Category: Local football

by Daniel Youngblood

ABILENE NOTEBOOK: Talking Wylie football, predictions slump, local volleyball turnarounds

Following their 0-2 start, I was consistent in my belief that the Wylie Bulldogs would finish the season with a much stronger football team than the one that started it. I said as much on our weekly podcast after each of Wylie’s defeats, downplaying the ultimate significance of season-opening home losses to quality outfits from Brownwood and Lubbock Monterey.

But I’d be lying if I said I expected the type of quick turnaround we’ve seen the last two weeks from coach Clay Martin’s team, which is now 2-2 after gritty road wins over Lubbock Cooper (35-34) and Stephenville (42-32) — both double-digit favorites according to a prominent power ranking service. 

When I talked about Wylie finding its stride and eventually turning a corner, I was thinking more about October than September. So to see the Bulldogs go from where they were in Weeks 1 and 2 to beating a pair of good, established programs on the road was a surprise to even me.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Moran running back takes the award with insane performance

There are big games and then there are those that border on insanity. 

Moran running back Ellis Hise, our Big Country Preps Player of the Week for the week ending Sept. 16, fell squarely into the latter category on Saturday with a performance that was absolutely nuts. 

Helping the Bulldogs to a thrilling 68-67 win over Mullin in one of the top six-man games the Big Country has seen this year, Hise rushed for 287 yards and six touchdowns on only 26 carries. But that’s just the beginning. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 4 REPORT: Wylie downs Stephenville; Plainview keeps winning

Wylie 42, Stephenville 32 — Bear Meng passed for 252 yards and three touchdowns and added 78 yards and another TD rushing to lead the Bulldogs to a exciting road win over the Yellow Jackets.

Trailing 10-7 at the 7:58 mark of the second quarter, Wylie (2-2) reeled off 28 consecutive points to go up 35-10 with just under eight minutes to go in the third quarter, before holding off a furious Stephenville rally with a late touchdown drive to put the game away.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 4 REPORT: AHS falls at Frenship; Lubbock Cooper, Coronado claim wins

Photo by Steven Gutierrez, HubCityPreps.com

Wolfforth Frenship 17, Abilene High 12 — The Eagles bottled up the explosive Tigers offense, limiting Frenship to 319 yards while forcing three turnovers, but it wasn’t enough in a tough road loss to close out nondistrict play.

Abilene High (2-2) managed just 235 yards of its own, mustering an eight-yard touchdown run by Brayden Henry and two Naim Segura field goals in three trips to the red zone. Henry led the Eagles offense with 83 yards rushing, 10 yards passing and 11 yards receiving, while Dylan Slack passed for 77 yards, De’Zhon Magee rushed for 53 and Ryland Bradford received for 55. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Abilene High comes up just short in defensive slugfest at Frenship

Photos by Steven Gutierrez, HubCityPreps.com

WOLFFORTH — The Abilene High football team held a Wolfforth Frenship offense that came in averaging 44.7 points and 510.3 yards per game to just two touchdowns on Friday, but it still wasn’t enough to hand the Tigers their first loss of the season.

AHS scored just one touchdown itself, settling for short field goals on two of its three red zone trips and having a late kickoff return touchdown called back by a penalty in a tough 17-12 loss at Peoples Bank Stadium.

The Eagles finished with just 235 yards of total offense, being held to an uncharacteristically low 87 passing yards in closing their nondistrict schedule at 2-2.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie holds off Stephenville rally, spoils Yellow Jackets homecoming with 42-32 win

STEPHENVILLE — Leading Stephenville 35-10 early in the third quarter after scoring its fourth consecutive touchdown off the Yellow Jackets’ second turnover of the game, the Wylie football team seemed to be well on its way to a comfortable win Friday night at Tarleton Memorial Stadium.

In the end, though, it would take a pressure-packed touchdown drive in the final 5:50 and a victory-sealing interception in the end zone for the Bulldogs to finally breath easy with a thrilling 42-32 win. 

Stephenville quarterback Ryan Gafford hooked up with Tristian Gentry for three second-half touchdown passes to trim a once-four score Wylie lead to 35-32 with just under six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. But after managing just one first down on their four previous possessions, the Bulldogs marched 74 yards in 10 plays on their last to fend off the SHS rally and spoil the Yellow Jackets homecoming.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Valiant defensive effort not enough for Cooper in home loss to Coronado

A week after running for 366 yards and seven touchdowns, both school records, Cooper running back Daniel Bray was well on his way to backing that up with a 200-plus yard performance on Friday night against Lubbock Coronado.

A third-quarter injury stopped Bray’s progress as he finished with 138 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries and the Cougars fell 27-21 to the Mustangs for homecoming.

