Category: Wylie Bulldogs

by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie rebounds from Game 2 loss to take series from Burleson, advances to regional finals

GRAHAM — After routing Burleson 11-4 in the opener of its Region I-5A Division II semifinals series on Thursday, the Wylie baseball team found itself in a position it didn’t want to be in Friday — facing elimination at the Graham High School Baseball Field.

But the Bulldogs bounced back from a 5-3 loss in Game 2 with another dominant effort in the series clincher, using a pair of five-run innings to pull away for a 14-4 run-rule win and punch their ticket to the regional finals.

After seeing 11 hits, including two home runs, result in just three runs in Friday’s early game, Wylie turned 12 hits, seven walks and six Burleson errors into a huge run total in the rubber match, taking pressure off its pitching staff early on the way to earning a date next week with all-sport playoff nemesis Argyle.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Faries returns to dominant form as Wylie bounces back to take Game 2 from Brewer

 Photos from Thursday’s Game 1

STEPHENVILLE — Before Thursday’s series opener against Fort Worth Brewer, Wylie ace Avie Faries had yet to allow more than two runs in any of her previous six playoff starts.

So it took a special effort from the Lady Bears to kick off the Region I-5A Division II finals with an eight-run outburst that included four home runs off the standout junior.

In Friday’s Game 2, a determined Faries looked more like her dominant self with her team’s season on the line, limiting that same explosive lineup to just three hits and single run in a 3-1 Wylie win. The right-hander walked two and struck out six to improve her playoff record to 7-1 and help the Lady Bulldogs earn a decisive Game 3 against Brewer at 1 p.m. Saturday back at the Stephenville softball field.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Long ball, four-run fifth fuel Fort Worth Brewer past Wylie in series opener

STEPHENVILLE — For 4½ innings, the Wylie and Fort Worth Brewer softball teams were locked in a back-and-forth battle in the opener of the Region I-5A Division II finals series Thursday at the Stephenville softball field.

But a four-run bottom of the fifth highlighted by a trio of big extra-base hits provided the Lady Bears the separation they needed to pull away for an 8-4 win and an early advantage in the best-of-three affair that will continue with Game 2 at 7 p.m. Friday.

Included in Brewer’s pivotal outburst was a pair of home runs — two of four for the Lady Bears on the day — which served as the difference in a game that was otherwise very competitive.

Continue reading “GAME STORY: Long ball, four-run fifth fuel Fort Worth Brewer past Wylie in series opener” →

by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Faries dominant again as Wylie sweeps Joshua, earns trip to regional finals

GRAHAM — Junior ace Avie Faries continued her postseason brilliance Saturday, pitching Wylie to a 2-1 win over Joshua to complete a sweep of a Region I-5A Division II semifinals series and lead the Lady Bulldogs to their first regional finals appearance since 2006.

Faries, who pitched a two-hit shutout in Friday’s 4-0 win over the Lady Owls, allowed just one run on five hits and a walk in Game 2, striking out 10 to improve to 6-0 in the playoffs.

The standout right-hander saw her postseason ERA “rise” to 0.85 while keeping her WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) steady at 0.829 and improving her strikeout-to-walk ratio to an eye-popping 44-to-5.

And though she spent an inning trailing 1-0 as a result of a  third-inning solo home run by Landrie Durham, her teammates made a winner out of her with a two-run fourth inning that would ultimately clinch a trip to the Region I-5A DII championship round to face off with Fort Worth Brewer, which swept El Paso Parkland in the other semifinal series.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wylie sophomore takes this week’s award with a no-hitter

Nothing quite like starting off a playoff series with a masterpiece from your pitcher. 

Wylie sophomore Gehrig Fletcher delivered this artwork last week in a 7-0 win in Game 1 of a bi-district series with Lubbock Coronado. 

Not only did the 10th grader throw a seven-inning no-hitter, but he did it with an unusual twist: he only struck out three batters.

No-hitters are rare enough, but throwing one while pitching to contact is something one almost never sees in a game dominated by aluminum bats. 

“Gehrig is a kid that puts in the work every day,” coach Grant Martin said. He is the epitome of hard work, determination, and resilience.

“He is the best teammate and exemplifies what a student athlete should be. What a performance in a big time setting. So proud of him!”

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by Daniel Youngblood

REGION I-5A TRACK MEET: Abilene High’s Jackson, Wylie boys 800 meter relay earn bronze to top local efforts

LUBBOCK — The Wylie 800-meter relay team of Adrian Jurado, Max Thornton, Jett Wilson and Liam Chapman and Abilene High sprinter Jaden Jackson both earned bronze medals Saturday at the Region I-5A meet to top the list of performances by local qualifiers at Lowrey Field.

