Here are the Big Country’s passing leaders through Week 1:
Category: Haskell Indians
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Big Spring’s Baeza takes the top spot
It has been at least years since we’ve seen the type of offensive execution exhibited by the Big Spring Steers in Friday’s 36-14 win over Vernon. And Big Country Preps has never had a Big Spring player as its player of the week.
Until now.
Junior quarterback Gabriel Baeza helped bring both of those streaks to a close, hitting 20 of 32 passes for 282 yards and four scores. In his spare time he also rushed nine times for 56 yards and two more touchdowns, giving him 338 total yards and a direct hand in six scores.
In doing so, he takes our first Big Country Preps Player of the Week for the 2020-21 school year. It was the first season-opening win for the Steers since a 58-56 win over Kerrville Tivy on Aug. 30, 2014.
Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 1)
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 1)”
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: A switch! Due to some disciplinary moves, we’re now heading to Jim Ned!
LAST WEEK: 0-0, .000
SEASON TOTAL: 0-0, .000
After picking a career-high 83 percent a year ago, I was feeling quite self-assured and self-important at the close of last football season.
Little did I realize that a year later, I’d be happy to just to have games to pick and not care about what the percentage is.
In short, the world has dealt me a serious dose of perspective.
We have football, ladies and gents. Let’s hope a sense of normality returns with it.
At any rate, let’s take quick look at this week’s area contests.
I’ll see you on the road.
BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Quarterbacks
After a week of highlighting area playmakers, we wrap up our eight-part preseason position rankings series with the Big Country’s best signal callers.
To complete our look at the area’s top players, we’ve ranked our top 10 quarterbacks with a list of others to watch in 2020.
We hope you enjoy this list and that you’ve enjoyed our position rankings as we get set to kickoff a new season.
Continue reading “BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Quarterbacks”
BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Running Backs
As we wind down our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we arrive finally at the Big Country’s top rushers.
After breaking down this year’s crop of receivers and tight ends Monday, we move now to the area’s top backs, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch in 2020. Don’t forget to check in Wednesday night when we conclude our series with the top 10 area quarterbacks.
We hope you enjoy tonight’s list and encourage you to check out the other position groups, which are linked below.
BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
We’re approaching the final stretch of our eight-part preseason position rankings series, and it’s time to look at the Big Country’s top pass-catchers.
After starting the offensive portion of our series Sunday with the big guys up front, we now shift our attention to the playmakers on the perimeter, ranking our top 10 wide receivers/tight ends with a list of others to watch in 2019.
We hope you enjoy our list and encourage you to check out the other position groups, which are linked below.
BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Offensive Linemen
With the defensive and special teams rankings in the rear view, it’s time to look at the area’s offensive standouts. And we’ll start with the foundation of any productive offense: the offensive line.
For the fifth 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 2020.
We hope you enjoy reading through our rankings
BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Kickers/Punters
After recognizing the top defensive players throughout the Big Country over the past three days, it’s time to honor the specialists.
We continue our eight-part preseason position rankings series by naming our top 10 kickers and top three punters to watch this fall.
We hope you enjoy this list and that you have enjoyed our position rankings as we get set to kickoff the 2020 season.
BCP Football 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 2020.
We hope you enjoy our list.
BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Linebackers
After taking a look at the Big Country’s top defensive linemen on Wednesday, it’s now time to examine those who will backing them in 2020.
Continuing with Big Country Preps’ eight-part preseason position rankings series, here’s our top 10 linebackers to watch this fall, as well as a list of the others we’re expecting big things from.
We hope you enjoy our list.
BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Defensive Linemen
With the start of football season less than two weeks away, it’s time to take a look at the players who will be making the biggest impact in 2020.
For the first installment in an eight-part series that will cover all position groups, we’ll be taking a look at the area’s top defensive linemen, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch this fall.
As with any such list, these rankings are subjective. We hope you enjoy reading through them.
2020 DISTRICT PREDICTIONS: Evan and Daniel make their picks
Without further ado it is time for us to make our Big Country predictions, district-by-district.
