Here’s a complete rundown of Thursday and Friday’s Class 4A playoff results in the Big Country:
Category: Mineral Wells Rams
DISTRICT 3-4A DIV. II WEEK 11 REPORT: Graham holds off Eagle Mountain for No. 2 seed; Mineral Wells, Brock roll
Graham 20, Saginaw Eagle Mountain 18 — A 213-yard rushing and a big defensive play by Jordan Alexander were enough to fuel the Steers to a thrilling win over the Knights in a matchup for the district’s No. 2 playoff seed.
Jace Gill passed for 110 yards and ran for 108, while Colt Taylor (13-54) and Dylan Cox (7-30) had rushing touchdowns to lead Graham offensively. And Alexander had a pick-six on the other side of the football to help the Steers improve to 7-3 overall and 4-1 in league play.
DISTRICT 3-4A DIV. II WEEK 10 REPORT: Brock takes care of Graham; Eagle Mountain edges Mineral Wells
Brock 28, Graham 7 — Holt Frazier passed for 246 yards with touchdowns to three different receivers, and the Eagles defense put together a dominant effort in a comfortable win over the Steers.
Colt Matlock (3-85), Davis Lee (1-68) and Braeden Ray (3-39) all caught TD passes for Brock (9-0, 4-0), which also got 93 yards rushing from Bryer McDonald. Behind that group, the Eagles stretched a 21-0 halftime lead to four touchdowns before Graham finally got on the board late in the third quarter.
PHOTO GALLERY: Graham-Mineral Wells football (62 images)
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Graham-Mineral Wells football (62 images)”
DISTRICT 3-4A DIV. II WEEK 9 REPORT: Brock blasts Burkburnett; Graham, Eagle Mountain earn shutout wins
Brock 66, Burkburnett 7 — Bryer McDonald ran for 143 yards and three touchdowns and Holt Frazier threw for 259 yards and four scores to lead the Eagles to a runaway win over the Bulldogs.
Colt Matlock also went over the century mark receiving, finishing with three catches for 107 yards and two TDs for Brock (8-0, 3-0), which won the turnover battle 3-0 in a dominating effort.
GAME STORY: Sophomore Cox, stout defensive effort lead Graham to shutout win over Mineral Wells
MINERAL WELLS — After moving their District 3-4A Division II game up 24 hours anticipating bad weather on Friday, the Graham and Mineral Wells football teams were less than 10 minutes from kickoff at Ram Stadium on Thursday when Mother Nature showed up anyways.
Following the 32-minute lightning delay, Graham forced a three-and-out and scored in the first 1:57 as the Steers rolled to a 42-0 win, setting up a showdown with Brock on Halloween for the expected district championship.
Graham coach Clay McChristian was proud of how his team dealt with the unexpected shift in schedules this week.
DISTRICT 3-4A DIV. II WEEK 8 REPORT: Brock blasts Mineral Wells; Graham cruises past Bridgeport
Brock 55, Mineral Wells 7 — Holt Frazier passed for 334 yards and four touchdowns, and Colt Matlock received for 134 yards and two scores to lead the Eagles to a lopsided win over the Rams.
Dash Lindsey (8-85, 2 TDs rushing; 1-17, 1 TD receiving) and Bryer McDonald (8-72, 2 TDs) also had productive days for Brock (7-0, 2-0), which also got 60 yards and a TD receiving from Davis Lee.
FEATURE: Senior playmaker Fisher brings steady leadership, consistent production to injury-plagued Mineral Wells offense
Pretty much across the football landscape, there is one opponent nobody wants to play. He doesn’t wear a uniform, and he comes in all manner of configurations. But ask any coach, and he will tell you a bite by the “Injury Bug” can be as devastating as any heartbreaking scoreboard defeat.
Or, as in the case of the Mineral Wells Rams, you can suffer multiple chomps, keep on shooing, and convert disaster into what still might have the promise of a successful season.
It certainly helps the Rams’ cause that the primary swatter is six-feet tall, weighs 180 pounds, runs faster than a speeding cornerback and is able to leap tall safeties to catch pretty much any ball thrown his way.
But (much) more on Jaidun Fisher in a bit. First, consider why the Mineral Wells receiver has been so important this year.
