Category: Stephenville Yellow Jackets
District 5-4A Division I: Week 6 Report
Stephenville (3-2) — The Yellow Jackets were idle on Friday.
However, they will open district play at home against China Spring on Oct. 12 having a full two weeks to prepare for it.
BCP Podcast No. 16: Evan, Daniel take fresh look at area district races
With district play either here or approaching for the 16 11-man leagues involving Big Country football teams, every game has heightened importance from this point forward.
In this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast, Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood forego a guest to discuss each district race and examine each of our 40 school’s chances of reaching the postseason.
District 5-4A Division I: Week 5 Report
Stephenville 48, Georgetown 8 — Kade Renfro hit 17 of 21 throws for 229 yards and three scores to lead the Yellow Jackets to a stunning win over a previously unbeaten Class 5A team.
Three different SHS receivers — Gavin Rountree, Krece Nowak and Zane Walker all caught TD passes to help the ‘Jackets move to 3-2 against a merciless schedule.
Stephenville will now enjoy a bye week, prior to heading into district play against China Spring (3-2) on Oct. 12.
BCP Game of the Week: Dublin heads to Breckenridge
LAST WEEK: 37-7, .841
SEASON TOTAL: 146-46, .761
Prior to this season, I had chosen the Dublin Lions for a Game of the Week only once in 12 years.
This season, the Lions (4-0), who are off to their best start of this century, have landed the marquee game twice. This week, they’re off to Breckenridge (2-2) to face what I believe is the best team they have met to date.
The Buckaroos, who are coming off back-to-back losses to monster teams from Cisco (34-13) and Brock (20-9), are far better than that .500 mark would indicate.
BCP Podcast No. 15: Evan, Daniel chat with Winters football coach Matt McCarty
Coach Matt McCarty has led a nice turnaround at Winters, following back-to-back two-win seasons with a playoff berth last season, before leading the Blizzards to a 4-0 start to the 2018 campaign.
McCarty took some time to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about that turnaound process, his coaching background and this year’s winters squad in this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the first Southtown Showdown and all of last week’s Big Country football action.
District 5-4A Division I: Week 4 Report
Brownwood 20, Wichita Falls Rider 16 — Tommy Bowden threw for 294 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 77 yards and two more scores to lift the Lions (2-2) on the road.
Trailing 13-6 heading into the final quarter, the Lions rallied with two TDs in the game’s final 12 minutes. Bowden did the honors, with scoring runs of 26 and 2 yards — the latter of which came with 2:30 to play.
Brownwood finished with 409 yards in total offense while earning its second straight win after an 0-2 start. Class 5A Rider slipped to 1-3.
EVAN REN: Eastland hosts Childress in BCP Game of the Week (w/ Big Country Picks, Drive-Time Podcast)
LAST WEEK: 38-13, .745
SEASON TOTAL: 109-39, .736
The Big Country Preps Game of the Week heads east tonight to Eastland, a day early due to anticipated thunderstorms in that area on Friday.
On tap: Childress (3-0) pays visit to EHS (3-0) in what should be the most difficult test for the unbeaten Mavericks to date.
If all goes as anticipated, those in attendance should be treated to a premiere quarterback matchup, pitting Childress’ Luke Latimer and Eastland standout Behren Morton.
District 5-4A Division I: Week 3 Report
Brownwood 47, Graham 26 — Tommy Bowden threw for 254 yards and three scores and rushed for 77 yards and two more TDs to give the Lions (1-2) their first win on the year.
Leading 34-26 after three quarters, Brownwood took control for good courtesy of Bowden, who added a 1-yard touchdown run and a 31-yard TD pass to AJ McCarty in the final period.
The victory also marked the first win at Brownwood for first-year coach Sammy Burnet.
Yellow Jackets sting Wylie 41-28 (w/ photo gallery)
Facing their third consecutive road game to start the season, the eighth-ranked Stephenville Yellow Jackets marched into Bulldog Stadium and used a dominant defensive performance to take a 41-28 win over Wylie on Friday night.
Stephenville’s defense forced five turnovers in moving to 2-1 on the season, while Wylie dropped to 0-3.
