Here are the Big Country’s receiving leaders through Week 9:
Category: Hamlin Pied Pipers
District 5-2A Div. II Week 9 Report: Jack Rabbits too much for Plowboys to handle
Ralls 76, Roscoe 6 — One of several games played on Thursday, this one was decided early, as the Jack Rabbits raced out to a 48-6 halftime lead and cruised from there to the lopsided victory.
Ralls (5-3, 1-1) took advantage of six Roscoe turnovers and used a strong running game to grind down the Plowboys (0-8,0-2). The Jack Rabbits finished with 295 rushing yards, getting solid production from Abraham Van Gundy (9-82, 1 TD rushing; 1 pick-six), Benjamin Njenga (6-67, 2 TDs) and Sergio Salinas (5-53, 2 TDs).
Roscoe’s only touchdown came late in the first quarter on a run that trimmed Ralls’ lead to 24-6.
EVAN REN: Season of promise getting a bit frustrating for Lucas, Hamlin
Football coaches are by nature, organized, disciplined people. They have to be, or they’d never be able to compete with their peers, who are also organized, disciplined people.
Because of that, they are ready to deal with every contingency. Or at least, every contingency that has existed before the year 2020.
How to handle a rash of injuries? Check.
How to deal with a discipline issue? Check.
How to play a game in the mud? Check.
How to deal with a worldwide pandemic? Hmmm … We’re a little fuzzy on that one. And even the most experienced coaches in the Big Country are learning on the fly when it comes to dealing with it.
There’s been no lack of frustration for coaches all over the area. But at this juncture, no area team has more to lose, or more reason to go completely bananas over this subject than the second-ranked Hamlin Pied Pipers, who are once again a strong state title contender in Class 2A Division II.
District 5-2A Div. II Week 8 Report: No. 2 Hamlin takes care of Roscoe in COVID-altered week
Hamlin 49, Roscoe 13 — Braydin Warner passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two more to lead the second-ranked Pied Pipers to a runaway victory over the Plowboys in a game that was pushed up due to COVID-related cancellations by the other three teams in this league.
Hamlin (7-0, 2-0) led 35-0 at halftime and increased that lead to 49 points in the third quarter before Roscoe (0-7, 0-1) added a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to avoid the shutout.
District 5-2A Div. II Week 7 Report: No. 2 Hamlin takes care of Ralls in league opener
Hamlin 42, Ralls 22 — Braydin Warner passed for 255 yards and two touchdowns, and Jackson Sepeda rushed for 158 yards and three scores to lift the second-ranked Pied Pipers to a district-opening win over the Jack Rabbits.
Hamlin, now 6-0 overall and 1-0 in league play, led 14-0 at halftime and increased its advantage to 28-8 by the end of the third quarter to put away Ralls (5-2, 0-1).
The Pied Pipers outgained the Jack Rabbits 483-304, getting 158 yards and a touchdown receiving from Cutter Martin in addition to the production Warner and Sepeda provided.
GAME STORY: No. 2 Hamlin shuts out fourth-ranked Windthorst, remains unbeaten
WINDTHORST — Second-ranked Hamlin finally had to play four quarters Friday night.
After stonewalling No. 4 Windthorst multiple times in the red zone, the Pied Pipers walked away with a hard-earned 14-0 road victory.
Hamlin’s defense enters District 5-2A Division II action having allowed only three touchdowns in five games, but this one was different because there was little room for error in a showdown of regional favorites.
District 5-2A Div. II Week 6 Report: Roscoe can’t keep up with Seagraves
Seagraves 32, Roscoe 6 — The Plowboys couldn’t break into the win column Friday, falling to 0-6 on the year with a lopsided loss to the Eagles.
Seagraves, which outgained Roscoe 295-154, led 20-0 by halftime and added another touchdown in the third quarter before the Plowboys finally got on the board late in that period.
Zharion Smith led the way offensively for the Eagles, rushing for 172 yards and three touchdowns, while the SHS defense limited Roscoe to just 53 yards rushing.
District 5-2A Div. II Week 5 Report: Roscoe can’t keep up with New Home
New Home 46, Roscoe 12 — The Plowboys’ struggles to begin the season continued Friday when they were outscored 28-6 in the fourth quarter of a 32-point loss to the Leopards.
Roscoe (0-5) trailed New Home 18-0 at halftime and trimmed that to 12 points by the start of the fourth quarter, but the Leopards (4-1) scored the first two touchdowns of the final period to put the game away.
The Plowboys, who have been outscored by a combined score of 227-32 this season, will try to put things together in their final nondistrict game against the Seagraves Eagles (1-4).
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Hawley tangles with upstart Dragons (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country picks)
LAST WEEK: 36-12, .750
SEASON TOTAL: 152-47, .763
I have not been to Bangs for a Game of the Week since 2013 — the last time the Dragons posted more than six wins in a season and the last winning record they had prior to last year’s 6-5 mark.
That drought ends tomorrow, when I travel to BHS for an interesting showdown between the Dragons (3-0) and Class 2A Division I power Hawley (3-1).
Bangs has the better overall numbers, but Hawley has faced a slightly tougher overall schedule, making this pick a perplexing one.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Snyder defensive specialist snags this week’s award
Benitez photo courtesy of Kassi Westermann
While a libero seldom gets as much attention as volleyball’s glamour positions up front, there are times when these defensive specialists make themselves so valuable they can’t be ignored, even in a losing effort.
