Category: Local football

by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Late rally not quite enough for Wylie in 42-35 loss to Amarillo Palo Duro

Photos by Carter Pirtle, PressPassSports.com

AMARILLO — Facing off with Amarillo Palo Duro with sole possession of the District 2-5A Division II lead on the line, the Wylie football team spent most of Friday’s game trying to dig out of an often two-score hole.

After finding themselves down 14-0, 21-7, 28-14 and 35-21 and trimming the deficit to a touchdown each time, the Bulldogs finally leveled the score at 35 with just under two minutes remaining in the game. But Raymond Johnson IV’s third touchdown run of the night, which came with 53 seconds to play, proved too much to overcome in a 42-35 Dons victory at Dick Bivins Stadium.

The outcome dropped Wylie (4-3 overall) to 2-1 in district play — a half-game behind Palo Duro (5-1, 2-0), the only remaining undefeated team in District 2-5A DII.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Carrillo’s record-tying night fuels Cougars to 66-16 rout of Lubbock Cooper

After rushing for more than 300 yards in each of their first two district games — and three of their first six games overall — the Cooper Cougars seemed to be settling nicely into an identity as a power run team.

But anyone who thought the ground game was the only trick in the Coogs’ book learned differently in Friday’s 66-16 home win over Lubbock Cooper.

Sure, CHS got its yards on the ground — 249, to be exact — but it was a record passing performance by senior quarterback Jaden Carrillo that had Shotwell Stadium abuzz as coach Aaron Roan’s squad cruised to a surprising 50-point win over the Pirates.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Abilene High grinds out 35-6 win at Lubbock Coronado to improve to 3-0 in district

Photos by Susanna Jackson, HubCityPreps.com

LUBBOCK — Ethan Joyner ran for 178 yards and two touchdowns, and Symanni Strahan ran for a pair of scores and received for another to help Abilene High run away from Lubbock Coronado for a 35-6 win Thursday at Lowrey Field.

Led by those two, the Eagles rushed for 258 yards as a team, while limiting the Mustangs to 184 yards of total offense to improve to 5-2 on the year and 3-0 in District 2-5A Division I play.

AHS also won the turnover battle 3-1 in shutting Coronado out for the game’s final 33 minutes.

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by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Speedy junior Ruffin growing into go-to receiver role for Wylie Bulldogs

Over the past 20 years, the Wylie football program has been blessed at the outside receiver position, fielding a parade of talented wideouts with the size and speed to cause matchup problems for opponents.

After graduating Gage Heighten — and his 747 yards and 10 touchdowns — from last year, the Bulldogs were going to need a new weapon to emerge on the outside this season if they hoped to continue that tradition.

Enter junior Blaze Ruffin, who has lived up to both his first name and his last in his first year as a starter for WHS.

Blaze, the son of Wylie boys basketball coach Gregg Ruffin, from whom he inherited his height at 6-foot-3, also brings with him the speed one might expect from someone so named. The combination of those attributes, along with a tireless work ethic, have made the junior one of the area’s most explosive pass-catchers in 2025 — a most welcome development for coach Clay Martin and his offensive staff.

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by Daniel Youngblood

SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Gustine-Blanket matchup tops Week 7 slate as most of area enters district play

Week 7 is upon us, and that means most of our area six-man teams are kicking off district play this week.

While most Big Country district openers are expected to have lopsided results, there are a handful of intriguing matchups, headlined by our Game of the Week between District 13-1A Division II playoff hopefuls Gustine and Blanket.

Let’s go ahead and dive into that one and the area’s other top Friday matchups in this week’s Six-Man Lookahead column. And make sure you check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page for more information on your favorite team(s).

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 7)

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.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Stamford, Cisco clash in our spotlight game

LAST WEEK: 31-6, .838
SEASON TOTAL: 282-72, .796

A football season just doesn’t seem complete without at least one visit to Chesley Field in Cisco for our Big Country Preps Game of the Week. That opportunity is now as the Loboes (4-1) play host to Stamford (3-2) in the District 4-2A DI opener for both clubs on Friday.