Bulldogs host Yellow Jackets in search of first win
STEPHENVILLE (1-1) AT WYLIE (0-2)
7:30 p.m. Friday at Bulldog Stadium, Abilene
What it means: This is the continuation of what has become a fun rivalry in recent years. The Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets have played seven times in the past eight seasons, with the only gap in that timeline coming in 2013. The teams met in the playoffs in 2012, when Stephenville scored a 59-28 win in the Class 3A Division I state quarterfinals, and the past four meetings had all been district contests, with Wylie taking three of those games. The Jackets hold a 4-3 advantage in the series, winning the 2017 matchup 33-20, but neither team has won more than three games in a row.
District 5-4A Division I: Week 2 Report
Stephenville 41, Everman 16 — For anyone who was wondering after their season-opening loss to Argyle, the Yellow Jackets are going to be just fine.
Coach Greg Winder’s team burst into the win column with a dominating effort against the Class 5A Bulldogs, controlling the game from start to finish. Stephenville, which got 245 yards passing from quarterback Cole Stanley, led 21-10 at halftime before putting the game on ice with a 20-point fourth quarter.
Running back Krece Nowak was a dual threat in the victory, rushing for 48 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries while catching four passes for 60 yards.
Stephenville back on the road at Everman
STEPHENVILLE (0-1) AT EVERMAN (0-1)
7:30 p.m. Friday at J.E. Marr Stadium, City
EVAN REN: Big Country picks Week 2
LAST WEEK: 33-19, .634
SEASON TOTAL: 33-19, .634
Whenever perennial powerhouses Cisco and Wall square off, it’s a candidate for the spotlight, and this year is no exception.
Friday, the Big Country Preps Game of the Week heads south, when the Loboes (1-0) visit Wall (0-1) with a fair amount of intrigue attached.
The Hawks, who are coming off a 27-21 loss to No. 3 Class 2A Mason, haven’t started a season at 0-2 since 2008. Yet Friday, they’ll be confronted with a Cisco team fully capable of pushing them down memory lane.
This is too high-profile to ignore. People want to know just how good this Cisco team is and with Wall being a proven commodity, this is a great measuring stick.
BCP Podcast No. 12: Evan, Daniel discuss Week 1 football results
The first week of the high school football season in the Big Country saw its share of thrilling finishes and surprising outcomes.
In this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast, Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood forego a guest to discuss all the action and excitement of the season’s opening week.
District 5-4A Division I: Week 1 Report
Argyle 45, Stephenville 35 — The top-ranked Eagles put Stephenville in some uncomfortable situations Friday night, but they couldn’t put the Yellow Jackets away until a fourth-quarter field goal made it a two-score game late.
Argyle bottled up running Krece Nowak like few teams have, holding the senior standout to 56 yards on 16 carries, and the Eagles limited quarterback Cole Stanley to just 13-of-37 passing. But the new Stephenville signal caller hit enough big plays to keep his team in the game, finishing with 304 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
The Jackets, who also got a defensive touchdown from Colton Accomazzo, may see 0-1 on their record, but there’s little reason to be discouraged by their opener. A competitive showing on the road against an elite team shows the type of group they have, and with some improvement, they’ll be a dangerous team come playoff time once again.
BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Kickers/Punters
After recognizing the top offensive and defensive players throughout the Big Country, it’s time to honor the specialists.
We conclude our eight-part preseason position rankings series by naming our top three punters and kickers to watch this fall.
We hope you enjoy this list and that you have enjoyed our position rankings as we get set to kickoff the 2018 season.
Evan Ren’s top area games to travel to in 2018
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 salute: 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 2018.
I’ll see you on the road.
Evan Ren: Big Country Picks Week 1
LAST WEEK: 0-0, .000
SEASON TOTAL: 0-0, .000
In picking our first-ever Big Country Preps Game of the Week, I literally could have thrown a dart at the top seven or eight games and came away with a matchup that was justifiable.
Yes, Week 1 of the 2018 season is that good.
My eventual choice: Brock at Brownwood — a matchup pairing last year’s Class 3A Division I state runner-up with a Class 4A Division I team expecting to be in the thick of one of the toughest district races in Texas.
