Here are the standings for all boys basketball districts involving Big Country schools through Jan. 18 (with last week’s results, Tuesday’s schedule):
Category: Hamlin Pied Pipers
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.
All-Big Country Preps Superlatives: Wishert, Morton, Dillingham and Fanning take top honors
Here are our superlative award winners for the 2020 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Football Team: First-Team Roster
Here are our first-team selections for the 2020 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Football Team: Second-Team Roster
Here are our second-team selections for the 2020 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Football Team: Third-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)
Here are our third-team selections for the 2020 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
PHOTO GALLERY: Brandon McAuliffe’s top 100 football photos for 2020
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
PHOTO GALLERY: Daniel Youngblood’s top 100 football photos for 2020
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
PHOTO GALLERY: Evan Ren’s top 100 football photos for 2020
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
PHOTO GALLERY: Hamlin-Muenster football playoff (82 images)
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
GAME STORY: Muenster eliminates Hamlin with walk-off field goal
GRAHAM — A furious fourth-quarter rally fell short in heartbreaking fashion as the second-ranked Hamlin football team saw its season end with a 31-28 loss to Muenster in a Region II-2A Division II semifinal Friday afternoon at Newton Field.
Martie McCoy kicked a walk-off 19-yard field goal for the Hornets after Hamlin tied the game with 58 seconds to play to send Muenster on to the regional final.
Hamlin, meanwhile, saw its season end at 11-1.
Evan Ren’s Thanksgiving week playoff picks
LAST WEEK: 23-2, .920
SEASON TOTAL: 422-88, .827
Turkey Day has arrived and we’ve still got 10 Big Country football teams showing a pulse.
Of those, there are at least six that I believe have a shot at getting to Arlington and of those, perhaps four that have a good shot at bringing home a state title.
So let’s dive in and take a look at this week’s matchups, shall we?
Be safe going to your games! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT WEDNESDAY NIGHT PODCAST: Cisco’s Kevin Stennett joins the show talks about CHS’ upcoming regional semifinal with Hawley
VIDEO PODCAST NO. 11: Cisco coach Kevin Stennett joins the show and to talk about his experience at CHS and this week’s regional semifinal clash with Hawley. Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood examine this week’s regional semifinal pairings.
Top games of this week discussed: All playoff pairings involving Big Country teams from Class 1A-4A this week are mentioned.
Top games of last week discussed: Sweetwater vs. Celina, Hawley vs. Sundown, Albany vs. Ralls, Wall vs. Bushland, Brock vs. Denver City, Jim Ned vs. Dalhart, San Saba vs. Panhandle.
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cisco’s Long takes this week’s award
Cisco quarterback Hunter Long is only a sophomore. And he made his share of sophomore mistakes against an early-season schedule that featured 3A DI powerhouses from Wall and Jim Ned.
Maturity, however, is beginning to catch up with the CHS signal caller, who has gradually developed into one of the top Class 2A weapons in the Big Country.
His latest effort typified his development — passing for 210 yards and rushing for 101 in a 46-15 area round rout of Olton.
Along the way, Long accounted for five Cisco touchdowns, rushing for three and passing for two more to help push the Loboes into the regional semifinals.
It also earned him our Capital Farm Credit/BCP Player of the Week award for the week ending Nov. 21.
“Hunter played a great game,” Cisco coach Kevin Stennett said. “He is getting better every week and his execution of our offense has been outstanding during the playoffs. He made very few mistakes, if any, against Olton and has really emerged as the leader of our offense.”
Class 2A Area Round Report: Cisco advances with rout of Olton
REGION I-2A DIV. I
Cisco 46, Olton 15 — Hunter Long threw for 210 yards and two scores and rushed for 101 yards and three more TDs to lead Cisco to a rout of Olton.
Leading 6-0 early on, the Loboes blew the game open with a 27-0 second quarter.
BCP Boys Basketball Position Rankings: Forwards
After kicking off our boys basketball position rankings series on Monday with the guards, we now shift our attention to the forwards.
For the second installment in our three-part series, we rank the area’s top-10 players at that position with others to watch in 2020-21.
We hope you enjoy our list.
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.