This is a high-profile matchup featuring two of the most storied programs in the Big Country, so it’s a natural for our spotlight game. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

SIX-MAN REWIND: Area’s top teams deliver statements in blowout-laden Week 6

While Week 6 was heavy on high-profile matchups, it didn’t deliver many competitive games.

All but a handful of area games were decided by 30 points or more, including all of the matchups featured in last week’s “Six-Man Lookahead” column.

It’s time now to take a look back at how those games played out, and which players throughout the Big Country Preps coverage area shined brightest in Week 6. We hope you enjoy this rewind and encourage you to check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page for updated standings, scores and upcoming matchups.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 6 REPORT: Abilene High rallies past Amarillo High; Tascosa, Monterey cruise to easy wins

Abilene High 24, Amarillo High 21 — Ethan Joyner ran 112 yards, while Brayden Henry ran for 111 yards and passed for 34 yards and three touchdowns to help the Eagles rally from a 21-0 second-quarter deficit to secure a thrilling win over the Sandies.

Down 21-7 at halftime, Abilene High (4-2, 2-0) tied the game with a pair of third-quarter touchdown passes from Henry. Elisha Batendji then hit a 40-yard field goal with 5:10 remaining in the fourth quarter for what proved to be the winning points.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 6 REPORT: Wylie tops Cooper in Southtown Showdown; Palo Duro, Lubbock Cooper win big

Wylie 29, Abilene Cooper 22 — After allowing 22 points and 232 yards rushing in the first half, the Bulldogs shut the Cougars out in the second to score a hard-fought win over their crosstown rivals in our Big Country Preps Game of the Week.

Jadin Karleskint passed for 246 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a team-high 76 yards to lead Wylie (4-2, 2-0), which also got productive efforts from Blaze Ruffin (3-119, 1 TD receiving) and Julius Laine (17-71, 1 TD rushing; 2-36, 1TD receiving).

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by Daniel Youngblood

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Second-half shutout fuels Wylie past crosstown rival Cooper

A back-and-forth shootout in the first half gave way to a defensive struggle in the second, but at the end of four quarters, the Wylie Bulldogs were one touchdown better than Cooper in a thrilling 29-22 victory at Hugh Sandifer Stadium.

After allowing 232 yards rushing in the first half of Friday’s Big Country Preps Game of the Week, coach Clay Martin’s defense tightened things up to pitch a shutout in the second. That allowed Julius Laine’s second touchdown of the night to serve as the go-ahead and, eventually, game-winning points midway through the third quarter as Wylie took the Southtown Showdown for the fourth consecutive year.

The victory puts Wylie (4-2 overall) alone atop the District 2-5A Division II standings at 2-0, while dropping Cooper to 3-3 on the year and 1-1 in league play.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Batendji brothers play crucial roles as Abilene High rallies past Amarillo High

Through the first half of the 2025 season, the race for the District 2-5A Division I championship has appeared to be a three-team battle between Abilene High, Amarillo High and Amarillo Tascosa — all of which opened district play with wins last week.

Friday night at Shotwell Stadium, the Eagles and Sandies squared off to see which AHS would be in control of its own destiny ahead of its respective showdown against Tascosa.

In the end, it was the Eagles who knocked off the Golden Sandstorm, 24-21, in thrilling matchup between two teams that had both spent time ranked in the Class 5A Division I top 10 at different points this year.

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by Daniel Youngblood

SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Cherokee-Benjamin headlines strong week of matchups in Week 6

We’ve hit Week 6, and district play is just around the corner for most teams in the Big Country Preps coverage area. But before we hit that milestone this season, we’ve got an excellent slate of nondistrict matchups to get through first. 

Headlining this week’s schedule of games is a battle of unbeatens in Cherokee in Benjamin, which earns our Game of the Week designation, but that’s just one of several big-time six-man matchups throughout the area. 

It’s time now to take a deeper look at all of those in this week’s Six-Man Lookahead column. We hope you enjoy this preview of Week 6 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: Cherokee-Benjamin headlines strong week of matchups in Week 6” →

by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Abilene High nose guard Starks a disruptive force in middle of Eagles defense

In Abilene High’s 3-4 defense, no player has a more important job than the nose guard. 