Behind its relay effort, the WHS boys finished with 12 team points, while AHS earned seven and Cooper finished with two.

On the girls side, meanwhile, Wylie scored two team points and Cooper earned one.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Ferguson’s heartbreak sufficient for this week’s award

There are varying degrees of “no-hitter” in both high school baseball and softball. This is especially true when the mercy rule is concerned, with pitchers holding the opposition hitless through five innings (in a 10-run rule game) and in the case of the 15-run rule, through only three frames. 

Whether those should be called actual no-hitters, depends on who you speak to. 

There was, however, nothing arguable about the potential no-no delivered by Abilene junior pitcher George Ferguson in last week’s 2-0 win over Wichita Falls Memorial.  To begin with, Ferguson held Memorial hitless through 8.2 innings before finally giving up an infield single in the ninth.  In the process, he walked only one batter and fanned 17. 

It was nothing short of a brilliant performance against a Memorial team that had won eight straight games. If ever one deserved credit for a no-hitter without actually throwing one, it’s Ferguson. 

“George did a great job on the mound from start to finish and that included a 45-minute weather delay,” coach Brad Harman said.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Walker, Garrett shine as Wylie offense explodes for 11-1 run-rule win over Cooper

Needing a win over Cooper and an Abilene High loss to Wichita Falls Memorial to move back into position to control its own destiny in the District 4-5A championship race, the Wylie baseball team got both Friday.

The Bulldogs did their part with an 11-1 home win over the Cougars, while Memorial rallied past AHS for a 7-5 win on the other side of town to create a logjam atop the league standings, where Wylie (18-5-1, 7-3), Abilene High (19-9-1, 7-3) and Memorial (15-14, 8-4) all remain in contention for the district title.

The rule-rule victory — and the offensive explosion that helped facilitate it — were both welcome sights for Wylie coach Grant Martin, whose team was coming off a 2-0 win over Cooper on Tuesday and had averaged just four runs per game over its last five contests. And with Friday’s results, the Bulldogs can now clinch at least a share of the district championship with a sweep of last-place Wichita Falls Legacy in its final district series next week.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High clinches outright district title, spoils Wylie’s Senior Night with 18-2 win

When the Abilene High and Wylie softball teams have met in recent years, the result has typically been a thrilling, low-margin pitcher’s duel, where scoring opportunities are rare and every run feels like a small victory.

Heading into Tuesday’s matchup between the teams at Bulldog Field, the last five regular-season meetings had been decided by two or fewer runs with just 14 combined runs being scored in those games.

Tuesday’s game was … well … different. After a scoreless first inning seemed to foreshadow another tight, low-scoring affair, the Lady Eagles exploded for five runs in the second. And the hits and runs continued from there for AHS, which pounded out an 18-2 victory to spoil Wylie’s Senior Night and complete its second consecutive perfect run through District 4-5A play.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

DISTRICT 4-5A BASEBALL: Fletcher, McCarty combine for shutout as Wylie takes thriller over Cooper; Ferguson dominant in AHS win

While the Cooper and Wylie baseball teams will be headed to the postseason in different playoff brackets, there was still a lot on the line for both sides when they met at Cougar Field on Tuesday in a key District 4-5A matchup.

Cooper entered the Southtown Showdown trailing Abilene High by three games in the standings in the race for the top seed in the Division I bracket with four games to play — including a pair with the Eagles next week. The Cougars entered the game knowing that they would probably have to go 4-0 over the next two weeks against their crosstown foes to improve their playoff positioning.

Wylie, on the other hand, trailed Wichita Falls Memorial by one game for the top seed in the Division II bracket — with the Mavericks holding the head-to-head tiebreaker after taking two of three district contests from the Bulldogs. Wylie was in better shape, knowing that Memorial closes out its regular season this week against AHS and the Bulldogs would potentially be in control of their own seeding destiny with a win on Tuesday.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Stephenville senior takes our weekly award

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. 

Willis Jackson, one of the premiere speedsters in the Big Country, took four district titles in the District 6-4A meet last week

This included individual gold medals in the 100 meters (10.66), long jump (22-8.5) and Triple jump (43-8.5). He also collected gold with the 800 relay team (1:28.53), along with a silver with the 400 relay (42.45). 

“Willis is headed to the area track meet in five events,” coach Kolt Kittley said. “He comes to workouts every day with a big smile and a great attitude.

“He was huge in helping us win the district track meet this year.”

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by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s 2026 Gym Rat Team: The hardest-working players in the Big Country!

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. 

