Category: Stephenville Yellow Jackets

by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wall’s Jones takes the award with spectacular effort at area meet

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

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cisco junior takes the top spot with no-hitter

While no-hitters are fairly common at the high school level, the bulk of them are of the five-inning variety — ending early while locking down a mercy rule win. 

Going the full seven innings without allowing a hit, however, is much less common. And in the case of Cisco junior Case Williams, his seven-inning no-no in a 2-0 win over a good Coleman team last Tuesday secured our Big Country Preps Player of the Week for the Week ending April 5.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wall’s Briggs Jones takes the top spot

After nursing a sore back which prevented him from jumping for a few weeks, Wall senior Briggs Jones made a return to the stage in a big way last week. 

Competing in Wall’s very own Cotton Patch Relays, Jones took five gold medals, winning the long jump, triple jump, 100 meters, 200 meters and yet another with the 800 relay team. 

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by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s 2025 Gym Rat Team: The hardest-working players in the Big Country!

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.

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by Evan Ren

Area Softball Stat Leaders (through March 27)

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. 

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by Evan Ren

Area Baseball Stat Leaders (through March 27)

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. 

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by Evan Ren

Area Baseball Stat Leaders (through March 20)

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. 

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by Evan Ren

Area Softball Stat Leaders (through March 20)

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. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Eula’s Hailie Cauthen earns this week’s spotlight

Fresh off a successful basketball season, Eula’s Hailie Cauthen has transitioned to softball as though she were in mid-season form. 

In fact, the senior shortstop was good enough through five games last week to take our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award for the Week ending March 8. 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Stephenville’s Gentry lands the top spot

While Stephenville’s Tristian Gentry is no stranger to this column, it’s usually via football that he lands in our Top 10 — especially after missing track last year due to injury.

Well, it’s track season again and it just so happens that the SHS senior is healthy this time around — returning as one of the area’s top guns in that sport. He’s already off to a great start, having captured four gold medals at a talent-loaded Brock meet last week.

Aside from first place leaps in the long jump (21-1) and triple jump (43-2), he also helped SHS’ 400 and 800 relay teams take gold with splits of 43.26 and 1:30.1, respectively. 

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Feb. 13): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

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. 

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Feb. 13): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

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. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Honeybees’ season ends with bi-district loss to Lubbock Estacado

The Stephenville Honeybees started off Tuesday’s Region I-4A Division I bi-district game against Lubbock Estacado by winning the leap for opening tip-off.

They then won the second and third attempts at it as well after the first two tries ended with players sprawled on the court at Moody Coliseum scrambling for the loose ball with nobody having claimed possession yet.

Once the Lady Matadors controlled the third try at starting the contest, Estacado quickly seized control and rolled to a 58-37 win.

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by Evan Ren

SIGNING DAY 2025: Top area athletes sign on the dotted line

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. 

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Glen Rose sweeps Stephenville in district doubleheader

GLEN ROSE — Tiger arena was the site of one of the BCP coverage area’s biggest varsity doubleheaders on Tuesday.  And true to its reputation, the venue was a difficult place for visiting teams to earn a win.

In Game 1, the Glen Rose girls (32-2, 10-0) connected on an eye-popping 16 3-pointers to hand Stephenville a 63-29 loss. On the boys’ side, Glen Rose (23-8, 6-2) rallied from an early deficit to hand the Yellow Jackets a 61-45 defeat to take over second place in District 6-4A. 

Both clubs tightened their defense to gradually create separation and chalk up consecutive wins.

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 30): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

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. 

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hoops
by Evan Ren

Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 30): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

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. 

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 23): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

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. 

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Hoops
by Evan Ren

Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 23): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

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. 

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by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s 2024 True Grit Team: The toughest, hardest-working 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 2024 “True Grit” team — the one place in the Big Country where guys who fall into this category are recognized for it.

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by Evan Ren

All-Big Country Preps Superlatives: Player of the year, Offensive, Defensive and special teams MVPs, top newcomers and Coach of the Year

Here are our superlative award winners for the 2023 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BIG COUNTRY PREPS RISING STARS TEAM: The top football under classmen in the Big Country for 2024

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.

Continue reading “BIG COUNTRY PREPS RISING STARS TEAM: The top football under classmen in the Big Country for 2024” →

by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Abilene High girls hold off Stephenville in nailbiter

A deflected inbounds pass with just over two-tenths of a second left was all the Abilene High girls basketball team needed to end a season-long four-game losing streak as the Lady Eagles picked up a 44-42 win over Stephenville on Tuesday night at Eagle Gym.

Emily Jordan had a game-high 22 points for AHS to help the Lady Eagles even their record at 10-10 under first-year head coach Alfonzo Franklin.

After the game, Franklin said he was pleased with how his squad battled in a game that never saw either team lead by more than six points. Continue reading “GAME STORY: Abilene High girls hold off Stephenville in nailbiter” →

by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Stephenville comes up inches short in 42-35 loss to Canyon West Plains

MIDLAND — Between them, the Stephenville and Canyon West Plains football teams amassed more than 750 yards of total offense Friday at Astound Broadband Stadium. In the end, though, the Region I-4A Division I championship came down to the one yard that wasn’t gained.

