Category: Eula Pirates

by Evan Ren

CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Aspermont junior takes this week’s award

A strained hip may have slowed Aspermont junior Sadie Gentry, but you’d never know it by watching her compete. 

A week ago, Gentry took gold in the high jump (4-8) and the 400 meters (63.8) at the District 15-1A meet. She then helped the 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams take district titles as in 52.9 and 4:33, respectively.

Her four district titles were more than sufficient to earn her our Capital Farm Credit Player of the Week/BCP Player of the Week award for the week ending April 3. But when you add the fact that she was nursing a sore hip and following orders to not overdo it, her performance becomes even more significant. 

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by Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Jones’ difficult journey serves as an inspiration for Eula and beyond

Eula baseball coach Tanner Thompson wasn’t alone Monday morning once he pulled up to the high school baseball field.  

About 10 Pirates hung around the diamond at dawn taking batting practice. It wasn’t a coincidence Cameron Jones’ pickup truck was parked close by, his headlights providing illumination until the sun came up.   

“He has an immediate impact on all the other kids,” Thompson said of Eula’s lone senior. “He shows these kids that if you do work hard, you can get where you want to be.”  

Where Jones is these days is starting at catcher and hitting in the No. 2 hole for the Pirates. But it’s the journey that Jones took to get there that makes his story the most powerful.  

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by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s 2021 Gym Rat Team: The toughest, hardest-working teammates 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 2020-21 season.

Players are listed in no particular order. 

Enjoy.

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by Evan Ren

CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Yardley takes top spot with perfect game

Six innings of perfection, spanning through two games.

That is what Jim Ned junior Tate Yardley delivered to take our Capital Farm Credit/BCP Player of the Week, beginning with a five-inning perfect game in a 21-0 mercy rule win over San Angelo TLCA on March 16. 

Yardley, who quarterbacked Jim Ned to a 3A DI state football title in December, was flawless in the TLCA win, sitting down 15 straight hitters, including 11 via strikeout.  It was the second straight week that a Jim Ned pitcher had delivered perfection, with teammate Blaine Palmer having charted a five-inning no-no in a mercy rule win over Brady on March 8.

Yardley extended his streak of consecutive hitters retired on Friday by striking out the side in an inning of relief to close out a 7-0 win over Wall. 

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by Evan Ren

CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jim Ned hurler takes this week’s top spot

With the second-ranked Jim Ned baseball team off to a 12-0-1 start, it only stands to reason that some of the Indians will begin making appearances in this column. 

This week, Jim Ned’s Blaine Palmer has snagged our Capital Farm Credit/Big Country Preps Player of the Week for the week ending March 13 with a two-sided performance worthy enough for a doubletake. 

To begin with, Palmer delivered five perfect innings in a 20-0 win over Brady that saw him fan 14 hitters. He followed that with four solid innings in a 13-1 win over Eastland in the Jim Ned tournament with four more Ks. 

His pitching line for the week: nine innings, one hit, 18 Ks, no walks and no runs allowed.

Oddly enough, his pitching performance was so good, it nearly overshadowed a red-hot week at the plate that saw him finish a combined 7 of 10 with a double, two triples and seven RBIs. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Eula battles back from early deficit, holds off Westbrook late to earn state berth

SAN ANGELO — Playing the “comeback Cats” of Westbrook for a shot at the the Region II-1A title and a spot in the Class 1A state semifinals, Eula boys basketball coach Josh Fostel knew his team would be in for a fight.

Fortunately for Fostel and the maroon-clad fans at Angelo State University’s Junell Center on Saturday, the Pirates were up to the challenge.

Trailing at the end of each of the first three quarters, it was Eula that had to rally in this one. But the Pirates took the lead early in the final period and held off a late Westbrook run for a thrilling 52-51 victory.

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by Daniel Youngblood

PREVIEW: No. 14 Westbrook, No. 15 Eula set to clash with trip to state tournament on line

With the No. 15 Eula Pirates and 14th-ranked Westbrook Wildcats set to face off in the Region II-1A championship game Saturday evening, the Big Country is guaranteed to have a representative in the Class 1A state semifinals next week.

The question is who that representative will be.  

On one hand, you have a Eula program that has been among the area’s most consistently successful, making four previous state tournament appearances, including a title run in 2011. On the other, you have an upstart Wildcats bunch that’s in the regional tournament for the first time since the 2001 WHS squad earned the only state tournament berth in program history.

