Here’s a rundown of Friday’s Class 2A regional semifinal results in the Big Country:
Category: Roscoe Plowboys
EVAN REN’S THANKSGIVING WEEK PLAYOFF PICKS: Big Country takes 16 teams from 1A through 5A into Turkey Day weekend
LAST WEEK: 22-5, .814
SEASON TOTAL: 535-108, .832
Turkey Day has arrived and we’ve still got 16 Big Country football teams from 1A through 5A hitting the field this week.
That’s up from 13 a year ago, giving you some perspective on the overall quality of area football in 2023. And unless I miss my guess, we’ll have at least 10 area teams still slugging it out in December.
Not too shabby.
Of those, we have roughly seven or eight that have a shot at reaching Arlington and playing for a state championship, including four that I would consider favorites to win it all.
That said, let’s take a look at this week’s matchups, shall we?
Be safe going to your games!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
PHOTO GALLERY: Roscoe-Windthorst football playoff (32 images)
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GAME STORY: Roscoe dominates Windthorst to advance to regional quarterfinal round
ABILENE — While studying Windthorst on videotape last week, Roscoe coach Jake Freeman discovered something that he felt may give his Plowboys a decisive edge in the area round: The Trojans might be vulnerable to a super-physical team.
And so went the Roscoe game plan heading into Thursday’s area round clash at McMurry University that saw the Plowboys overpower Windthorst in a stunning 50-22 blowout.
Ivan “The Terrible” McCann rushed for a school playoff record 272 yards and five scores to lift Roscoe (10-2), which now advances to the Region II-2A DII quarterfinals where it will meet the winner of Collinsville (10-1) and Miles (8-3).
“When we looked at it, we felt the (3-4) defense they were going to line up in gave us a chance to exploit a few weaknesses inside,” Freeman said. “We felt our offensive line was bigger than their defensive front and the way for us to win this game was in controlling the football and keeping it away from their big receivers.”
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYOFF FORECAST: BCP carries 33 teams into Week 13, but how many will move on?
LAST WEEK: 36-5, .878
SEASON TOTAL: 513-103, .832
As we enter Week 13, the Big Country Preps coverage area still has 33 teams from 1A through 5A with a playoff pulse, including a handful with decent shot at a state championship.
However, as we all know, things begin to get much tougher when you get to the area round and unless I miss my guess, we’ll see around 15-17 of our area teams eliminated by Saturday.
The good news is, we should have 16-18 clubs playing over the Thanksgiving holiday, which is a pretty solid number for what will be the 14th week of the season.
So without further ado, let’s dive in.
Here’s this week’s playoff forecast:
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Hico’s Powell takes this week’s accolade
Big numbers are always great to have when we decide the winner of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award. Solid numbers across multiple tasks are even better.
That was the case with this week’s spotlight player, Buck Powell, of Hico, who helped the Tigers to a 47-14 rout of Maud in the Class 2A DII bi-district round on Friday.
2023 BIG COUNTRY PREPS BOYS BASKETBALL PREVIEW: The area’s top teams in each class throughout the BCP coverage area
With a new season of boys high school basketball poised to begin, it’s time to take a look at what the Big Country will produce on the court.
Below you will find our top teams in each classification in the Big Country Preps coverage area, from Big Spring in the West, to Brock in the east and from Brady in the south to Munday in the north.
Our rankings of the top teams in each class are given, along with a season outlook, cataloguing our expectations for each club.
Here’s our preview. We’ll see you on the road.
DISTRICT 6-2A DIV. II WEEK 11 REPORT: Albany runs the table, Roscoe takes second seed, Miles beats Cross Plains for No. 3 spot
Albany 66, TLCA 0 — Albany concluded a perfect regular season and sweep of its district opponents with a win over Abilene TLCA.
Chip Chambers threw for 145 yards and four TDs and Adam Hill rushed for 98 yards and three TDs on three carries to lift the Lions (10-0, 5-0), who will face Albany vs. Eldorado, on Thursday at Colorado City’s Wolf Stadium. at 7 p.m.