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 effort, discipline, toughness, coachability and selflessness — traits that coaches love above all else and that championship foundations are built upon.

It is for that reason that our Gym Rat team is selected entirely by area coaches, described in their own words. And Big Country Preps is absolutely honored to present these individuals to you — the best “team players” (boys and girls) that the area had to offer during the 2025-26 season.

Players are listed in no particular order. 

Enjoy.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

DISTRICT 4-5A BASEBALL: Wylie falls to Wichita Falls Memorial, Cooper clinches postseason berth

All it took was a 90-second stretch for things to unravel for the Wylie baseball team at home against Wichita Falls Memorial in a crucial District 4-5A matchup on Friday night.

With Carter Hoffman facing a 2-2 count with two outs in the top of the seventh of a 4-4 game, the Memorial senior appeared to swing at an offering from Wylie pitcher Gehrig Fletcher — an effort that had Fletcher walking off the mound and Memorial coach Rob Johnson walking down the third base path towards his own dugout.

In a wild turn of events, Hoffman was ruled to have not offered at the pitch, with an appeal of the checked swing being unheralded to extend the frame. Two pitches later, Hoffman hit an inside-the-park home run when Wylie center fielder Blaze Ruffin appeared to lose his footing while trying to stop a hard charge at cutting the ball off, and the three-pitch sequence allowed the Mavericks to escape with a 5-4 win on Friday night.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Garrett outduels Ferguson, helps Wylie take season series from Abilene High

Facing off with Abilene High ace George Ferguson, who had not allowed an earned run all year entering Thursday, Wylie coach Grant Martin knew he’d need a strong start of his own to have any chance of leaving Blackburn Field with a win.

In his pursuit of that, he turned to a senior who had done most of the pitching in his career out of a relief role.

Colby Garrett, who pitched 2.2 scoreless innings of relief to beat AHS on Tuesday, delivered exactly what his coach was looking for in Thursday’s rematch, allowing one run in a gusty complete-game effort to outduel Ferguson in a 5-1 Bulldogs victory.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Patient offensive approach leads Wylie to run-rule victory over Cooper

The end result might have been the same, but the journey to get there was anything but when the Wylie and Cooper softball teams started the second half of District 4-5A play Thursday night at Bulldog Field.

The Lady Cougars were without normal shortstop Abbey Alvarado and with six players playing different defensive positions than they did two weeks earlier against the Lady Bulldogs, they committed seven errors while Wylie’s offense pounded out 12 hits in a 13-2 win.

Thursday’s win gave the Lady Bulldogs a season sweep of the Southtown Showdown after taking the first game 5-2 at Cooper on St. Patrick’s Day.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: McCarty’s homer, patience at the plate lift Wylie to key 7-2 win over Abilene High

For most of five innings Tuesday, the Wylie and Abilene High baseball teams were locked in a thrilling pitcher’s duel, competing with playoff intensity in front of an engaged capacity crowd at Bulldog Field.

With the Eagles leading 2-1 in the home half of the fifth after George Ferguson had broken a 1-all tie with an RBI single in the top of the inning, the outcome of the key District 4-5A matchup was still very much in doubt, and a narrow win one way or the other seemed all but inevitable.

But with two outs in that frame, Wylie freshman Myles McCarty launched a game-tying home run to right field, flipping the momentum on a dime. The blast kicked off a walk-fueled five-run rally that would finally give WHS some separation in a 7-2 win for the Bulldogs.

Continue reading “GAME STORY: McCarty’s homer, patience at the plate lift Wylie to key 7-2 win over Abilene High” →

by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME REPORT: Faries dominant as Wylie softball cruises to 10-0 win over Wichita Falls Memorial

The Wylie softball team closed out the first half of District 4-5A play with a 10-0 thrashing of Wichita Falls Memorial on Tuesday night behind a stellar effort in the circle from Avie Faries.

Faries retired all nine batters that she faced in the game, recording five strikeouts, while benefiting from an offense that had six doubles in the first three innings. Faries needed just 35 pitches, including 25 strikes, to complete her easy night.

Wylie (15-12 overall, 3-1 in district) wasted no time putting the Lady Mavericks (12-10-1, 1-3) on the ropes as Faries retired Memorial in order on just 11 pitches in the first inning before the Lady Bulldogs offense got rolling with a six-run first inning — doing most of that damage with two outs in the frame.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wall senior claims this week’s award

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. 

So it’s not surprising that its top performer sits atop of our weekly list of highlighted competitors from around the area. 

Wall senior Bryson McFarden takes our weekly accolade after medaling five times in Tuscola with four golds and a silver. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High ace Reyes tosses one-hit shutout to outduel Faries in 2-0 win over Wylie

Wylie junior Avie Faries pitched a good game Friday against crosstown rival Abilene High. AHS senior Avah Reyes pitched a great one.

