Here are our first-team selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Category: Hawley Bearcats
2024 All-Big Country Preps Football Team: Second-Team Roster
Here are our second-team selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
2024 All-Big Country Preps Football Team: Third-Team Roster (w/honorable mention)
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.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS RISING STARS TEAM: The top football under classmen in the Big Country for 2024
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.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wall quarterback grabs the spotlight with huge performance
Only a year removed from running a ground-based flexbone option attack, the Wall Hawks have managed to put that approach in the distant past with a remarkable effort through the air in 2024.
And who would have thought that making that difficult transition could have happened so quickly?
Now, having committed to a full-blown spread attack under new coach Craig Slaughter, the Hawks have already accumulated nearly 3,000 passing yards, placing them near the top in that category among Big Country teams.
CLASS 2A AREA ROUND REPORT: Hawley falls to Sunray, but Cisco, Stamford, Albany reach regional semifinals
REGION I-2A Div. I
Sunray 49, Hawley 40 — Sunray (12-0) edged Hawley (10-2) for the right to face Post (12-0) in the regional semifinals.
Keagan Ables had a huge night in a losing effort for Hawley, hitting 23 of 40 passes for 444 yards and four TDs in his final game as a Bearcat.
His younger brother Camden was his top target, hauling in nine passes for 221 yards and one TD.
DISTRICT 4-2A DIV. I WEEK 11 REPORT: Cisco clinches playoff spot; Stamford clinches title
Cisco 48, Olney 6 — The Loboes (6-4, 2-3) locked up the No. 4 seed with a lopsided win over Olney.
Dillon Silva rushed for 183 yards and three scores and Parker Williams rushed for 121 yards and three more TDs to lead the Loboes, who carried a 21-0 lead into the break.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Stamford outlasts Hawley for district title
STAMFORD — The District 4-2A DI title was decided on Friday, in soggy, slippery conditions at Bill Anderson Stadium. That didn’t prevent Stamford and Hawley from producing a physical, entertaining matchup in the Big Country Preps Game of the Week, with the Bulldogs walking away with a 38-22 win.
Kaston Vega rushed for 177 yards and two scores and Christian Duran rushed for 86 yards, threw for 123 and accounted for three more TDs to lead Stamford (10-0 overall, 5-0 district), which held onto the lead after a 20-0 start.
Hawley fell to 9-1 and 4-1, led by Keagan Ables, who threw for 346 yards and two scores.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Stamford, Hawley clash in rematch of last season’s thriller
LAST WEEK: 45-8, .849
SEASON TOTAL: 464-122, .791
The regular season ends Friday night (if you can believe it) and there’s no better way to close things up than with No. 5 Class 2A DI Hawley (9-0, 4-0) at No. 1 Stamford (9-0, 4-0).
The winner will earn the District 4 championship and No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs, so much is at stake.
I’m leaning toward Stamford here for three reasons: First, the overall team speed of SHS is unmatched by anyone in the area.
Secondly, the Bulldogs have an intangible working here — specifically a last-second miracle touchdown scored by Hawley’s
Camden Ables from 45 yards out with 0:47 left in last year’s game.
PHOTO GALLERY: Bangs-Hawley volleyball (54 images)
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Bangs-Hawley volleyball (54 images)”
GAME STORY: Hawley tested by Bangs before prevailing in five sets
TUSCOLA — It wasn’t easy or pretty for the Hawley volleyball team on Tuesday night at Bill Thornton Arena in the Lady Bearcats’ Region I-2A Division I matchup with Bangs in the bi-district round of the postseason.
The Lady Cats took the first two sets (25-17, 25-15) before Bangs stormed back, taking the next two (25-21, 25-23) to set up a winner-take-all race to 15.
Hawley jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the final set before closing out the match with a 15-8 win to advance to the area round to face the winner of the Nocona-Seymour match.