DISTRICT 3-4A DIV. II WEEK 7 REPORT: Brock, Graham and Minerals Wells all open league play with lopsided wins
Brock 41, Saginaw Eagle Mountain 13 — Holt Frazier threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns, and Bryer McDonald ran for 90 yards and two scores to lead the Eagles to a comfortable win over the Knights.
Charles Hibbler (2-96 receiving), Davis Lee (3-50) and Casen Christenson (4-38) all had receiving TDs for Brock (6-0, 1-0), which shut Eagle Mountain out in the second half after going to halftime up 28-13.
DISTRICT 4-4A DIV. I WEEK 6 REPORT: Brownwood, Stephenville, Lampasas, Burnet, Marble Falls all score wins
Brownwwood 62, Ingleside 0
The Lions (3-3) rolled up 548 yards in total offense to reach the .500 mark for the first time this year.
Trent Buffington rushed for 111 yards and two TDs while Carson Noe and Grant Gray threw two touchdown passes each to lead Brownwood, which had built a 55-0 lead by halftime.
Limited to only 36 total yards, Ingleside fell to 2-4.
DISTRICT 3-4A DIV. II WEEK 5 REPORT: Taylor’s big game fuels Steers to win; Brock cruises to 5-0
Graham 35, Lake Worth 10 — Leading just 14-10 at halftime, the Steers shut the Bullfrogs out over the final two quarters to pull away for a convincing win.
Graham, which got 186 yards and three touchdowns rushing from Colt Taylor in the victory, scored a pair of third-quarter TDs to increase its lead to 28-10 by the start of the final period and was never threatened again after that.
DISTRICT 3-4A DIV. II WEEK 4 REPORT: Brock blasts Southwest to stay unbeaten; Graham, Mineral Wells both fall
Brock 69, Fort Worth Southwest 0 — Holt Frazier passed for 258 yards and six touchdowns, and the Eagles defense pitched a shutout in a runaway win over the Raiders.
Colt Matlock (2-87 receiving) and Braden Ray (4-63) both had two receiving touchdowns apiece to lead Brock, while Davis Lee (2-43) and Charles Hibbler (3-37) also caught scoring passes.
GAME STORY: Special teams, long drives key Quinlan Ford win over Mineral Wells
MINERAL WELLS — The Quinlan Ford football team entered Thursday’s nondistrict contest with Mineral Wells at Ram Stadium having scored 49 points in each of their first three games this year.
After being shut out in the first quarter for the first time all season, the Panthers dominated the second quarter and took a 35-21 win over the Rams.
The second quarter saw Quinlan Ford score a touchdown on a blocked punt and put together a pair of scoring drives of more than 90 yards as the Panthers moved to 4-0 on the year while Mineral Wells fell to 2-2.
DISTRICT 3-4A DIV. II WEEK 3 REPORT: Graham, Mineral Wells and Brock victorious as league goes 4-2
Graham 35, Whitesboro 7 — Jace Gill passed for 202 yards and a touchdown and ran for 72 yards and two more scores to fuel the Steers to a blowout win over the Bearcats.
Dylan Cox (8-41 rushing) also had two rushing touchdowns for Graham, which was led in receiving by Brodie Martin (3-57, 1 TD), Parker Hale (4-51) and Walker Bennett (2-48).
DISTRICT 3-4A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Brock blasts Lake Worth; Mineral Wells, Graham fall
Brock 67, Lake Worth 7 — Holt Frazier passed for 195 yards and five touchdowns, hitting Colt Matlock three ties for 132 yards and three scores, to fuel the Eagles to a blowout win over the Bullfrogs.
Levi Dean (5-100, 1 TD), Bryer McDonald (5-83, 1 TD) and Dash Lindsey (8-74, 1 TD) all added nice rushing days for Brock (2-0), which finished with 561 yards of total offense.
DISTRICT 3-4A DIV. II WEEK 1 REPORT: Brock, Graham, Mineral Wells all victorious in openers
Brock 52, Decatur 31 — Bryer McDonald and Dash Lindsey both topped 120 yards rushing and Holt Frazier passed for 194 yards and four scores to fuel BHS to a three-touchdown win over Decatur.
Colt Matlock was Frazier’s favorite target in the passing game, hauling in eight passes for 140 yards and three TDs, while Braeden Ray also had a receiving score.
