ABILENE — After watching his team drop the opener of its Class 3A Division II state semifinal series 5-0 on Thursday, Wall coach Jeremy Gordon was confident his Hawks would respond well when they returned to the field for the conclusion of the best-of-three affair on Friday at Hardin-Simmons University’s Hunter Field.
He was right.
But unfortunately for the defending state champion Hawks, there were two confident, talented and resilient ballclubs on the field Friday, and it was the Panthers who landed the final blow in a heavyweight bout, bouncing back from a 9-4 loss in Game 2 to score a come-from-behind 11-8 win in Game 3 to slip past Wall and into next week’s state championship game against Franklin.
As is our tradition, with the UIL State Track and Field Championships now over, we conclude our Big Country Preps Player of the Week column for the 2025-26 school year. We’ll pick it up again on Monday, Aug. 31. 
Nothing quite like starting off a playoff series with a masterpiece from your pitcher. 
If you’re going to top someone who throws a perfect game in our in our Big Country Preps Player of the Week column, you had better do something very special.
WALL — It was the polar opposite of a 13-10 Jim Ned win in the District 6-3A opener with Wall way back on March 6. Friday’s rematch at WHS saw the Lady Indians top Wall yet again. But this time, the product was a well-pitched, cleanly played, 3-2 defensive struggle. 
In a week that featured at least a half dozen athletes who could have taken our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, we finally settled on a Stephenville senior for our weekly award. 
Scoring and rebounding is only part of the story when it comes to basketball. Behind the scenes and beyond the view of the public, is where character is often measured. And it is with our Big Country Preps Gym Rat Team that we salute the individuals who exude the most of it. 
As one would expect, the Jim Ned Relays had a quality field of competition last week, opening the door for one of its athletes to snag Big Country Preps Player of the Week honors. 
A week after Lipan’s Court Gaylor took our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award, yet another Lipan player has done the same thing. 
COMANCHE — Throughout the playoffs and much of the season, the Wall Lady Hawks have been able to put the opposition away with big runs, spurred on by its defense. And in Tuesday’s Class 3A DII state semifinal against Paradise, that seemed to be the case when Wall built a 12-point lead by the 6:31 mark of the fourth quarter. 
BIG SPRING —If the rankings are correct, the Wall Lady Hawks are not only the top Class 3A team in the state, but they’ve now beaten two of the top three teams in the span of three days.
SNYDER — It may not have been the prettiest brand of basketball ever displayed. But Tuesday’s 35-25 win by the Wall Lady Hawks over Idalou in a Region I-3A DII semifinal, was in its own way, noteworthy. 
When Cisco junior guard Carter Toof is on his game, there is little one can do to stop him. He’s going to get his point, whether you like it or not. 
With weather postponements forcing Tolar to play three games last week, there was positive in an otherwise hectic week: It gave one of THS’ athletes the opportunity to showcase a remarkable run of consistency. 