DISTRICT 4-2A DIV. I WEEK 10 REPORT: Anson, Stamford, Hawley all dominate
Anson 59, Cisco 14 — 
Corey Layne threw for 249 yards and five scores and rushed for 86 yards and two more scores to lead Anson to a huge win over Cisco.
The Tigers (6-3, 2-2) raced out to a 38-0 lead by halftime and never looked back, outgaining Cisco 493-186 to lock up the No. 3 seed.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tolar’s Abbie Soileau takes the top spot with record-setting week
Photos provided by Melissa Carroll and Kelly Moody
There’s a great deal of excitement brewing around the Tolar volleyball team heading into postseason play and with good reason. If the Lady Rattlers (28-9, 12-1 District 8-3A) manage to knock off Comanche on Tuesday, they will set a school record for wins in a season.
Secondly, senior setter Abbie Soileau is dishing assists like they were going out of style — including the 47 she tallied last week in wins over No. 25 Peaster and Early. That lifted her season total to a Tolar school record 1,032 assists on the year and more 1,700 for her career.
DISTRICT 4-2A DIV. I WEEK 9 REPORT: Anson, Stamford and Hawley earn wins in Week 9
Anson 45, Olney 0 — 
Cory Layne Jr. threw for 284 yards and four scores to lead the Tigers to a lopsided win over the Cubs.
Six different Anson players caught passes on Friday, including three players — Mario Barrera, Malachi St. John and Branson Rister — who caught five apiece.
Anson improved to 5-3 and 1-2 with the win; Olney fell to 2-6 and 1-2.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Hawley dominates Cisco in BCP’s spotlight game
CISCO — A dominating Hawley defensive effort, a sprinkling of Cisco mistakes and one key injury was enough to turn the Big Country Preps Game of the Week into a rout on Friday as the Bearcats handed CHS a 41-0 loss at Chesley Field.
Keagan Ables threw for 185 yards and Coeyn Lovelady rushed for 142 to lead Hawley (8-0, 3-0 District 4-2A DI), which took the lead on its opening possession and never looked back.
Cisco (5-3, 1-2), which was limited to just 215 yards in total offense, was led by Dillon Silva and Parker Williams, with 71 and 61 rushing yards respectively. Quarterback Julius Proffitt, who finished with 18 passing yards, was lost to a knee injury early in the second quarter with Cisco trailing 8-0. The Loboes didn’t complete a pass following his departure.
“We came out and executed our game plan,” Hawley coach Mitch Ables said. “The best thing for us was coming out of a physical game like this without having a bunch of injuries. That’s always a plus, but I’m super proud of our kids.”
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Loboes play host to Hawley in Big Country Preps Game of the Week
LAST WEEK: 41-10 .803
SEASON TOTAL: 367-108, .772
Football season doesn’t feel complete without at least one visit to Chesley Field in Cisco. And Friday night, the Big Country Preps Game of the Week will stop by for a crucial District 4-2A DI matchup between the Loboes (5-2, 1-1) and Hawley (7-0, 2-0).
For Hawley, a win here will keep open the possibility of an unbeaten regular season. For Cisco, a victory would signal the beginning of a climb back into area prominence.
Big Country Volleyball Statistical Leaders (as submitted by area coaches through Oct. 22)
Big Country Preps is publishing area volleyball statistical leaders each Tuesday at 7 p.m. roughout the regular season.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
DISTRICT 4-2A DIV. I WEEK 8 REPORT: Stamford, Hawley, Cisco tally wins in Week 8
Stamford 43, Anson 0 — Christian Duran threw for 201 yards and two scores and Kason Vega rushed for 114 yards an another score to keep top-ranked Stamford (7-0, 2-0) unbeaten.
The Bulldogs led 21-0 at the break and 36-0 after three quarters.
Limited to only 127 total yards, Anson (4-3, 0-2) was led by Corey Lane with a combined 66 yards rushing and passing.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Comanche’s Terrell takes this week’s award
It isn’t often that a place-kicker nails down our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, but Comanche’s Alex Terrell has done exactly that with a pressure-packed performance in a 13-10 overtime win over Jim Ned in our Game of the Week last Friday.
