22) and into last season with Bobby Schuman. This stretch included 14 playoff appearances and five district titles so there wasn’t a great deal of pressure to change things up.
EASTLAND — Second-year coach Bobby Schuman will be taking traditionally pass-happy Eastland in an entirely different direction in 2024, switching the Mavericks from a modern spread attack to an old-fashioned wing-T.
Eastland will have five offensive and six defensive starters returning to make it go, including seniors Cason Browning (RB, 6-0, 180), Cayden Alford (switching to RB, 5-11, 200), Eddie Medina (5-11, 175) and Isaac Castro (DE/RB, 5-10, 170).
There will be additional help among 15 returning lettermen and call-ups from a solid 7-3 JV team, leaving Schuman with decent numbers to begin his commitment to an offense that dates back more than 70 years.
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 Eastland Mavericks.
Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Eastland Mavericks … 16 days to two-a-days”
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.
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: Hawley 7-on-7 state qualifying tournament (29 images)”
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 25.
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.
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: Region I-3A track meet Day 1 (54 images)”
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 18.
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.
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.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 11.
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.
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.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 4.
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.
Here are the area’s baseball 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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: AISD Icebreaker Softball Tournament Day 3 (94 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.
ABILENE — Defensive stops have long been a key element in the success of the Jim Ned girls basketball team and heading into Friday’s 3A area round clash with Eastland, the Lady Indians had a key member of EHS to apply that tradition to.
Eastland’s Mya Wesley, who entered the game as the top scorer in the Big Country at more than 24 points per game, was limited to only eight points in a 65-33 win by Jim Ned, which advances the Lady Indians to the Region I-3A quarterfinals where they will meet Comanche at a site and time to be determined. Immediately following Jim Ned’s win, Comanche advanced with a 73-41 win over Merkel in the nightcap of an area round doubleheader at Hardin-Simmons University.
Lexi Wishert and Riley Grohman both scored a game-high 17 points, with Wishert connecting on five 3-pointers to lead Jim Ned (33-2), which took control of the game with a 19-5 first quarter and never looked back.
Jayci Majors led Eastland (25-8) with 11 points, but Ned’s ability to slow Wesley proved important, resulting in a 16-point drop in production.
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:
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: Eastland-Comanche girls basketball (51 images)”
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.
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:
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.