Category: Local football

by Brandon McAuliffe

UPDATED: Abilene ISD promotes Roan to assistant athletic director

Abilene ISD has named Cooper football coach Aaron Roan as the district’s new assistant athletic director as he will replace the retiring Lou Mora as Jim Garfield’s right-hand man.

Roan has spent the past eight seasons leading the Cougars program, compiling a 52-40 record in making the playoffs each season. His deepest playoff run came in 2019, when he led the Cougars to the third round of the playoffs. Cooper won six playoff games under Roan.

Roan said he’s excited about the challenge that lays ahead and that a move to athletics administration has been something that he’s considered for some time.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

SIGNING DAY: Eight local athletes make college decisions official at ceremonies throughout Abilene

A busy week across the Big Country that began Monday with the University Interscholastic League’s biennial realignment continued Wednesday with National Signing Day ceremonies at all three local high schools.

Abilene High and Cooper each had three football players put pen to paper, joining a fourth at each school who had already made his commitment official. And Wylie, meanwhile, had a pair of athletes sign to compete collegiately — one in football and another in soccer.

In all, eight local boys signed at their respective Signing Day ceremonies, earning celebration from family, friends and their high school coaches. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

SIGNING DAY: Gordon seniors headline area signees for 2025-26

Of all the Big Country area collegiate signees in the 2025-26 school year, what would the odds be for two of them to be from a tiny school from the six-man ranks? And what would the odds be that both would sign to participate in two sports?

What are the odds that they would have the same last name yet be of no relation? And what would the odds be that both would play in the prestigeous Military Appreciation Bowl in Frisco on Dec. 21 (featuring several of the top players in the country)?

Would the planets have to be aligned for both of them to be among the top academic athletes in the Big Country? Or for them both to sign with separate military academies to participate as two-sport athletes at the DI level? 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

UIL REALIGNMENT: Local football coaches share stress-free day as districts remain largely unchanged

While area coaches and athletic directors were left scrambling to adjust to the unexpected new districts they were placed in on Monday during the University Interscholastic League’s biennial realignment, the leaders of Abilene’s three largest football programs shared a stress-free day in the Metroplex at the Birdville ISD Fine Arts/Athletic Complex.

Abilene High, Cooper and Wylie saw minimal changes to their football district alignments when those were made public at 9 a.m., as the Eagles remained in District 2-5A Division I with Amarillo High, Amarillo Caprock, Amarillo Tascosa, Frenship Memorial, Lubbock High, Lubbock Monterey and Wolfforth Frenship and the Cougars and Bulldogs stayed in District 2-5A DII with Amarillo Palo Duro, Lubbock Cooper, Lubbock Coronado, Wichita Falls Legacy and Wichita Falls Memorial.

Adding to the largely mundane nature of Monday’s proceedings, the three schools also remained in a five-team District 4-5A for their other sports, staying with the two Wichita Falls schools in an unchanged league.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

UIL REALIGNMENT: Area football landscape experiences major changes in biennial district reshuffling

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.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

2025 BIG COUNTRY PREPS RISING STARS TEAM: The top underclassmen in the Big Country

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.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

SIGNING DAY: Cooper’s Davis, Brock’s Matlock are poised to help turn around UTEP football program

For the second year in a row, the University of Texas-El Paso football coach Scotty Walden found a member of his recruiting class in Abilene as the Miners signed Cooper defensive lineman Dycin Davis to a Letter of Intent on Wednesday morning.

Davis’ addition came one year after the Miners signed former Abilene High wide receiver Ryland Bradford.

Along with Davis, UTEP’s class on the first day that high school seniors could sign also included Brock’s Colt Matlock, who the program advertised as a defensive signee. UTEP signed a total of 25 players on Wednesday with 23 Texas high school players being joined by two additions from the transfer portal.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Rough start, mistakes doom Cooper’s upset hopes in 77-35 area-round loss to Argyle

GODLEY — Heading into its Region I-5A Division II area-round matchup with state-ranked Argyle, the Cooper football team knew its margin for error would be narrow if it hoped to advance past the Eagles and into the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2019. 

So when the Cougars found themselves down 14-0 just 32 seconds in, it became clear pretty quickly that they might be in for a long night.

