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.
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.
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
After spending 11 years at Seymour, including the last three seasons as the head football coach and athletic director, Dan Loyd has been chosen to take on the same roles at Roscoe, pending school board approval on Monday morning.
The Panthers made it to the postseason nine straight years during Loyd’s time with the program — a stint that included time as the quarterbacks coach and defensive coordinator before becoming head coach in 2022.
That’s right, he went from coaching the most important offensive position to leading the defense, a very unorthodox move for a unique personality.
While scoring and rebounding garner much of the attention in basketball, there are other elements, crucial to success that seldom grab headlines.
Behind the scenes is where character, effort and sacrifice set the foundation for teams to reach their full potential. And it is with our Big Country Preps Gym Rat Team that we salute the individuals who bring these elements to the table.
This team isn’t about who the best players are — though some of the area’s top players are on this list.
The Gym Rat Team is about outworking, outhustling and outgiving everyone around you, both on the floor and off. Hard-working, honest, selfless, tough, coachable kids are what we seek for this roster.
A Gym Rat Team member can be your best player or the last player off the bench. But the one thing all of them bring is an uncompromisingly good attitude.
It is for that reason that our Gym Rat Team is selected entirely by area coaches. And Big Country Preps is truly honored to present these individuals to you — the best “team players” (boys and girls) that the area had to offer during the 2024-25 season.
Players are listed in no particular order.
Enjoy.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through March 27:
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.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through March 27.
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.
20Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through March 20.
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.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through March 20:
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.
In an unexpected move, the Roscoe school board voted 4-3 on Wednesday night to not renew the contract of Jake Freeman, the school’s head football coach and athletic director since 2013.
Freeman led Roscoe to an overall record of 64-68 with nine playoff appearances, including district championships in 2015 and 2021.
Wednesday’s decision ended Freeman’s run at a place he considered a dream job.
For two years, Stamford’s Emma Follis has been one of our area’s elite softball players, both as a pitcher and a hitter.
Last week, Follis picked up right where she left off a year ago, notching a 3-1 record in the circle with 35 strikeouts at the Slaton Tournament.
She was even better at the plate, hitting .714 with a triple, four homers and nine RBIs.
At this rate her numbers could be staggering by season’s end. And keep in mind, many of these games were shortened to accommodate the tournament schedule.
In several shortened games Emma came out hot in the circle and at the plate,” coach Sean Slavis said. “We are pumped to finally be playing again!”
Roscoe girls basketball coach Shella Arnwine admits it can be difficult for her to convey into words what these past few months have meant to her family.
Arnwine’s Plowgirls are having one of their best seasons in recent memory. They’ve already beaten Sonora and Smyer in the Region I-2A Division II playoffs and will face No. 10 Clarendon in the regional semifinals.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Feb. 13.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his or her email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 13.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
National Signing Day is typically a busy one in the Big Country Preps’ coverage area and 2025 was no exception with several players inking and/or confirming their commitments to play at the next level.
At various signing ceremonies held throughout the area, athletes celebrated their final choices to pursue a degree while competing collegiately.
Cisco’s Law Pinnick picked the perfect night to have one of the best games he’s ever had — a crucial district showdown at Hawley, where he helped the Loboes to a 55-43 win over the Bearcats with 18 points and an eye-popping 19 rebounds.
Three days later he delivered 23 points and 10 boards to help Cisco beat Albany — lifting the Loboes to 16-6 overall and 9-0 in district.
His performance earned him our Big Country Preps Player of the Week Award for the Week ending Feb. 1.
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: Roscoe-Miles basketball doubleheader (30 images)”
MILES — The old adage that defense wins championships saw a couple of strong arguments on Friday at Miles High School where both the Roscoe girls and boys teams used defensive stops to hand MHS consecutive losses on its home floor and capture both District 8-2A titles.
The Plowgirls opened the evening with a 46-23 win, followed by the Plowboys, who used timely defense down the stretch to stop Miles 64-50 in the nightcap.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Jan. 30.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Jan. 30.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his or her email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Jan. 23.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Jan. 23.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his or her email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
Back-to-back double-doubles in two dominating efforts were enough to give Gorman junior Delila Crain our Big Country Player of the Week for the week ending Saturday, Jan. 18.
Opening the week with an 83-7 rout of Bluff Dale, Crain posted 30 points and 10 boards to go with five assists, five deflections, six steals and four blocks.
She followed that with 21 points, 12 boards, five deflections, four assists and three steals in a 58-27 win over Huckabay.
We all know a football player who almost never misses any practice time and practically lives in the weight room. He’s always early to arrive and late to leave. He’s coachable, but seldom needs direction because he always pays attention.
You know who I’m talking about.
The guy who sets a good example for young players. The guy who never complains and, first and foremost, is tough mentally and physically. He may not be the best player on a team (though some of them are). But he’s definitely the guy who gets the most out of the talent he’s given.
Welcome to the 2024 “True Grit” team — the one place in the Big Country where guys who fall into this category are recognized for it.
