Photos courtesy of Kimberly Branch
With its sweep of San Angelo TLCA on Tuesday, the Wall volleyball team ran its District 6-3A record to a perfect 10-0 and its overall mark to 29-7.
Yet, as impressive as those numbers are, the record is not the most remarkable stat of the year for the Lady Hawks.
While forging its identity as the 6-3A “team to beat,” Wall has dropped just one set in district play.
That astounding number, coupled with the fact that Wall faced a pre-district schedule that included a bevy of quality Class 6A and 5A opponents, has the Lady Hawks primed for what could be a special season.
Slowly but surely, the Cooper Cougars have emerged as one of the most explosive teams in the Big Country. And in its latest exploit, CHS rolled up 517 yards in total offense in a 66-16 win over Lubbock Cooper. 
Wall 63, Merkel 13 — Landon York threw for 387 yards and seven TDs to keep the Hawks (7-0, 1-0) unbeaten. 
The season’s midpoint usually offers little in the way of big-time performances, with most of the area teams taking a bye week prior to the opening of district play. 
Wall 35, Idalou 21 — Landon York threw for 307 yards and two scores and Wall rushed for 95 yards via committee in a tough win at Idalou. 
As it turned out, the best game in the Big Country last week was Clyde’s dramatic 54-49 win over Muleshoe in the top shootout the area has seen thus far in 2025. 
Wall 35, Sweetwater 0 — Wall (5-0) remained unbeaten with a workmanlike effort against Sweetwater. 
Wylie junior Haddie Mock was at her very best against difficult competition last week, helping the Lady Bulldogs to wins over seventh-ranked 3A Bushland (25-8) and 21st-ranked 4A Stephenville last week. 
Coahoma 15, Albany 12 — The Bulldogs earned an always-tough win at Albany (3-1) by limiting the Lions to only 131 yards in total offense.
Coahoma 51, Kermit 0 — Coahoma rushed or 126 yards and two scores and Austin Joslin threw for 178 yards and three TDs to help the Bulldogs improve to 3-0 on the year.
TUSCOLA — With all the press coverage garnered by the Wall offense in recent weeks, the Hawks dished out a stark reminder during Friday’s Big Country Preps Game of the Week: They can play a little defense too. 
LAST WEEK: 53-15, .780
Merkel 29, Bangs 26 — The Badgers are off to a 2-0 start following their narrow win over Bangs on Friday. 
Milestones catch our eye when selecting our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, as do great weekly performances. But when both occur at the same time, you can rest assured that player will be in the running for the top spot. 
Merkel 38, Ballinger 26 — Sophomore standout Easton Malone threw for 319 yards and four scores as Merkel stunned Ballinger on the road to snap a 10-game losing streak. 
WALL — While Mother Nature wasn’t cooperative for the Wall Hawks before their season-opener with Mason on Friday, a lightning delay of more than an hour didn’t appear to hurt WHS’ efficiency. 
Heading into the 2024 season, Wall coach Craig Slaughter knew he had something special at the quarterback position. But because then-junior Landon York had yet to take a varsity snap, he had to temper his enthusiasm in preseason interviews.
STEPHENVILLE — It’s Wall versus Thrall for all the marbles. 
BROWNWOOD — The game was sufficiently well-pitched that there were no extra base hits and a combined 19 strikeouts between the two starting hurlers. 
GRAHAM — Locked in a pitcher’s duel that could have gone either way for six innings, the Wall baseball team finally broke through in the seventh Friday, scoring five runs off Jacksboro starter Wyatt Gavit to pull away for a 6-1 win in the opener of its best-of-three Region I-3A Division II championship series against the Tigers.
As our tradition dictates, we close the books on our Big Country Preps Player of the Week on the first Monday following the UIL State Track and Field Championships in Austin. 
