Here are the Big Country’s rushing leaders through Week 10:
Category: Local football
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 10 REPORT: Wylie, Cooper win; Rider routs Plainview
Wylie 33, Amarillo Palo Duro 16 — The Bulldogs raced out to a 21-3 first-quarter lead and were never threatened after, locking up a playoff spot with a comfortable win over the Dons.
Bear Meng passed for 198 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 79 yards and another score to lead Wylie (6-3, 3-1), which also got 57 yards rushing from Malachi Daniels. Braden Regala (4-75) and Derrick Evans (3-66) both had receiving touchdowns, but Evans was knocked out of the game and taken to the hospital in the first quarter.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 10 REPORT: Abilene High locks up title; Monterey rallies past Coronado
Abilene High 24, Amarillo High 14 — The Eagles wrapped up their outright district title, outscoring the Sandies 10-0 over the final two quarters to break a halftime tie.
Chad Lara rushed for Brayden Henry rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown and Brayden Henry ran for 91 yards and two scores for Abilene High (8-2, 6-0), which outgained Amarillo High 415-283. Dylan Slack added 227 yards passing, hitting Jackson Howle seven times for 100 yards and Ryland Bradford eight times for 82 yards.
PHOTO GALLERY: Amarillo High-Abilene High football (68 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: Amarillo High-Abilene High football (68 images)”
PHOTO GALLERY: Amarillo Palo Duro-Wylie football (50 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: Amarillo Palo Duro-Wylie football (50 images)”
GAME STORY: Abilene High locks up outright district title with hard-fought win over Amarillo High
It took the Abilene High football team a little while to get going Friday at Shotwell Stadium, but by the end of the night, the Eagles were celebrating a 24-14 win over Amarillo High and a perfect run through District 2-5A Division I play.
The victory, which was needed to lock up the outright district title for Abilene High, was anything but easy. But thanks to a gutsy performance by the defense in the early going and a strong offensive effort from the second quarter on, the Eagles never trailed in improving to 8-2 on the season and 6-0 in district action.
After holding leads of 7-0 and 14-7 in the second quarter, coach Mike Fullen’s squad went to halftime with the score tied at 14. That set the stage for an exciting second half that saw the Eagles outscore the Sandies 10-0 to put the game away.
GAME STORY: Bulldogs hammer Palo Duro in home finale, clinch playoff berth
The Wylie football team overcame a scary first quarter injury to senior wide receiver Derrick Evans to take a 33-16 District 2-5A Division II win over Amarillo Palo Duro on Friday, clinching a playoff berth at Hugh Sandifer Stadium.
After the game, Wylie coach Clay Martin said that Evans, who took a shoulder to the side of his head and was taken via ambulance to Hendrick Medical Center, had a CT scan that came back negative.
Several Bulldogs said that Evans’ health was on their mind as the game resumed.
GAME REPORT: Cooper blasts Lubbock High 61-7 to set up big finale against Wylie
Photos by Mandi McDonald, HubCityPreps.com
LUBBOCK — Daniel Bray rushed for 155 yards and three touchdowns on just four carries and the Cooper defense forced five turnovers and returned three for touchdowns to fuel the Cougars to a 61-7 win over the Westerners on Thursday at Lowrey Field.
Behind a running game that pounded out 447 yards on 37 attempts, Cooper built a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, and a pair of defensive scores allowed the Cougars to increase that advantage to 41-7 by halftime.
The victory, the Cougars’ third in a row, improved coach Aaron Roan’s squad to 4-5 overall and 3-1 in District 2-5A Division II play, setting up a big home matchup next week against crosstown rival Wylie in the district and regular season finale for both teams.
REALIGNMENT CENTRAL: Enrollment numbers coming in for area schools
In order to account for new schools opening and in keeping the different classifications as balanced and competitive as possible, the University Interscholastic League goes through a realignment every other year.
It’s one of the highlights of what’s typically a slow football offseason, but it gets started before the current season has drawn to a close.
A multi-step process, realignment got under way on Friday with Snapshot Day. All UIL schools are required to turn in their enrollments on the day for the governing body to determine cutoff numbers for each classification and start drawing up the new districts.
Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel vs. Twitter Polls (Week 10)
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games and select six-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.
Disagree with our picks or the Twitter consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 9 REPORT: Cooper, Wylie roll to wins; Rider stays unbeaten in league play
Cooper 31, Plainview 14 — The Cougars used a 21-point second quarter to climb out of an early 7-0 hole and were never threatened after halftime in a dominant showing against the Bulldogs.