TLCA closed its season at 1-9 and 0-5.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Wylie, Cooper clash in burgeoning rivalry game
LAST WEEK: 47-5, .903
SEASON TOTAL: 438-91, .827
With the column hitting at more than 90 percent accuracy last week, we now close the regular season on the upswing and with something uncommon: A local Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
While our weekly picks column generally highlights the top area game outside of the Abilene city limits, this week seems to call for us to stay at home with rivals Wylie (6-3, 3-1) and Cooper (4-5, 3-1) fighting for sole possession of the No. 2 seed in District 2-5A Division II.
Big Country Volleyball Statistical Leaders (as submitted by area coaches through Oct. 31)
NOTE: This will be our final installment of Big Country Volleyball Statistical Leaders for the 2023 season
Big Country Preps is publishing area volleyball statistical leaders each Tuesday at 7 p.m. roughout the regular season.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Hawley’s Ramon is this week’s award winner
With much of the reporting from Friday’s 34-30 win by Hawley over Stamford going to a stunning game-winning touchdown scored by Camden Ables, someone got lost in the shuffle.
That would be our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, Diontay Ramon, a Hawley senior receiver-DB without whom, the Bearcats’ last-minute miracle never would have materialized.
For starters, Ramon hauled in 11 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. He also had four carries for 23 yards and another score, but we’re just warming up.
DISTRICT 6-2A DIV. II WEEK 10 REPORT: Roscoe secures No. 2 seed; Albany wraps up district title; Cross Plains earns playoff spot
Roscoe 34, Miles 33 — Ivan “The Terrible” McCann bulldozed his way to 231 yards rushing and four scores to lift Roscoe to an important district win over visiting Miles.
The Plowboys led 34-21 late in the third quarter before absorbing back to back Miles touchdowns, both of which were followed by missed PATs.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Bulldogs, Bearcats meet with district title in the balance
LAST WEEK: 44-7, .862
SEASON TOTAL: 391-86, .820
It really didn’t take long for people to start talking about the Hawley – Stamford matchup in 2023. In fact, this one was on our calendar as a possible Game of the Week before the season even started.
Who will win? That depends on who you speak with. Our Twitter poll is split virtually down the middle and even the computers see this one as a near tossup.
Stamford (7-0, 4-0 District 4-2A DII) enters this game scarcely challenged, rolling over the opposition by an average tally of 45-8. Hawley (6-2, 4-0), on the other hand, comes in with some battle scars after a brutal schedule featuring Jim Ned, Lubbock Roosevelt and Albany.
Big Country Volleyball Statistical Leaders (as submitted by area coaches through Oct. 24)
Big Country Preps is publishing area volleyball statistical leaders each Tuesday at 7 p.m. roughout the regular season.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Big Spring’s Kavien Ford lands the top spot
Every now and then, the biggest performances come at precisely the right time. And in the case of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, that couldn’t be more true than it is now.
With his team laboring through a five-game losing streak and in danger of losing a playoff spot, Big Spring’s Kavien Ford came up with one of the best performances we’ve seen this year when he rushed for 374 yards and seven scores on 39 carries in a 63-43 win over San Angelo Lake View.
The win put Big Spring (2-6, 1-1) in a three-way tie for second place with one game remaining in the regular season. It also kept Lake View in sole possession of last place.
PHOTO GALLERY: Roscoe-Albany football (45 images)
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DISTRICT 6-2A DIV. II Week 9 Report: Cross Plains wins crucial matchup with Hamlin; Miles, Albany both score wins
Cross Plains 28, Hamlin 6 — Dusty Wyatt rushed for 227 yards and three TDs to lift Cross Plains to an important district win over Hamlin.
Leading 13-6 at the break, the Buffaloes took firm control of the game with a pair of second-half touchdowns.
GAME STORY: Albany tops Roscoe 44-7 in a tale of two halves
ALBANY — For Albany, it was not unlike countless of big district games the Lions have played over the years. For the upstart Roscoe Plowboys, it was an opportunity to challenge a perennial area power for the district lead with the entire area paying attention.
And for 24 minutes, Roscoe (a 31-point underdog) appeared ready to shock the Big Country, forcing four first-half turnovers and heading into the locker room trailing 10-7. It was Albany, however, which had experience in closing big games and suddenly turned this one into a rout with a 34-0 second half run to win 44-7.