Manning the interior of the defensive line, that player is responsible for occupying multiple blocks most snaps to route ball-carriers into gaps where waiting linebackers can make plays — ideally at or near the line of scrimmage.

More often than not, the fruit of that player’s (sometimes thankless) labor will show up more in others’ stats than his own. But without those efforts, the integrity of the entire defense falls apart.

This year, those monumental responsibilities have fallen once again on the sizeable shoulders of Jayden Starks. And if you’re searching for a reason to explain why the Eagles defense has been as successful — and disruptive — as it has, the 6-foot-1, 270-pound senior would be a pretty good place to start.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 6)

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.

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by Daniel Youngblood

SIX-MAN REWIND: Cream continues to rise throughout Big Country Preps coverage area

We’re approaching the midpoint of the regular season and teams are preparing for the imminent start of district play. And while Week 5 didn’t yield many competitive games throughout the Big Country Preps coverage area, the teams atop our power rankings continued to separate themselves from the pack.

Whether it was Strawn routing Zephyr in the “Six-Man Lookahead” Game of the Week, Robert Lee taking care of Sands or Gordon and Jayton cruising to wins over quality opponents, the area’s cream continued its rise to the top.

As we have in the past on Mondays, it’s time to recap the week that was in our “Six-Man Rewind” column. We hope you enjoy this review, and encourage you to check out our check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page for standings, results and upcoming matchups. 

Continue reading “SIX-MAN REWIND: Cream continues to rise throughout Big Country Preps coverage area” →

by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 5 REPORT: Abilene High, Amarillo High and Tascosa

Photo by Tori Bunch, PressPassSports.com

Abilene High 42, Amarillo Caprock 7 — Brayden Henry and Tristan Beal each threw for a pair of touchdowns, and John Rangel caught a TD pass from both to help the Eagles to a convincing win over the Longhorns in the district opener for both squads.

The Abilene High defense, meanwhile, pitched a shutout until late in the third quarter, allowing the Eagles () to stretch a 28-0 halftime lead to 42-0 before Caprock finally got on the board.

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by Daniel Youngblood

DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 5 REPORT: Abilene Cooper, Wylie and Plainview open league play with victories

Abilene Cooper 42, Wichita Falls Memorial 27 — The Cougars pounded out 357 yards on the ground, getting 144 yards and a touchdown from Peyton Ewing and 127 yards and four scores from quarterback Jaden Carrillo, to score an upset win over the Mavericks in the district opener for both teams.

Markquel Sims also had 71 yards and a TD on the ground for Cooper (3-2, 1-0), which outscored Memorial 21-6 in the second half to break a 21-all tie at halftime. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Abilene High kicks off district play with blowout win over Amarillo Caprock

Photos by Tori Bunch, PressPassSports.com

AMARILLO — The Abilene High football took care of business in its District 2-5A Division I opener Friday, cruising to a 42-7 win over Amarillo Caprock at Dick Bivins Stadium.

The Eagles built a 21-0 lead by the end of the opening quarter and were never threatened after, doing all of their scoring before the Longhorns finally got on the board late in the third period.

Brayden Henry and Tristan Beal both threw two touchdown passes, while John Rangel caught a TD pass from each. Beal and Ethan Joyner each added rushing scores for AHS, which improved to 3-2 with the win.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Wylie pulls away late to open district play with 45-24 win over Wichita Falls Legacy

WICHITA FALLS — It took Wylie a while to get some separation Friday, but after struggling to put away Wichita Falls Legacy for three quarters, the Bulldogs slammed the door on the Leopards in the fourth to claim a 45-24 road win in the District 2-5A Division II opener for both squads.

Due in large part to three turnovers, WHS led just 13-10 at halftime and 23-17 after three quarters. But coach Clay Martin’s team opened the final period with three consecutive touchdowns put the game away.

