Here are the final standings for all girls basketball districts involving Big Country schools (with Tuesday’s results):
Category: Stephenville Yellow Jackets
BCP Podcast No. 81: Evan, Daniel talk Ballinger boys hoops with coach Jamal Anene
In his four years as Ballinger’s boys basketball coach, Jamal Anene has built the Bearcats into a consistent playoff team. The same is true this year of BHS, which enters a big game Friday against San Angelo TLCA at 23-8 overall and 8-2 in District 4-3A.
Earlier this week, Anene took a few minutes to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about this season, his goals for the program and his unique background for the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the end of the girls basketball regular season and some of the biggest storylines in the final week of boys district games.
EVAN REN: This week in Big Country girls basketball (Feb. 10-16)
With the first round of the playoff slated to begin Feb. 17, we now enter the final week of the regular season on the girls side.
By the end of the week, Big Country Preps will be gathering pairing information and monitoring area tie-breakers, of which there will be several.
In the meantime, let’s have a quick look at what’s on tap:
Continue reading “EVAN REN: This week in Big Country girls basketball (Feb. 10-16)”
DANIEL YOUNGBLOOD: This week in Big Country boys basketball (Feb. 10-16)
It seems like basketball just started a few weeks ago, but — believe it or not — we’re down to the final two weeks of the boys hoops regular season.
And with just three more dates remaining before the playoffs begin, the urgency has never been higher for area teams. Whether they’re fighting for a district title, jockeying to improve playoff seeding or just trying to find a way into the postseason bracket, Big Country squads will have plenty to play for in jam-packed Tuesday and Friday slates this week.
Without wasting any more time, let’s take a look at what the schedule has in store.
BIG COUNTRY GIRLS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Feb. 7)
Big Country Preps publishes area boys and girls basketball statistical leaders each Thursday at 7 p.m.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
BIG COUNTRY BOYS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Feb. 7)
Big Country Preps publishes area boys and girls basketball statistical leaders each Thursday at 7 p.m.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
BCP Podcast No. 80: Dublin’s Parker talks ‘Flyin’ Lions’ basketball with Evan, Daniel
During his time at Dublin, boys basketball coach Will Parker has introduced an up-tempo, run-and-gun playing style that has not only increased enthusiasm around his program,but has helped the “Flyin’ Lions” win games. That’s a true again this season, which has seen the DHS boys produce a 20-9 record to date.
Earlier this week, Parker took some time to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about this year’s team, his philosophy on tempo and the success he’s enjoyed for the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this week’s episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the top upcoming matchups on the Big Country hoops scene and give their thoughts on Wylie’s decision to promote longtime defensive coordinator Clay Martin to head football coach.
SIGNING DAY: Weather spoils several signing ceremonies, but Signing Day still brings recognition
Eastland’s Behren Morton isn’t the only current Big Country high school athlete moving on to the next level.
A number of others joined him in making their collegiate commitments during National Signing Day on Wednesday. Though Morton is only a junior, his highly publicized verbal commitment to Texas Tech on Oct. 15 headlines the current crop of Big Country athletes who will be seen on collegiate playing fields in the near future.
There are several other notables, beginning with Brownwood senior receiver/defensive back AJ McCarty, who is heading to Baylor, San Saba quarterback Sean O’Keefe, who is heading to Tulsa and Early high jumper/hurdler Trinity Tomlinson, who will compete for the University of Texas.
UIL hands out its share of surprises to area schools (w/ five video interviews)
ABILENE — The University Interscholastic league released its new athletic districts for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years on Monday.
As always, a sizable contingent of area coaches was on hand at the Region 14 Education Service Center to receive their information packets and arrange for any last-second schedule changes that were forced by realignment.
Perhaps the biggest stunner was a move north by Class 2A Division I power San Saba, which has been shifted to the new District 4 with Cisco, Coleman, De Leon, Goldthwaite and Winters.
FEATURE: Stephenville, Hodges build detour to success after losing McClendon
STEPHENVILLE — Coming off a sophomore campaign that saw her earn all-state honors from the Texas Girls Coaches Association, Stephenville post Alee McClendon came into the 2019-20 season facing big expectations.
And a month into the season, she was delivering on it, averaging 11.2 points and 8.2 rebounds on a balanced, talented Stephenville roster with multiple scoring options.
Then it happened: While playing against Burnet in the third-place game of Fredericksburg’s Battlin’ Billie Classic on Dec.14, McClendon was bumped from behind after jumping in the paint. An awkward landing resulted in a torn ACL, a partially torn LCL and additional tears on her meniscus.
Her season? Over.
Her teammates? In stunned silence.
DANIEL YOUNGBLOOD: This week in Big Country boys basketball (Feb. 3-9)
It’s hard to believe, but we’re rapidly approaching the home stretch of the high school boys basketball season.
District races are starting to take shape, making every game important for the teams still in district title/playoff contention.