Bray’s injury put more pressure on the Cooper offensive line to protect quarterback Austin Cummins in a passing game that struggled all night. Cummins finished the game with 92 yards passing and one score, nearly all of which came in the fourth quarter.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel vs. Twitter Polls (Week 4)

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.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: 7th-ranked 3A Comanche hosts No.5 2A DI Tolar in clash of Central Texas powers

LAST WEEK: 44-16, .733
SEASON TOTAL: 139-38, .785

Tolar (2-1) at Comanche (3-0) — Our Big Country Preps Game of the Week has stood out like a sore thumb for weeks now. And despite fifth-ranked 2A DI Tolar suffering a setback at the hands of a powerful private school last week, its visit to No. 7 3A DII Comanche still shapes up as a top-flight interclass matchup.

There are a few extra factors to consider, not the least of which is the sore ankle of standout Comanche running back Sawyer Wilkerson, who as of now, will not play in this game. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cooper’s Bray takes this week’s top spot

When it comes to individual performances, there are big games and there are big games.

And then there’s what Cooper junior Daniel Bray did against San Angelo Central last week in leading the Cougars to their first win of the season.

The explosive tailback, who had been limited some in the first two weeks by a nagging ankle injury and the growing pains of a young offensive line, broke out in a historic way in that 53-45 victory over the Bobcats. By the time the game was over, he had rushed for a school-record 366 yards and seven touchdowns on just 21 carries, making a case for our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award that was too compelling to pass over — even in a week with a number of other monster performances.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 3 REPORT: Cooper, Wylie break into win column; Rider, Plainview stay perfect

Cooper 53, San Angelo Central 45 — Junior running back Daniel Bray had a record breaking night, rushing for 366 yards and seven touchdowns to fuel the Cougars to their first win of the season.

Bray did all that damage on just 21 carries, finishing with four touchdown runs of at least 50 yards, including three of 70 yards or more. Behind the standout back, Cooper held a narrow 27-24 lead at halftime, before facing a pair of third-quarter deficits. The Cougars scored the final touchdown of the third quarter and the first of the fourth to take the game’s only two-score lead at 47-38 and held on from there for the victory.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 3 REPORT: Caprock scores only win in tough week for league

Midland Legacy 48, Abilene High 17 — Trailing just 21-17 after opening the second half with a touchdown drive, the Eagles were outscored 27-0 the rest of the way in a lopsided home loss to the Rebels.

Abilene High (2-1) gained 453 yards of total offense, but they scored just three points in three trips to the red zone and turned the ball over three times on the Legacy side of the field. The Eagles were led in the loss by Dylan Slack, who passed for 302 yards and two touchdowns, and Ryland Bradford, who caught four passes for 123 yards and a score.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Bray’s seven-touchdown night fuels Cooper to thrilling road win over Central

SAN ANGELO — Junior running back Daniel Bray had himself a night Friday, rushing for school record 366 yards and seven touchdowns to fuel Cooper to a 53-45 win over San Angelo Central.

Bray, who broke Amon Pimpton’s single-game record of 306 rushing yards, had five TD runs of 18 or more yards, including four of at least 50 yards to help the Cougars spoil the Bobcats’ homecoming festivities and get CHS in the win column for the first time this season.

Behind the running back’s heroics, Cooper finished with more than 500 yards as a team, rallying from a pair of third-quarter deficits to outlast Central for the thrilling victory. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Opportunistic Wylie Bulldogs outlast Lubbock Cooper for first win

Photos by Aaron Baxter, HubCityPreps.com

WOODROW — On most nights, being outgained 225-16 for a half would all but guarantee a blowout loss. But Wylie’s matchup Friday night with Lubbock Cooper was anything but a typical ballgame.

Fueled by three defensive touchdowns — two pick-sixes and a scoop-and-score — the Bulldogs stayed within one TD in the first half before finally finding their offense in the second to eek out a 35-34 win over the Pirates in a thriller of a nondistrict tilt.

It was the first win of the season for coach Clay Martin’s team, which piled up 234 yards in the second half to outscore Cooper 15-6 and complete the comeback victory. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Missed opportunities cost Abilene High in 48-17 loss to Midland Legacy

Coming into Friday’s game against Midland Legacy, Abilene High coach Mike Fullen knew his team would need to capitalize on its scoring chances if it hoped to keep up with the Rebels.

In the end, it was the Eagles’ inability to do so that played the biggest role in a 48-17 loss at Shotwell Stadium.

AHS put up 453 yards of total offense and had numerous opportunities throughout the first 2½ quarters to put some serious pressure on the visitors. But the Eagles got just three points out of three trips to the red zone and had three turnovers on the Legacy side of the field, allowing the Rebels to close the contest with 27 unanswered points and turn a one-score game into a blowout.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel vs. Twitter Polls (Week 3)

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.