Cooper (3-5, 2-1) outgained Plainview 284-191, limiting a talented Bulldogs offense to just 3.8 yards per play. Christian Rico (8-52 rushing), Austin Cummins (8-32 rushing; 9-18-1—94 passing) and Troneal Robinson (13-29) all had rushing scores for the Cougars, who also got a TD pass from Cummins to tight end Clayton Gift (3-46 receiving) in the victory.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 9 REPORT: Abilene High, Lubbock Cooper and Tascosa pick up wins
Photo by Mark Rogers, HubCityPreps.com
Abilene High 63, Lubbock Coronado 10 — The Eagles overcame a sluggish start to rout the Mustangs, scoring 49 points over the middle two quarters to pull away for a lopsided win.
The Eagles, who trailed 7-0 after a quarter, led 21-10 by halftime before putting the game away with a 28-point second quarter. AHS () outgained Coronado 458-219, limiting Coronado to just 26 yards rushing.
PHOTO GALLERY: Plainview-Cooper football (62 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: Plainview-Cooper football (62 images)”
GAME REPORT: Wylie dominates Lubbock High from start to finish, moves to 2-1 in league play
Photos by Mandi McDonald, HubCityPreps.com
LUBBOCK — The Wylie football bounced back from last week’s loss to Wichita Falls Rider with a blowout win over Lubbock High, pushing out to a 42-0 halftime lead and cruising from there to a 52-7 victory Friday at Lowrey Field.
The Bulldogs outgained the Westerners 454-159, building a 49-0 lead before the home team finally got on the board in the third quarter.
The win improved Wylie to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in district play, setting up key district matchups with Amarillo Palo Duro and Cooper in Abilene to close out the regular season.
GAME REPORT: Abilene High overcomes slow start to rout Lubbock Coronado
Photos by Mark Rogers, HubCityPreps.com
LUBBOCK — The Abilene High football team overcame a sluggish start to rout Lubbock Coronado on Friday, outscoring the Mustangs 49-3 over the middle two quarters to cruise to a 63-10 victory at Lowrey Field.
Coronado scored the only touchdown of the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead into the second, but the Eagles responded with three consecutive touchdowns to go to halftime up 21-10 and were never threatened after the break.
The win improved Abilene High to 7-2 on the year and a perfect 5-0 in District 2-5A Division I action, putting the Eagles in position to wrap up an outright district title when they close out their regular season next week at home against Amarillo High.
Continue reading “GAME REPORT: Abilene High overcomes slow start to rout Lubbock Coronado”
GAME STORY: Cooper scores 31 unanswered points in comfortable win over Plainview
After climbing back into the District 2-5A Division II playoff race last week with a big road win over Amarillo Palo Duro, the Cooper football team made a statement Friday against Plainview.
Hosting a Bulldogs squad that entered Week 9 just two one-score losses from a perfect record, the Cougars dominated every phase of the game in a 31-14 win at Shotwell Stadium.
Cooper, which was playing without its leading rusher (Daniel Bray) and leading receiver (Zavian Alexander), ran for 190 yards while limiting a talented PHS offense to just 191 yards of total offense in a thorough victory that saw the Cougars score 31 unanswered points between the Bulldogs’ two touchdowns.
VIDEO: Abilene High coach Fullen previews road game against Lubbock Coronado
ABILENE HIGH (6-2, 4-0) AT LUBBOCK CORONADO (2-5, 1-2)
7 p.m. Friday at Lowrey Field, Lubbock
Continue reading “VIDEO: Abilene High coach Fullen previews road game against Lubbock Coronado”
Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel vs. Twitter Polls (Week 9)
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games and select six-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.
Disagree with our picks or the Twitter consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Stephenville hosts China Spring (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 40-8, .833
SEASON TOTAL: 347-79, .814
As Week 9 of the 2023Texas High School football season gets underway, there are multiple high-profile games that would qualify as our Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
But we’re settling for a rare Thursday night matchup at Tarleton State University where seventh-ranked 4A DI Stephenville (5-2, 1-0) will play host to fourth-ranked China Spring (6-2, 2-0) in a game will give the victor sole possession of first place in District 5.