With that said, let’s take our weekly look at the top matchups this week and biggest results from last week’s games.
EVAN REN: This week in Big Country girls basketball (Feb. 3-9)
February brings the regular season homestretch for girls basketball, along with the first round of the playoffs, slated to begin Feb. 17.
In the meantime, we’ve got a solid set of games to keep track of this week with playoff implications up and down the menu.
Let’s have a quick look at what’s on tap:
If you’re not subscribed at Big Country Preps yet, here’s what you missed last month …
If you’re not subscribed at BigCountryPreps.com yet, this is what you’ve missed over the past month:
— 16 player features,
— On-site coverage of 18 of the area’s top games
— Boys and girls stat leaders (updated weekly)
— Area standings (updated twice weekly)
— Columns
— Our All-Big Country Preps football teams
— Evan Ren’s Big Country True Grit Football Team
— Four BCP Players of the Week
— Breaking sports stories.
For as little as $3 per month you can gain access to the most comprehensive coverage of high school football, basketball, baseball, softball and track in the Big Country.
We have three low subscription options for you to choose from — monthly, semiannual and annual — with prices that always stay the same. No sign-up gimmicks here.
Here’s a look at the entirety of our January coverage (plus links):
BIG COUNTRY BOYS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Jan. 30)
Big Country Preps publishes area boys and girls basketball statistical leaders each Thursday at 7 p.m.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
BIG COUNTRY GIRLS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Jan. 30)
Big Country Preps publishes area boys and girls basketball statistical leaders each Thursday at 7 p.m.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
DANIEL YOUNGBLOOD: This week in Big Country boys basketball (Jan. 27-Feb. 2)
We’re closing in on February and the Big Country’s boys basketball district races are heating up.
With most of our leagues at or approaching the midpoint of their schedules, we’ve seen championship favorites established in some districts while other races remain wide open. And in most cases, playoff opportunities still remain for those who have fallen out of district title contention.
With so much left to be decided, let’s take a quick look at the biggest storylines on the local and area boys basketball scene this week.
BIG COUNTRY BOYS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Jan. 23)
Big Country Preps publishes area boys and girls basketball statistical leaders each Thursday at 7 p.m.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
BIG COUNTRY GIRLS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Jan. 23)
Big Country Preps publishes area boys and girls basketball statistical leaders each Thursday at 7 p.m.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
BCP Podcast No. 78: Eula’s Josh Fostel talks Pirate hoops with Evan, Daniel
Under longtime boys basketball coach Josh Fostel, the Eula Pirates have been among the best and most consistent Class 1A programs in the state. And EHS, which reached the state semifinals in 2007 before winning the state championship in 2011, has another strong team this year, sitting at 19-6 after routing Moran on Tuesday.
Earlier this week, Fostel took a few minutes to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about this year’s team, its 62-56 upset of Class 4A Brownwood last week and the program he’s built for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss some of the biggest boys and and girls basketball storylines of the season so far.
BIG COUNTRY BOYS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Jan. 16)
Each Thursday at 7 p.m., Big Country Preps will publish area boys basketball statistical leaders.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
BIG COUNTRY GIRLS STATISTICAL LEADERS (Scoring, rebounds, assists and steals through Jan. 16)
Each Thursday at 7 p.m., Big Country Preps will publish area girls basketball statistical leaders.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days.
Evan Ren’s 2019 Big Country True Grit Team: The toughest players in the Big Country!
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 2019 “True Grit” team — the one place in the Big Country where guys who fall into this category are recognized for it.
BCP Podcast No. 76: Evan, Daniel discuss All-Big Country Preps football teams, area hoops
- Superlative Award winners
- First-Team
- Second-Team
- Third-Team
- Evan Ren’s Big Country True Grit Team (To be released Thursday)
After a two-week holiday break, Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood return to the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast to discuss the All-Big Country Preps football teams, released Wednesday.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel speak briefly on the Big Country hoops scene.
Continue to check back at BigCountryPreps.com each Wednesday night at 7 p.m. when Evan and Dan discuss the current happenings in Big Country High School sports — often with an interesting sports figure from around the area.
You can also peruse our BCP Podcast archive, which features dozens of our previous shows with prominent coaches and Big Country media fixtures.
Inquiries regarding these podcasts may be directed to Evan Ren at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
If you have a suggested topic of conversation or a recommended guest, don’t hesitate to contact us!