Adam Hill rushed for 253 yards and two scores and caught a 15-yard TD pass to lead top-ranked Albany (8-0, 3-0 District 6-2A DII), which survived a five-turnover night by limiting Roscoe (6-2, 2-1) to only 149 total yards and no offensive touchdowns.
“(Roscoe) was really playing well,” Albany coach Denney Faith said. “They were loading the box to stop Adam and doing some things that caught us off guard. They came out and played a great first half and we had to do a lot better.”
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 6-2A DIV. II WEEK 8 REPORT: Roscoe, Albany, Miles all come away victorious on Friday
Roscoe 57, Abilene TLCA 0 — In a game that was halted in the second half due to an injury scare, the Plowboys remained in district title contention with a win over the Eagles.
Jace Arnwine threw for 213 yards and two scores and Aiden Cema rushed for 116 yards and two more TDs to lift Roscoe (6-1, 2-0), which faces defending state champion Albany next week for sole possession of first place in the district.
GAME REPORT: Serious injury ends Roscoe-Abilene TLCA early
Update, 8:30 a.m. Saturday: Per TLCA coach Jeremy Kirk, freshman Dekota Morris-Porras was released from the hospital shortly after 8 a.m. with a clean bill of health.
In a scene that nobody attending a football game ever wants to see, Friday’s Roscoe-Abilene TLCA game was called early in the second half after a major injury scare.
As Roscoe was driving on offense, TLCA freshman Dekota Morris-Porras landed awkwardly on his upper back/neck-area after being blocked, and paramedics immediately started tending to him.
TLCA coach Jeremy Kirk said Morris-Porras, who was just called up to varsity this week, was transported to Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital in Sweetwater for evaluation and treatment.
Continue reading “GAME REPORT: Serious injury ends Roscoe-Abilene TLCA early”
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.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde senior claims his second weekly accolade
One top-notch performance after another.
That’s the 2023 résumé of Clyde senior quarterback Blake Carr, who has once again taken our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award after leading the Bulldogs to a 60-36 rout of Vernon on the road on Friday.
It is the second time this season Carr has taken the top spot.
DISTRICT 6 2A DIV. II Week 7 Report: Albany routs Miles; Hamlin, Roscoe win
Albany 41, Miles 0 — Adam Hill rushed for 184 yards and three scores and Chip Chambers threw for 195 yards and three more TDs to lift Albany to an easy win over Miles.
The Lions finished with 475 yards in total offense while limiting a much-publicized Miles offense to 105 total yards.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cisco running back takes this week’s accolade
After an 0-4 start against a brutal non-district slate, the Cisco Loboes have rebounded with a pair of wins in district play, most recently, Friday’s 48-7 victory over Winters at Chesley Field.
Our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, senior running back Gus Hart, was at the forefront of that win with 173 yards and six touchdowns on only 14 carries.
“Gus had a great game against Winters,” coach Kevin Stennett said. “He has battled some injuries this year and he is finally getting back to 100 percent. “We will rely on him heavily over the next few weeks.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Junction-Roscoe football (88 images)
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BIG COUNTRY PREPS NOTEBOOK: Mentioned tonight …Roscoe, Brock, Haskell and Stamford
ROSCOE — At first glance, the Roscoe Plowboys of 2023 may leave you short of being awestruck.
They’re 4-1 against good overall competition. But with the exception of a lopsided win over Colorado City in Week 1, nothing really leaps off the page.
There are, however, two factors here to consider: First, the Plowboys have been without starting quarterback Jax Watts since a Week 1 injury. And secondly, their last four games have all been decided by two scores or less and they’ve managed to win three of them under tough circumstances.
That’s a good sign.
Consistently finding a way to win close games is a trait you want to carry into district play.
DISTRICT 6-2A DIV. II WEEK 6 REPORT: Roscoe wins while remainder of district takes a break
Most of District 6-2A Division II was idle on Friday, with district play opening next week. Roscoe’s tough win over Junction was the lone game played, with the rest of the league enjoying a bye.