Here are our first-team selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Here are our second-team selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Here are our selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps Football Team (Third-Team roster). For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Here are our selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps Rising Stars Team — an honor reserved for the area’s top freshman and sophomore football players. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
EULA — Since the Eula Holiday Classic expanded to 16 teams for both the boys and girls tournaments in 2005, neither of the Pirates programs had won the tournament title.
That changed on Saturday when the Lady Pirates, who entered the tournament ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 1A, knocked off 10th-ranked Hermleigh 50-41 in a spirited championship match at Mary Mosley Gymnasium.
The win capped off a day that saw Roscoe and Clyde fall in the third- and fifth-place games, respectively, while the Tolar Lady Rattlers won the consolation championship.
Our final Big Country Preps Player of the Week for 2024 earned it in several ways.
Forsan sophomore Coy Evans, a multi-talented guard who plays way ahead of the learning curve, takes our accolade after helping the Buffaloes to a 3-1 record and a third-place finish in the Borden County Tournament over the Weekend.
“He played very unselfish basketball,” Forsan coach Cory Richardson said. “He was getting other people involved and when we needed him to, he stepped up and scored.”
It’s been a little while for Anson’s Corey Layne.
The AHS senior quarterback took our Big Country Preps Player of the Week way back on Sept. 16, but has missed the top spot for two months — until today.
Layne, who led Anson to a 45-11 bi-district rout of Christoval last week, took our Player of the Week with an effort that included 197 yards rushing and four scores on only 20 carries. He also hit 12 of 20 passes for 171 yards and three more TDs to give him a direct hand in seven scores.
But that’s just the half of it.
Miles 29, Roscoe 13 — 
Liam Yancy threw for 275 yards and three scores as Miles defeated Roscoe on Friday. Cooper Ellison was on the receiving end of two of those TD strikes and finished with seven catches for 73 yards.
The Bulldogs improved to 8-2 and 4-1 with the win.
Roscoe fell to 4-5 and 3-2.
LAST WEEK: 45-8, .849
SEASON TOTAL: 464-122, .791
The regular season ends Friday night (if you can believe it) and there’s no better way to close things up than with No. 5 Class 2A DI Hawley (9-0, 4-0) at No. 1 Stamford (9-0, 4-0).
The winner will earn the District 4 championship and No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs, so much is at stake.
I’m leaning toward Stamford here for three reasons: First, the overall team speed of SHS is unmatched by anyone in the area.
Secondly, the Bulldogs have an intangible working here — specifically a last-second miracle touchdown scored by Hawley’s
Camden Ables from 45 yards out with 0:47 left in last year’s game.
Hamlin 27, Cross Plains 24 — The Pied Pipers rushed for 220 yards as a team to overcome Cross Plains in a thriller.
Hudson Smith, Kyson McGee and Ian Gruben all found the end zone for the Pipers (6-3, 2-2), who clinched a postseason berth with the win.
ROSCOE — Great defense, big plays and a handful of Roscoe mistakes were the story line in a 38-7 Albany win over the Plowboys on Friday.
Branson Beal rushed for 130 yards, had 118 yards receiving and accounted for four touchdowns to lead the Lions (7-2, 4-0), who clinched their fifth straight district championship with the win.
Following a highly competitive first quarter that saw the score deadlocked at 7-7, the Lions reeled off 31 unanswered points to turn the District 7-2A DII title game into a rout.
Photos provided by Melissa Carroll and Kelly Moody
There’s a great deal of excitement brewing around the Tolar volleyball team heading into postseason play and with good reason. If the Lady Rattlers (28-9, 12-1 District 8-3A) manage to knock off Comanche on Tuesday, they will set a school record for wins in a season.
Secondly, senior setter Abbie Soileau is dishing assists like they were going out of style — including the 47 she tallied last week in wins over No. 25 Peaster and Early. That lifted her season total to a Tolar school record 1,032 assists on the year and more 1,700 for her career.
Miles 41, Hamlin 0 — 
Liam Yancy threw for 243 yards and three scores and Tevin Meade rushed for 98 yards and another score to lead the Bulldogs over Hamlin.
Jaylen Torres led the defensive effort for MHS with nine tackles, two for loss, one pick and a blocked punt.
LAST WEEK: 41-10 .803
SEASON TOTAL: 367-108, .772
Football season doesn’t feel complete without at least one visit to Chesley Field in Cisco. And Friday night, the Big Country Preps Game of the Week will stop by for a crucial District 4-2A DI matchup between the Loboes (5-2, 1-1) and Hawley (7-0, 2-0).
For Hawley, a win here will keep open the possibility of an unbeaten regular season. For Cisco, a victory would signal the beginning of a climb back into area prominence.
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.
With the Albany Lions winning last week’s district game with Winters by a score of 60-0, there were ample opportunities for the Lions to produce a Player of the Week-worthy performance.
They found one in senior Branson Beal, who rushed 11 times for 144 yards and five scores. He also caught a 46-yard TD pass to chart six touchdowns on the night.
“He might have the quickest feet of any (player) I have coached,” Albany coach Denney Faith said. “Combine that with great vision it makes him fun to watch.”