Goldthwaite 40, Mart 14 — Blake Howard threw for 287 yards and four scores in yet another easy win over Mart for the Eagles.
Goldthwaite led 19-0 at the break before stretching its lead to 33-6 late in the third quarter.
Goldthwaite improved to 7-3; Mart fell to 5-5.
It’s been a good while since a Goldthwaite Eagle snagged our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award in any sport. But sophomore Owen Campbell obliterated that streak with a fabulous effort in a 61-0 rout of Meridian on Friday.
His performance came on both sides of the ball, beginning with 12 carries for 144 yards and four touchdowns from his running back position.
Defensively Campbell charted eleven tackles, including seven solos, four assists and an interception from the GHS secondary.
“Owen had a tremendous game on Friday where he contributed to our win,” coach Andy Howard said. “He made a huge impact in all three phases of the game. He plays a huge role for us every week on defense, offense and on special teams.
“He continues to grow and improve as a player every week. I am proud of Owen but proud of everyone around him as well.”
Goldthwaite 61, Meridian 0 — Owen Campbell rushed for 144 yards and four touchdowns to help the Eagles to a lopsided win over Meridian.
Goldthwaite improved to 6-3 overall and 4-2 with the win.
Meridian fell to 1-8 and 1-5.
San Saba 42, Harper 7 — 
Luke Tharp rushed for 219 yards and two scores and Jason Everett rushed for 112 yards and two more TDs to lift San Saba to an important district win over Harper.
The Armadillos (5-3, 2-1) still have a shot at the District title if they can sweep Holland and Mason to close the season and force a three-way tiebreaker with Thorndale.
Or, hope either Harper or struggling Holland can upset Thorndale to open the door for an outright title.
Goldthwaite 54, Wortham 0 — The Eagles (5-3, 3-2) are still in the thick of the playoff hunt courtesy of this rout of Wortham (1-7, 1-4).
Blake Howard threw for 150 yards and four scores and rushed for 55 yards and another TD to lift the Eagles, who close the regular season with Meridian and Mart respectively.
Bremond 47, Goldthwaite 0 — The Tigers rolled up 452 yards in total offense to top Goldthwaite on the road.
Tank Scott rushed for 102 yards and three scores and Sam Kasowki threw for 201 yards to lead Bremond which improved to 7-0 and 4-0.
Goldthwaite fell to 4-3 and 2-2.
Goldthwaite 42, Frost 0 — The Eagles (4-2, 2-1) stayed in the district title hunt with a win over previously unbeaten Frost.
This sets up a huge district matchup with Bremond next Friday at home.
The Polar Bears fell to 5-1 and 2-1.
Goldthwaite 65, Hubbard 0 — The Eagles rolled up 424 yards in total offense, whle holding Hubbard to 40 in an easy district win.
Blake Howard threw for 213 yards and four scores and added one rushing TD to lead Goldthwaite (3-2).
Hubbard fell to 2-3.
Since losing their season opener to Peaster (34-0), the Tolar Rattlers (2-1) have not only managed to improve, but they’re rapidly gaining momentum to go with that progress.
Our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, Briton Rice, is a part of that, having thrown for 197 yards and four scores in last week’s 42-18 win over Millsap. This, after missing a week with an injury.
Goldthwaite 49, San Saba 34 — The Eagles quickly built a 35-7 halftime lead in the 108th “Battle of the River” before holding off a late San Saba rally attempt.
Aidyn Lee rushed or 119 yards, threw for 76 and accounted for five TDs to lead the Eagles, who improved to 2-1 with the win.
San Saba (1-2) was led by Luke Tharp, who rushed for 143 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Goldthwaite 59, Center Point 0 — Landry Sanderson rushed for 157 yards and three scores and Owen Campbell added 113 yards and three more TDS to help Goldthwaite level off at 1-1.
The Eagles led 39-0 at the break and never looked back, holding Center Point to only one first down and forcing four turnovers.
Junction 40, Goldthwaite 16 — Trailing 16-13 with five minutes left in the third quarter, Junction blew this game open with 27 unanswered points over the last 17 minutes of play.
Goldthwaite will play host to Center Point next Friday night. Junction will travel to San Saba (1-0) on the same evening.
Got the truck started yet?
Ready to jump on one of those farm-to-market roads to watch high school football into the late hours on a Friday night?
You’re not alone.
And, as tradition would have it, I tip my cap to those of you who will be hitting the trails each week in search of pigskin. My method: a preseason menu of sorts.
Each week for the next 11 weeks, Big Country Preps will be searching for its Game of the Week, and we’re already looking ahead. We now present our preliminary list of Big Country Games worth traveling for, but keep in mind: the following list is subject to change as surprises and disappointments emerge.
And as we all know … surprises and disappointments always emerge.
So, without further delay, here is our list of Big Country games worth traveling for in 2025.
I’ll see you on the road.
The switch had already been made.
After spending his sophomore season as Goldthwaite’s starting quarterback, Aidyn Lee was looking forward to thriving in a new role as the Eagles’ slot receiver.
The move wasn’t a demotion — Lee had earned first-team all-district honors in leading Goldthwaite to a 7-5 season.
Andy Howard has seen Goldthwaite’s growth for some time.
But it wasn’t until the Eagles put together the program’s best season in a decade that Howard’s players could also realize the hard work had paid off.
Goldthwaite won seven games a year ago, including throttling then-No. 1 Mart 46-0 to end the regular season. The Eagles knocked off Maud in bi-district before falling to Grapeland in the area round.
OTHER 2025 ALL-BIG COUNTRY PREPS TEAMS
Our All-Big Country Preps Softball and Baseball Teams, released Saturday and Sunday, respectively, are in place to honor those who achieved the most on-field success in 2025. 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 Big Country had to offer during the 2025 season.
The players below are listed in no particular order.
Here are our first-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Here are our second-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to release our 2025 All-Big Country Preps baseball 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 baseball selections, please click the links below.
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. 20. 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. 4, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2025 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.
Today, we take a look at the Goldthwaite Eagles.
Here are our first-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Here are our second-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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: Goldthwaite-Martin’s Mill boys basketball state semifinal playoff (30 images)”
CHINA SPRING — After battling through Region IV as an unranked team, the Goldthwaite Eagles had one final hurdle to clear in order to make it to their first-ever state championship game.
As luck would have it, however, the Eagles’ final challenge on the road to San Antonio was the toughest that Texas could provide in top-ranked Martin’s Mill.
The Mustangs ended the Eagles’ remarkable postseason run with a 66-33 loss on Tuesday at China Spring High School.
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.
CHINA SPRING — Gracee Cooley drained a pair of free throws with 0.3 seconds remaining Tuesday to fuel the Jim Ned girls to a thrilling 40-38 win over Winnsboro in the Class 3A Division I state semifinals and help the Lady Indians to their first state championship game since defeating Poth for the Class 2A title in 2008.
Jim Ned, making its fourth state tournament appearance in program history and first since 2012, advanced to take on Fairfield (32-6) for the championship at 1 p.m. Friday at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
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).
Chilton 14, Goldthwaite 0 — Chilton rolled up 264 yards rushing, with Marneko Thomas leading the way with 177 yards on only 14 carries. 
Goldthwaite (2-1), idle — The Eagles enjoyed an open date on Friday night.