Picking who wins it may come down to throwing darts, but I do believe China Spring has one key advantage.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 8 REPORT: Cooper snaps losing streak; Rider takes league lead with win at Wylie
Photos by Tom Carver, PressPassSports.com
Cooper 28, Amarillo Palo Duro 21 — Daniel Bray rushed for 99 yards and a two touchdowns, Christian Rico had an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and the Cooper defense held the Dons to seven points over the final three quarters to hold on for a crucial district win.
Cooper raced out to a 21-14 lead after a quarter and extended that to 28-14 by halftime, before holding off Palo Duro in the second half to improve to 2-5 overall and 1-1 in district play.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 8 REPORT: Abilene High edges LCP; Amarillo High, Monterey score blowout wins
Abilene High 38, Lubbock Cooper 35 — Dylan Slack hit Ryland Bradford from 18 yards out with four seconds remaining to lift the Eagles to thrilling come-from-behind win over the Pirates in a matchup of the district’s final unbeaten teams.
Abilene High (6-2, 4-0) led 28-14 at halftime, but a pair of blocked punts — one returned for a touchdown and the other to set up a 5-yard field — allowed Cooper to tie the game early in the fourth quarter. After Naim Segura put AHS back on top with a 25-yard field goal, the Pirates responded with a 22-yard touchdown pass with 1:32 remaining to set up the Eagles’ game-winning drive.
PHOTO GALLERY: Lubbock Cooper-Abilene High football (68 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: Lubbock Cooper-Abilene High football (68 images)”
PHOTO GALLERY: Wichita Falls Rider-Wylie football (50 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: Wichita Falls Rider-Wylie football (50 images)”
GAME REPORT: Cooper holds on for key district road win over Amarillo Palo Duro
Photos by Tom Carver, PressPassSports.com
AMARILLO — The Cooper football team went to Dick Bivins Stadium and left with a huge district win Friday night, holding off Amarillo Palo Duro 28-21 to snap a three-game losing streak and put itself firmly in the District 2-5A Division II playoff race.
Led by Daniel Bray, who rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns, and Christian Rico, whose 85-yard kickoff return touchdown staked the Cougars to an early 21-7 lead, Cooper held a 28-14 advantage at halftime.
That was all the Coogs needed thanks to a strong performance by a defense that limited the Dons to a single touchdown the rest of the way.
GAME REPORT: Wylie can’t overcome slow start in 34-14 loss to Wichita Falls Rider
A slow start and a couple of missed opportunities in the first two quarters put Wylie in a 14-0 halftime hole, and the Bulldogs could never dig their way out in a 34-14 loss to Wichita Falls Rider on Friday at Hugh Sandifer Stadium.
WHS outgained Rider 371-330 and had 21 first downs to the Raiders’ 13, but the visitors took advantage of a Wylie interception and a short field to build a two-score lead just two possessions in, and Bulldogs couldn’t cash in on a couple scoring opportunities before the halftime break.
That left coach Clay Martin’s team playing from behind the rest of the way, and though the Bulldogs twice cut the deficit a single touchdown in the second half, that was as close as they could get in a key District 2-5A Division II loss.
GAME STORY: Slack’s late TD pass fuels Abilene High to 38-35 win over Lubbock Cooper
An illegal man downfield penalty forced Dylan Slack to throw two touchdown passes in the final 35 seconds to complete a game-winning drive against Lubbock Cooper on Friday at Shotwell Stadium.
But the Abilene High signal caller was up to the task, responding to the untimely infraction with an 18-yard strike to Ryland Bradford with just four seconds left to lead the Eagles to a dramatic 38-35 win and put his team in control of the District 2-5A Division I race with two games remaining in the regular season.
That touchdown pass — Slack’s second of the game and 17th on the season — capped a 65-yard scoring drive in the final 1:30 to improve AHS to 6-2 on the year and a perfect 4-0 in district play.
Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel vs. Twitter Polls (Week 8)
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games and select six-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.
Disagree with our picks or the Twitter consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Hico hosts Dawson with high playoff seeds in the balance (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 41-7, .854
SEASON TOTAL: 307-71, .812
Big Country Preps makes a point of sharing the love and we look for opportunities to take our Game of the Week to as many different places that make sense each year.
Yet since our inaugural season in 2018, a rebuilding Hico football team missed our spotlight game for five straight seasons.
That drought ends this week when BCP visits Hico for the first time as the Tigers (5-2, 2-1 District 10-2A DII) host Dawson (5-1, 2-0) in a crucial matchup with high seed implications.
