Here are the Big Country’s receiving leaders through Week 3:
Category: Winters Blizzards
Big Country Volleyball Statistical Leaders (through Sept. 14)
Big Country Preps is publishing area volleyball statistical leaders each Tuesday at 7 p.m.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
We will continually update the database throughout the regular season.
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde’s Phillips takes this week’s top spot
Clyde junior Payton Phillips first hit the area radar screen last spring when she took double gold at the Region I-3A track meet in the both the long jump and 100 hurdles.
But our Capital Farm Credit/Big Country Preps Player of the Week is also one of the area’s top volleyball setters as well, as last week’s effort in a three-set win over Graham and four-set loss to Stephenville illustrated.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Brady cancels, Ren goes scrambling (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 42-9, .823
SEASON TOTAL: 85-21, .801
I was very much looking forward to our Big Country Preps Game of the Week – Coleman (2-0) at Brady (2-0). Unfortunately, COVID intervened by midweek, forcing a cancellation of the contest.
On a positive note, there are several other quality games throughout the area for us to focus on, and (taking a bow) the column is already hitting over 80 percent on picks and we’re only in Week 3.
Numbers of that sort are generally reserved for Weeks 7-10, so I’m feeling pressure to keep the early momentum going.
In the absence of our Game of the Week, I’ll be heading to Cross Plains on Friday, where Haskell will be paying a visit to the Buffaloes (COVID allowing, of course).
Let’s dive in to this week’s picks:
District 4-2A Div. I Week 1 Report: Loboes open with big win over Clyde
Cisco 49, Clyde 7 — Cisco pounded out 458 yards rushing and limited Clyde to 248 yards in total offense to win the season opener for both clubs.
Hunter Long rushed for 251 yards, threw for 32 and accounted for three touchdowns to lead the Loboes (1-0). Trenton Huston added 142 yards rushing and two scores on only 10 carries.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Stephenville play host to Sweetwater (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 0-0, .000
SEASON TOTAL 0-0, .000
At last, here we are.
The 2021 football season has arrived, giving us a much-needed diversion every Friday night, in isolated spots all over Central Texas. As always, I will endeavor to pick the winner of all our area games, from Class 1A through Class 6A, with the top matchup serving as our Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
Our first spotlight game should come as no surprise, with long-time Hamlin coach Russell Lucas debuting as the head coach of the Sweetwater Mustangs — one of the most -storied programs in the Big Country.
Their opposition?
The Stephenville Yellow Jackets at Tarleton State’s Memorial Stadium.
With that, let’s dive into the picks, shall we?
BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Quarterbacks
After a week of highlighting area playmakers, we wrap up our eight-part preseason position rankings series with the Big Country’s best signal callers.
To complete our look at the area’s top players, we’ve ranked our top 10 quarterbacks with a list of others to watch in 2021.
We hope you enjoy this list and that you’ve enjoyed our position rankings as we get set to kickoff a new season.
BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Running Backs
As we wind down our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we arrive finally at the Big Country’s top ball-carriers.
After breaking down this year’s crop of receivers and tight ends Monday, we move now to the area’s top backs, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch in 2021. Don’t forget to check in Wednesday night when we conclude our series with the top 10 area quarterbacks.
We hope you enjoy tonight’s list and encourage you to check out the other position groups, which are linked below.
BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
We’re approaching the final stretch of 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 linemen, we now shift our attention to the playmakers on the perimeter, ranking our top 10 wide receivers/tight ends with a list of others to watch in 2021.
We hope you enjoy our list and encourage you to check out the other position groups, which are linked below.
BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Offensive Linemen
With the defensive and special teams rankings behind us, it’s time to look at the area’s top offensive players. And we’ll start with the foundation of any productive offense: the offensive line.
For the fifth installment of our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we turn our attention to the trenches, ranking the Big Country’s top 10 offensive linemen with a list of others to watch in 2021.
We hope you enjoy reading through our rankings.
BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Kickers/Punters
After recognizing the top defensive players throughout the Big Country over the past three days, it’s time to honor the specialists.
We continue our eight-part preseason position rankings series by naming our top 10 kickers and top three punters 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 2021 season.
BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Defensive Backs
After starting with the linemen and linebackers, we turn to the defensive backfield 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 shift our focus to the secondary, giving our list of the area’s top-10 defensive backs and others to look out for in 2021.
We hope you enjoy our list.
BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Linebackers
After taking a look at the Big Country’s top defensive linemen on Wednesday, it’s now time to examine those who will backing them in 2021.
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.
We hope you enjoy our list.
BCP Football Preseason Position Rankings: Defensive Linemen
With the start of football season around the corner, it’s time to take a look at the players who will be making the biggest impact in 2021.
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. We hope you enjoy reading through them.
2021 DISTRICT PREDICTIONS: Evan and Daniel make their picks
Without further ado it is time for us to make our Big Country predictions, district-by-district.
This is the culmination of several weeks of research and two solid months of summertime labor, so we’re more than ready to post it.
So dive in and study our take on the upcoming season, along with the more than 80 preseason stories we posted earlier today. Enjoy! We’ll see you on the road.
