Here are our second-team selections for the 2026 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 2026 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 2026 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.
Here are our first-team selections for the 2026 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 2026 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 2026 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.
SPRINGTOWN — With Porcupine Stadium serving as the backdrop for the Region II-2A Track and Field Championships, a couple of teams from the Big Country Preps coverage area scored big in the event.
The Hico boys earned the team championship with 78 points, topping Tioga (66) and Bosqueville (62). In the meantime, the Cisco girls earned second in the team standings with 65 points behind Hamilton’s 93.
There are varying degrees of “no-hitter” in both high school baseball and softball. This is especially true when the mercy rule is concerned, with pitchers holding the opposition hitless through five innings (in a 10-run rule game) and in the case of the 15-run rule, through only three frames.
Whether those should be called actual no-hitters, depends on who you speak to.
There was, however, nothing arguable about the potential no-no delivered by Abilene junior pitcher George Ferguson in last week’s 2-0 win over Wichita Falls Memorial. To begin with, Ferguson held Memorial hitless through 8.2 innings before finally giving up an infield single in the ninth. In the process, he walked only one batter and fanned 17.
It was nothing short of a brilliant performance against a Memorial team that had won eight straight games. If ever one deserved credit for a no-hitter without actually throwing one, it’s Ferguson.
“George did a great job on the mound from start to finish and that included a 45-minute weather delay,” coach Brad Harman said.
In a week that featured at least a half dozen athletes who could have taken our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, we finally settled on a Stephenville senior for our weekly award.
Willis Jackson, one of the premiere speedsters in the Big Country, took four district titles in the District 6-4A meet last week
This included individual gold medals in the 100 meters (10.66), long jump (22-8.5) and Triple jump (43-8.5). He also collected gold with the 800 relay team (1:28.53), along with a silver with the 400 relay (42.45).
“Willis is headed to the area track meet in five events,” coach Kolt Kittley said. “He comes to workouts every day with a big smile and a great attitude.
“He was huge in helping us win the district track meet this year.”
Scoring and rebounding is only part of the story when it comes to basketball. Behind the scenes and beyond the view of the public, is where character is often measured. And it is with our Big Country Preps Gym Rat Team that we salute the individuals who exude the most of it.
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 effort, discipline, toughness, coachability and selflessness — traits that coaches love above all else and that championship foundations are built upon.
It is for that reason that our Gym Rat team is selected entirely by area coaches, described in their own words. And Big Country Preps is absolutely honored to present these individuals to you — the best “team players” (boys and girls) that the area had to offer during the 2025-26 season.
Players are listed in no particular order.
Enjoy.
HASKELL — The first time Haskell and Hawley met on the softball diamond this season, the Maidens edged the Lady Cats 7-6 in a thrilling eight-inning road win on March 9.
Flash forward to Friday in Haskell, with both teams expecting another nail-biter and the results didn’t match what was anticipated. Haskell simply overwhelmed Hawley in the rematch, ending the contest via the 15-run rule with a 19-4 win in four innings.
Paige Scheets was 4-for-4 with a double, a homer and six RBIs and Rebekah Cunningham was 3-for-3 with a two-run homer to lead Haskell (10-6, 5-1 District 8-2A), which remains a game behind first-place Anson in the league race.
Hawley fell to 15-8 and 3-3, missing its chance to force a second-place tie with the Maidens. The Lady Cats were led by Lily Bailey, who was 2-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Santo-Haskell girls basketball area-round playoff (50 images)”
CLYDE — The Santo girls basketball team started fast and never let up Friday in cruising to a 49-34 win over Haskell in a Region II-2A Division II area-round matchup at Bulldog Gym.
Led by freshman guard Aubrey Watts, who scored seven of her game-high 20 points in the opening quarter, the Lady Cats grabbed a 14-2 lead by the start of the second period and never saw that advantage shrink below 11 points the rest of the way.
The thorough victory, which saw the gap grow as large as 23 points in the fourth quarter, improved coach Nick Hatten’s team to 22-12 and extended the Lady Cats’ best season in more than a decade into the region semifinals, where they’ll face off with the winner of Honey Grove (30-4) and 20th-ranked Simms Bowie (27-7) next week.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 19. With the end of the regular season, this will be the FINAL boys basketball leaders we post this year.
This database has been continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Feb. 12. This will be our FINAL girls stat leaders for 2026.
