Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 24.
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.
At Big Country Preps, we pride ourselves on sharing the love as much as possible. But Wall senior Briggs Jones has been so spectacular of late, that he’s making that difficult.
Jones has not only taken our Big Country Preps Player of the Week for a second straight time, but for a third time this year and a fourth time in his athletic career.
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Region II-1A and I-3A track meets Day 2 (70 images)”
ABILENE — Both teams had dominated the Big Country and surrounding area for the entire track season, so few were stunned on Saturday when both Wall and Gordon captured the Region I-3A and II-1A boys championships at Abilene Christian University’s Elmer Gray Stadium.
It completed a near clean sweep of the regional meets from teams in the Big Country Preps coverage area, with Eula taking the 1A girls title and Wall finishing second to Holliday in the 3A girls regional meet.
“That’s always awesome ,” Wall coach Craig Slaughter said of taking the regional team title. “You have to have talented kids who perform at the right time.
“We just had some monster performances all weekend long. Kid after kid PR’d and we just had an incredible couple of days.”
ABILENE — Area athletes got off to a successful start at the Region I-3A track meet, combining to collect 13 medals and earn nine automatic berths to the state track meet during the event’s first day Friday at Abilene Christian University’s Elmer Gray Stadium.
With expected overnight storms pushing all field events to Friday, male competitors from the Big Country Preps coverage area tallied seven total medals — four golds, a silver and two bronzes — while area girls athletes claimed six medals, earning two of each shade.
The big winner Friday was the Wall boys, who accounted for five of those medals on their way to an early lead in the team race. The Hawks, who earned 42 points take a 22-point lead on second-place Idalou, will try to close out the team championship when the meet continues at 2 p.m. Saturday with the running finals.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Clyde softball has been overdue for landing a Big Country Preps Player of the Week award and senior pitcher Kaycee Bingham has just ended the drought.
The Lady Bulldogs have been posting big numbers on a weekly basis, falling just short of the top spot. But Bingham has landed the spotlight with a 26-0 mercy rule perfect game win over San Angelo Grape Creek last week. She followed that with a three-hit 11-0 shutout of Merkel.
Continue reading “BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde hurler takes this week’s award”
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.
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.
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Wall-Sweetwater baseball (30 images)”
SWEETWATER — After Wall produced 20 runs on 15 hits and three homers (including two grand slams) in Tuesday’s 20-5 win over Sweetwater, the Hawks’ No. 2 ranking in Class 3A was difficult to argue with.
At least, no challenges to that effect were audible as Sportsman’s Park emptied, with the Hawks (12-4, 4-0) leaving in a first-place tie with Clyde in District 6.
Hagyn Barbee was 3-for-4 with a grand slam and Caleb Braden was 2-for-3 with another grand slam to lead Wall, which built an 11-1 lead after only two innings and was able to give several reserve players a shot at some playing time.
Sweetwater dropped to 6-9 and 0-4, led by Jade Rodriguez, who was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs.
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.
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos. Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: AISD Invitational (174 images)”
Five teams from the Big Country Preps coverage area picked up a pair of wins on Friday on the second day of the AISD Invitational.
Abilene High, Cooper and Wylie all had relatively stress-free days, while Brownwood and Brock combined for four wins.
Wall, which struggled at times during its tournament action, closed out its play in the event with a big win over San Angelo Central.
Cooper and Wylie swept their opponents as the AISD Invitational got under way on Thursday at three different locations across town, while Abilene High split a pair of games with Brock and Wall.
The Cougars knocked off San Angelo Lake View and Brownwood, while the Bulldogs were able to dispatch Andrews and San Angelo Central in their two games. The Eagles fell to Brock in their tournament opener before rebounding with a resounding win over Wall.
Teams in the Big Country Preps coverage area went a combined 8-4 on Thursday with Brock joining the two Abilene schools with an undefeated day.
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.
Munday’s Caisen Lee isn’t the first freshman to whom we’ve given our Big Country Preps Player of the Week Award. But during the basketball playoffs, it is indeed a rare occurrence.
Nonetheless, Lee takes our top spot with a pair of top notch efforts in playoff wins over Aspermont (77-48) and Westbrook (48-36).
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Wall-Abilene High baseball (51 images)”
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Tolar-Wall girls basketball area-round playoff (78 images)”
BROWNWOOD — As expected coming in to the Region I-3A Division II area-round matchup between Tolar and Wall, there wasn’t much separating the Lady Rattlers and Lady Hawks on Tuesday night at Warren Gym.
But only one of the teams had Senne Imel — a fact that proved the difference in a 53-48 Tolar win.
THS’ senior shooting guard poured in a game-high 33 points to lead the Lady Rattlers (24-10), who also got nine points from sophomore point guard Jaycee Jones in earning a trip to the region semifinals to take on 11th-ranked Idalou (27-9) next week at a time, date and place to be announced.
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.
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.
WALL — With a chance to lock up the District 6-3A title on the line, the Jim Ned Indians had to clear a familiar hurdle to get there — their archrival Wall on the Hawks’ home floor.
Wyatt Nickson scored 25 points and Dean Guffey tossed in nine more to lead Jim Ned (23-9, 11-1) which overcame a fourth-quarter Wall rally to get a 58-49 win.
Led by Paxton Brake with 18 points and Lane Stansberry with 11, the Hawks slipped to 17-12 and 8-3.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Here are our first-team selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Here are our second-team selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Here are our selections for the 2024 All-Big Country Preps Football Team (Third-Team roster). For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
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.
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Wall-Clyde basketball doubleheader (72 images)”
CLYDE — With logjams atop the District 6-3A basketball standings for both the boys and girls, the Wall Hawks earned a pair of crucial wins on Tuesday night, sweeping Clyde at Bulldog Gymnasium.
The Lady Hawks got 18 points from Kennedi Graves as they rolled to a 70-26 win in the opener, while Jager Thompson had 12 of his 15 points in the second half to lead Wall to a 46-33 win in the nightcap.
In both games, it was the second quarter that proved pivotal.
After watching the girls basketball team have to hang on for a win over Stephenville in the first game of the night, the Abilene High boys made sure their game would lack the same drama.
The Eagles had 10 different players contribute on the offensive end as they rode a fast start to a 67-35 win over Wall on Tuesday night at Eagle Gym .
Abilene High jumped out to an 8-0 lead and never trailed on its way to pushing its season record to 12-5. The fast start was exactly what coach Justin Reese was looking for as the Hawks had several football players seeing their first basketball action of the season.