Aside from hitting a game-tying 30-yard field goal to send the contest into overtime, Terrell connected on a 31-yard field goal in the extra period to give CHS the win.
DISTRICT 4-2A DIV. I WEEK 7 REPORT: Stamford, Hawley, Olney open district play with wins
Stamford 41, Cisco 14 — Kaston Vega rushed for 83 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead Stamford to a win over Cisco in the district opener for both clubs.
Defensively, the Bulldogs limited Cisco to 215 yards in total offense. Julius Proffitt led Cisco with 140 yards passing and two scores.
Stamford improved to 6-0 and 1-0; Cisco fell to 4-2 and 0-1.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Comanche plays host to Jim Ned (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 32-12, .809
SEASON TOTAL: 279-91, .757
Now it’s time to get down to business.
With most of the Big Country taking an open date last Friday as a prelude to district play, we now dive headfirst into the games that count the most.
District play opens tomorrow for most leagues in the area, the intensity of which is already tangible.
Can you feel it?
We’ll see you on the road.
Here’s this week’s area picks:
DISTRICT 4-2A DIV. I WEEK 6 REPORT: Olney falls as the rest of the district takes the night off
Crosbyton 22, Olney 8 — The Cubs’ struggles continued on Friday with their fourth loss in five starts.
They may have a chance to gain some momentum on Friday when they open district play with Abilene TLCA (0-5) at home.
Crosbyton improved to 2-3.
GAME STORY: Hawley claims hard-fought win over Albany in straight sets
HAWLEY — For most of Tuesday’s match, the Hawley and Albany volleyball teams were locked in a slugfest that featured both teams’ service and receiving games executing exactly how they wanted to.
The District 6-2A rivals combined for just 15 aces in the match, which saw the Lady Bearcats sweep the Lady Lions 25-21, 25-21, 25-19 at Bearcat Gymnasium.
It was such a close match, Hawley coach Amy Eckoff and M.J. Reneau, her counterpart at Albany, both had nothing but praise for how their team handled the match between the two frontrunners for the district championship.
Big Country Volleyball Statistical Leaders (as submitted by area coaches through Oct. 1)
Big Country Preps is publishing area volleyball statistical leaders each Tuesday at 7 p.m. roughout the regular season.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
BIG COUNTRY PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Graham volleyballer takes Player of the Week with a Noble effort
Overwhelming. If there were a one-word description for last week’s performance by six-foot Graham senior Lillian Noble, that would be it.
Noble, a four-year varsity player who has already committed to Oklahoma Baptist, was far and away the most dominant player in both a 3-1 win over Wichita Falls Memorial and a 3-1 loss to Glen Rose last week.
Her combined totals: 54 kills, 23 digs and 12 blocks — making her the most effective two-way player the area saw on both sides of the net last week.
“Lillian has become a true utility player for us this season,” coach Marci Faulk said. “It’s exciting to see her embrace this new role and have so much success doing so!”
DISTRICT 4-2A DIV. I WEEK 5 REPORT: Cisco, Hawley, Stamford continue to collect wins
Stamford 55, Henrietta 14 — Christian Duran rushed for 77 yards and three scores and threw for 96 yards and another TD to keep Stamford (5-0) unbeaten at the season’s midpoint.
Other key contributors included Kaston Vega, who rushed for 194 yards and two scores and Cle Whitfield (94 yards rushing, two TDs) as SHS built a 41-7 halftime lead before putting things into cruise control.
Limited to only 197 total yards, Henrietta fell to 2-3.
BIG COUNTRY PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Ables takes the top spot after big win over De Leon
Hawley’s Keagan Ables is no stranger to the Big Country Preps Player of the Week column — appearing among our top performers multiple times over the last three years.