With his team down by a touchdown with just over a minute remaining and facing a fourth-and-goal situation from the West Plains 1-yard line, SHS’ Ryan Gafford was ruled down just short of the goal line on a quarterback sneak, leaving the Yellow Jackets on the short end of a 42-35 thriller.

That failed conversion all but sealed a matchup between two red hot teams that went back and forth for four quarters and needed all 48 minutes to be decided.

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN’S PLAYOFF FORECAST: Eight teams from BCP coverage area survive to see December

LAST WEEK: 7-2, .777
SEASON TOTAL: 585-141, .805

It seems like the day before yesterday when I was out working our annual football photo tour during two-a-days. 

Now we’re looking down the barrel of Christmas. 

Unbelievable. 

At any rate, we still have eight teams from our coverage area slugging their way through the playoff brackets and unless I miss my guess, we’ll see at least four playing for state titles in Arlington. 

In the meantime, we’ve got state semifinals to take care of. 

Here’s this week’s forecast: 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wall’s York takes second award of the year

With all the competition in the Big Country Preps coverage area, taking our Player of the Week award once is a big enough challenge. 

Wall quarterback Landon York has done it twice. 

York, who led Wall to a 56-21 win over Littlefield in the Region I-3A DII semifinals, takes his second award with a huge performance. 

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by Evan Ren

CLASS 4A, 3A & 2A PLAYOFF REPORT: Stephenville, Graham, Brock, Wall and Stamford advance

REGION I-4A DIVISION I SEMIFINALS

Stephenville 47, Canyon Randall 7 — Ryan Gafford threw for 198 yards and three scores and Sawyer Wilkerson rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns to help the Yellow Jackets to a rout of Randall. 

Stephenville totaled 399 yards in total offense en route to the win. Tristian Gentry was the leading receiver for SHS, with eight catches for 158 yards and two scores. 

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN’S PLAYOFF FORECAST: BCP coverage area well-represented heading into Turkey Day

LAST WEEK: 24-2, .923
SEASON TOTAL: 578-139, .806

Big Country Preps carries 16 teams from its coverage area into Week 14 and it’s my guess that at least nine of them will survive Thanksgiving weekend. 

And on that subject, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from all of us at BCP. 

Here are this week’s picks, we’ll see you on the road! 

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wall quarterback grabs the spotlight with huge performance

Only a year removed from running a ground-based flexbone option attack, the Wall Hawks have managed to put that approach in the distant past with a remarkable effort through the air in 2024. 

And who would have thought that making that difficult transition could have happened so quickly? 

Now, having committed to a full-blown spread attack under new coach Craig Slaughter, the Hawks have already accumulated nearly 3,000 passing yards, placing them near the top in that category among Big Country teams. 

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by Evan Ren

CLASS 4A AREA ROUND REPORT: Lions fall; Stephenville, Brock, Graham

REGION I-4A Div. I 

Canyon West Plains 49, Brownwood 14 — West Plains rolled up 510 yards in total offense, including 306 yards rushing to eliminate the Lions. 

Slade Russell rushed for 121 yards and two scores, Reid Macon rushed for 120 yards and two more TDs to lead West Plains (9-3), which will face Lampasas (10-2) in the regional semis. 

Brownwood, which hurt itself with five turnovers, finished at 6-5. The Lions were led by Judson Coalson, who rushed for 94 yards and passed for 94.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Stephenville scores 28 fourth-quarter points to pull away from upset-minded Hereford

ABILENE — For three quarters, the fourth-ranked Stephenville Yellow Jackets found themselves in a dogfight with a scrappy Hereford squad Thursday at Shotwell Stadium. 

But that changed in a flash in the opening minute of the fourth, when coach Sterling Doty’s squad scored a pair of touchdowns in a 12-second span to open the floodgates for a 35-7 victory in a tougher-than-expected area-round matchup.

After Ryan Gafford hit Tristian Gentry with a 73-yard touchdown pass on the opening play of the fourth quarter to break a 7-all tie, Hudson Butchee picked off a Kalub Ramirez pass on first down and returned it 27 yards for a score to give the Yellow Jackets the momentum they needed to close out the Whitefaces and earn a Region I-4A semifinal date next week with Canyon Randall.

Continue reading “GAME STORY: Stephenville scores 28 fourth-quarter points to pull away from upset-minded Hereford” →

by Evan Ren

DISTRICT 4-4A DIV. I WEEK 11 REPORT: Brownwood, Stephenville close regular season with wins

Brownwood 42, Marble Falls 14 — Levi Pearson rushed for 108 yards and two scores and Matt Rodriguez rushed for 132 yards and another TD to lead Brownwood over Marble Falls. 

After a 14-14 first quarter, the Lions scored 28 answered points to take control of the game. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Stephenville Honeybees handle Big Spring to open volleyball playoffs

TUSCOLA — The Stephenville Honeybees rolled to a 25-7, 25-6, 25-15 win over Big Spring to open the Region I-4A Division I volleyball playoffs on Tuesday night at Bill Thornton Arena.

Stephenville barely broke a sweat in a match that lasted less than an hour while setting the stage for an area-round matchup on Thursday night with Springtown.

Honeybee coach Shay Douglas was excited about how her team played on Tuesday.

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