That was the case last week with Snyder junior Abby Benitez in a pair of dual matches against Monahans and Odessa Permian on Tuesday, followed by another against Jim Ned and Denver City on Saturday. The Lady Tigers didn’t register a single win, but Benitez’s hustle was astonishing enough to earn her our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award for the week ending Sept. 19.
District 5-2A Div. II Week 4 Report: No. 2 Hamlin steamrolls Anson, moves to 4-0
Hamlin 48, Anson 6 — The second-ranked Pied Pipers continued their dominating start to the season, blasting a previously unbeaten opponent for the third consecutive week.
Coming off impressive victories over Hawley (35-6) and Albany (42-6), Hamlin outgained Anson 408-176 on Friday, building a 41-6 advantage by halftime.
Quarterback Braydin Warner passed for 243 yards and three touchdowns, while Jackson Sepeda rushed for 132 yards and four scores to help the Pipers improve to 4-0 on the year.
District 3-2A Div. I Week 4Report: Buffs win thriller at McCamey to even record at 2-2
Forsan 31, McCamey 30 — Forsan (2-2) picked up its second straight win behind 312 team rushing yards.
Chris Mendez led FHS with 166 yards and one score on 20 carries. Nat Hernandez charted 105 yards and three TDs on 19 touches.
McCamey fell to 2-1 on the year.
Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 4)
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games, in addition to the results of Evan Ren’s Twitter polls for each matchup.
For those interested in voting, polls go up on Monday night each week and close Thursday morning.
Disagree with our picks or the Twitter consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
Continue reading “Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 4)”
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Jim Ned heads to Cisco for interclass showdown
LAST WEEK: 42-9, .824
SEASON TOTAL: 116-35, .740
Week 4 arrives and I’m finally hitting my stride on pick accuracy.
It’s been an odd year thus far, both in terms of results and overall feel. It’s been tough to gauge.
Nonetheless, we’re hitting the road once again this Friday, with the Big Country Preps Game of the Week landing at Chesley Field in Cisco, where the Loboes (2-1) will play host to a Jim Ned club that is two divisions larger than they are.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Holsey takes the award in win over Lake View
We have said all along that the Sweetwater Mustangs would be among the most explosive teams in the Big Country in 2020, and Friday gave us a glimpse of it.
Led by our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, Leo Holsey, SHS amassed nearly 700 yards in total offense in a 58-42 win over San Angelo Lake View.
A junior in his third varsity season, Holsey hit 14 of 26 throws for 254 yards and four scores and rushed for 111 and three more TDs to help the Mustangs improve to 1-1. He finished the day with 365 total yards and a direct hand in seven scores.
“He came out focused and prepared,” Sweetwater coach Ben McGehee said. “I thought he did a great job running the offense all night in the run and passing game.”
EVAN REN: How good is this Hamlin defense? Good enough to make one superstitious
HAMLIN — Sportswriters have an annoying habit of placing teams in Arlington three months in advance and I’m certainly among the guilty parties.
This drives coaches, who are generally a superstitious lot, absolutely nuts. And frankly, I don’t blame them.
So … knowing full well that it’s too early for such assertions, I’m not going to put the Hamlin Pied Pipers in Jerry World in mid-September. I’m not going to say they’re a better team than the one that played for a Class 2A Division II state championship a year ago. I won’t even say they’re the regional favorite.
I really don’t need to. Hamlin’s 3-0 record and No. 2 ranking in Class 2A DII speaks volumes anyway.
But there is an aspect about this club that cannot be overstated and can no longer be ignored: The Pied Pipers are playing extraordinary defense. And they’re doing it without some of their top defenders from a year ago — most notably the unblockable Austin Lozano, who has since signed as a defensive lineman at Abilene Christian University.
Is this what you expected? I didn’t.
PHOTO GALLERY: Hamlin-Albany football (54 images)
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BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: No. 2 Hamlin overwhelms sixth-ranked Albany in road rout
ALBANY — Hyped as an early-season clash between state-ranked rivals, the Big Country Preps Game of the Week between Hamlin and Albany quickly turned into a showcase for the No. 2 Pied Pipers on Friday at Robert Nail Stadium.
Coach Russell Lucas’ squad built a 28-0 lead by halftime and cruised from there to a 42-6 win over the sixth-ranked Lions, improving to 3-0 on the year with its second straight rout of a ranked opponent.
Coming off an impressive 35-6 win over Hawley, which was ranked No. 6 in Class 2A Division I at the time, the Pipers outgained the Lions 262-9 over the first two quarters to establish control early and maintained it after the break in a thoroughly dominating effort.
District 5-2A Div. II Week 3 Report: Roscoe can’t get untracked in loss to Miles
Miles 29, Roscoe 7 — The Plowboys couldn’t get anything going offensively Friday, gaining just 111 total yards and turning the ball over three times in their third straight loss to open the season.
Antonio Aguayo passed for 107 yards and a touchdown for Roscoe, which fell behind 29-0 before the quarterback’s 16-yard scoring strike to Kolten Hope in the fourth quarter.
Miles (1-2) was led in the victory by Brayden Dunlap, who rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns to stake the Bulldogs to a 22-0 halftime lead.
Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 3)
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games, in addition to the results of Evan Ren’s Twitter polls for each matchup.
For those interested in voting, polls go up on Monday night each week and close Thursday morning.
Disagree with our picks or the Twitter consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
Continue reading “Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 3)”
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.
