Category: Hamlin Pied Pipers

by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 15: Evan, Daniel chat with Winters football coach Matt McCarty

Coach Matt McCarty has led a nice turnaround at Winters, following back-to-back two-win seasons with a playoff berth last season, before leading the Blizzards to a 4-0 start to the 2018 campaign.

McCarty took some time to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about that turnaound process, his coaching background and this year’s winters squad in this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.

Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the first Southtown Showdown and all of last week’s Big Country football action.

by Evan Ren

Hamlin Pied Pipers showing serious potential

HAMLIN — Four games into the 2018 season, it’s already the subject of a lighthearted debate among those who follow the Hamlin football program. 

Are the 2018 Pied Pipers as good or better than the 2014 model? Considered by many to be the best team ever produced by long-time coach Russell Lucas, the ’14 Pipers closed their season with a 49-35 loss to eventual state runner-up Albany in the Region II-2A Division II title game and a 12-1 record.

This year’s club, however, is off to a 4-0 start with dominating wins of over Anson ( 42-12), Munday (58-20), Hawley (32-6) and New Home (41-0). The Hawley win, in particular, was significant in an early schedule filled with three teams that are still winless. 

The Bearcats (3-1) are generally viewed as a potential district title threat in 3-2A DI, and Hamlin’s victory over them gave the Big Country a glimpse potentially at how good this Pied Piper club really is. 

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by Evan Ren

District 7-2A Division II: Week 4 Report

Stamford 42, Haskell 8 —The Bulldogs built a 27-0 first-half lead before coasting to the finish line with 452 yards in total offense in a Saturday afternoon win at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene.

Big Country leading passer Peyton Bevel finished with 303 passing yards and five scores to lead the Bulldogs. 

Stamford improved to 4-0; Haskell dropped to 1-3.

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: Eastland hosts Childress in BCP Game of the Week (w/ Big Country Picks, Drive-Time Podcast)

LAST WEEK: 38-13, .745

SEASON TOTAL: 109-39, .736

The Big Country Preps Game of the Week heads east tonight to Eastland, a day early due to anticipated thunderstorms in that area on Friday. 

On tap: Childress (3-0) pays visit to EHS (3-0) in what should be the most difficult test for the unbeaten Mavericks to date. 

If all goes as anticipated, those in attendance should be treated to a premiere quarterback matchup, pitting Childress’ Luke Latimer and Eastland standout Behren Morton.

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by Evan Ren

District 7-2A Division II: Week 3 Report

Hamlin 32, Hawley 6 — Braydin Warner hit 22 of 39 passes for 335 yards  and two scores to lift Hamlin (3-0) to a big win over previously unbeaten Hawley. He also rushed six times for 35 yards.

Hawley managed 226 yards on the ground, with Colton Marshall, who entered the game as the Big Country’s leading rusher, getting 143 of it. 

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: Dublin to host De Leon in Big Country Preps Game of the Week (w/ Big Country picks, Drive-Time Podcast)

LAST WEEK: 38-7, .844

SEASON TOTAL: 71-26, .731

Prior to the season, had someone suggested that the Dublin/De Leon matchup would be our Big Country Preps Game of the Week for Week 3, I would have politely shrugged it off. 

But after two games, Dublin (2-0) has literally made it happen. 

Off to their first 2-0 start since 2007, the Lions will play host to a 2-0 De Leon team many believe will win their region and have a shot at reaching Arlington. 

In the midst of it: A Divison I-caliber quarterback in De Leon’s Kevin Yeager (29 of 47, 471 yards,  5 TDs ), an area upstart in Dublin’s Cy Wing (19 of 37, 454 yards, 4 TDs) and a pair of excited communities.

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Preps Player of the Week: Stamford’s Bevel snags accolade

In a Week 1 win over Merkel, Stamford quarterback Peyton Bevel threw four touchdown passes but was edged out for our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award. 

Friday night in Roscoe, however, he returned to throw six scoring passes and account for a seventh touchdown on the ground in a 53-29 win that saw the Bulldogs improve to 2-0. 

The second time was the charm. 

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: Big Country picks Week 2

LAST WEEK: 33-19, .634        

SEASON TOTAL: 33-19, .634

Whenever perennial powerhouses Cisco and Wall square off, it’s a candidate for the spotlight, and this year is no exception. 

Friday, the Big  Country Preps Game of the Week heads south, when the Loboes (1-0) visit Wall (0-1) with a fair amount of intrigue attached. 

The Hawks, who are coming off a 27-21 loss to No. 3 Class 2A Mason, haven’t started a season at 0-2 since 2008.  Yet Friday, they’ll be confronted with a Cisco team fully capable of pushing them down memory lane. 

This is too high-profile to ignore. People want to know just how good this Cisco team is and with Wall being a proven commodity, this is a great measuring stick.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 12: Evan, Daniel discuss Week 1 football results

The first week of the high school football season in the Big Country saw its share of thrilling finishes and surprising outcomes.

In this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast, Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood forego a guest to discuss all the action and excitement of the season’s opening week.

by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Early’s Trompler takes first BCP award

There can only be one first-ever Big Country Preps Player of the Week.