This is the culmination of several weeks of research and two solid months of summertime labor, so we’re more than ready to post it.
So dive in and study our take on the upcoming season, along with the more than 80 preseason stories we posted earlier today. Enjoy! We’ll see you on the road.
Evan Ren’s top area games to travel to in 2020
Every year, for the past several years, I have looked ahead at the season schedule to create a menu of sorts — a menu for Big Country football connoisseurs to choose some Friday night pigskin in the area.
History has proven that this isn’t an exact science, and the further out we go from Week 1, the more difficult this endeavor becomes. Nonetheless, I cannot resist a peek at my crystal ball — smudged as it may be.
I must emphasize, that the entire list you’re about to read is subject to change. This is not a concrete list of Big Country Preps Games of the Week. It’s closer to an educated guess, contingent upon about 10,000 different variables.
FEATURE: From the Ukraine to Haskell, Artem Brendle is soaking it all in
HASKELL — He is 6,000 miles, one culture, one language and one sport away from his home in the Ukraine.
But for 17-year-old Haskell junior Artem Brendle, the wide open spaces and simple living offered by Texas’ Big Country region has him feeling more at home than he ever dreamed. He’s even playing football, as a reserve linebacker for the Indians and in the process, is providing coach Brian Hodnett and his teammates with anecdotes they will likely keep for a lifetime.
Moved to a Ukrainian orphanage due to family issues at the age of 10, Artem was adopted by Chad and April Brendle of Midland when he was 15. A year later, the family moved to Haskell where Artem quickly stood out and became popular — earning the nickname of “Drago” (of Rocky IV fame) from his schoolmates due his Ukrainian accent.
2020 HASKELL FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Indians still young, but have good numbers
There is reason for optimism in Haskell these days, largely because of numbers — eight returning starters on both sides of the ball 
among 18 lettermen and an expected roster size of 25 players.
That’s a solid prospectus at the Class 2A level, which leaves fourth-year coach Brian Hodnett hoping for improvement over last year’s 3-8 mark — despite being moved up a division by realignment.
Heading into 2020, the Indians find themselves in District 3-2A DI, with Hawley, Colorado City, Forsan, Anson and Stamford — a challenging league with two teams (C-City and Anson) that have both been moved down from 3A DII.
Scenes from Big Country Preps Photo Tour Day 4
Day 4 of Big Country Preps’ 2020 Photo Tour is behind us, and four more days of shooting remain from practice fields across the area.
Here are a few of the images and videos collected Thursday from Anson and Haskell:
Big Country Composite Football Schedules: Class 2A Division I
With the first games of the 2020 football season now less than a month away, we here at Big Country Preps are working diligently to get ourselves and our readers prepared for the upcoming campaign.
As we charge toward the Aug. 14 release of our Big Country Preps Preseason Football Preview and the season’s first game on Aug. 27, we’ll be releasing the composite football schedules for each UIL district housing one or more of our 40 11-man teams.
After starting with Class 2A Division II on Tuesday, we move to 2A DI today, followed by 3A DII on Thursday, 3A DI on Friday, 4A DII on Saturday, 4A DI on Sunday and Classes 5A and 6A on Monday.
COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: Haskell Indians
Football is fast approaching, 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 Friday, Aug. 14. 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. 3, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2019 as part of our “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.
After featuring Forsan on Friday, we stay in District 3-2A Division I with the Haskell Indians. On Sunday, we will take a look at the Hawley Bearcats, followed by the Stamford Bulldogs on Monday.
BCP Podcast No. 99: Evan, Daniel discuss Dave Campbell’s Texas Football (Part 1)
Like most followers of Texas high school football, Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood are big fans of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine.
After receiving their copies on Monday, the duo used this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast to discuss the publication’s projections on the area’s Class 1A-3A teams. In Part 2 next week, Evan and Daniel will discuss Texas Football’s forecast for the Big Country’s Big Schools.