Stephenville heads to Argyle for marquee matchup
STEPHENVILLE (0-0) AT ARGYLE (0-0)
7 p.m. Friday at Eagle Stadium, Argyle
BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Running Backs
As we wind down our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we’ve finally arrived at the Big Country’s top ball-carriers.
After breaking down this year’s crop of receivers and tight ends yesterday, we move now to the area’s top running backs, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch in 2018.
Read and enjoy, and let us know who you’re most excited to see run this fall in the comments section below.
BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
We’re now past the halfway point in our eight-part preseason position rankings series, and it’s time to look at the Big Country’s top pass-catchers.
After starting the offensive portion of our series Sunday with the big boys up front, we now shift our attention to the playmakers on the edges, ranking our top 10 wide receivers/tight ends with a list of others to watch in 2018.
Enjoy the list and feel free to share your thoughts on our selections in the comments section below.
BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Offensive Linemen
With the defensive rankings behind us, it’s time to look at the area’s offensive standouts. And we’ll start where any productive offense begins: up front.
For the fourth installment of our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we turn our attention to the big boys, ranking the Big Country’s top-10 offensive linemen with a list of others to watch in 2018.
Take a look and let us know what you think of our selections in the comments section below.
BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Defensive Backs
After starting with the linemen and linebackers, we turn to the secondary to complete our look at the top defenders in the Big Country.
For the third installment in our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we key on the defensive backs, giving our list of the area’s top-10 players and others to look out for in 2018.
Enjoy the list and feel free to voice your opinions on it in the comments section below.
Big Country Preps 2018 Football Forecast
With less than a week to go now until the high school football season kicks off in earnest, it’s prediction time here at Big Country Preps.
Site co-founders Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood have put their opinions on paper to tell you how they see the 2018 football season playing out, predicting the order of finish for all 16 11-man districts featuring Big Country squads.
Take a look and let us know where you disagree in the comments section below.
BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Linebackers
After taking a look at the area’s top defensive linemen on Thursday, it’s now time to examine those who will backing them in 2018.
Continuing with Big Country Preps’ eight-part preseason position rankings series, here’s our top-10 linebackers to watch this fall as well as a list of the others we’re expecting big things from.
Disagree with our selections or feel we left someone out? Let us know in the comments section below.
BCP Preseason Position Rankings: Defensive Linemen
With football season fast approaching, it’s time to take a look at the players who will be making waves in 2018.
For the first installment in an eight-part series that will cover all position groups, we’ll be taking a look at the area’s top defensive linemen, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch this fall.
As with any such list, these rankings are subjective. If you disagree with our selections or feel someone’s been left out, let your opinion be heard in the comments below.
Stephenville’s Nowak small in stature, huge in impact
Stephenville running back Krece Nowak has accounted for more than 4,000 total yards and 34 touchdowns over the past two seasons. That he achieved those things while listed on the Yellow Jacket roster at 5-foot-8 and 145 pounds isn’t really noteworthy to him.
Nowak has never viewed his size as an impediment, and it’s clear from the production that it hasn’t been.
But balancing Nowak’s playmaking ability with the number of hits he takes is a concern for Stephenville coach Greg Winder. And that will be especially true this fall, when the Yellow Jackets will tackle one of the state’s toughest schedules with a first-year starter at quarterback and a largely unproven receiving corps.
Stephenville Yellow Jackets aiming for another deep run
Coming off a 12-3 season that ended with a district championship and a trip to the Class 4A Division I state semifinals, the Stephenville Yellow Jackets enter the 2018 football season with sky-high expectations.
Coach Greg Winder’s team was ranked third in Texas Football magazine’s 4A DI preseason poll and was picked by the publication to win a brutal District 5-4A DI that also includes No. 4 Waco La Vega, No. 14 China Spring, Brownwood and Gatesville.
The fourth-year Stephenville coach isn’t putting much stock in preseason prognostications, however. And while he’s excited about what he brings back — a haul of 23 returning lettermen that includes seven offensive and eight defensive starters — he knows there are questions still to be answered.