Category: Eula Pirates

by Evan Ren

2025 Big Country Preps Rising Stars Softball Team

Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to release our 2025 All-Big Country Preps Softball teams. 

Here, you will find our Rising Stars Team honoring the top freshmen and sophomores in the Big Country.

For the rest of this year’s softball selections, please click the links below.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Hermleigh rallies for pair of wins to oust Eula for fourth straight year

ABILENE — Hermleigh softball coach Sammy Winters said he only got about three hours of sleep on Friday night after his team lost 6-4 to Eula in the opener of its Region I-1A semifinal series at Abilene Christian University’s Poly Wells Field.

Winters left the school at 1 a.m. and was still wound up as he was replaying the game, studying GameChanger and poring over statistics before finally falling asleep a little after 3:30 a.m.

The extra time and effort paid off as the Lady Cardinals, who were down to their final strike in the seventh inning of Game 2, rallied to claim a 6-5 win in eight innings before finishing off the series with a 6-1 win in Game 3.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Fast start fuels Eula to 6-4 win over area rival Hermleigh in series opener

ABILENE — Kicking off a high-profile region semifinal series with Hermleigh on Friday at Abilene Christian University’s Poly Wells Field, the Eula softball team grabbed a rare upper hand on its area rival, using a three-run top of the first as the catalyst for a wire-to-wire 6-4 victory in the opener of the best-of-three affair.

With the win, the Lady Pirates snapped a five-game playoff losing streak to the Cardinals, who have eliminated EHS from the playoffs each of the last three seasons and four times total since the Class 1A bracket was introduced in 2016. 

The win also put coach Jayton Thompson’s team in a position to advance past HHS for just the second time in that span with a win in Game 2 or Game 3, when the series resumes at 2 p.m. Saturday back on the ACU campus.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Gordon’s Stryker Reed takes our final accolade of 2024-25 school year

As our tradition dictates, we close the books on our Big Country Preps Player of the Week on the first Monday following the UIL State Track and Field Championships in Austin. 

And more often than not, our final award of the school year goes to someone who scored big at the state capital. 

This year is no exception, with Gordon’s Stryker Reed taking the award after helping GHS win the boys team state championship, setting two individual state records and helping to set a new relay mark in the process.

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by Evan Ren

AREA BASEBALL STAT LEADERS (Final stat report for 2025)

Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through May 1.

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

If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Brock’s Mylee Cedillo takes this week’s accolade with two doses of late-game heroics

If one is to play the role of hero, there’s not a better time to do it than in postseason play in your senior year. 

Brock’s Mylee Cedillo lived that experience — not once, but twice in last week’s uber-intense bi-district series with fifth-ranked Levelland that saw the Lady Eagles edge the Loboettes 2-1 and 7-6 in 13 innings. 

It all began Friday night in Game 1, with Levelland pitcher Aubrey Rivas carrying a no-hitter and a 1-0 lead into the seventh inning. Cedillo responded to the pressure with an RBI double to drive home both Lily Springstead (who walked) and courtesy runner Emily Faddis (running for Ali Coleman who reached on an error) to give Brock a 2-1 win. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Damron’s bat propels Eula to series-clinching win over Hamlin

Emma Damron finished a double shy of hitting for the cycle and had a walk-off three-run inside-the-park home run as Eula finished off a two-game sweep of Hamlin with a 15-4 win at ACU’s Poly Wells Field on Friday night.

Damron tripled in the first inning and had an RBI single in the fourth before ending the game in the fifth inning.

She also earned the praise of coach Jayton Thompson for the work she did behind the plate, catching Macy Flatt, who made her first career postseason start in Eula’s 22-3 win in the series opener.

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by Evan Ren

Final Area Softball Stat Leaders (through April 24)

Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 24:

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

If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his or her email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com. 

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by Evan Ren

Area Baseball Stat Leaders (through April 24)

Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 24.

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

If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wall’s Jones holds down the top spot yet again

At Big Country Preps, we pride ourselves on sharing the love as much as possible. But Wall senior Briggs Jones has been so spectacular of late, that he’s making that difficult. 

Jones has not only taken our Big Country Preps Player of the Week for a second straight time, but for a third time this year and a fourth time in his athletic career. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

REGION II-1A TRACK MEET: Big Country athletes dominate medal stand on Day 1

Area athletes cleaned up on the first day of the Region II-1A track meet Friday, claiming 28 combined medals, including golds in all but one of the 14 completed events at Abilene Christian University’s Elmer Gray Stadium.

Between the boys and girls divisions, competitors from the Big Country Preps coverage area locked up at least 19 berths to the state track meet on the meet’s opening day, which saw all field events and the 3,200 meters completed ahead of expected overnight thunderstorms.

In addition to the 13 gold medals, Big Country qualifiers accounted for six silvers and nine bronzes while setting themselves up for another big day Saturday with strong performances in the running prelims. The meet will conclude with the running finals, which are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. back at ACU.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wall’s Jones takes the award with spectacular effort at area meet

The best way to describe the area meet performance of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week (Wall’s Briggs Jones) is to simply let his coach, Craig Slaughter do the talking. 