EVAN REN: We’re pushing ahead at Big Country Preps — getting the the ball rolling
“A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work.” — John Lubbock
My business partner, Daniel Youngblood, is the king of not worrying.
I’ve never seen anything like it.
If NASA were to announce that an asteroid impact was imminent in 15 minutes and that Abilene would be at ground zero, anything beyond a shrug of the shoulders from Youngblood would surprise me. Of course, I wouldn’t be there to see it. I’d be 25 miles down the road with the accelerator smashed to the floor, one hand on the steering wheel and a rabbit’s foot in the other.
The recent turmoil in the world has put both of our natures on display — him letting it all roll off his back and me, well … being me.
If fate allows it, a return to normalcy is the objective here and the sooner the better. As the designated worrier at Big Country Preps, I’ve been on pins and needles throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the massive social unrest created by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. And let’s just call it what it was — a murder.
That said, I’m currently doing my best to steal a page from the Youngblood stress-free handbook and turning my attention from our tumultuous, viral-plagued world to something I can understand: football. That means that heading into the summer months, we’ll be diving headlong into our previews for the upcoming season.
Continue reading “EVAN REN: We’re pushing ahead at Big Country Preps — getting the the ball rolling”
EVAN REN: We can all use some good news and football can provide some of it
In a world that has seemingly gone mad, I’ll take any dose of good news that I can find — even if it’s mundane.
The stock market inched up a half point? I’ll take it. We can go back to worrying about COVID-19? I’m all-in. The buildings in Abilene are still standing? That’s a check mark in the plus column.
So how do we get there?
How do we reestablish normality?
Aside from the obvious fact that we need to stop the ongoing mayhem that is plaguing our society, getting back to common things we all hold dear will set the foundation for healing. And I’m talking about the simplest of pleasures, from peaceful walks in the park, shopping in a mall, going to the movies or attending a sporting event.
In Texas, the latter cannot be overstated, especially when it comes to football.
Continue reading “EVAN REN: We can all use some good news and football can provide some of it”
EVAN REN: 10 things I’ll take away from the COVID-19 pandemic
I’ve always held to a personal axiom that perspective is everything. True or not, how we view a situation becomes the truth in our minds.
There’s no escaping it and every one of us has our own perspective.
Well, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown have changed my perspective in several ways on several different things. And for a middle-aged guy who is pretty well set in my ways, this is like the planets aligning.
I’ve managed to list my top 10 takeaways from lockdown, as they pertain to this website and what we’re trying to accomplish here.
Let’s dive in:
Continue reading “EVAN REN: 10 things I’ll take away from the COVID-19 pandemic”
EVAN REN: UIL announcement promising, but are we out of the woods just yet?
“Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.”
— Elbert Hubbard
In a Tweet released earlier today, the University Interscholastic League announced that it is actively working to allow schools to begin limited summer strength and conditioning and marching band activities on June 8.
The mere sight of this announcement had me on the verge of challenging my 55-year-old frame to do a cartwheel for which it is ill-prepared to attempt. Because frankly, Texas without high school pigskin is like Texas without oxygen.
The thought of its absence has been too bitter to contemplate. And in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve allowed myself to go down one rabbit hole after another — trying to discern information from disinformation, and political rhetoric from that which is concrete.
UIL is aware of Gov. Abbott’s May 18 announcement and is actively working with appropriate state officials to allow schools to begin limited summer strength & conditioning and marching band activities on June 8. Once finalized, details will be released to schools.
— Texas UIL (@uiltexas) May 19, 2020
Continue reading “EVAN REN: UIL announcement promising, but are we out of the woods just yet?”
EVAN REN: Virus may teach us some appreciation (for a while)
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”
— Voltaire
There’s a barbeque place near my home that I don’t like. In fact, I seldom go there — deliberately bypassing it whenever the BBQ craving hits me in favor of better choices.
But Friday, after two months of COVID-19 exile, I decided to make a quick run to bring home some brisket for the wife and I and elected to go to the very place I try to avoid because it was convenient.