That disastrous start set the course for a 77-35 loss at Wildcat Stadium, ending Cooper’s best season in five years at 7-5. And though neither the process nor the outcome matched that which he and his players were hoping for Friday night, coach Aaron Roan left the stadium proud of how his team continued to fight no matter how deep the hole got — a hallmark of a 2025 squad that handled adversity and itself well all season.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Denton Ryan dominates Abilene High in shutout win to end Eagles’ season at 9-3

FORT WORTH — Friday night’s Region I-5A Division I area round showdown between No. 10 Abilene High and No. 4 Denton Ryan at Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium started badly for the Eagles and quickly went downhill from there as the Raiders rolled to a 59-0 win.

Quin Henigan threw for 319 yards and six touchdowns as Ryan put up 453 yards of offense, avenging a 31-21 loss in the same round of the 2023 playoffs.

Abilene High coach Mike Fullen fully shouldered the blame for the loss as AHS had just 246 yards of offense and turned the ball over four times.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 13)

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 our weekly fan polls for each matchup.

For those interested in voting, polls go up on Sunday night each week and close Thursday evening.

Disagree with our picks or the fan poll consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PLAYOFF FORECAST: A quick thanks to those to who reached out

LAST WEEK: 28-3, .903
SEASON TOTAL: 500-104, .828

Before I get going this week, I’d like to thank those of you who have sent me all of the well-wishes over the past month, which has seen my wife and I suffering through two deaths in our families and me going through two separate stays in the hospital with a minor surgery thrown in for good measure. 

It’s been a bear, but it’s good to be back again and we appreciate all of your kindness. 

Here’s this week’s playoff forecast: 

TOP MATCHUPS

CISCO (10-1) VS. PANHANDLE (9-2)

I seldom pick upsets when the spread is more than 20 points, but the 23-point number in this game comes with a unique intangible. 

The Loboes are 4-0 in games decided by two scores or less while Panhandle, which has destroyed nearly everything in its path this year, is 0-2 in the only close games it has experienced (Dalhart and Stinnett West Texas). 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

SIX-MAN REWIND: Bi-district round yields lopsided results across Big Country Preps coverage area

The first week of the playoffs is in the books, and that’s a good thing for those who enjoy competitive games.

The area’s bi-district round was marked by excellent performances — both team and individual — but it largely rendered lopsided results, as all but three games involving Big Country Preps squads ended by mercy rule.

It’s time now to take a look at the teams that are still standing and the individual performances that have them in that position in this week’s “Big Country Rewind.” We hope you enjoy this look back at Week 12.

Continue reading “SIX-MAN REWIND: Bi-district round yields lopsided results across Big Country Preps coverage area” →

by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Abilene High’s Henry takes award after record-setting performance

You have to love a great all-around performance and in the case of Brayden Henry, our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, his effort in last week’s 84-25 bi-district win over El Paso Bel Air was a record-setter.

Aside from going 6 of 7 through the air or 56 yards and one TD, he also rushed five times for 137 yards and three more scores.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Cooper rallies from three-score halftime deficit to beat El Paso Chapin in 42-35 thriller

Trailing 24-7 at halftime and struggling to contain El Paso Chapin quarterback Daveon Singleton, the Cooper football team found itself in a deep hole Friday in its Region I-5A Division II bi-district game at Shotwell Stadium.

But it wasn’t deep enough to bury a Cougars team that has stood tall in the face of adversity all season long.

Using a big special teams to play to turn the momentum on the opening kickoff of the second half, Cooper outscored the Huskies 35-11 over the final two quarters to rally for a dramatic 42-35 win, advancing to the area round of the playoffs to take on fifth-ranked Argyle next week.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Playoffs open with strong slate of area matchups

We’ve reached Week 12 and with it comes the start of the high school football playoffs. While a handful of area teams kicked off their postseason runs on Thursday, most of the Big Country’s most competitive matchups are still to come.

As we did in the regular season, we’ll continue to preview each week’s top matchups through the playoffs here in our “Big Country Lookahead” column. 

We’ve got plenty to talk about, so let’s go ahead and dive in. And be sure to check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page for results as these games go final.

Continue reading “SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Playoffs open with strong slate of area matchups” →

by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Henry sets career touchdowns record as Eagles cruise past El Paso Bel Air in bi-district romp

The Abilene High football team kicked off its playoff run in dominant fashion Thursday, scoring early and often in an 84-25 bi-district win over El Paso Bel Air at Shotwell Stadium.