However, his latest effort to help HHS defeat De Leon 54-21 on Friday, may rank as one of his best.
The Hawley senior connected on 16 of 32 passes for 441 yards and six touchdowns to help Hawley improve to 4-0 on the year.
DISTRICT 4-2A DIV. I WEEK 4 REPORT: Anson off to best start in 11 years; Cisco, Hawley, Stamford notch wins
Anson 51, Haskell 13 — The Tigers used a dominating defensive effort to hand Haskell a loss.
Limited to only 238 yards in total offense, indians were down 31-7 by the break and never made a game of it.
Corey Layne topped the stat sheets for Anson with 228 yards passing and 160 yards rushing while accounting for five TDs.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Rattlers play host to Comanche
LAST WEEK: 47-11, .810
SEASON TOTAL: 141-59, .705
After nosediving in Week 2 with one of the worst pick records I’ve ever had, the column rebounded in Week 3 with an .810 percentage to push my overall tally over .700 again.
As for this week’s Big Country Preps Game of the Week, Mr. Yale Youngblood will be on hand in Tolar to cover Comanche’s road game with the Rattlers in what should be a fun one.
I’ll be heading to Ballinger, where the Bearcats (3-0) will play host to Brady (2-1) in a battle of upstarts.
Let’s dive into this week’s picks:
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Anson’s Layne earns this week’s accolade
Versatility is a definite advantage for nominees in our Big Country Preps Player of the Week column. And for Anson senior quarterback Corey Layne it was enough to put him in this week’s top spot.
Leading the Tigers (3-0) to a 49-28 over Dublin, Layne connected on 18 of 27 throws for 284 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed eight times for 65 more yards and two additional scores.
Layne was equally effective from his linebacker spot, collecting 10 tackles and one interception.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Glen Rose visits Brownwood (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 46-28, .621
SEASON TOTAL: 94-48, .661
Abysmal.
That’s about the only adjective that comes to mind when trying to describe my Big Country football picks, which are off to the single worst start through two weeks that I’ve ever experienced in 18 years of covering area football.
A percentage of .621 after two weeks of play is beatable by throwing darts, flipping coins, or even consulting with your local horoscope page. Yet here I sit, trying to dig myself out of the hole I’ve created. But enough of that, Glen Rose at Brownwood is our Big Country Preps Game of the Week, in a week filled with interesting matchups.
Let’s have a look at them:
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Abilene High’s Henry takes the top spot
Sometimes, the biggest stage creates the biggest performances.
And in the Big Country, the stage doesn’t get any bigger than the annual Abilene – Abilene Cooper matchup — one of the biggest rivalries in the state of Texas and arguably the biggest in our area (though you may get an argument from Brownwood-Stephenville).
Friday night with much of the city of Abilene paying attention, AHS quarterback Brayden Henry had a memorable night, hitting 15 of 19 throws for 216 yards passing and two TDs.
DISTRICT 7-2A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Cross Plains, Hamlin, Miles all score big wins
Cross Plains 64, Abilene TLCA 8 — Cross Plains rolled up 495 total yards, including 304 yards rushing to push its record to 2-0
Kade Purvis topped the stat sheet with 191 yard passing and three scores to go with 42 yards rushing and two more TDs. Tyler Mackey was the leading rushing with 111 yards and two scores.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jobe takes first Player of the Week for 2024-25 school year
DE LEON — Entering this football it was expected that De Leon junior quarterback Heston Jobe would be among the top producers in the Big Country.
It took him all of one night to prove it in a 79-43 win over Dublin on Friday.
Jobe, who connected on 13 of 20 throws for 413 yards and four scores, also rushed for 176 yards and four more TDs.
By night’s end, the Bearcats were 1-0 and Jobe had accounted for 589 yards and five touchdowns.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Albany travels to Stamford in Game of the Week
LAST WEEK: 0-0, .000
SEASON TOTAL: 00-00, .000
Week 1 is often loaded with difficult picks and 2024 is no exception.