Only one will still be playing after Saturday’s clash, which tips off at 7 p.m. at Angelo State University’s Junell Center, and both coaches are expecting a battle.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Gray, Boles and Orozco lead Eula past Irion County, into Region II-1A finals

WINTERS — Tuesday night’s Region II-1A semifinal between Eula and Irion County was a tale of two halves, and it might’ve caused Pirates coach Josh Fostel to age a couple of years in the process.

The Pirates (20-9) jumped out to a 13-2 lead and never trailed in the first half despite withstanding runs of 7-0 and 15-2, before getting two big 3-pointers from Dakota Boles in the second half to earn a thrilling 47-46 win at Blizzard Gymnasium.

Boles’ two big shots came at the buzzer to end the third quarter and with 16 seconds remaining in the fourth as the Pirates advanced to face Westbrook in the regional final.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: No. 15 Eula runs away from Knox City, earns another trip to region tourney

ANSON — A fast start and stifling defensive performance proved a winning formula for the Eula boys basketball team Friday as the No. 15 Pirates pulled away from Knox City for a 57-33 win in a Region II-1A quarterfinal matchup at the Anson High School gym.

Eula (18-9) raced out to a 14-6 lead after a quarter and was never threatened after in advancing to the regional tournament for the fifth consecutive year.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Hermleigh girls rally past Eula in Hopper’s return to Wylie

In the early 2010s, Hermleigh girls basketball coach Duane Hopper earned his stripes playing for the Wylie boys basketball team under coaches Russell Perkins and Gregg Ruffin.

Thursday night saw Hopper make his return to Bulldog Gym as the Lady Cardinals overcame an early deficit and withstood a fourth quarter rally by Eula to earn a 44-41 win and earn their fourth straight berth in the Region II-1A semifinals, all of which have come in Hopper’s four seasons on the bench.

With his history as a Bulldog, Hopper knew where his 103rd career win as a coach ranked in his memories of Bulldog Gym.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Eula girls use charity stripe to eliminate Benjamin

HASKELL — A quick glance at the stat sheet tells the story of Friday’s Class 1A girls area round matchup between Eula and Benjamin, with the free-throw numbers standing out like the proverbial sore thumb. 

Presley Vernson scored 13 points while Carter Gomez added eight more to lead Eula to a 39-30 win, with a final free-throw edge of 14-2 by game’s end. 

Eula (19-6) will now advance to face either Hermleigh, Cross Plains or Aspermont at a time to be determined. 

Benjamin closed its season a 14-7, led by 10 points from Valeria Zavala and seven from Braleigh Blanchette. 

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by Evan Ren

CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Stephenville’s Withers takes this week’s accolade

When you shoot 73.5 percent from the floor, you don’t have to shoot very often to create impressive numbers. 

That was the case with our Capital Farm Credit Big Country Preps Player of the Week, Landri Withers of Stephenville, who tallied 39 total points in wins over Gatesville (73-55) and Brownwood (45-27). The Honeybees (20-2) clinched the District 6-4A title with the Brownwood win, during which Withers tallied 23 points. 

She closed the week with a combined seven rebounds, 12 pass deflections and three steals. 

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by Evan Ren

SIGNING DAY: Eastland’s Morton headlines this year’s Big Country recruiting crop

With National signing Day officially in the books, it’s time to take a quick look at this year’s Big Country signees — the most notable of which is Eastland quarterback Behren Morton, who has inked a Letter of Intent with Texas Tech. 

Wall offensive lineman Tate Williams (Baylor) and Cash Jones of Brock (Georgia) were the area’s only other players to sign with power conferences.

Angelo State was among the busiest of the area’s bigger universities, snagging Tyler Simpson of Blanket, Logan Glover of San Saba and Kason Phillips of Stephenville. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS 2020 MAX EFFORT TEAM: The hardest-working volleyball players in the Big Country

Our All-Big Country Preps Volleyball team, released today, is in place to honor those who achieved the most on-court success in 2020. It is off the court, however, where character, grit and work ethic are often measured. And it is with our Big Country Preps Max Effort Team that we wish to honor those players who were the hardest-working, best teammates in the area this fall. 

This team isn’t about who the best volleyball players were.

The Max Effort team honors hustle, discipline, toughness, coachability and selflessness — traits that coaches wish every player had.

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by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s 2020 True Grit Team: The toughest, hardest-working players in the Big Country!