Here’s a quick look at the approaching district matchups:
GAME STORY: Roscoe gets defensive in hard-fought 20-14 win over Junction
ROSCOE — Roscoe’s final nondistrict game against Junction on Friday wasn’t high on style points — or points in general, for that matter. But at the end of the night at Plowboy Field, the home squad had more of the ones that mattered in a hard-fought 20-14 win.
The Plowboys finished the game with just 205 yards of total offense and had more punts (seven) than first downs (six), but coach Jake Freeman’s team took advantage of five Eagles turnovers in a strong defensive performance overall.
Parker Gleaton caught a pair of touchdown passes and fellow senior Julian Cuellar had three of Roscoe’s four interceptions to key the victory, which improved the Plowboys to 4-1 heading into next week’s District 6-4A Division II opener at Cross Plains.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Yellow Jackets head to Brownwood to face archrival
LAST WEEK: 46-12, .793
SEASON TOTAL: 229-61, .789
More often than not, Big Country Preps makes an appearance at the annual Stephenville-Brownwood matchup. Because more often than not, it produces a game worthy of one of Texas’ top rivalries.
This year is no exception as Stephenville travels to famous Gordon Wood Stadium for the Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
DISTRICT 6-2A DIV. II Week 5 Report: Albany tops Comanche, Cross Plains, Hamlin both collect victories
Albany 31, Comanche 13 — Chip Chambers passed for 178 yards and three touchdowns and Adam Hill rushed for 136 yards and a score to lead the Lions to a comfortable win over the Indians.
Behind those two, Albany outscored Comanche 10-0 in the third quarter, stretching a 14-7 halftime lead to three scores by the start of the fourth.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Sweetwater plays host to Clyde in battle of unbeatens
LAST WEEK: 44-11, .800
SEASON TOTAL: 183-49, .788
Some weeks are just loaded with competitive area games and Week 5 of the 2023 season falls squarely into that category.
This week’s menu features six or seven games that under normal circumstances, would qualify for our Big Country Preps Game of the Week. This forces us to push some great matchups aside to select our spotlight game.
This week, we go with a battle of unbeatens — Class 3A Division I Clyde (4-0) at Class 4A Div. II Sweetwater (4-0) — at the famed Mustang Bowl at SHS.
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.
DISTRICT 6-2A DIV. II WEEK 4 REPORT: Albany tops Hawley in battle of state champs; Roscoe, Hamlin both win
Albany 27, Hawley 14 — Albany improved to 4-0 with a win in this matchup of defending state champions behind three TD passes from Chip Chambers.
Leading 27-14 at the break, the Lions held on through a scoreless second half at Hardin-Simmon’ Shelton Stadium in a game that was moved due to Hawley’s Forrest Field being rendered unplayable by recent rainfall.
Hawley (2-2) was led by Keagan Ables, who threw for 231 yards and one score.
DISTRICT 6-2A DIV. II WEEK 3 REPORT: Hill’s big game fuels Albany past Seymour; Roscoe, Hamlin take care of business
Albany 41, Seymour 14 — The Lions threw for only 26 yards, but with Adam Hill rushing for 326 yards and four scores, they didn’t really need to throw the football around much.
Albany improved to 3-0 with the win.
DISTRICT 6-2A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Hamlin chalks up first victory for Botos, Albany wins big at Dublin
Hamlin 19, Water Valley 14 — First-year Hamlin Coach Jason Botos earned his first victory as his Pied Pipers rushed for 201 yards as a team.
Clayton Rister led Hamlin (1-1) with 113 yards rushing on 14 carries with one TD.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Snyder’s Stewart takes our first award of the school year
After a summer-long effort to produce our football preview, it is good to be back in our school year routine — a big part of which is our Big Country Preps Player of the Week.
That said, we are proud to hand our first accolade for 2023-24 to Snyder senior quarterback Easton Stewart, who led the Tigers to a 42-0 season-opening win over Slaton last week.
DISTRICT 6-2A DII WEEK 1 REPORT: Roscoe opens season with big win over C-City
Roscoe 42, Colorado City 0 — Roscoe used a dual-threat offense and a strong defensive effort to beat C-City in the opener for both teams.
