Here are our second-team selections for the 2020 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
Category: Wylie Bulldogs
All-Big Country Preps Football Team: Third-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)
Here are our third-team selections for the 2020 All-Big Country Preps football team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: Wylie boys, girls sweep Lubbock High
The Wylie boys basketball team evened its District 4-5A record at 1-1 on Tuesday, blasting Lubbock High 50-27 at Bulldog Gym.
Trailing 12-11 after the first quarter, the Bulldogs outscored the Westerners 39-15 the rest of the way to improve to 5-8 overall.
Wylie took a 24-19 lead into halftime after outpacing Lubbock High 13-7 in the second quarter, before using a 15-2 run through the third quarter to take control for good.
PHOTO GALLERY: Lubbock Cooper-Wylie girls basketball (32 images)
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LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: Cooper boys open district play with win over Lubbock High
LUBBOCK — The Cooper boys basketball team kicked off District 4-5A play with a victory Tuesday, outscoring Lubbock High in each of the first three quarters of a 44-31 road victory.
Leading 13-7 after a quarter, the Cougars (10-4 overall, 1-0 in district) used a 13-6 run through the second quarter to take a 26-13 advantage into halftime. The Coogs then outscored the Westerners 12-5 in the third quarter to all but put the game away.
GAME STORY: Wylie girls come up just short in upset bid against No. 8 Lubbock Cooper
Leading No. 8 Lubbock Cooper 49-45 with 2:20 remaining Tuesday at Bulldog Gym, the Wylie girls basketball looked poised to score a big upset win and take sole possession of first place in the District 4-5A race.
Unfortunately for the Lady Bulldogs, they wouldn’t score again the rest of the way, allowing a Hannah Zientek 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds remaining to serve as the winning points in a 52-49 loss.
After watching the Lady Pirates tie the score with about a minute and a half to play, Wylie had a couple of opportunities to regain the lead and put additional pressure on the visitors. But the Lady Bulldogs couldn’t turn those possessions into points, and a banked-in 3 by Zientek, a junior post player, with 8.7 seconds remaining left coach Amy Powell’s squad on the losing end of a game that was tightly contested throughout.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Dublin’s Escobar takes the top spot
He’s been consistently pouring in points since the season’s outset. So it’s not a surprise that Dublin senior guard Daniel Escobar has taken our first Big Country Preps Player of the Week award for 2021.
Helping the Lions to wins over Eastland (69-42) and Millsap (79-43), Escobar finished the week with a total of 63 points through the two games, including a 38-point night in the Eastland win.
But scoring was only a portion of his overall contribution.
LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: McGee, Watts lead Eagles to blowout win at Midland High
MIDLAND — Jalen McGee scored 26 points and Nathan Watts added 20 to power the Abilene High boys basketball team to an 84-31 rout of Midland High in a District 2-6A matchup Friday.
The Eagles (13-3 overall, 2-1 in district) led 33-21 at halftime, before outscoring the Bulldogs 27-10 in the third quarter and 24-0 in the fourth to pull way for the 53-point win.
Continue reading “LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: McGee, Watts lead Eagles to blowout win at Midland High”
PHOTO GALLERY: Lubbock Coronado-Wylie girls basketball (50 images)
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GAME STORY: Melton’s big night fuels Wylie girls to 50-36 win over Coronado
Emma Melton hit five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 21 points Tuesday to lead the Wylie girls basketball team to a 50-36 home win over Lubbock Coronado.
The senior guard had 13 points by halftime in helping the Lady Bulldogs to a 28-16 lead that they would increase to a game-high 22 points (43-21) by the 2½-minute mark the third quarter.
The victory improves coach Amy Powell’s squad to 8-9 overall and 2-0 in District 4-5A play heading into a big home game Tuesday against district co-leader Lubbock Cooper.
LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: Abilene High boys bounce back, rout OHS for first district win
The Abilene High boys basketball team bounced back from Friday’s loss to Wolfforth Frenship in its District 2-6A opener with a comfortable win over Odessa High on Tuesday, scoring at least 17 points in every quarter of an 81-67 victory at Eagle Gym.
The Eagles (12-3 overall, 1-1 in district) raced out to a 17-4 lead after one period and were never threatened after that, outscoring OHS 21-16 in the second quarter and 25-16 in the third to take a commanding 63-36 lead into the final quarter.
DANIEL YOUNGBLOOD: Big Country Preps Top 10 Stories for 2020
The year 2020 is finally behind us — a fact I think we can all celebrate as a positive.
A wretched year in so many ways, 2020 presented unique challenges most of us never could have envisioned and brought levels of heartbreak and hardship we may never experience again in our lifetimes.
But even out of bad years, good stories can arise. And as a website devoted to highlighting the positives in our narrow area of focus, we’re going to revisit some of the best today.
As has become a New Year’s Day custom here at Big Country Preps, it’s time once again to revisit the biggest Big Country sports stories of the past year. And while narrowing and compiling that list is never easy, and always leaves worthy stories unaccounted for, we hope you enjoy looking back at some of the highlights from a tough year.
As we say goodbye to 2020 (thankfully), we turn our attention to the local athletes and coaches who produced some positive memories for area sports fans.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top 10 stories from last year:
LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: Abilene High girls rout Mineral Wells for second straight win
The Abilene High girls basketball team won its second game in as many days Wednesday, following Tuesday’s 54-33 win over Odessa Permian in its District 2-6A opener with a 73-23 nondistrict win over Mineral Wells.
The Lady Eagles, now 3-7 overall, held the Lady Rams to single digits in each of the first three quarters Wednesday, building a 24-5 first-quarter lead that they would stretch to 45-14 by halftime and 60-19 by the start of the final period.
PHOTO GALLERY: Plainview-Wylie girls basketball (32 images)
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GAME STORY: Wylie girls start fast, overcome third-quarter swoon to pull away from Plainview
A big first half for senior Makinlee Bacon staked the Wylie girls basketball team to a double-digit halftime lead, and the Lady Bulldogs withstood a big third quarter rally by Plainview to earn a 53-45 home win Monday in their first game out of the Christmas break.
Bacon hit five 3-pointers during a 15-point first half, fueling Wylie to a 28-12 halftime advantage. But Plainview scored the first 13 points of the third quarter to turn that 12-point deficit into a one-point lead just four minutes into the second half.
From there, though, coach Amy Powell’s squad was able to regroup, pulling back ahead by 10 (41-31) heading into the final quarter and cruising from there to the victory.
PHOTO GALLERY: Daniel Youngblood’s top 100 football photos for 2020
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PHOTO GALLERY: Sweetwater-Wylie boys basketball (68 images)
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GAME STORY: Wylie boys pull away for lopsided home win over Sweetwater
The Wylie boys basketball team rolled into the Christmas break with some positive momentum thanks to a 77-46 win over Sweetwater on Monday at Bulldog Gym.
After watching the Mustangs pull within 10 with just under four minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Bulldogs closed that period on a 14-2 run and outscored the visitors 20-11 in the fourth to pull away for a comfortable win.
The victory was a welcome sight for the Wylie, which improved 3-6 through a difficult early-season schedule.
LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: Abilene High boys keep roll going into Christmas break
SLATON — The Abilene High boys basketball team notched its fifth consecutive win Saturday, following Friday’s triumph over Cooper with a 63-46 victory over Plainview to improve to 10-2 heading into the Christmas break.
Jalen McGee led the Eagles with 16 points, helping AHS to a 15-6 first-quarter lead it would protect the rest of the way. Plainview pulled within eight (31-23) at halftime, before the Eagles took control for good with a 15-9 run through the third quarter.
In addition to McGee’s big night, AHS also got double figures scoring from Jackson Stevens (11 points) and Sami Kanayo (10 points). Nathan Watts added eight points and Jake Breckenridge scored six for coach Justin Reese’s squad, which saw nine players crack the scoresheet.