“He ran a blistering 10.41 to set a school record and win the 100 meters,” Slaughter said. “He broke his long jump record with a jump of 23-11.5. I only let him jump twice because he was running out of room in the pit and I need that dude cranked up this week.

“Then he destroyed his triple jump record with a jump of 48-7.25

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cisco junior takes the top spot with no-hitter

While no-hitters are fairly common at the high school level, the bulk of them are of the five-inning variety — ending early while locking down a mercy rule win. 

Going the full seven innings without allowing a hit, however, is much less common. And in the case of Cisco junior Case Williams, his seven-inning no-no in a 2-0 win over a good Coleman team last Tuesday secured our Big Country Preps Player of the Week for the Week ending April 5.

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by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s 2025 Gym Rat Team: The hardest-working players in the Big Country!

While scoring and rebounding garner much of the attention in basketball, there are other elements, crucial to success that seldom grab headlines. 

Behind the scenes is where character, effort and sacrifice set the foundation for teams to reach their full potential. And it is with our Big Country Preps Gym Rat Team that we salute the individuals who bring these elements to the table. 

This team isn’t about who the best players are — though some of the area’s top players are on this list. 

The Gym Rat Team is about outworking, outhustling and outgiving everyone around you, both on the floor and off. Hard-working, honest, selfless, tough, coachable kids are what we seek for this roster. 

A Gym Rat Team member can be your best player or the last player off the bench. But the one thing all of them bring is an uncompromisingly good attitude. 

It is for that reason that our Gym Rat Team is selected entirely by area coaches. And Big Country Preps is truly honored to present these individuals to you — the best “team players” (boys and girls) that the area had to offer during the 2024-25 season.

Players are listed in no particular order. 

Enjoy.

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by Evan Ren

Area Softball Stat Leaders (through March 27)

Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through March 27:

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

If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his or her email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com. 

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by Evan Ren

Area Baseball Stat Leaders (through March 27)

Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through March 27.

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

If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde hurler takes this week’s award

Clyde softball has been overdue for landing a Big Country Preps Player of the Week award and senior pitcher Kaycee Bingham has just ended the drought. 

The Lady Bulldogs have been posting big numbers on a weekly basis, falling just short of the top spot. But Bingham has landed the spotlight with a 26-0 mercy rule perfect game win over San Angelo Grape Creek last week. She followed that with a three-hit 11-0 shutout of Merkel. 

Continue reading “BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde hurler takes this week’s award” →

by Evan Ren

Area Baseball Stat Leaders (through March 20)

20Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through March 20.

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

If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com. 

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by Evan Ren

Area Softball Stat Leaders (through March 20)

Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through March 20:

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

If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his or her email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Eula’s Hailie Cauthen earns this week’s spotlight

Fresh off a successful basketball season, Eula’s Hailie Cauthen has transitioned to softball as though she were in mid-season form. 

In fact, the senior shortstop was good enough through five games last week to take our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award for the Week ending March 8. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Stephenville’s Gentry lands the top spot

While Stephenville’s Tristian Gentry is no stranger to this column, it’s usually via football that he lands in our Top 10 — especially after missing track last year due to injury.

Well, it’s track season again and it just so happens that the SHS senior is healthy this time around — returning as one of the area’s top guns in that sport. He’s already off to a great start, having captured four gold medals at a talent-loaded Brock meet last week.

Aside from first place leaps in the long jump (21-1) and triple jump (43-2), he also helped SHS’ 400 and 800 relay teams take gold with splits of 43.26 and 1:30.1, respectively. 

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by Evan Ren

CLASS 1A DI GIRLS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Eula falls to Broaddus 56-39

SAN ANTONIO — After battling their way through five playoff games, including tough matchups with Westbrook, Garden City, Hermleigh and Borden County, the Eula girls were mentally ready for Thursday’s Class 1A Division I state title game against Broaddus. 

Unfortunately for the Lady Pirates, they had no answer for a Broaddus team that featured four 6-footers, a 6-2 post and more overall length than virtually any 1A team in the state.

Eula fell 56-39 in the Alamodome, after struggling to get open looks or compete on the glass from start to finish.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Lady Pirates rally to knock off Borden County in state semifinal

ABILENE — A quick glance at the stat sheet reveals what helped the Eula Lady Pirates rally to defeat Borden County 51-44 in Tuesday’s Class 1A DI state semifinal at Wylie High School. 

A sizzling 18-of-20 team effort from the free-throw line provided the Lady Pirates with the margin of victory as Borden County struggled with a 9 of 17 tally from the stripe. The win propels Eula (36-2) into Thursday’s state championship game with Broaduus (34-4) at 1 p.m. in San Antonio’s Alamodome.

Kamryn Franklin scored 15 points with a game-high five 3-pointers and Emma Damron scored 11 points, including a 7-of-8 tally from the line to lift Eula, which rallied from a 25-20 halftime deficit to get the win. 