Jace Arnwine threw for 258 yards and two scores and Ivan McCann rushed for 139 yards and two more touchdowns to lift the Plowboys, who limited C-City to only 107 yards in total offense.
Continue reading “DISTRICT 6-2A DII WEEK 1 REPORT: Roscoe opens season with big win over C-City”
ROSCOE FEATURE: Matchup nightmare Gleaton has plans for big senior year
At most levels of high school football — and especially the Class 2A Division II level — a 6-foot-4, 230-pound frame will earn you a one-way ticket to the offensive line.
For one, that kind of size isn’t teachable or easily replaced. And most at that size possess skill sets best suited for line play.
Roscoe’s Parker Gleaton is the exception to the rule. With good speed and excellent coordination to go with his size, the senior has carved out his niche as a two-way star at tight end and defensive end. And while doing so has pulled down the average weight of RHS O-line by a few pounds, it’s made the Plowboys a much more difficult team to defend and prepare for on Friday nights.
2023 ROSCOE FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Senior-heavy Plowboys out to improve on injury-plagued 2022
A year ago, the Roscoe Plowboys saw a promising season derailed by a series of significant injuries to a number of key players.
While coach Jake Freeman’s team was still able to reach the playoffs, extending its streak of consecutive postseason appearances to three consecutive seasons, RHS limped to a 6-5 finish that fell several wins shy of the lofty expectations it had set after returning 18 lettermen from a 10-2 squad in 2021.
Fortunately for Roscoe, which fielded a junior-heavy roster last year, it has an opportunity to run it back this fall. And with 18 returning lettermen again, including nine starters on both sides of the ball, the now senior-led Plowboys like their chances of improving on last year’s record.
Scenes from Big Country Preps Photo Tour Day 1
Day 1 of Big Country Preps’ 2023 Photo Tour is now in the books, with seven more days of shooting yet to come from practice fields throughout the area.
Here are but a few of the images collected Monday:
Continue reading “Scenes from Big Country Preps Photo Tour Day 1”
COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Roscoe Plowboys … 37 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. 16. 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 July 31, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2023 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.
We continue in Class 2A Division II with the Roscoe Plowboys. On Sunday we will take a look at the Haskell Indians, followed by the Santo Wildcats on Monday.
Continue reading “COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: The Roscoe Plowboys … 37 days to two-a-days”
PHOTO GALLERY: 2023 State LineMAN Championships (133 photos)
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: 2023 State LineMAN Championships (133 photos)”
STATE TRACK ROUNDUP: Stamford girls claim share of Class 2A team title
AUSTIN — After a slow start in the field events on Friday saw the Big Country net just four medals, things heated up in the evening session when the track events got rolling.
Big Country athletes picked up 10 medals under the lights at Mike A. Meyers Stadium at the University of Texas, giving the area 14 for the day.
On top of that, the Stamford girls team finished in a three-way tie with Refugio and Panhandle with 32 points to claim a share of the state championship. Goldthwaite’s girls finished three points back in fourth.
REGION I-2A TRACK RECAP: Coleman’s Smith, C-City’s Raschke headline solid area effort
CANYON — Behind gold medal efforts by Coleman’s Braxton Smith and Colorado City’s Jordan Raschke, the Big Country locked up seven state berths over the weekend at the Region I-2A track meet at West Texas A&M University Track & Field Complex.
Smith won the boys long jump and Raschke the boys 110-meter hurdles to headline a list of 12 area entries to medal at the meet — six on the boys side and six on the girls side.
The Bluecats, who also got a silver medal from Clayton Lackey in the discus and a bronze in the 400 relay, had the top team finish of any Big Country squad, scoring 34 points to finish third behind champion Panhandle (77) and runner-up Plains (47).
PHOTO GALLERY: Roscoe-Sundown girls basketball area round playoff (47 images)
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GAME STORY: Huge Plowgirl rally falls short in tough area round loss to Sundown
POST — Plagued by an early case of nerves that led to missed shots from pointblank range and multiple turnovers, the Roscoe Plowgirls had dug a first-half hole for themselves in Friday’s 2A area round clash with Sundown.
By night’s end, Roscoe came close enough to put a serious scare into Sundown, but eventually fell 56-47 at Antelope Arena.