The Bulldogs outgained Legacy 431-236 in the victory, rushing for 290 of those yards in improving to 3-2 on the season.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Cooper ground game too much for Wichita Falls Memorial in 42-27 victory

The Cooper football team took every punch Wichita Falls Memorial had and counter-punched harder Friday, eventually landing the knockout blow in the second half of a 42-27 win at Shotwell Stadium.

The Cougars overcame a number of tough breaks throughout the game, using a punishing rushing attack and an opportunistic defensive effort to frustrate the favored Mavericks enough to pull away late in the District 2-5A Division II opener for both squads.

After going to halftime with the score tied at 21-all, Cooper outscored Memorial 21-6 over the final two quarters, finishing with 357 yards rushing and a 3-1 advantage in the turnover battle to improve to 3-2 on the season with its second consecutive victory.

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by Daniel Youngblood

SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Zephyr-Strawn matchup headlines solid area slate in Week 5

Week 5 is upon us, and we have another strong slate of six-man games in the Big Country Preps coverage area. 

Topping that list this week is a high-profile Division II matchup between unbeaten Zephyr and perennial power Strawn, our “Six-Man Lookahead” Game of the Week, but there are a number of others worth diving into as well. 

So let’s stop wasting time and do just that. We hope you enjoy this look at the Week 5 schedule and encourage you to check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page for more information on your favorite team(s).

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 5)

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.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Anson plays host to Albany in 2A showdown

LAST WEEK: 38-10, .791
SEASON TOTAL: 199-56, .780

ALBANY (3-1) AT ANSON (4-0)

Nothing stirs my interest early in the football season more than having a surprise team square off with an established powerhouse. 

So when selecting our Big Country Preps Game of the Week for Sept. 26, Albany’s visit to Anson (4-0) was a big blip on the area radar screen. 

Albany (3-1) a perennial power coming off a loss to unbeaten Coahoma, will now face an Anson club that some believe is the biggest surprise in the Big Country thus far. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Senior Ewing carving out his place on long list of dynamic Cooper backs

Over the past five decades, the Cooper football program has become known for the quality of rushers that have called its backfield home.

From Terry Orr (2,485 yards from 1977-79) to Allen Gunter (2,933 yards from 1981-83) to Mike Rose (4,271 yards from 1991-93) to Dominic Rhodes (3,102 yards from 1994-96) to Brandon Diles (3,145 yards from 2000-02) to A’mon Pimpton (3,102 yards from 2006-08) to Devin Johnson (3,106 yards from 2014-16) to Tyrees Whitfield (3,916 yards from 2015-17) to Noah Garcia (5,389 yards from 2017-20) to Daniel Bray (2,079 yards from 2022-23), CHS has been a veritable factory when it comes to producing game-breaking running backs.

If things continue on their current path, that list should grow by one this season, as senior Peyton Ewing looks to etch his name in permanent ink in the annals of excellent Cooper backs. While he still has some work to do to build the credentials those before him did, the third-year varsity lettermen is playing at a similar level this fall for a Cougar offense that is reaping the benefits of his big-play ability.

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by Daniel Youngblood

SIX-MAN REWIND: High-profile matchups deliver in wild Week 4

Week 4 yielded a number of eye-popping results and statement wins.

Whether it was May knocking off unbeaten Newcastle in our “Six-Man Lookahead” Game of the Week or Gordon going up a classification to thump Thorndale in a 11-man game, there was no shortage of intrigue for area six-man fans.

As has become custom the past two years around here, it’s time to recap the week that was in our “Six-Man Rewind” column. We hope you enjoy this look back at last week’s action and encourage you to check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page for up-to-date standings, results and upcoming matchups. 

Continue reading “SIX-MAN REWIND: High-profile matchups deliver in wild Week 4” →

by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wylie junior takes the top spot

Wylie junior Haddie Mock was at her very best against difficult competition last week, helping the Lady Bulldogs to wins over seventh-ranked 3A Bushland (25-8) and 21st-ranked 4A Stephenville last week. 

Mock finished a whopping combined total of 19 blocks in the two matches to help the Lady Bulldogs improve to 24-7. She also had 16 combined kills. 

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