Do-it-all senior Brayden Henry led the way, accounting for six total touchdowns — three rushing, one punt return, one passing and one receiving — to pass Abram Smith for the school record in career touchdowns responsible for. But it was complete team effort for the Eagles, as eight players had a hand in at least one touchdown, and virtually everyone on the roster got a chance to play and contribute.

With the victory, AHS’ seventh in a row, coach Mike Fullen’s squad earned a Region I-5A Division I area-round matchup next week with fourth-ranked Denton Ryan, which routed Fort Worth Chisholm Trail 59-7 in its first-round game on Thursday.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 12)

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 our weekly fan polls for each matchup.

For those interested in voting, polls go up on Sunday night each week and close Thursday evening.

Disagree with our picks or the fan poll consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

SIGNING DAY: Wylie trio, Abilene High pair make their college decisions official at local ceremonies

Five local athletes put pen to paper at local Signing Day ceremonies on Wednesday, making their college decisions official in front of friends, family and the coaches who helped make their special day possible.

At Wylie, baseball players Colby Garrett and Hudson Tuley signed with Ranger College and McLennan Community College, respectively, while softball player Olivia Volz signed to continue her athletic and academic career at Cisco College.

And over at Abilene High, softball pitcher Avah Reyes gave her signature to Odessa College, while soccer player Rheauna De La Garza signed to play at Seminole State College in Seminole, Okla.

Continue reading “SIGNING DAY: Wylie trio, Abilene High pair make their college decisions official at local ceremonies” →

by Daniel Youngblood

SIX-MAN REWIND: Final week of regular season delivers thrilling results in slate’s top, most important matchups

Week 11 is in the books and the regular season is officially over. But some of the season’s best six-man drama was saved for last, as we have a number of thrilling games to talk about.

Chief among those was our “Big Country Lookahead” Game of the Week, which saw Hermleigh edge Westbrook in District 7-1A Division I action. But that was one of several thrillers that took place in the area.

Without further ado, let’s dive into all of last week’s action in this week’s “Big Country Rewind” column. And make sure you check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page when you’ve finished reading for more information on your favorite team(s).

Continue reading “SIX-MAN REWIND: Final week of regular season delivers thrilling results in slate’s top, most important matchups” →

by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wylie RB Laine takes honor with monster game in high school finale

Coming off a breakout junior season that ended prematurely due to a torn ACL late in district play, Wylie running back Julius wasn’t having the type of senior season he had hoped to going into Friday’s Senior Night game against Plainview.

Running behind a young and often banged-up offensive line, Laine entered that matchup with 668 yards on 135 carries on the year, including a combined 139 yards on the ground in three consecutive losses leading up to the Plainview game.

On Friday, though, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound bruiser finally broke loose and found some open field — a lot of open field — in closing out his high school career with a memorable night worthy of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week honor. By the game’s end, Laine had run for a career-high 300 yards and five touchdowns, including scoring runs of 35, 39 and 49 yards, to lead the Bulldogs to a wild 70-52 victory.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 11 REPORT: Amarillo High sneaks into playoffs after forfeiting six wins; Monterey, LHS earn wins

Photo by Roy Wheeler, PressPassSports.com

Amarillo High 63, Amarillo Tascosa 21 — After having all but one of its wins wiped out for the use of an ineligible player, the Sandies entered Friday needing a win over the Rebels and some help after to earn a spot in the playoffs. Amarillo High got both, routing Tascosa and then winning a three-way coin toss over Amarillo Caprock and Lubbock High for the district’s fourth-playoff spot.

The Sandies (2-8, 2-4) put up 551 yards of offense in the win, getting 368 yards and seven touchdowns passing from Jett Lopez and a huge game running and catching the ball from Jude Dunavin (13-174, 2 TDs rushing; 5-119, 1 TD receiving). Austin Sluder (8-184, 5 TDs) also had a big game catching the ball for AHS.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 11 REPORT: Wylie routs Plainview to close season, Palo Duro takes top spot over Cooper

Wylie 70, Plainview 52 — Julius Laine ran for 300 yards and five touchdowns as WHS scored on 10 of its 11 possessions in a shootout win over Plainview.