Funny how one’s perspective can change while in isolation.
Abilene’s worst barbeque was suddenly good. In fact, it was beyond good. It was like freakin’ nirvana.
I suspect that’s the way it’s going to be with virtually everything I had taken for granted before the lockdown. And I’m already experiencing some of it.
Continue reading “EVAN REN: Virus may teach us some appreciation (for a while)”
BCP Podcast No. 92: Haskell AD Brian Hodnett brings positive outlook during uncertain time
When he arrived at Haskell before the 2017-18 school year, Brian Hodnett brought a positive, high-energy style that has served him well as the Indians’ football coach and athletic director.
On Tuesday, he brought those same qualities to a discussion with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood for the the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN: Haskell coach, son have final baseball season together cut short
The “What Might Have Been” feature series is Big Country Preps’ effort to celebrate area athletes who have seen their seasons affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The series will continue through June 15 or until the UIL rules that high school athletics statewide may resume. If you have a suggested story for the “What Might Have Been” series, please contact Big Country Preps at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
When Kevin Compton took the head baseball coach position in Haskell four years ago, it was for one specific purpose: to coach his son Koby through high school.
Kevin had been coaching in Waco before that, and moving to Haskell would give him an opportunity to get closer to his son both literally and figuratively.
So to see that experience — and his son’s senior season — cut short by the COVID-19 crisis has brought an extra wave of emotions for the father and son in addition to those felt as coach and player. And now that the 2020 season has officially been canceled by the University Interscholastic League, a decision that came down on Friday, both Kevin and Koby are having to come to grips with the fact that their time in matching uniforms is over.
PHOTO GALLERY: Evan Ren’s Top 100 basketball photos from 2019-20.
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.
BCP Podcast No. 89: Albany’s David Fairchild talks COVID-19 shutdown with Evan, Daniel
After leading his team to state tournament appearances in 2017 and 2019, Albany baseball coach David Fairchild may have had his best squad yet this season. But after starting 7-0, the second-ranked Lions had their season shut down by the COVID-19 outbreak.
On Tuesday, Fairchild joined Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood for the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast to talk about this year’s team, how he’s handling the COVID-19 shutdown and what he’s hoping will happen over the next couple of months.
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN: State title-contending Haskell 800 relay team can only hope for the best
The “What Might Have Been” feature series is Big Country Preps’ effort to celebrate area athletes who have seen their seasons affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The series will continue through June 15 or until the UIL rules that high school athletics statewide may resume. If you have a suggested story for the “What Might Have Been” series, please contact Big Country Preps at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
With a torrent of scary numbers being reported by the media and rumors running rampant on the internet, Haskell girls track coach Missy Burson is doing her best to keep a positive frame of mind during the COVID-19 lock down.
She would prefer to see her athletes do the same thing.
But with 379,965 confirmed cases and 11,851 dead in the United States as of this writing, the challenge of remaining upbeat grows on a daily basis. And nowhere in the Haskell girls track program is there a bigger potential loss than with its 800-meter relay team.
The Haskell quartet of sophomores Tyreonia Amos and Lanayah Green, along with seniors Kara Stout and Kobie Walker had returned after earning bronze at the state meet a year ago. They were considered a strong threat for a Class 2A state title in 2020 prior to the lockdown, and with good reason.
Evan Ren’s 2020 Gym Rat Team: The hardest workers in the Big Country
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 2019-20 season.
Players are listed in no particular order.
Enjoy.