Our first slate of games this year has a number of contests that could have qualified for the Big Country Preps Game of the Week. But we finally settled on Albany at Stamford for the spotlight.
The two-time defending state 2A DII state champions, minus several key players lost to graduation, facing a Stamford club bringing back most of its skill and a ton of speed.
2024 HAWLEY FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Young Bearcats relying on rebuilt O-line, green secondary to keep run of success going
HAWLEY — The word “rebuild” hasn’t been applied much to Hawley over the past decade and with good reason. Through 10 seasons, coach Mitch Ables has posted a 108-25 record (.812) with seven district championships, including a current streak of six straight.
Ables has posted all seven 10-win seasons in Hawley history (including a current streak of six straight) and has never failed to lead the Bearcats into postseason play.
Now you’re beginning to see why “rebuild” has all but left the Hawley lexicon.
HAWLEY FEATURE: Tate Scott recovers from knee injury in time to begin senior season
HAWLEY — In the Region I-2A DI title game with Stratford last December, Hawley’s Tate “Cowboy” Scott was charging downfield on punt coverage when he landed awkwardly, tearing the ACL in his right knee — a diagnosis that threatened the remainder of his football career.
“It was right after halftime on our second drive,” recalled Scott. “I went over a kid to try to tackle someone and I just heard a bunch of pops and that was that.”
Surgery followed in January, after which he was told that he faced approximately six to eight months of rehab before being able to play again — slim timing for him to get the work done and suit up for Hawley’s season opener at Roscoe on Aug. 30.
There were no guarantees, in fact, his doctors were reluctant to release him on time — a decision they eventually reversed. And as it stands right now, “Cowboy” has been suiting up for preseason scrimmages and is expected to start for the Bearcats at Roscoe.
COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Hawley Bearcats … 31 days to two a days
Football is just around the corner, 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 Wednesday, Aug. 21. 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. 5, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2024 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.
Today, we stay in Class 2A Division I with the Hawley Bearcats.
Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Hawley Bearcats … 31 days to two a days”
Evan Ren’s 2024 Big Country Preps All-Hustle Team (the hardest-working baseball and softball players in the area)
OTHER 2024 ALL-BIG COUNTRY PREPS TEAMS
- ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS BASEBALL Superlative Awards (Pitcher of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, etc)
- ALL-BIG COUNTRY PREPS BASEBALL: First-Team Selections
- ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS BASEBALL: Second-Team Selections (plus honorable mention)
- ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS BASEBALL: Rising Stars Team
- ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS SOFTBALL: Superlative Awards (Pitcher of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, etc)
- ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS SOFTBALL: First-Team Selections
- ALL BIG COUNTRY PREPS SOFTBALL: Second-Team Selections (plus honorable mention)
Our All-Big Country Preps Softball and Baseball Teams, released Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, are in place to honor those who achieved the most on-field success in 2024. 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 the Big Country had to offer during the 2024 season.
The players below are listed in no particular order.
GAME STORY: Collinsville shuts out Hawley to end Bearcats’ dream run in 2A state championship game
ROUND ROCK — It took more than a month and 12 playoff games, but the surprising Hawley baseball team finally met its match Thursday at Dell Diamond.
Top-ranked Collinsville scored in every inning but one and got a stellar start from Logan Jenkins to down HHS 9-0, ending the Bearcats’ best season in program history one win shy of the Class 2A state championship.
The loss snapped a 13-game winning streak for coach Jamie Seago’s team, including an 11-game surge in the postseason that saw the Bearcats outscore six playoff opponents by a combined 82-25 margin.
GAME STORY: Hawley edges Flatonia in eight innings to earn date with top-ranked Collinsville
AUSTIN — The Hawley baseball team needed eight innings and contributions from almost every player in its lineup to extend its deepest playoff run in program history Wednesday at the University of Texas’ Disch-Falk Field.