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by Evan Ren

BCP GAME OF THE WEEK: Wall, Jim Ned clash in battle of unbeatens (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country picks)

LAST WEEK: 47-14, .770
SEASON TOTAL: 95-22, .812

As we move into Week 3 and things begin to take shape, the 2023 season is now presenting the key teams to keep an eye on. 

Question mark games have now become measuring sticks and within three weeks, we’ll pretty well know who’s who. 

This week’s Big Country Preps Game of the Week, will give us a good look at two of our top Class 3A teams — Division II Wall and Division I Jim Ned — in Tuscola. 

At present, both appear to be regional title threats, with Wall possessing one of the area’s top defenses and Jim Ned pushing people around with one of its best offensive lines ever. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

ABILENE NOTEBOOK: Talking Shotwell renovation, TLCA’s big football win, ACS’ matchup with Benjamin and Wylie volleyball

It’s no secret that the Abilene High-Cooper rivalry — dubbed the Crosstown Showdown — is among the best series in the state of Texas.

When the Eagles and Cougars get together, you know you’re going to excellent effort from both teams in front of close to 15,000 rowdy fans.

In that way, Friday’s matchup, which saw AHS earn a 26-7 win in the 63rd playing of the series, was a lot like many before it. But there was one factor that made the most recent Showdown just a little bit unique: It marked the first game played in Shotwell Stadium since the historic venue got one heck of a facelift.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde quarterback takes the top spot with huge night

After two weeks, few teams are grabbing the attention of Big Country football fans more than the Clyde Bulldogs (2-0), who have opened with consecutive wins over Cisco and Eastland. 

And topping the list of last week’s area performers is Clyde senior quarterback Blake Carr, who posted some eye-popping numbers in last week’s 34-21 win at EHS. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Wylie, Cooper drop to 0-2; Rider, Plainview stay unbeaten

Lubbock Monterey 34, Wylie 21 — A 17-0 first quarter run was all the Plainsmen needed to score a road victory over the Bulldogs, improving to 2-0 after going winless in 2022.

Wylie outscored Monterey 21-17 over the final three quarters, but the Plainsmen’s fast start proved the difference in the game. Quarterback Luke Arrington (6-10-0—212 passing) and Kashious Lewis (4-174 receiving) led MHS, hooking up for three touchdowns in the game.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 2 REPORT: Abilene High, Monterey stay perfect with wins

Abilene High 26, Cooper 7 — Dylan Slack passed for 141 yards and a touchdown, Ryland Bradford received for 113 yards and a score and the Eagles defense shined as AHS took down archrival Cooper in the 63rd Crosstown Showdown.

Behind those efforts — and Bam Rashaw, who rushed for 98 yards — Abilene High raced out to a 16-0 second-quarter lead and was never seriously threatened after halftime in improving to 2-0.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Defense fuels Abilene High to 26-7 win over Cooper in 63rd Crosstown Showdown

It wasn’t the dominating-in-every-phases effort they enjoyed in their season opening win at Odessa Permian, but the Abilene High Eagles did more than enough Friday to take care of their crosstown rival and improve to 2-0 on the season.

Led by a defense that allowed just 195 total yards and forced two turnovers, AHS overcame an uneven offensive performance to down Cooper 26-7 at the newly renovated Shotwell Stadium and claim its second consecutive win in the Crosstown Showdown series.

The Eagles turned two big plays — an 81-yard touchdown reception by Ryland Bradford and a 49-yard punt return touchdown by Demarco Upshaw — into a 16-0 second-quarter lead, and that was all that was needed for a defense that limited the Cougars to a single scoring drive just before halftime.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Fast start lifts Lubbock Monterey past Wylie

Football games often turn on special teams miscues and gaffes.

Friday’s nondistrict game between Lubbock Monterey and Wylie at Hugh Sandifer Stadium saw two plays that fit into that category — one for each squad.

Ultimately, it was Monterey that was able to make the most of their opportunity as the Plainsmen took a 34-21 win, dropping the Bulldogs to 0-2 on the young season.

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by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Slack, Henry give Abilene High unique 1-2 punch at quarterback position

There’s an old — and often repeated — saying in football circles that goes, “If you have two quarterbacks, you have none.”

The idea behind that, of course, is that any team playing two quarterbacks doesn’t have one that’s strong enough to seize the job.

Abilene High coach Mike Fullen and his offensive staff would seem to disagree. And currently, they’re in the process of putting together a pretty strong case against that axiom.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel vs. Twitter Polls (Week 2)

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.

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