Coach Clay Martin’s Bulldogs (5-5, 3-3), who finished with 615 yards of total offense, forced three consecutive turnovers to start the second half to turn a 31-28 halftime deficit into a 56-31 lead by the start of the fourth quarter. In addition to Laine’s big game, Wylie got big games from quarterback Jadin Karleskint (11-15-0—139, 3 TDs passing; 9-99, 1 TD rushing) and receiver Dylan Regala (5-76, 2 TDs; 1 interception defensively).

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Laine’s career night, opportunistic defense fuel Wylie to wild Senior Night win over Plainview

Entering their District 2-5A Division I finale needing a win over Plainview and some help from last-place Wichita Falls Legacy, the Wylie Bulldogs went into Friday knowing their odds of reaching the playoffs for a fourth straight year were slim.

But coach Clay Martin and his squad were determined to make sure they handled their half of the equation anyway.

Controlling the only the outcome they could control, the homestanding Bulldogs outlasted their visiting counterparts for a wild 70-52 Senior Night win, giving those in purple something to celebrate on a bittersweet night at Hugh Sandifer Stadium. And while it wasn’t enough to earn his team an 11th game due to Wichita Falls Memorial’s 63-20 win over Legacy, Martin said the effort was certainly one to be proud of.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Mistakes doom Cooper in 52-28 road loss to Amarillo Palo Duro

Photos by Joe Garcia, PressPassSports.com

AMARILLO — Visiting Dick Bivins Stadium on Thursday with a chance to lock up a share of the District 2-5A Division II championship and clinch the league’s top playoff spot, the Cooper football team saw five turnovers doom those hopes in a 52-28 loss to Amarillo Palo Duro.

The Cougars outgained the Dons 443-319, but a trio of lost of fumbles and a pair of interceptions proved too much to overcome against a Palo Duro squad that has won nine straight games since dropping its opener to Amarillo Tascosa.

Aided by Cooper’s miscues, the Dons built a 21-0 lead by the 10:32 mark of the second quarter. And after the Cougars rallied back to pull within seven at halftime and again in the third quarter, Palo Duro responded with 24 unanswered points to put the game away and lock up its first outright district title since 2001.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Winner-take-all clash between Hermleigh, Westbrook headlines strong Week 11 slate

We’ve reached the final week of the regular season, and there are still district races and playoff spots to be decided.

That means we’ll see a number of games this week with postseason urgency, including our headlining matchup from District 7-1A Division I between Hermleigh and Westbrook.  

As we do this time every week, it’s time to take a peak at all of this week’s biggest and most meaningful matchups in our “Six-Man Lookahead” column. We hope you enjoy this preview of Week 11 action and encourage you to check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page for more information on your favorite team(s).

Continue reading “SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Winner-take-all clash between Hermleigh, Westbrook headlines strong Week 11 slate” →

by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 11)

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 our weekly fan polls for each matchup.

For those interested in voting, polls go up on Sunday night each week and close Thursday evening.

Disagree with our picks or the fan poll consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Stamford, Hawley clash with No. 2 seed at stake

LAST WEEK: 48-4, .923
SEASON TOTAL: 472-101, .823

STAMFORD (6-3, 3-1) AT HAWLEY (6-3, 3-1)

With the No. 2 seed in District 2-2A Division I, it’s only fitting that our Big Country Preps Game of the Week has multiple commonalities. 

 Both Stamford and Hawley enter this week with identical records. Both have won four of their last five games, both fell 21-7 to Albany in non-district play, and both fell in dramatic fashion to league champion Cisco.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

SIX-MAN REWIND: Ira, Hermleigh deliver instant classic to headline exciting slate of games

Week 10 yielded some of the most competitive games of the year, including a thriller between Ira and Hermleigh in one of our two featured matchups.

That was one of many contests that helped add clarity to area district races as we approach the final week of the regular season.

Let’s dive in now and take a look at some of the other top results and performances that happened last week in our “Six-Man Rewind” column. We hope you enjoy this review of Week 10 action and encourage you to check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page for updated standings, results and upcoming matchups.

