Here are our second-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Category: Stephenville Yellow Jackets
All-Big Country Preps Softball Superlatives: Ellett, Washington headline squad
Here are our superlative award winners for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Softball Team: First-Team Roster
Here are our first-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Softball Team: Second-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)
Here are our second-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps softball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
2018-19 IN REVIEW: Softball (w/ two photo galleries)
Prior to the release of our All-Big Country Preps softball and baseball teams on Friday and Saturday, Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood will review the 2018-19 school year throughout this week and the top athletic stories produced by the area in football, boys and girls basketball, baseball and softball.
I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for fastpitch softball — I admit it.
A long time ago, it was common for men to play the game. My dad played it. I played it. So I still thoroughly enjoy getting to as many girls softball games as possible — just to see some fastpitch again.
So, it is with pleasure that I review the the 2019 season — the top teams, the top games, the top surprises and the clubs that are about to make a splash in 2020.
That said, it’s time to dive in.
Continue reading “2018-19 IN REVIEW: Softball (w/ two photo galleries)”
PHOTO GALLERY: Jim Ned 7-on-7 state qualifying tournament (64 images)
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery.
PHOTO GALLERY: 2019 FCA All-Star Softball Game (85 images)
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.
BCP Podcast No. 44: Daniel Youngblood, Brandon McAuliffe discuss baseball, softball playoffs
The high school baseball and softball playoffs are in full swing, and the Big Country has a number of promising teams and intriguing story lines on both sides.
With Evan Ren out of pocket for the week, Daniel Youngblood is joined by contributor Brandon McAuliffe to discuss all of the top developments and matchups involving local and area baseball and softball teams in this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Daniel and Brandon chat about recent football coaching moves and give a rundown on all the programs that will have new faces in 2019.
BCP Podcast No. 41: Breckenridge’s Bartley talks Buckaroo baseball with Evan, Daniel
First-year Breckenridge baseball coach Kevin Bartley has the Buckaroos in the midst of one of their best seasons ever. Fresh off a win last Friday over then-No. 1 Brock and a run-rule victory over Peaster on Monday, Bartley’s squad is 20-2 overall, 8-1 in District 7-3A play and ranked 12th in Class 3A.
This week, Bartley took a few minutes to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about the Brock victory, the season his team having and the future of his program for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the latest developments of the Big Country baseball and softball season.
Big Country Preps Player of the Week: Hermleigh’s Gonzales takes the top spot
Hermleigh junior Makia Gonzales is no stranger to Player of the Week awards. But Big Country sports fans are more accustomed to seeing her snag the accolade on the basketball court, where she is notably one of the area’s best best players.
Surprise, surprise, she’s not all about hoops.
Continue reading “Big Country Preps Player of the Week: Hermleigh’s Gonzales takes the top spot”
BCP Podcast No. 39: Evan, Daniel talk to Yeager about decision to leave De Leon
After posting a 52-23 record in seven successful seasons at De Leon, coach David Yeager announced his decision last week to resign as the Bearcats football coach to more closely follow his son Kevin’s collegiate career at Incarnate Word.
This week, Yeager took some time to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about what went into that decision and what the future holds for him and his family in this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss last week’s Big Country baseball and softball action and highlight the teams that are getting mentioned in statewide polls.
BCP Podcast No. 38: Evan, Daniel discuss All-Big Country Preps basketball teams
In this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast, Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood discuss the inaugural All-Big Country Preps boys and girls basketball teams, giving insight into the selection process and sharing their opinions the superlative award winners and first-tema selections.
To read more on this year’s selections, click the links below:
Evan Ren’s 2019 Big Country Gym Rat Team: The hardest workers in the area!
Following a basketball program on the surface can only provide one with so much insight. Behind the scenes, however, is where character is often measured. And it is with our Gym Rat Team that we wish to tip our caps to those individuals who exuded the most of it.
This team isn’t about who the best players are, though some of the area’s top players did make this list.
The Gym Rat team is about effort, discipline, toughness, coachability and selflessness — traits that coaches love above all else and that championship foundations are built upon.
It is for that reason that our Gym Rat team is selected entirely by area coaches, described in their own words. And Big Country Preps is absolutely honored to present these individuals to you — the best “team players” (boys and girls) that the area had to offer during the 2018-19 season.