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT WEDNESDAY NIGHT PODCAST: Evan & Dan talk playoff football
VIDEO PODCAST NO. 12: Evan Ren and Dan Youngblood speak about last week’s playoff action, and this week’s state title games
Top games of this week discussed: May vs. Sterling City, Jim Ned vs. Mt. Vernon, Abilene vs. North Crowley
Top games of last week discussed: Jim Ned vs. Mount Vernon, Cooper vs. Mansfield Summit, Abilene vs. El Paso Eastwood, Wylie vs. Grapevine.
LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: Wylie girls fall just short against No. 2 Amarillo High
LUBBOCK — The Wylie girls basketball team outscored Class 5A No. 2 Amarillo High 36-31 over the final two quarters Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a 11-point halftime deficit in a 61-55 loss at Lubbock Christian University.
The Lady Bulldogs were right in the game after a quarter, trailing just 13-11, but a 17-8 second-quarter run sent Amarillo High to the locker room with a 30-19 halftime lead.
Wylie whittled that to one with a 20-10 run through the third period, but the Lady Bulldogs were outscored 21-16 over the final period to fall to 5-7 on the year.
PHOTO GALLERY: Abilene High-Wylie boys basketball (60 images)
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GAME STORY: Second-quarter surge lifts Abilene High boys to second win over Wylie
Holding a narrow 15-14 lead after a quarter, the Abilene High boys caught fire in the second Tuesday, hitting five 3-pointers during a 25-point outburst to set the tone for a 64-59 win over Wylie at Bulldog Gym.
The Bulldogs, who fell to the Eagles 50-45 on Dec. 5 at Eagle Gym, rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit to trim AHS’ lead to six with 2:32 to play. But the Eagles closed the game with a 9-0 run to sweep the season series with Wylie and improve to 8-2 on the year.
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Abilene High duo Ramirez, Dotson share award
Facing an explosive El Paso Eastwood offense in the opening round of the Region I-6A Division II playoffs, the Abilene High Eagles knew they’d need to move the ball and score if they hoped to earn their first postseason win since 2016.
That’s where junior quarterback Abel Ramirez and senior running back Phonzo Dotson came in.
Taking turns leading an AHS offensive explosion, this duo helped the Eagles rack up 569 yards of total offense in a 42-35 win over the Troopers. And in the process, the pair has earned the Capital Farm Credit/Big Country Preps Player of the Week award for the week ending Dec. 12.
LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: Wylie girls use fast start to run away from No. 10 Cisco
CISCO — The Wylie girls basketball team outscored Class 2A No. 10 Cisco 21-5 in the first quarter and kept the Lady Loboes’ offense in check the rest of the way to snap a three-game losing streak with a 48-33 road win Friday.
The Lady Bulldogs, who handed the Lady Loboes just their second loss of the season, got scoring from 10 of 11 players in the victory, led by Makinlee Bacon and Emma Melton with 12 points apiece and Ceci Widder with seven.
Cisco (6-2), which trailed 31-14 at halftime and 44-22 after three quarters, got a game-high 20 points from Sophia Hurtado and eight from Justice Fox, but only two other players got onto the scoresheet for the Lady Loboes.
GAME STORY: QB Cowgill, RB Texada fuel Grapevine past Wylie 34-24
GRAPEVINE — Wylie’s scrappiness and penchant for big plays served it admirably for three quarters of the Bulldogs’ Region I-5A Division II bi-district battle with Grapevine on Friday night. But in the end, the Mustangs’ balanced attack — led by running back Caleb Texada and quarterback Max Cowgill — proved more than the visitors could match in an exciting 34-24 loss that ended the Dogs’ up-and-down 2020 season.
Texada was the lone ball carrier for Grapevine, but he ran with distinction, amassing 190 yards on 29 totes, while adding two scoring runs. Meanwhile, Cowgill, a keenly accurate senior signal caller, completed 23 of 35 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns. Those collaborative feats helped propel Grapevine to an 8-3 record and a chance to advance in the playoffs. Wylie finished at 4-4.