EVAN REN: Top games worth traveling for during the 2025 football season
Got the truck started yet?
Ready to jump on one of those farm-to-market roads to watch high school football into the late hours on a Friday night?
You’re not alone.
And, as tradition would have it, I tip my cap to those of you who will be hitting the trails each week in search of pigskin. My method: a preseason menu of sorts.
Each week for the next 11 weeks, Big Country Preps will be searching for its Game of the Week, and we’re already looking ahead. We now present our preliminary list of Big Country Games worth traveling for, but keep in mind: the following list is subject to change as surprises and disappointments emerge.
And as we all know … surprises and disappointments always emerge.
So, without further delay, here is our list of Big Country games worth traveling for in 2025.
I’ll see you on the road.
MINERAL WELLS FEATURE: Senior DE Yowell ready to be leaned on heavily in final season
In the two seasons he’s been on varsity, Mineral Wells defensive end Trent Yowell has been named his district’s Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year.
Blessed with an excellent mix of size and athleticism, the now 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior has been a standout for coach Cody Worrell’s entire tenure with the Rams.
Now entering his final run with his coaches and MWHS teammates, Yowell is hoping to make his last season in a Rams uniform his best. And his coach is looking forward to seeing just what kind of finale he has planned.
2025 MINERAL WELLS FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Rams hope to start playoff streak after breakthrough campaign in ’24
Mineral Wells made a breakthrough in 2024, going 7-4 in coach Cody Worrell’s second season to snap a two-year playoff drought and claim the program’s first winning season since 2018.
This year, despite graduating a talented group of 16 lettermen, including seven offensive and five defensive starters, the Rams are hoping to prove they have some staying power.
MWHS, which has never had more than three consecutive playoff seasons, has an opportunity to achieve just the fifth postseason streak in its history with another trip to the playoffs this fall. And Worrell likes the determination he’s seen from his team to build on the foundation that was laid the last two seasons.
COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Mineral Wells Rams … eight 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. 20. 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. 4, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2025 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.
Today, we take a look at the Mineral Well Rams.
Evan Ren’s 2025 Big Country Preps All-Hustle Team (the hardest-working baseball and softball players in the area)
OTHER 2025 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 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 Saturday and Sunday, respectively, are in place to honor those who achieved the most on-field success in 2025. 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 Big Country had to offer during the 2025 season.
The players below are listed in no particular order.
2025 All-Big Country Preps Baseball Team: First-Team Roster
Here are our first-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
2025 All-Big Country Preps Baseball Team: Second-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)
Here are our second-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
2025 Big Country Preps Rising Stars Baseball Team
Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to release our 2025 All-Big Country Preps baseball teams.
Here, you will find our Rising Stars Team honoring the top freshmen and sophomores in the Big Country.
For the rest of this year’s baseball selections, please click the links below.
2025 All-Big Country Preps Softball Team: First-team Roster
Here are our first-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
- Superlative Award Winners (Pitcher of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, etc.)
- All-Big Country Preps Second-Team Softball Selections (w/ honorable mention)
- All-Big Country Preps Rising Stars Team (the best freshman and sophomores in the area!)
- Big Country Preps All-Hustle Team (To be released Monday night)
2025 All-Big Country Preps Softball Team: Second-team Roster (w/ honorable mention)
Here are our second-team selections for the 2025 All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
- Superlative Award Winners (Pitcher of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, etc.)
- All-Big Country Preps First-Team Softball Selections
- All-Big Country Preps Rising Stars Team (the best freshman and sophomores in the area!)
- Big Country Preps All-Hustle Team (To be released Monday night)
2025 Big Country Preps Rising Stars Softball Team
Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to release our 2025 All-Big Country Preps Softball teams.
Here, you will find our Rising Stars Team honoring the top freshmen and sophomores in the Big Country.
For the rest of this year’s softball selections, please click the links below.
- Superlative Award Winners (Pitcher of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, etc.)
- All-Big Country Preps First-Team Softball Selections
- All-Big Country Preps Second-Team Softball Selections
- Big Country Preps All-Hustle Team (To be released Monday night)
PHOTO GALLERY: Mineral Wells-Seminole baseball region championship playoff (103 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.