Players are listed in no particular order.
All-Big Country Preps Girls Basketball Team: First-Team Roster
Here are our third-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps girls basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Girls Basketball Team: Second-Team Roster
Here are our third-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps girls basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Team: Third-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)
Here are our third-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Girls Basketball Team: Third-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)
Here are our third-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps girls basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
BCP Podcast No. 37: Abilene High softball coach Reese talks team hot start
After making a surprise run to the Region I-6A quarterfinals a year ago, the Abilene High softball team is off to a roaring start to the 2019 season, opening at 15-1-2 overall and 4-0 in District 3-6A play.
This week, second-year Lady Eagles coach Jim Reese took some time to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about the season his team is having, his coaching history and the interesting path he took into the game of softball.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel look back at the boys basketball state tournament, preview the upcoming All-Big Country Preps boys and girls basketball teams and discuss the area’s baseball and softball teams to watch.
Big Country Preps Player of the Week: Hermleigh’s Roemisch takes this week’s accolade
While the Hermleigh girls basketball team has garnered much of the media’s attention in recent years, there’s a subtle little secret leaking from the HHS campus: The guys aren’t so bad either.
As of this week, the Hermleigh boys are 20-7 overall following back-to-back wins over Loraine (80-53) and Anton (70-65) — helped in no small part by our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, junior guard Kobe Roemisch.
Big Country boys basketball playoff pairings, results (March 2)
Here are the updated Big Country boys basketball playoff pairings:
Continue reading “Big Country boys basketball playoff pairings, results (March 2)”
Big Country girls basketball playoff pairings, results (Feb. 23)
Here are the updated Big Country girls basketball playoff pairings:
Continue reading “Big Country girls basketball playoff pairings, results (Feb. 23)”
De Leon’s Yeager headlines Big Country signees (w/ complete list of Big Country signings)
For months, it had been speculated on where De Leon quarterback Kevin Yeager would spend his collegiate days playing football.
That became official on Wednesday, when he signed with Incarnate Word, as one of the top area athletes to commit to college programs on National Signing Day.
“It was a great day for the Yeagers and I’m super proud for Kevin earning this opportunity to play at the next level ,” De Leon coach David Yeager said of his son. “I’m really proud of the career he’s had at De Leon and I’m looking forward to the next chapter at Incarnate Word.”
BCP Podcast No. 32: Cisco’s Kevin Hearne talks hoops with Evan, Daniel
Cisco boys basketball coach Kevin Hearne has his Loboes at 25-3 after clinching the District 6-3A championship with a win over Dublin on Tuesday.
This week, he took some time chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about the season his Cisco squad is having, growing up as a coach’s son and coaching his own sons for the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the biggest developments and top matchups on the Big Country boys and girls basketball scene.
BREAKING: Stephenville football coach Greg Winder steps down
After four seasons that saw him compile a 26-22 overall record, including a 7-4 finish and trip to the area round last year, Stephenville coach Greg Winder announced that he is stepping down on Monday.
Winder, who replaced former SHS coach Joe Gillespie in 2015, labored through a 4-7 campaign in his debut and a 3-8 tally in his second season.
His third year, however, saw his Yellow Jackets finish 12-3 while reaching the Class 4A Division I state semifinals where they fell to Kennedale 54-28.
Most recently, Winder’s club won seven of 11 contests against one of Texas’ most difficult 4A schedules, eventually falling to Celina 54-28 in the second round of the Division I playoffs.
EVAN REN: This week in Big Country girls basketball (Feb. 3-9)
Tuesday night will mark the end of the regular season on the girls side, with the exception of a few district tie-breakers that we’ll likely see over the weekend.
And as one may expect, the intensity level is beginning to reach playoff level. I attended two doubleheaders last week — Cisco at Eastland and Brownwood at Stephenville — that were nothing short of electric.
The real fun is about to begin.
Here’s a quick rundown of last week’s highlights and some key games to keep an eye on this week.
PHOTO GALLERY: Brownwood-Stephenville basketball doubleheader (95 images)
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery.
GAME STORY: Brownwood, Stephenville split physical doubleheader (w/ photo gallery)
STEPHENVILLE — All the rivalry cliches were applicable in Friday’s doubleheader between Brownwood and Stephenville. Everything that had happened before was out the window. Records meant nothing, pride was on the line, and so on and so forth.