All-Big Country Preps Superlatives: Williams, Marshall, Davis and Lucas headline our top awards
Here are our superlative award winners for the 2019 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
- First-Team
- Second-Team
- Third-Team
- Evan Ren’s Big Country True Grit Team (To be released Thursday)
All-Big Country Preps Football Team: First-Team Roster
Here are our first-team selections for the 2019 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
- Superlative Award winners
- Second-Team
- Third-Team
- Evan Ren’s Big Country True Grit Team (To be released Thursday)
All-Big Country Preps Football Team: Second-Team Roster
Here are our first-team selections for the 2019 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
- Superlative Award winners
- First-Team
- Third-Team
- Evan Ren’s Big Country True Grit Team (To be released Thursday)
All-Big Country Preps Football Team: Third-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)
Here are our first-team selections for the 2019 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
- Superlative Award winners
- First-Team
- Second-Team
- Evan Ren’s Big Country True Grit Team (To be released Thursday)
PHOTO GALLERY: Evan Ren’s top 100 football photos for 2019
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. Our company watermark “BigCountryPreps.com” will be removed from all purchased photos.
AP ALL-STATE: Cooper’s Davis, Hawley’s Marshall headline area honorees
Cooper defensive back Dylon Davis and Hawley running Colton Marshall headlined a list of 48 Big Country players to earn all-state designation from The Associated Press Sports Editors last week, garnering player of the year honors for their respective classifications.
Davis, who led the state in interceptions this season with 16, was the defensive player of the year in Class 5A, while Marshall, a 3,500-yard rusher, was named Class 2A’s top offensive player.
Those two, who both led their teams to deep playoff runs, were among a group of 11 local or area players to earn first-team accolades, while the Big Country accounted for 15 second-team spots and 26 honorable mention nods across the five 11-man classifications.
Continue reading “AP ALL-STATE: Cooper’s Davis, Hawley’s Marshall headline area honorees”
PHOTO GALLERY: Stephenville-Cooper girls basketball (36 images)
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery.
GAME STORY: No. 11 Stephenville girls run away from feisty Cooper squad
Playing without star post Alee McClendon, who injured her knee over the weekend, the No. 11 Stephenville Honeybees answered every Cooper run with one of their own Tuesday to score a 54-40 road win over the Lady Cougars.
After seeing a 16-7 first-quarter lead trimmed to four points at halftime, Stephenville opened the third quarter with a 6-0 spurt and absorbed one final Cooper rally to improve to 15-4 on the season.
Sophomore guard Jaylee Matthews led the Honeybee effort in McClendon’s absence, hitting four of her team’s eight 3-pointers on her way to a game-high 17 points.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Strong effort nets Brownwood senior the top spot
In a week that saw several top-flight performances, Brownwood senior Zach Strong handed in a genuine rarity — topping the 1000-point mark for his career while helping the Lions to a perfect record and tournament championship.
Helping Brownwood to a 5-0 record on the week, including a tournament title in Hamilton, Strong averaged 18.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game to earn all-tournament honors and our final Big Country Preps Player of the Week award of 2019.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Merkel’s Pursley earns this week’s top spot
It’s one thing to play great against teams from your own classification. But when one plays at a high level against programs much larger than his or her own, it tends to grab everyone’s attention.
Merkel senior guard Kaydi Pursley, who has already been on the media’s radar for more than two years, may have just upped her assessed value even more (if that’s possible).
Purlsey, who helped the Lady Badgers to a 4-1 mark last week, including a 3-1 finish at the Granbury tournament, put up big numbersagainst some big schools along the way to earn our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award.
BCP Podcast No. 72: Hawley’s Mitch Ables talks Bearcats football with Evan, Daniel
During his time at Hawley, Mitch Ables has steadily built the long-suffering Bearcat football program into an area contender. This year, he has the ‘Cats on their deepest run ever after the first area-round playoff victory in program history over defending state runner-up New Deal last Friday.
Earlier this week, Ables took some time to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about this year’s team, which is unbeaten heading into Friday’s Region I-2A Division I semifinal matchup against Sundown (8-4), for the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode Evan and Daniel discuss their takeaways from the second round of the high school football playoffs and preview this week’s third round.
Continue to check back at BigCountryPreps.com each Wednesday night at 7 p.m. when Evan and Dan discuss the current happenings in Big Country High School sports — often with an interesting sports figure from around the area.
You can also peruse our BCP Podcast archive, which features dozens of our previous shows with prominent coaches and Big Country media fixtures.
Inquiries regarding these podcasts may be directed to Evan Ren at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
If you have a suggested topic of conversation or a recommended guest, don’t hesitate to contact us!
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Garcia’s gutty effort earns him award
With 257 yards rushing and five touchdowns that averaged 48.4 yards in duration, Noah Garcia’s performance in Cooper’s 35-28 area-round win over Azle likely would have earned him our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award without any special circumstances.
Add in the fact that the junior running back missed a half of the second quarter and all of the third after suffering an asthma attack, and it only bolsters his case.
Behind Garcia, Cooper built a 28-7 halftime lead that might have been larger had he not had to leave the game at the midway point of the second quarter. And then, after the Hornets had cut the Cougars’ lead to seven with a dominating third-quarter performance, the Cougar standout came back to bust a 49-yard scoring run early in the fourth for what proved to be the game-winning score.