All-Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Superlatives: Brewer, Medina, Lenard head of 2020 class
Here are our superlative award winners for the 2020 All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
2020 All-Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Team: First-Team Roster
Here are our first-team selections for the 2020 All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
2020 All-Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Team: Second-Team Roster
Here are our second-team selections for the 2020 All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
2020 All-Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Team: Third-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)
Here are our third-team selections for the 2020 All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Girls Basketball Superlatives: Galvin sisters, Gonzales take top spots
Here are our superlative award winners for the 2020 All-Big Country Preps girls basketball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
2020 All-Big Country Preps Girls Basketball Team: First-Team Roster
Here are our third-team selections for the 2020 All-Big Country Preps girls basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
2020 All Big Country Preps Girls Basketball Team: Second team starters and reserves
Here are our third-team selections for the 2020 All-Big Country Preps girls basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
2020 All-Big Country Preps Girls Basketball Team: Third-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)
Here are our third-team selections for the 2020 All-Big Country Preps girls basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
PHOTO GALLERY: Hamlin’s Rock Field Baseball Classic (145 photos)
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.
BCP Baseball Position Rankings: Utility Players
After recognizing the Big Country’s top pitchers, catchers, infielders and outfielders, we wrap up our baseball position rankings series with the area’s multi-position standouts.
For the final installment in our five-part series, we take a look at the top utility players, ranking our top-six with others to watch in 2020.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading through these lists and are as excited as we are that baseball season is underway.
FEATURE: Sophomore nucleus helps Haskell reach regional tournament
HASKELL — If the Haskell Maidens are to reach the Class 2A state tournament in San Antonio this season, they will do it with a sprinkling of experience and a heavy dose of young talent.
Only one senior, Landry Hanson (15. 1 points, 6.6 boards per game), is on the roster, while three sophomores — Delaney Hanson, Emma Roewe and Melody Martinez — collectively contribute a large block of the team’s production.
The Maidens (31-3) will take their youthful act on the road to Levelland Friday night, where they will meet Panhandle (30-5) in the Region I-2A semifinals at South Plains College at 6:30 p.m.
The winner will take on either Stamford (26-7) or Gruver (30-2) in the regional title game set for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday in Levelland.
BCP Baseball Position Rankings: Infielders
After ranking the top pitchers and catchers on the Big Country baseball scene the past two nights, we now turn our attention to the infield.
For the third installment in our five-part position rankings series, we list our top-10 infielders in the area with a list of others to watch in 2020.
We hope you enjoy reading through our rankings.
GAME STORY: Haskell overcomes 20-plus turnovers to eliminate Christoval, advance to regional
COLORADO CITY — When one pressure basketball team meets another, something chaotic can often emerge. And in the case of Haskell’s 60-46 win over Christoval, there was scarcely enough time for either side to think things through.
So frenetic was Tuesday’s Region I-2A quarterfinal, that the Maidens survived more than 20 turnovers and a huge mid-game rally by Christoval to win by double-digits.
Landry Hanson scored 25 points, including a 12-of-17 effort from the free-throw line and Delaney Hanson added 10 more to lead eighth-ranked Haskell (31-3) which now advances to face 10th-ranked Panhandle (30-5) in the regional semifinals.
Christoval was led by Allison Vaughn with 16 points and Kallie Montalvo with 10. The Lady Cougars closed their campaign at 23-11
BCP Baseball Position Rankings: Catchers
After opening our baseball position rankings series with the pitchers on Monday, it’s time to shift our attention to their battery mates.
For the second installment in our five-part series, we celebrate the Big Country’s top catchers, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch in 2020.
We hope you enjoy our list.
GAME STORY: Third-quarter surge sends Haskell past Forsan in bi-district
HERMLEIGH — The Haskell boys basketball team has thrived for years at home in the Tee Pee and closed out the venerable gymnasium last week with a win to head into the postseason on a high note.
Monday night, the Indians had to feel like they were right back in the Tee Pee as a boisterous crowd buoyed a 14-0 run to start the second half in a 60-43 win over Forsan in a Region I-2A bi-district game.
The advantage Haskell received on its home court this season was something coach Josh Webb saw pay dividends to open the postseason.
BCP Softball Position Rankings: Outfielders
After spending the first three days of our softball position rankings series in the dirt, we move the grass for Day 4.
For the penultimate installment of our five-part series, we take a look at the top outfielders in the Big Country, ranking our top 10 with others to watch in 2020.
We hope you enjoy our list.