In the future, as BigCountryPreps.com progresses and grows, our Player of the Week will be a staple of our coverage. The accolades will accumulate. Some names and performances will be more memorable than others.

But the first of all time is something we will always look back on.

That honor goes to Early senior quarterback Ryan Trompler, who accounted for six touchdowns in the Longhorns’ 60-20 win at Bangs on Friday.

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by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s top area games to travel to in 2018

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 salute: 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 2018.

I’ll see you on the road.

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by Evan Ren

Evan Ren: Big Country Picks Week 1

LAST WEEK: 0-0, .000        

SEASON TOTAL: 0-0, .000

In picking our first-ever Big Country Preps Game of the Week, I literally could have thrown a dart at the top seven or eight games and came away with a matchup that was justifiable.

Yes, Week 1 of the 2018 season is that good.

My eventual choice: Brock at Brownwood — a matchup pairing last year’s Class 3A Division I state runner-up with a Class 4A Division I team expecting to be in the thick of one of the toughest district races in Texas.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Quarterbacks

A week into our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we’ve finally gotten to the gunslingers.

To complete our look at the best offensive players in the Big Country, we’ve ranked our top-10 quarterbacks with a list of others to watch in 2018.

Enjoy the list and let us know what you think about it in the comments section below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 11: Evan, Daniel catch up with Dublin coach Bob Cervetto

When Bob Cervetto took over the Dublin football program, the Lions hadn’t won a playoff game in almost five decades. In the  seven seasons since, Dublin has twice reached the area-round in football and experienced a higher degree of athletic success during the winter and fall seasons.

This week, the always-upbeat Cervetto took some time to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about his positive outlook on coaching and life, the state of the Dublin athletic program and what keeps him coming back each year on this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.

Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the Big Country’s most intriguing storylines heading into the 2018 high school football season.

by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Offensive Linemen

With the defensive rankings behind us, it’s time to look at the area’s offensive standouts. And we’ll start where any productive offense begins: up front.

For the fourth installment of our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we turn our attention to the big boys, ranking the Big Country’s top-10 offensive linemen with a list of others to watch in 2018.

Take a look and let us know what you think of our selections in the comments section below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Defensive Backs

After starting with the linemen and linebackers, we turn to the secondary to complete our look at the top defenders in the Big Country.

For the third installment in our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we key on the defensive backs, giving our list of the area’s top-10 players and others to look out for in 2018.

Enjoy the list and feel free to voice your opinions on it in the comments section below.

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Preps 2018 Football Forecast

With less than a week to go now until the high school football season kicks off in earnest, it’s prediction time here at Big Country Preps.

Site co-founders Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood have put their opinions on paper to tell you how they see the 2018 football season playing out, predicting the order of finish for all 16 11-man districts featuring Big Country squads.

Take a look and let us know where you disagree in the comments section below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Hamlin QB Warner a seasoned vet as just a sophomore

Hamlin football coach Russell Lucas and quarterback Braydin Warner haven’t always seen eye to eye. In fact, there was a point when Warner was in seventh grade that Lucas had to send a message to his now sophomore standout.

“When he was a seventh-grader, he was a little hard-headed, so I sent him down there with the offensive linemen for two days and put another kid at quarterback,” Lucas said. “We laugh about that now, but he didn’t think that was very funny when he was in seventh grade.”

Lucas and Warner can look back at that moment with levity now because of the growth the quarterback has made in virtually every area since. And after watching Warner guide the Pied Pipers to a 10-game winning streak last season as a freshman, Lucas won’t likely have to worry about leadership from his quarterback position anytime soon.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Hamlin Pied Pipers poised for another strong season

Having led his team to a 57-19 record since the start of the 2012 season, Hamlin football coach Russell Lucas has built the Pied Pipers into one of the Big Country’s most consistent Class 2A squads.

Under Lucas, who has an 83-37 overall record at Hamlin, the Pipers have become a perennial playoff team, and they’re a strong bet most years to go at least a couple of rounds deep.

Coming off a 10-3 campaign with eight starters back on both sides of the ball, the 2018 Hamlin squad appears well positioned to continue that trend.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 8: Early’s Sandford talks Longhorn football, baseball scouting

Early’s Blake Sandford

Blake Sandford took a unique path to becoming Early’s head football coach that included time as an amateur scout for Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds, among other clubs.

This week, Sandford spent some time chatting with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about his time in baseball, the season outlook for his Early Longhorns and his philosophy as an athletic director on this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.

Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the wealth of quarterback talent and depth in the Big Country this season.

by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 7: Evan, Dan talk football with Wichita Falls’ Zach Duncan

Zach Duncan

Like Big Country Preps co-founders Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood, Wichita Falls Time Record News area writer Zach Duncan has been covering high school sports in his market for a long time.

Entering his 15th football season with the Wichita Falls newspaper, Duncan has seen more great games than he can count and worked with some outstanding coaches and players. This week, he took some time to share some his favorite football stories and talk shop with Evan and Daniel.

Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss District 3-3A Division I and District 7-2A Division II — two all-area leagues that should be competitive from top to bottom.