But the Bearcats’ Class 2A state semifinal matchup with Flatonia ended the same way each of their first 10 postseason games did — with a check in the ‘W’ column.
After watching FHS rally from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh, coach Jamie Seago’s squad scratched across a run in the eighth and held on from there for a dramatic 4-3 victory, ending a hectic day that saw a morning storm in Round Rock force a venue change to the state’s capital.
GAME REPORT: Fast start fuels Hawley past New Home in Game 2, on to first state tournament
SEMINOLE — The Hawley baseball team is headed to the state tournament for the first time ever after blasting New Home 8-2 in Game 2 of its Region I-2A finals series on Friday to secure a series sweep over the two-time defending region champion Leopards at Robert Ryan Baseball Field.
Facing New Home ace Logan Addison, the Bearcats came out of the gates firing, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first to chase the Texas Tech-bound right-hander after just one-third of an inning.
That cushion was all starter Creed Ernst needed as he delivered five strong innings before handing an 8-2 lead over to relievers Gavin Olney and Alek Southerland, who closed out the win with a clean sixth and seventh.
GAME STORY: Balch tosses complete-game one-hitter to pitch Hawley past New Home in Game 1
SEMINOLE — Hawley left-hander Westyn Balch continued his postseason brilliance on Thursday, delivering his third complete game shutout in five playoff starts to pitch the Bearcats to a 2-0 win over New Home in the weather-delayed opener of the Region I-2A finals series at Robert Ryan Baseball Field.
Balch, who lowered his playoff ERA to 1.06 with the win, allowed just one seventh-inning hit to outduel New Home starter Ashton Lucio in a game that was delayed 3½ hours by a severe thunderstorm that produced baseball-size hail in nearby Denver City.
Taking advantage of a two-run rally in the top of the seventh sparked by teammate Alek Southerland’s one-out double to the left-center field gap, Hawley’s senior ace pitched around a leadoff single and a one-out walk in the home half of that inning to close the complete game gem with his 11th strikeout on his 113th pitch of the night. It came around 12:30 a.m., capping a tidy pitcher’s duel that took just two hours to complete.
BASEBALL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP: Four area teams still alive in hunt for state title
Here are the Big Country baseball playoff roundups for this week. Continue reading “BASEBALL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP: Four area teams still alive in hunt for state title”
PHOTO GALLERY: Hawley 7-on-7 state qualifying tournament (29 images)
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Hawley 7-on-7 state qualifying tournament (29 images)”
GAME STORY: Late rally lifts Hawley over Albany 6-5 as Bearcats complete series sweep
ABILENE — It took seven tense innings and three lead changes, but the Hawley Bearcats emerged as the victor from their Region I-2A quarterfinal series with area rival Albany — capped by a 6-5 win at Walt Drigger’s Field on Saturday.
Westyn Balch was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and Gavin Olney delivered 1.2 innings on the hill to pick up the win in relief as Hawley took the best-of-three series, 2-0.
The Bearcats (21-9) faced two deficits — 1-0 in the early innings and 5-4 after six full — yet managed to overcome both.
They now advance to face Ropes in the Region I-2A semifinals next week. Albany finished another successful campaign at 19-4.
GAME STORY: Balch’s complete-game shutout helps Hawley strike first blow in series with rival Albany
ABILENE — Fresh off one of the most dominant pitching performances in Big Country baseball history, Hawley ace Westyn Balch delivered another gem Friday, tossing a complete-game one-hitter to fuel the Bearcats to a 4-0 win over district rival Albany in the opener of a best-of-three Region I-2A quarterfinal series at McMurry’s Walt Driggers Field.
The senior left-hander took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, before allowing an infield single to shortstop Drew Siller. That would be the only hit allowed by Balch, who struck out 10 to pitch around an error and a pair of walks.
The victory puts the Bearcats one win away from a trip to region semifinals when the series resumes at noon Saturday at the same site.