Continue reading “SIX-MAN REWIND: Ira, Hermleigh deliver instant classic to headline exciting slate of games” →

by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Goldthwaite’s Owen Campbell earns this week’s accolade

It’s been a good while since a Goldthwaite Eagle snagged our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award in any sport. But sophomore Owen Campbell obliterated that streak with a fabulous effort in a 61-0 rout of Meridian on Friday. 

His performance came on both sides of the ball, beginning with 12 carries for 144 yards and four touchdowns from his running back position. 

Defensively Campbell charted eleven tackles, including seven solos, four assists and an interception from the GHS secondary. 

“Owen had a tremendous game on Friday where he contributed to our win,” coach Andy Howard said. “He made a huge impact in all three phases of the game. He plays a huge role for us every week on defense, offense and on special teams.

“He continues to grow and improve as a player every week. I am proud of Owen but proud of everyone around him as well.” 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 10 REPORT: Abilene High tops Monterey to claim outright title; Tascosa, Amarillo High roll

Abilene High 42, Lubbock Monterey 34 — Brayden Henry passed for 183 yards and two touchdowns, ran for 62 yards and two more scores and had a hand in a pair of two-point conversions to help the Eagles clinch the outright district title with a hard-fought win over the Plainsmen.

AHS also got strong production from M’Aujehl Aboso (5-76, 1 TD receiving; 4-38, 1 TD rushing) and Ethan Joyner (14-81 rushing, 2-13 receiving) in closing its regular season at 8-2 overall and 6-0 in league play.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 10 REPORT: Lubbock Cooper tops Wylie; Palo Duro, Memorial cruise to wins

Photo by Riley Smith, HubCityPreps.com

Lubbock Cooper 42, Wylie 35 — Chamayne Johnson ran for 141 yards and a touchdown and received for 25 yards and another score, while Cade Gant received for 121 yards and two scores to lead the Pirates to a big win over the Bulldogs.

Cooper (6-4, 3-3), which locked up a playoff spot with the win, overcame second-half deficits of 9-14 and 25-20 to build a 35-25 fourth-quarter lead. And after Wylie tied the game with 10 unanswered points, the Pirates got a touchdown pass from Ryan Rodriguez to Reed Watters with just over six minutes remaining for what proved to be the winning points.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Lubbock Cooper holds off Wylie for thrilling 42-35 win, puts Bulldogs’ playoff hopes in jeopardy

Photos by Riley Smith, HubCityPreps.com

LUBBOCK — Entering Friday’s game at Lubbock Cooper in control of its own playoff fate, the Wylie football team could all but clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Pirates on Friday.

But Lubbock Cooper went into that game with similar stakes and managed to come out of it with a hard-fought 42-35 win.

Needing a victory to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since 2012, the Pirates overcame second-half deficits of 19-14 and 25-20 to rally past the Bulldogs and punch their ticket to the postseason. In the meantime, they put the Bulldogs in the precarious situation of needing a win over Plainview and a Wichita Falls Memorial loss to Wichita Falls Legacy to earn an 11th game.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Henry’s monstrous night helps Abilene High survive scare, clinch outright title with win over Monterey

Spending Halloween at Shotwell Stadium for Abilene High’s Senior Night matchup against Lubbock Monterey, Eagles quarterback Brayden Henry made a number of plays on Friday that will be haunting the Plainsmen’s dreams.

The senior speedster, who has been a nightmare to defend all season, made a pair of particularly fiendish plays to bookend a thrilling 42-34 win for AHS that both clinched the outright District 2-5A Division I championship for the Eagles and left Monterey needing to beat Amarillo Caprock in next week’s regular season finale to advance to the postseason as the league’s No. 4 playoff seed.

After opening the game’s scoring with a 31-yard touchdown run on a third-and-6 play that saw him evade a tackle in the backfield, beat a defender the edge and weave through the Plainsmen defense all the way to the end zone, Henry sealed the Abilene High victory with a similarly monstrous effort.

Facing a third-and-7 situation with one minute, 38 seconds remaining after the Plainsmen had narrowed the gap to eight points with Jonah Reed’s fifth touchdown pass of the night, Henry escaped the clutches of Darius Tillman in the backfield and evaded another potential tackle for loss by Sean Calderon before racing to and down the visitor’s sideline for a 14-yard gain that allowed his team to close the game in the victory formation and its night by hoisting its third district championship trophy in as many years.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us