Borden County closed its season at 28-9, led by Raelee Granthum with 14 points (including four 3-pointers) and Addison Schmidt with 11.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Munday freshman captures this week’s top spot

Munday’s Caisen Lee isn’t the first freshman to whom we’ve given our Big Country Preps Player of the Week Award. But during the basketball playoffs, it is indeed a rare occurrence. 

Nonetheless, Lee takes our top spot with a pair of top notch efforts in playoff wins over Aspermont (77-48) and Westbrook (48-36).

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Eula girls pull away for 40-30 win over rival Hermleigh, punch ticket to state semis

LUBBOCK — Around this time last year, Eula coach Josh Fostel was lamenting a difficult region championship loss to Westbrook and hoping his then-young Pirates would get another chance to play for a state semifinal berth in 2025.

On Friday, the Lady Pirates got that opportunity, and they made the most of it with a workmanlike 40-30 win over regional rival Hermleigh at Lubbock Christian University’s Rip Griffin Center.

Trailing 14-8 after a quarter and 17-14 at halftime, EHS found itself in the opposite situation it was in last year against Westbrook, when the Lady Pirates held a 24-19 halftime lead that it would stretch to nine points by the opening minute of the final period. But Fostel’s team hit its stride after the break, outscoring the Lady Cardinals 12-5 in the third quarter and 14-8 in the fourth to pull away for an emotional win and earn the program’s first trip to the state semis since 1983.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Big third quarter fuels Hamlin to thrilling 50-48 win over Eula in area round

MERKEL — The Hamlin boys basketball team trailed 27-14 at halftime and was outscored in three of the four quarters Thursday in its Region II-1A area-round matchup with Eula. But a huge third period was enough to lift the Pied Pipers to a thrilling 50-48 victory over the Pirates at Badger Gym.

Coming out of the break on a mission, coach Christopher Harvey’s squad needed less than two minutes to erase the 13-point gap. And after pulling ahead by as many as nine points (39-30 with 2:31 remaining in the third quarter), HHS took a 39-34 lead into the final period.

Eula, which trailed by eight on two occasions in the fourth quarter, rallied to tie the game twice in the final two minutes — the last time with just under 40 seconds remaining. But a putback layup by Kyson McGee with about four seconds to play allowed the Pipers to escape with the hard-fought win and earn a region semifinal matchup with the winner of Friday’s contest between Garden City and Rankin.

Continue reading “GAME STORY: Big third quarter fuels Hamlin to thrilling 50-48 win over Eula in area round” →

by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Stamford softballer takes the top spot

For two years, Stamford’s Emma Follis has been one of our area’s elite softball players, both as a pitcher and a hitter. 

Last week, Follis picked up right where she left off a year ago, notching a 3-1 record in the circle with 35 strikeouts at the Slaton Tournament. 

She was even better at the plate, hitting .714 with a triple, four homers and nine RBIs. 

At this rate her numbers could be staggering by season’s end. And keep in mind, many of these games were shortened to accommodate the tournament schedule. 

In several shortened games Emma came out hot in the circle and at the plate,” coach Sean Slavis said. “We are pumped to finally be playing again!”

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Feb. 13): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Feb. 13. 

This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.

Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his or her email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive. 

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Feb. 13): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 13. 

This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.

Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive. 

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Eula girls hold off furious Westbrook rally to capture bi-district title

ABILENE — A year ago, while facing Westbrook in the Region II-1A championship game, the Eula Lady Pirates suffered a catastrophic fourth quarter shooting slump and saw a nine-point lead vanish in a 38-35 loss.

This year, the Lady Pirates came within an eyelash of suffering the same fate in the Region II-1A DI bi-district round — narrowly holding on to a 30-27 win over Westbrook on Tuesday at McMurry University. Trailing 21-5 at the break, Westbrook rallied to turn a would-be rout into a nail-biter in Kimbrell Arena, with Eula coming up with a handful of key plays down the stretch to preserve the win. 

Addison Goodman scored 15 points via five 3-pointers and Emma Damron added seven more to lead Eula (32-2) which now advances to face Munday (12-19) in the area round. 

Westbrook (28-3) was led by Raenee Rich with eight points and Hazel Lord with six.

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by Evan Ren

SIGNING DAY 2025: Top area athletes sign on the dotted line

National Signing Day is typically a busy one in the Big Country Preps’ coverage area and 2025 was no exception with several players inking and/or confirming their commitments to play at the next level. 

At various signing ceremonies held throughout the area, athletes celebrated their final choices to pursue a degree while competing collegiately. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cisco post snags our weekly award with two huge double-doubles

Cisco’s Law Pinnick picked the perfect night to have one of the best games he’s ever had — a crucial district showdown at Hawley, where he helped the Loboes to a 55-43 win over the Bearcats with 18 points and an eye-popping 19 rebounds. 

Three days later he delivered 23 points and 10 boards to help Cisco beat Albany — lifting the Loboes to 16-6 overall and 9-0 in district. 

His performance earned him our Big Country Preps Player of the Week Award for the Week ending Feb. 1. 

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 30): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Jan. 30.

This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.

Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive. 

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