This database has been continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his or her email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
The boys basketball regular season is nearing its end, and district championship and playoff pictures across the area are coming into view.
Most leagues now have clear favorites in both their title and playoff races, but several remain unresolved with just two or three games left to play.
With just a couple of weeks of games remaining, let’s dive in and take a look at this week’s biggest games and last week’s most significant developments.
Surprised — and in some cases, stressed out — faces could be seen in abundance Monday morning at Abilene’s Region 14 Education Services Center, where coaches from throughout the area and beyond gathered to learn their new district homes as part of the University Interscholastic League’s biennial realignment.
In what can best be described as a seismic shift in the Big Country football landscape, a majority of area schools were placed in unfamiliar environs — be that a new district with new foes or even a new region entirely.
The now venerated process by which the UIL releases the packet containing the new district alignments for football, basketball and volleyball is frequently compared by coaches to waking up on Christmas morning to find what presents await under the three. And on this day, in particular, few found the gifts they were expecting.
Last week’s winter storm made for a wild week of action, condensing a week’s worth of games into three day’s time. And the results were as unpredictable as you might expect given the circumstances.
We saw several district championship and playoff races shaken up by upsets and others take shape as the cream continued its rise to the top.
As we do here weekly, it’s time to take survey of the Big Country boys basketball landscape. We hope you enjoy this look at the biggest developments from last week and the biggest games this week’s slate has to offer.
Most high school football teams have that one player acknowledged by the coaching staff as the prime example of what a teammate should be.
He’s the guy who seldom misses any practice time and is a regular in the weight room. He’s early to arrive. He’s late to leave and takes pride in being coachable, though he seldom needs direction.
He always sets the right example for younger players. He doesn’t complain and, above all else, he’s tough enough to make all the aforementioned traits consistently possible.
Know someone like that? Here is where they are honored.
Here are our first-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps football 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 football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Here are our selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps Football Team (Third-Team roster). For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Here are our selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps Rising Stars Team — an honor reserved for the area’s top freshman and sophomore football players. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
As we arrive in mid-January, this year’s playoff picture is beginning to take shape with multiple games throughout the area have a direct impact on seeding.
Tonight we take a look at some of those matchups, along with the top results from last week and the area’s biggest surprise.
Haskell 46, Electra 20 — Facing off with Electra with the district’s No. 3 playoff seed on the line, the Indians had little trouble with the Tigers, dominating from the start in a blowout win.
Haskell (6-4, 4-2) stretched an 8-6 first-quarter lead to 32-6 by halftime and coasted from there to the four-touchdown victory.
Munday 23, Seymour 14 — The Moguls closed their season on a high note, rallying past the Panthers to finish 4-6 overall and 1-5 in district play.
Haiden Bowman threw a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes to lead Munday, which trailed 14-8 going into the final period. The Moguls also got a touchdown run from Kiyryn Wilson and TD receptions from Jaidence Wren and Caisen Lee.
Windthorst 52, Haskell 14 — Brock Belcher ran for 129 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 116 yards and three more scores to lead the Trojans to a convincing win over the Indians.
Adam Barton added 139 yards and one TD on the ground, and Jaxon Stark had 68 yards and two TDs receiving for Windthorst (6-2, 4-0), which increased a 24-8 halftime lead lead to 38-8 by the start of the fourth quarter.
Haskell 44, Archer City 18 — Haegen Pinkerton ran for 262 yards and four touchdowns, and Ethan Camacho ran for 125 yards and two scores to fuel the Indians to a convincing win over the Wildcats.
Haskell (5-3, 3-1), which ran for 402 yards as a team on just 30 attempts, raced out to a 20-0 by the end of the first quarter to take control of the contest early.
Haegen Pinkerton isn’t a one-man show for Haskell’s football team.
But the junior quarterback is many things for the Indians this season. He’s a dual threat. He’s one of the best athletes in 6-2A Division II – if not the best.
He’s a three-year starter. He’s a hard worker and a leader. He makes an impact in multiple sports. And he’s motivated to lead Haskell to the playoffs after the Indians came up short last season.
Slowly but surely, the Cooper Cougars have emerged as one of the most explosive teams in the Big Country. And in its latest exploit, CHS rolled up 517 yards in total offense in a 66-16 win over Lubbock Cooper.