Most of us know a football player who lives in the weight room, who’s always dependable and who always does what his coaches ask him. He always puts the team first. He’s early to arrive and late to leave. And he seldom needs direction because he always pays attention. 

You know the type. But you seldom hear about them, since there is no specific category to put them in and the media doesn’t recognize these qualities.

This is the guy who always sets a good example. He doesn’t complain and above all else, is tough mentally and physically. He’s not necessarily the best player on his team (though some are). But he’s definitely the guy who gets the most out of whatever talent he was born with.

Welcome to the 2020 “True Grit” team — the one place in the Big Country where guys who fall into this category are recognized for it.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Boys Basketball Position Rankings: Guards

With boys basketball season upon us, it’s time to shine a spotlight on some of the players we’ll be writing and you’ll be reading about throughout the 2020-21 season.

For the first installment in a three-part series that will cover all positions on the area boys basketball scene, we’ll be taking a look at the Big Country’s top guards, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch this fall.

We hope you enjoy reading through our list.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Girls Basketball Position Rankings: Posts

After highlighting the top guards and forwards on the Big Country girls basketball scene the past two nights, it’s time to shift our attention to the block.

For the final installment in our three-part position rankings series, we list our top-10 post players for the 2020-21 season.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading through these rankings, and make sure to come back next week when we’ll feature the top boys basketball players in the Big Country.

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Volleyball Statistical Leaders (through Sept. 7)

Big Country Preps will publish area volleyball statistical leaders each Tuesday at 7 p.m.

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

Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days. 

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by Evan Ren

2020 DISTRICT PREDICTIONS: Evan and Daniel make their picks

Without further ado it is time for us to make our Big Country predictions, district-by-district.

This is the culmination of several weeks of research and two solid months of summertime labor, so we’re more than ready to post it. 

So dive in and study our take on the upcoming season, along with the more than 80 preseason stories we posted earlier today. Enjoy! We’ll see you on the road. 
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by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s top area games to travel to in 2020

Every year, for the past several years, I have looked ahead at the season schedule to create a menu of sorts — a menu for Big Country football connoisseurs to choose some Friday night pigskin in the area. 

History has proven that this isn’t an exact science, and the further out we go from Week 1, the more difficult this endeavor becomes. Nonetheless, I cannot resist a peek at my crystal ball — smudged as it may be.  

I must emphasize, that the entire list you’re about to read is subject to change. This is not a concrete list of Big Country Preps Games of the Week. It’s closer to an educated guess, contingent upon about 10,000 different variables. 

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: We can all use some good news and football can provide some of it

In a world that has seemingly gone mad, I’ll take any dose of good news that I can find — even if it’s mundane.

The stock market inched up a half point? I’ll take it. We can go back to worrying about COVID-19? I’m all-in. The buildings in Abilene are still standing? That’s a check mark in the plus column. 

So how do we get there? 

How do we reestablish normality? 

Aside from the obvious fact that we need to stop the ongoing mayhem that is plaguing our society, getting back to common things we all hold dear will set the foundation for healing. And I’m talking about the simplest of pleasures, from peaceful walks in the park, shopping in a mall, going to the movies or attending a sporting event. 

In Texas, the latter cannot be overstated, especially when it comes to football. 

Continue reading “EVAN REN: We can all use some good news and football can provide some of it” →

by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: 10 things I’ll take away from the COVID-19 pandemic

I’ve always held to a personal axiom that perspective is everything. True or not, how we view a situation becomes the truth in our minds.
There’s no escaping it and every one of us has our own perspective. 

Well, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown have changed my perspective in several ways on several different things. And for a middle-aged guy who is pretty well set in my ways, this is like the planets aligning.

I’ve managed to list my top 10 takeaways from lockdown, as they pertain to this website and what we’re trying to accomplish here.

Let’s dive in: 

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: UIL announcement promising, but are we out of the woods just yet?

“Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.”
— Elbert Hubbard

 In a Tweet released earlier today, the University Interscholastic League announced that it is actively working to allow schools to begin limited summer strength and conditioning and marching band activities on June 8. 

The mere sight of this announcement had me on the verge of challenging my 55-year-old frame to do a cartwheel for which it is ill-prepared to attempt. Because frankly, Texas without high school pigskin is like Texas without oxygen. 

The thought of its absence has been too bitter to contemplate. And in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve allowed myself to go down one rabbit hole after another — trying to discern information from disinformation, and political rhetoric from that which is concrete. 

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