That was the difference as the Lady Eagles took sole possession of the District 4-5A lead with a 2-0 win on their home field.

Taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Reyes worked around one hit and a pair of walks to finish with a complete-game shutout, facing one batter over the minimum to outduel Faries, who allowed single runs in the third and sixth innings to take a hard-luck loss.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde’s Reynolds is the hands-down winner

In the pitcher’s circle, there are varying degrees of perfection. And in the case of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, that statement was fully illustrated on Friday in a 6-0 Clyde win over Merkel. 

Yes, CHS freshman Brynli Reynolds threw a perfect game. But this wasn’t your standard, every day, run-of-the-mill, garden variety perfecto. 

In fact, it may have been the most dominating performance by a baseball or softball pitcher the Big Country has seen in the last two decades. 

Aside from retiring 21 straight hitters from a very good Merkel team (19-2), Reynolds fanned the first 17 batters she faced and finished with 20 strikeouts. She also helped herself at the plate, going 1-for-2 with an RBI.

It was the second time this season that the Clyde freshman has taken our weekly accolade.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Fast start, strong pitching lift Wylie to district-opening win over rival Cooper

The Wylie softball team kicked off District 4-5A play with an impressive victory Tuesday, riding a fast start at the plate and a strong pitching effort from Avie Faries and Shae McAllister to a 5-2 win over crosstown rival Cooper at the Cougar Field.

The Lady Bulldogs followed a two-run first inning with another run in the second to take a 3-0 lead, and that was all the run support necessary for their two pitchers, who combined to limit the Lady Cougars to four hits and trio of walks in the win.

Faries started and tossed four shutout innings to earn the winning decision before giving way to McAllister, who allowed two runs (one earned) in a three-inning save. Tuesday’s outcome improved Wylie (13-10 overall) to 1-0 in league play, creating an early tie atop the 4-5A standings with Abilene High (13-9-1, 1-0), which defeated Wichita Falls Memorial 7-2 in Tuesday’s other league game.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Wylie uses late offensive outburst to pull away from Cooper, tying Coogs for second in district

Heading into the bottom of the fifth inning at Bulldog Field on Tuesday night, the Cooper and Wylie baseball teams were locked in a 2-2 game that had seen a combined one hit to that point — a first-inning RBI double by Wylie’s Myles McCarty.

That’s when the Wylie offense came to life and propelled the Bulldogs to a 10-2 win as McCarty finished a home run shy of the cycle and drove in five runs while Hudson Tuley added three RBIs.

The win moved the Bulldogs into a tie with Cooper at 2-1 in District 4-5A play, a game behind Abilene High after the Eagles beat Wichita Falls Memorial 5-1 in Tuesday’s other league matchup.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie bounces back from loss to Abilene High with run-rule win over WF Memorial

The Wylie baseball team bounced back from Friday’s 5-0 loss to Abilene High in a major way Saturday afternoon, pounding out 12 hits — seven for extra bases — in a 14-2 home win over Wichita Falls Memorial.

With a turnaround of less than 24 hours between Friday’s District 4-5A opener and Saturday’s matchup with the Mavericks, the Bulldogs weren’t afforded any time to dwell on the loss to the Eagles or the two-hit shutout they faced at the hands of flamethrowing right-hander George Ferguson.

But the immediate return to the field proved beneficial, as Wylie pounded out five first-inning runs on its way to the run-rule victory. Coach Grant Martin’s team would tack on seven more runs in the fourth, making an easy winner of Dylan Regala, who took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, before surrendering pair of runs on a couple of hits and two walks.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Clutch hitting, Ferguson’s gem lift Abilene High to win over Wylie

With temperatures approaching 90 degrees on Friday afternoon, Abilene High and Wylie took to the field for their hottest baseball games of the season in a District 4-5A tilt at Blackburn Field.

The Eagles saw junior pitcher George Ferguson throw a complete game two-hitter on a season-high 110 pitches as they improved to 2-0 in district play with a 5-0 win over the Bulldogs, who fell to 0-1 in district.

Ferguson battled through cramps on the hot day as he struck out 14 in an effort that coach Brad Harman simply called gutsy.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

AISD TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP: Local, area teams have solid showing on opening day of action

On the opening day of the Abilene ISD Invitational Tournament, Abilene High and Cooper both picked up a pair of wins while Wylie split its two games as offenses took advantage of a howling wind that was blowing out at all three ballparks during nearly all of the dozen games that were played on Thursday.