At the top of the stat sheet: Cooper quarterback Jaden Carrillo, who hit 18 of 27 throws for 263 yards and six touchdowns. He also rushed 11 times for 80 yards and another score to help the Cougars improve to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in District 2-5A DII.
His six TD passes tied a school record held by Zac Allen and Clayton Nicholas.
Haskell 44, Munday 20 — The Indians picked up their second consecutive win in district play, cruising past the Moguls for a comfortable victory.
With the score tied at 6-all early, Haskell closed the first half with 24 unanswered points to take a 30-6 lead into halftime. Munday rallied to close the gap to 38-20 in the fourth quarter, but that as close as the score would get.
The season’s midpoint usually offers little in the way of big-time performances, with most of the area teams taking a bye week prior to the opening of district play.
This year was an exception.
Haskell junior quarterback Haegan Pinkerton delivered an astonishing effort in last week’s 56-42 win over Seymour, that could have taken our weekly accolade at any given point in the season.
Haskell 56, Seymour 42— Haegen Pinkerton passed for 221 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 182 yards and three more scores to lead the Indians to a three-touchdown win over the Panthers.
Brazos Bendle added 60 yards and two TDs on the ground and 37 yards and another score receiving for Haskell (1-1, 3-3), which also got receiving touchdowns from Zakeem Billington (2-62), Colton Gober (1-48).
Petrolia 30, Haskell 28 — The Pirates and Indians went to halftime tied at 14, but PHS finally created some separation in the second half, taking a 30-20 fourth-quarter lead and holding on from there for a thrilling win.
Haskell rallied back to pull within two late in the game, but that was as close as the Indians could get in falling to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in league play.
Anson 26, Haskell 8 — Hunter Teichelman passed for 260 yards and two touchdowns, and Levi Diaz ran for 86 yards and two scores to lead the Tigers to a three-score win over the Indians.
Haskell held a brief 8-6 lead after rushing for its only touchdown in the first quarter, but Anson closed the first half with 14 unanswered points, before putting the game away with touchdown pass in the final period.
Munday 26, Chico 18 — The Moguls remained the only undefeated team in this district with a two-score win over the Dragons.
Led by quarterback Haiden Bowman, Munday (3-0) stretched a12-0 second-quarter lead to 20 points before Chico finally got on the board.
Munday 49, Winters 0 — Ja’Riyis Williams had a big day on the ground, and the Moguls defense was dominant in a rain-soaked matchup with the Blizzards.
Munday held Winters to just 180 total yards, intercepting Coy Martinez twice in the victory while also forcing and recovering a fumble.
Photo provided by Randy Day
Milestones catch our eye when selecting our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, as do great weekly performances. But when both occur at the same time, you can rest assured that player will be in the running for the top spot.
This week the spotlight goes to Comanche senior outside hitter J’Lee Salinas, who not only helped the Maidens to the Heart of Texas Tournament Championship in Brownwood, but she also hit the 500-kill milestone in process.
Haskell 50, Cross Plains 13 — Haegen Pinkerton passed for 195 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 112 yards and another score to lead the Indians to a comfortable win over the Buffaloes.
Behind the dual-threat quarterback, Haskell built a 50-0 lead in the second half, before Cross Plains finally got on the board with a couple of late touchdowns.
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.
HASKELL — With a background of wing-T during his days as an assistant in Wellington, first-year Haskell coach Creighton Henderson is well-versed in smashmouth football and has a full appreciation of it.
He is, however, adaptable. And heading into the 2025 campaign at HHS, he is almost forced to be, given the personnel he has to build his first roster.
Aside from potential All-Big-Country Preps quarterback Haegan Pinkerton, Haskell has several solid wide receivers, very few running backs and Henderson is planning accordingly. The Indians will throw the ball in 2025, backed by a uber-aggressive defense unlike the area has seen in a good while.
HASKELL — On paper, the 2025 season looks like an opportunity for a step forward for the Haskell football team.
The Indians return eight offensive and seven defensive starters among 19 lettermen from last year’s 4-6 team and should get additional help from last year’s 7-2 JV squad.
That’s on paper.
On the field, Haskell will have one crucial task in front of it to be successful: Executing a new system under first-year coach Creighton Henderson. If the Indians succeed, they should put together a better product than what was seen in 2024.
“That’s the plan,” said Henderson, a former assistant at Wellington who is now a head coach for the first time. “That’s our belief. We just have to figure a way to get it done.”
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.