GAME STORY: Historic season for Mineral Wells ends with Game 3 loss to Seminole
GRAHAM — A magical season for the Mineral Wells baseball team has drawn to a close.
After going 7-17-1 in Jacob Clay’s first year as head coach, the Rams finished Year 2 at 20-14-1, beating Seminole 7-2 in Game 2 of their Region I-4A Division I championship series, before getting no-hit into the fifth inning in a 5-0 loss in Game 3 on Saturday at the Graham High School Baseball Field.
The 2025 season marked the first time that Mineral Wells advanced to a region final since 1958.
PHOTO GALLERY: Mineral Wells-Canyon West Plains baseball region semifinal playoff (30 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.
GAME STORY: Rams top West Plains to reach first regional final since 1958
COLORADO CITY — After winning the flip a few days prior to the Region I-4A DI semifinal series with Canyon West Plains, Mineral Wells elected to go with a one-game, winner-take-all format and rely on Texas Tech-bound righthander Holden Hering.
It paid off with a thrilling 3-1 win for the Rams — but not exactly as it was planned. The normally efficient Hering reached his pitch count of 110 in the top of the sixth and was switched to the outfield.
He did, however, continue his heroic effort with a massive two-run homer to dead center in the bottom of the sixth to supply the winning runs.
STATE TRACK ROUNDUP: Brownwood girls claim team title; Wall boys narrowly miss out
Cover photo courtesy Brian Hodnett
AUSTIN — The 2025 UIL state track and field meet got underway on Thursday at the University of Texas’ Mike A. Myers Track & Soccer Stadium, and the Big Country is bringing home some hardware.
The Brownwood Lady Lions made the most of their trip to Austin, claiming the Class 4A girls team championship on the strength of their three relays.
The Wall boys came “painfully close” in the words of track coach Craig Slaughter to giving the Big Country Preps area a second team title as the Hawks’ 64 points left them just two points behind Holliday in the Class 3A boys team standings.
Even so, Slaughter said that Wall’s relay teams, both boys and girls, all set personal records in an “incredible day.”
AREA BASEBALL STAT LEADERS (Final stat report for 2025)
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through May 1.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Final Area Softball Stat Leaders (through April 24)
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 24:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his or her email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Area Baseball Stat Leaders (through April 24)
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 24.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
CLASS 4A REGIONAL TRACK ROUNDUP: Brownwood girls take team title, area athletes earn 23 medals at I-4A meet
LUBBOCK — The Brownwood girls won a team title and Stephenville finished second behind Canyon on the boys side over the weekend to headline a strong effort by programs and athletes from the Big Country Preps coverage area at the Region I-4A track meet.
The Lady Lions earned 113 points to run away from the competition at Lowrey Field, topping second-place Canyon by 38 points and third-place Canyon Randall by 53. The Stephenville boys, meanwhile, finished with 76 points to fall 15 shy of Canyon for the team championship.
Those efforts highlighted a successful meet that saw area athletes claim 23 total medals — 13 on the girls side and 10 on the boys.
PHOTO GALLERY: Brock-Mineral Wells baseball (30 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: Brock-Mineral Wells baseball (30 images)”
GAME STORY: Brock shuts out Mineral Wells behind masterpiece from Evan O’Connor
MINERAL WELLS — With a raucous Mineral Wells crowd aiming a wide variety of noise makers (including duck calls) at him, Brock’s Evan O’Connor had an effective countermeasure: pure heat.
With first place in District 6-4A DI in the balance, O’Connor unleashed one of the most dominant performances the Big Country Preps coverage area has seen this year with a one-hit, 6-0 victory at Pratt Field.
Consistently hitting the radar gun at 91 mph and pegging it at 92, the junior southpaw fanned 16 Mineral Wells hitters against only two walks and limited the Rams to a second-inning infield hit by Curry Crouch.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wall’s Jones takes the award with spectacular effort at area meet
The best way to describe the area meet performance of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week (Wall’s Briggs Jones) is to simply let his coach, Craig Slaughter do the talking.
“He ran a blistering 10.41 to set a school record and win the 100 meters,” Slaughter said. “He broke his long jump record with a jump of 23-11.5. I only let him jump twice because he was running out of room in the pit and I need that dude cranked up this week.
“Then he destroyed his triple jump record with a jump of 48-7.25