In addition to the success of the three local schools, Wall picked up wins over Arlington Sam Houston and Copperas Cove with Brock and Brownwood going a combined 1-3 — the lone win coming by Brock against Wylie.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME REPORT: Wylie boys rally past Lubbock Monterey in fourth for first playoff win since 2018

SNYDER — The Wylie boys basketball team claimed its first playoff win as a Class 5A program on Tuesday, rallying from a fourth-quarter deficit to knock off Lubbock Monterey 62-58 in a Region I-5A Division II bi-district matchup at Tiger Gym.

Trailing 32-29 at halftime and 47-45 after three quarters, the Bulldogs outscored the Plainsmen 17-11 over the final eight minutes to reach the area round for the first time since advancing to the Region I-4A championship game in 2018. 

The Bulldogs, who at 15-13 ensured a winning season with the victory, will now take on El Paso Andress (23-9) at 4 p.m. Friday in Fort Stockton.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cisco junior earns this week’s award

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. 

That was the case last week when Toof helped Cisco to a win over Abilene TLCA with 43 points, 14 rebounds and three assists. He followed that with 20 points, seven boards, four assists and three steals in a playoff warmup loss to Benjamin. 

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Hoops
by Evan Ren

FINAL Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders for 2026: Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 19.  With the end of the regular season, this will be the FINAL boys basketball leaders we post this year. 

This database has been 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: Montelongo, role players play pivotal roles as Wylie ends regular season with win over Legacy

As the final seconds ticked off the clock in Tuesday night’s District 4-5A boys basketball regular-season finale between Wylie and Wichita Falls Legacy, a chant broke out among the Wylie student body reminiscent of one from the movie “Rudy.”

Only this time, it was “Mon-te! Mon-te! Mon-te!”

The chants were for Wylie senior Noah Montelongo, who rarely gets into games but is one of the biggest supporters of his teammates. One of three fourth-year players being honored on Senior Night, he had the ball in his hands to dribble out the clock in the Bulldogs’ 57-35 win.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie holds off Cooper rally to clinch playoff spot, end Cougars’ postseason push

Trailing Cooper by a point in the final minute on Friday, the Wylie boys basketball team closed the game on a 5-0 run to grind out a crucial 51-47 victory at Cougar Gym.

It was the second consecutive road win for the Bulldogs in which they faced a deficit in the closing minutes, clinching a playoff spot for coach Gregg Ruffin’s team while eliminating the Cougars from postseason contention.

Wylie led 33-22 at halftime only to see Cooper snag the momentum — and, eventually, the lead on Jabari Collier-Gard’s 3-pointer with 1:30 to play. But a 5-of-6 tally from the free-throw line and a couple of key stops in the final 43 seconds were enough to earn the Bulldogs the hard-fought victory over their crosstown rival.

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by Evan Ren

FINAL Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders for 2026 (Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks)

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Feb. 12. This will be our FINAL girls stat leaders for 2026.

This database has been 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 Daniel Youngblood

THIS WEEK IN BOYS BASKETBALL: District title, playoff races continue to take shape as regular season nears its end

The boys basketball regular season is nearing its end, and district championship and playoff pictures across the area are coming into view.

Most leagues now have clear favorites in both their title and playoff races, but several remain unresolved with just two or three games left to play. 

With just a couple of weeks of games remaining, let’s dive in and take a look at this week’s biggest games and last week’s most significant developments.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High boys grind out gutsy win at Wylie to clinch at least share of District 4-5A title

The Abilene High boys basketball team clinched at least a share of its first district championship since 2016 on Friday, grinding out a thrilling 57-52 win over crosstown rival Wylie to improve to 5-1 in District 4-5A play.

The tough road victory, combined with Wichita Falls Legacy’s win over rival Wichita Falls Memorial on Friday, gives the Eagles (18-11 overall) a two-game lead over both of those squads and a 2½-game lead over Wylie with two games remaining.

AHS can claim the title outright — something the Wylie girls did with a 75-10 win over the Lady Eagles in Friday’s early game — with a victory in either of its final two games against Memorial and Cooper.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

SIGNING DAY: Eight local athletes make college decisions official at ceremonies throughout Abilene

A busy week across the Big Country that began Monday with the University Interscholastic League’s biennial realignment continued Wednesday with National Signing Day ceremonies at all three local high schools.

Abilene High and Cooper each had three football players put pen to paper, joining a fourth at each school who had already made his commitment official. And Wylie, meanwhile, had a pair of athletes sign to compete collegiately — one in football and another in soccer.

In all, eight local boys signed at their respective Signing Day ceremonies, earning celebration from family, friends and their high school coaches. 

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