FEATURE: Revamped Wylie defense thriving under new coordinator Hill
During an extended tenure as Wylie’s defensive coordinator under legendary coach Hugh Sandifer, Clay Martin was the architect of some of the best defenses in the state at his classification.
Now in his first year as the Bulldogs’ head coach, Martin has handed the keys of the WHS defense over to a new driver.
With first-year defensive coordinator Bryan Hill has come a new voice and philosophy. But the Bulldogs stop troops are proving as disruptive, opportunistic and stingy as ever under the 2009 University of Texas graduate and former University of South Florida safeties coach — a fact that makes the old coordinator in Martin smile.
Evan Ren’s Big Country playoff forecast
LAST WEEK: 3-2, .600
SEASON TOTAL: 432-93, .823
With two small-school area teams — Jim Ned and May — now joined in the postseason party by locals Abilene High, Cooper and Wylie (in the 6A-5A bi-district rounds), the Big Country still has five football teams still afloat heading into this week.
It should be noted that May, having already qualified for the 1A DI (six-man) state title game, won’t play again until next week’s championship matchup with Sterling City.
The rest will see action Friday and Saturday in venues scattered all over Texas, from the Metroplex to Fort Stockton.
Let’s dive in and have a look at all the matchups.
I’ll see you on the road.
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT WEDNESDAY NIGHT PODCAST: Abilene High’s Mike Fullen joins the show
VIDEO PODCAST NO. 11: Abilene coach Mike Fullen joins the show. Evan Ren and Dan Youngblood give the most complete look at the Big Country Playoff picture available from any media source in the Big Country.
Top games of this week discussed: May vs. Sterling City, Jim Ned vs. Mt. Vernon
Top games of last week discussed: Jim Ned vs. Pilot Point, Eastland vs. Gunter, Cisco vs. Post, Strawn vs. Richland Springs, May vs. Blum.
LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: Wylie girls can’t hang onto lead against Fredericksburg, Lady Coogs nipped by Cisco
The Wylie girls basketball team led Class 4A No. 3 Fredericksburg 42-37 after three quarters Saturday, but offensive struggles in the fourth resulted in a 49-45 loss at Bulldog Gym.
The Lady Bulldogs, who used an 11-7 run through the third quarter to build on a one-point halftime lead, managed just three points over the final eight minutes to drop another close game to a ranked opponent.
Saturday’s defeat, which followed a 41-37 loss to Class 3A No. 8 Jim Ned, dropped Wylie to 4-4 on the year.
PHOTO GALLERY: Wylie-Abilene High boys basketball (50 images)
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GAME STORY: Abilene High boys hold off Wylie for 50-45 win
The Abilene High boys basketball team pulled ahead early and held off Wylie from there to pick up a 50-45 win over the Bulldogs on Saturday at Eagle Gym.
The Eagles raced out to a 13-8 lead after a quarter and extended that to 26-19 by halftime, before fending off a couple of Wylie rallies in the second half.
The win improved AHS to 5-1 on the season heading into a nondistrict Tuesday at Midland Christian.
PHOTO GALLERY: Merkel-Wylie girls basketball (41 images)
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LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: McGee leads Abilene High boys past Amarillo Tascosa
AMARILLO — Senior point guard Jalen McGee hit seven 3-pointers and scored 25 points to fuel the Abilene High boys basketball team to a 65-57 win over Amarillo Tascosa on Tuesday.
The Eagles trailed 22-13 after a quarter but pulled within three points (29-26) at halftime, before using a 17-8 run through the third quarter to take the lead for good.
In addition to McGee’s big game, AHS (3-1) also got 14 points from post Nathan Watts, 11 from Kelton Jackson and six from Jackson Stevens.