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Albany’s Cotter takes award with two dominating efforts
One dominating performance deserves another.
Having already helped Albany reach the Region I-2A finals with a 17-kill performance in a win over Plains (22-25, 25-10, 25-22, 25-16) last week, Sarah Beth Cotter wasn’t finished.
With AHS facing perennial power Wink in the regional finals Saturday in Big Spring, she helped the Lady Lions reach the state semis with 16 kills, two blocks, four digs and an ace in a stunning 25-14, 25-19, 25-20 sweep of the Lady Cats.
Class 2A Bi-District Round Report: Hawley fends off Goldthwaite with dominant second half
REGION I-2A DIV. I
Hawley 34, Goldthwaite 20 — Trailing the Eagles 20-19 at halftime Thursday, the Bearcats finished the game with 15 unanswered points to fend off an upset bid and advance to the area round of the playoffs.
Hawley (9-2) outgained Goldthwaite by a 394-254 margin, getting 125 yards and three touchdowns passing from Rodey Hooper and 151 yards and one TD rushing from Xavier Rodela.
The Eagles (3-8) led by quarterback Jackson Patrick, who passed for 96 yards and a touchdown and rushed for a team high 68 yards on nine carries.
PHOTO GALLERY: Hamlin-Olney football playoff (69 images)
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
COLUMN: Sepeda injury affects more than just players, coaches
BRECKENRIDGE — As sportswriters, we are blessed to be able to get to know high school athletes as their careers get started and then we get to watch them grow.
In the fall of 2017, when a Hamlin game was moved to McMurry University due to field conditions that September night, I was introduced to a pair of freshmen that the spotlight wasn’t too bright for — quarterback Braydin Warner and running back Jackson Sepeda.
That night, I could tell the duo was destined to do big things for coach Russell Lucas, the Pied Piper program and the community of Hamlin as a whole.
GAME STORY: Hamlin starts march to Arlington with lopsided win over Olney
BRECKENRIDGE — The Hamlin Pied Pipers entered the Region II-2A Division II playoffs as the favorite to reach AT&T Stadium in December for a state championship game rematch with Mart.
Their road to a second consecutive title game appearance got a lot tougher on Thursday during a 44-6 bi-district win over Olney at Buckaroo Stadium, when senior running back Jackson Sepeda suffered a gruesome leg injury just seconds into the third quarter as he was tackled from behind on a short run.
Hamlin coach Russell Lucas didn’t have much of an update on his star’s condition after the game.
Evan Ren’s regional football projections and bi-district picks
LAST WEEK: 26-4, .866
SEASON TOTAL: 377-81, .823
Week 12 of the football season is here. And you know what that means.
The horses are at the starting gate with a finish line set up in Arlington for the state championship games.
More than 97 percent of the teams won’t make it. And by the time Thanksgiving arrives, 75 percent of them will already be finished. Such is the magnitude of our postseason.
In the meantime, hundreds of teams from Class 1A through 4A have their dreams of reaching Jerry World still intact. Classes 5A and 6A will start their postseason journeys in mid December, after having their seasons delayed by COVID-19.
That said, it’s time to choose which of our Big Country entries have the best shot of conquering their regions. Who are the favorites? Who are the dark horses? An perhaps most importantly, where are the elephants in the room — the teams from outside of our area with the most potential to spoil the Big Country’s chances?
Let’s get started, shall we?
Big Country football playoff pairings, results
Here are the updated Big Country football playoff pairings, results:
Continue reading “Big Country football playoff pairings, results”
District 5-2A Div. II Week 11 Report: No. 2 Hamlin shuts out Lockney to claim title
Hamlin 22, Lockney 0 — The No. 2 Pied Pipers wrapped up a perfect regular season with their third shutout, turning away the previously unbeaten Longhorns (7-1, 2-1) in a de facto district title game.
Jackson Sepeda rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown, while Braydin Warner passed for 107 yards and two scores to lead Hamlin, which took a 15-0 into halftime.
The Pied Pipers, District 5’s champion, will take on District 6 No. 4 seed Olney (5-4, 2-2) in the opening round of the Class 2A Division II playoffs next week.