The results matched all of the axioms, with the schools splitting the twin bill. The Stephenville girls edged Brownwood in Game 1 by a 28-26 margin. The Brownwood boys rallied to take the nightcap 71-66.
Both games offered the over-the-top intensity and physicality the series is known for, and neither was decided until the game’s final minutes.
FEATURE: Battle-tested Brownwood riding 11-game win streak
BROWNWOOD — By late December, coach Nadir Dalleh’s Brownwood boys basketball team appeared to be spinning its wheels.
Slugging their way through a difficult-by-design nondistrict schedule, the Lions entered their hometown tournament — The Texas Bank Holiday Classic — with a modest 7-9 overall record.
They had already taken severe beatings from larger schools from Granbury North Central Texas Academy (82-26), Odessa Permian (50-30), Granbury (62-43) and Cooper (67-41) along the way.
BCP Podcast No. 31: Evan, Daniel talk Wylie girls hoops with Amy Powell
After a successful six-year run at Hallettsville, Amy Powell took over the Wylie girls basketball program this school year and has the Lady Bulldogs at 20-10 in their first season as a Class 5A program.
This week, Powell took a few minutes to talk with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about what drew her to the Wylie job, her first season on campus and her philosophies and personality as a coach on the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel talk about some of the most significant developments and biggest upcoming matchups on the Big Country boys and girls basketball scene.
EVAN REN: This week in Big Country Girls Basketball (Jan. 27-Feb. 2)
It’s difficult to believe but area girls teams have but three nights left in their respective district slates.
A week from Friday we’ll be dealing with tiebreakers and playoff warmup games while speculating on how the regional pairings are shaping up. By Feb. 11, the Big Dance will begin.
In the meantime, let’s check the highlights from last week and the week ahead.
EVAN REN: This week in Big Country girls basketball (Jan. 20-26)
With the playoffs rapidly approaching, most girls districts have but five nights of league action remaining.
This will be quickly followed by a night or two of tie-breaking games and the always-interesting playoff warm-ups, after which the massive UIL playoff brackets will be unveiled.
This will all culminate in the state tournament on Feb. 28 through March 2 in the Alamodome in San Antonio.
FEATURE: Inexperience no roadblock for No. 9 Stephenville Honeybees
When you graduate four of five starters off the previous year’s roster, there’s always some uncertainty as to how the next team will fare.
A coach can feel good about the talent he or she has, but until those players prove themselves in their expanded roles, all projections are merely best guesses.
Such was the case this year for Stephenville girls basketball coach Alan Thorpe, who returned just four lettermen from last year’s 19-14 squad. So even he’s a bit surprised to see his Honeybees sitting at 20-6 with a top-10 ranking in Class 4A on Jan. 18.
DANIEL YOUNGBLOOD: This week in Big Country boys basketball (Jan. 13-19)
There a few weeks every season, regardless of the sport, where you wish you could be in more than one place at a time. There are so many good games scheduled for the same night or nights that you find yourself wishing a couple could be saved for weeks when the slate is a little leaner on quality matchups.
This may be the mother of all such weeks for Big Country boys basketball.
With our seven- and eight-team districts wrapping up their first round of district play and our five-team leagues hitting the thick of their league schedules, we’ve got more good and meaningful games this week than we can possibly fit in the space this weekly column allows.
But here’s trying to hit as many as we can.
BCP Podcast No. 28: Evan, Daniel talk Eula hoops with coach Josh Fostel
Eula boys basketball coach and athletic director Josh Fostel has built the Pirates into a perennial contender, taking them to the state championship game in 2007 and winning a title in 2011.
This week, Fostel took some time to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about his time with the program, Eula’s annual Holiday Classic and this year’s squad for the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss some of the more intriguing district races and interesting upcoming matchups of the Big Country boys and girls basketball season.
All-Big Country Preps Football Team: First-Team Roster
Here are our first-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Football Team: Second-Team Roster
Here are our second-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Football Team: Third-Team Roster
Here are our third-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Evan Ren’s 2018 Big Country True Grit Team
Most high school football teams have that one player acknowledged by the coaching staff as the prime example of what a teammate should be.