EVAN REN: The top area games worth traveling to in 2021
Every year, one of the things I look forward to most, is mapping out the upcoming football season — charting the games I believe will have the greatest impact.
First and foremost, it’s a preseason menu for area fans who enjoy driving to some of the Big Country’s best football games on a weekly basis. Call it a football roadmap of sorts.
WINTERS FEATURE: Senior QB Busher ready for increased role in new spread scheme
WINTERS — After getting a taste of the starting quarterback position last fall, Winters’ Jon Kullen Busher is ready for a full meal in 2021.
And it’s a good thing, too, because the senior will be getting a heaping helping of responsibility when the Blizzards’ season kicks off in two weeks.
Not only is Busher going to be the undisputed leader of the WHS offense after taking over the quarterback position for the final four games of the 2020 season, he’ll be guiding a transition from the flexbone to the spread — a move that will put even more on his plate in his first full season as the Blizzards’ trigger man.
2021 WINTERS FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Blizzards set sights on fifth straight playoff appearance
WINTERS — Coming off their fourth consecutive playoff appearance under seventh-year coach Matt McCarty, the Winters Blizzards have reached a level where postseason trips are expected.
And with 13 lettermen returning from last year’s team, including six offensive and seven defensive starters, McCarty’s squad feels like it can continue that trend this fall.
While a difficult nondistrict slate and a brutal league schedule await the Blizzards, Winters is blessed with both the talent and experience to compete for a fifth straight playoff berth. And McCarty is banking on a couple of scheme changes and some rapid development along the lines to allow his team to achieve that potential.
COUNTDOWN TO TWO-A-DAYS: Winters Blizzards
Football is just around the corner, and we at BigCountryPreps.com are committed to bringing you the information you need to prepare for your favorite team’s season.
We’ll be releasing our Big Country Preps Preseason Football Preview, the most comprehensive look at the upcoming Big Country football season anywhere, on Saturday, Aug. 14. But you won’t have to wait until then to sate your gridiron appetite.
Leading up to the first day of fall football practice on Aug. 2, we’ll be spotlighting each 11-man team in the area and posing some of the key questions they’ll face in 2021 as part of our annual “Countdown to Two-a-Days” series.
Today, we stay in Class 2A Division I with the Winters Blizzards. On Sunday, we will take a look at the Ballinger Bearcats, followed by the Bangs Dragons on Monday.
PHOTO GALLERY: Anson-Winters baseball playoff (52 images)
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LINK … GAME STORY: Anson shows no rust, hammers Winters in bi-district opener
GAME STORY: Anson shows no rust, hammers Winters in bi-district opener
Anson baseball coach Scotty Nichols was worried that his team would show some rust from having not played for two weeks prior to Friday night’s Region I-2A bi-district opener against Winters.
Those fears were eased right off the bat.
The Tigers sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the first, scoring five times en route to a 16-0 win over the Blizzards at Abilene High’s Blackburn Field.
EVAN REN: Handicapping the boys state track meet.
Having already released our picks for the girls state track meet earlier this evening, we now present the boys event, using the same approach.
We’ll comb through each event involving a Big Country athlete (or athletes) and assess if they are favorites, dark horses or long shots to get on the medal stand.
Let’s not waste any time. Let’s dive in.
EVAN REN: Picking the favorites, dark horses and longshots at the girls state track meet
I don’t care who you are — even if you’re a non-fan when it comes to track and field.
The excitement of the state meet in Austin will capture your attention if you catch sight or sound of it. It’s inescapable.
And once per year, it is my pleasure to examine the multitude of Big Country athletes heading to Austin for the event and pick who we can expect to see on the medal stand from our area.
Let’s begin with the girls side, looking at each event in which a Big Country athlete has qualified for state.
Big Country baseball statistical leaders for 2021 (through April 29)
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 29:
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.
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde’s Phillips earns this week’s spotlight
In a week filled with unforgettable moments, several of our nominees handed in by area coaches could justifiably be called our Capital Farm Credit/BCP Player of the Week.
We finally settled on Clyde sophomore Payton Phillips, who stunned attendees at the Region I-3A meet by taking gold in both the long jump (18 feet, 6 inches) and the 100 hurdles (15.12) — breaking school records that were 25 and 15 years old, respectively.
REGION I-2A TRACK RECAP: Three Coleman athletes, Forsan’s Nelson headed to state
CANYON — With only one area district in Region I-2A, the Big Country didn’t have a huge contingent of athletes at the regional meet Friday and Saturday at West Texas A&M. But that didn’t keep the area from making an impact.
Coleman jumper Devinar Roberson claimed a pair silver medals to earn state berths in the high jump and triple jump on the boys side, while three area girls earned four spots at the state meet next month in Austin.
Coleman’s Abbi Allen claimed two of those, finishing second in the high jump and long jump, while teammate Jordan Rae took silver in the triple jump and Forsan thrower Aleena Nelson earned the area’s only gold medal in the shotput.
Big Country softball statistical leaders (through April 22)
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 22:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches as of April 22. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.