GAME STORY: Wylie girls down Merkel on Coaches vs. Cancer night
The Wylie girls basketball team had a pair of games in Amarillo over the Thanksgiving holiday while their Tuesday night opponent at Bulldog Gym, Merkel, had a game canceled over the break and hadn’t taken the floor in a week.
The end result was a 56-44 win for the Lady Bulldogs on Wylie’s annual Coaches vs. Cancer night.
Game action during the weeklong break, or a lack thereof, was something that both coaches saw as a factor in a game that was 46-41 with 3:01 to play.
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: May’s Halk takes the top spot
We always have our eye out for a possible six-man football player to take our Capital Farm Credit/BCP Player of the Week award. But he must have one of “those games” — one that even makes the six-man community sit up and take notice, by virtue of its importance, or volume of numbers.
Last week’s effort by May running back-defensive back Kaden Halk in a 72-38 win over Leakey qualifies on both fronts.
Only a junior, Halk tallied 356 yards rushing and seven touchdowns on just 16 carries and added a 42-yard TD reception to help push the Tigers (12-1) to the Class 1A DI semifinals where they will face Blum (9-3) at 6 p.m. on Saturday in Dublin.
PHOTO GALLERY: Plainview-Wylie football (64 images)
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
GAME STORY: Wylie shuts out Plainview 48-0 to close out regular season in style
Needing a win over Plainview to keep their postseason hopes alive, the Wylie football team closed out the regular season in dominating fashion Friday afternoon, outgaining the visiting Bulldogs 446-114 in a 48-0 victory at Hugh Sandifer Stadium.
Led by senior receiver Jahzair George, who had touchdown catches of 43, 69 and 37 yards, Wylie scored 17 points in each of the first two quarters to take a 34-0 lead into halftime. And the defense completed the shutout in the second half to help the home team improve to 4-3 on the season and 2-3 in District 3-5A Division II play.
Now, coach Clay Martin’s Bulldogs must await the result of next week’s game between Lubbock Cooper and Wichita Falls High to find out if their efforts have been enough to earn them a spot in the playoffs. A Cooper win over WFHS would earn Wylie the district’s No. 4 playoff seed by virtue of the Bulldogs’ 44-14 win over the Coyotes on Oct. 30.
Evan Ren’s Thanksgiving week playoff picks
LAST WEEK: 23-2, .920
SEASON TOTAL: 422-88, .827
Turkey Day has arrived and we’ve still got 10 Big Country football teams showing a pulse.
Of those, there are at least six that I believe have a shot at getting to Arlington and of those, perhaps four that have a good shot at bringing home a state title.
So let’s dive in and take a look at this week’s matchups, shall we?
Be safe going to your games! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT WEDNESDAY NIGHT PODCAST: Cisco’s Kevin Stennett joins the show talks about CHS’ upcoming regional semifinal with Hawley
VIDEO PODCAST NO. 11: Cisco coach Kevin Stennett joins the show and to talk about his experience at CHS and this week’s regional semifinal clash with Hawley. Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood examine this week’s regional semifinal pairings.
Top games of this week discussed: All playoff pairings involving Big Country teams from Class 1A-4A this week are mentioned.
Top games of last week discussed: Sweetwater vs. Celina, Hawley vs. Sundown, Albany vs. Ralls, Wall vs. Bushland, Brock vs. Denver City, Jim Ned vs. Dalhart, San Saba vs. Panhandle.
LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: Wylie boys can’t keep up with No. 7 Amarillo High
AMARILLO — The seventh-ranked Amarillo High Sandies proved too strong for the Wylie boys basketball team on Tuesday, outscoring the Bulldogs in all four quarters of a 75-48 win.
AHS (4-0) raced out to a 23-12 lead after a quarter and increased its advantage to 20 points by halftime (39-19), before cruising in the second half to the victory.
Wylie, which fell to 0-2 with the loss, was paced offensively by Dylan Jennings’ 24 points. Colby Tanner also reached double figures with 11 points, while Avery Brekke finished with seven.