He’s the guy who seldom misses any practice time and is a regular in the weight room. He’s early to arrive. He’s late to leave and takes pride in being coachable, though he seldom needs direction.
He always sets the right example for younger players. He doesn’t complain and, above all else, he’s tough enough to make all the aforementioned traits consistently possible.
Know someone like that? Here is where they are honored.
DANIEL YOUNGBLOOD: This week in Big Country boys basketball (Jan. 6-12)
With league races either underway or starting this week for all Big Country boys districts, we’ve hit the most important stretch of the regular season. Virtually all games from this point forward have heightened importance, and an upset win or unexpected loss can have a major impact on teams’ postseason hopes or seeding.
As will be the case every week from now until the playoffs, we have a number of important games to look forward to and back on, and a bunch of major storylines developing. So without wasting anymore time, let’s take our weekly look at the area boys basketball landscape.
Top Upcoming Matchups: You can’t beat a meeting of district unbeatens, and that’s just what we’ll get Tuesday when Wall visits Ballinger for an important District 4-3A clash. Objectively speaking, the Bearcats (13-9 overall, 2-0 district) are a heavy underdog to the No. 13 Hawks (19-3, 3-0), but they’re on their home floor and have plenty to gain with an upset win.
EVAN REN: This week in girls basketball (Dec. 30-Jan. 5)
With New Year’s Day still approaching, area hoops schedules will remain spotty for a few more days. But there’s ample hoops action approaching for us to take our weekly look at what’s ahead — and what we’ve just left behind.
Top Upcoming Matchups: Friday will see the Big Country dive headlong into district play, and with that, some old rivalries will quickly come to the forefront.
Topping that list, will be matchups between 11th-ranked Cisco (19-2) and a solid team from Eastland (15-7) on Friday. The Lady Mavericks will bring some momentum into this game with their archrival, having won their last two games in the Eula tournament, including a 54-41 victory over a good Merkel team.
BCP Podcast Greatest Hits Part 1: Evan, Daniel revisit conversations with Slaughter, Huston, Cervetto
With Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood taking a two-week break from the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast to celebrate the holidays, we take a look back at three of our favorite interviews from the first six months of our weekly podcast.
In Part 1 of our two-part “Greatest Hits” series, we revisit our conversations with current Wall defensive coordinator and former Clyde and Sweetwater head football coach Craig Slaughter, legendary Brownwood broadcaster Dallas Huston and Dublin football coach Bob Cervetto.
We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane.
PHOTO GALLERY: Evan Ren’s Top 100 football photos for 2018
FEATURED SCHOOLS: Albany, Anson, Baird, Breckenridge, Brock, Brownwood, Clyde, Coahoma, Colorado City, Comanche, Cross Plains, Dublin, Eastland, Forsan, Hamlin, Haskell, Jim Ned, Merkel, Snyder, Stamford, Stephenville, Wall and Winters.
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by pushing the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery.
This week in girls basketball (Dec. 23-29)
Top Upcoming Matchups: With teams across Texas enjoying a five-day holiday break, this week’s Big Country action doesn’t begin until Dec. 27. And nowhere in the area will things get more heated than in the 16-team bracket in the always-tough Eula Holiday Classic.
Several of the Big Country’s top small-school girls teams will take part in the event, including fourth-ranked Class 2A Haskell (15-1) and an uber-athletic, albeit unranked team from Stamford (13-6).
No. 19 Colorado City (12-3) will be there, as will other Class 3A toughies from Merkel (14-8), Eastland (12-4) and Ballinger (11-7).
PHOTO GALLERY: Wylie-Stephenville girls basketball (44 images)
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by pushing the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery.
GAME STORY: No. 5 Stephenville girls snap Wylie’s winning streak with 55-44 triumph
STEPHENVILLE — The Stephenville girls basketball team lived up to its No. 5 ranking Tuesday, downing Wylie 55-44 in a clash of former district rivals to improve to 15-3 on the year and hand a strong Lady Bulldogs squad its first loss in six games.
The Honeybees, winners of eight of their last nine games, grabbed the momentum early and never let it go, leading the game from start to finish.
Stephenville scored the game’s first two buckets and rode an outstanding defensive performance to an eight-point halftime advantage it would protect the rest of the way.