After highlighting the top guards and forwards on the Big Country girls basketball scene the past two nights, it’s time to turn our attention to the paint.
For the final installment in our three-part position rankings series, we list our top-10 posts in the area for the 2019-20 season.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading through these rankings, and make sure to come back next week when we’ll feature the top boys basketball players in the Big Country.
Not since 2001 had the Hamlin Pied Pipers topped Albany in a game of football — a time span that included 12 straight defeats.
So it goes without saying that when coach Russell Lucas’ crew finally broke through with a 66-20 win over the one area team they wanted to defeat more than any other, emotions were running a bit high at Piper Stadium on Friday.
And no player wearing green contributed more than senior Jevon Williams, who helped turn our Big Country Preps Game of the Week into something lopsided.
Wylie 28, Plainview 6 — Coach Hugh Sandifer’s Bulldogs outgained Plainview 313-228 Friday, building a 21-0 halftime lead on their way to a comfortable win in the season finale for both teams.
With the victory, Wylie (2-8, 2-3) had a chance to make the playoffs with a Canyon Randall win over Lubbock Cooper, but the Raiders just missed the upset in a 37-31 loss.
Junior running back Noah Beach, who was playing for the injured Jaxon Hansen, led the effort for WHS, rushing for 89 yards and a touchdown while adding 21 yards receiving. Quarterback Balin Valentine also had a solid night, passing for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
PLAINVIEW — Noah Beach ran for 89 yard and a touchdown, and Balin Valentine threw for two scores Friday to lead the Wylie Bulldogs to a 28-6 win over Plainview on Friday in their final game of the season.
The win was almost enough to put coach Hugh Sandifer’s Bulldogs (2-10 overall, 2-3 in District 3-5A Division II) in the playoffs, but district champion Lubbock Cooper rallied in the final minutes to edge Canyon Randall 37-31, eliminating Wylie from postseason contention.
Still, though, the victory was a positive end to a difficult season for Sandifer and his team.
LAST WEEK: 40-3, .930
OVERALL: 397-76, .839
At the beginning of the season, I pointed to this game as a likely Big Country Preps Game of the Week and along with that, I said two things: On paper, Hamlin would be the favorite (which they are) and that I’d pick Albany (which i will).
I’m throwing logic completely out of the window here and basing this pick on history alone.
For better or worse, Hamlin has not beaten Albany since 2001 — a time span that includes 12 straight AHS victories, including two Lion wins last year that saw me pick the Pied Pipers twice.
During their time at their respective schools, Albany’s Denney Faith and Hamlin’s Russell Lucas have been among the most successful football coaches in all of the Big Country.
With their teams set to clash in what may be the game of the year in this area, the two mentors joined Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood to talk about the Albany-Hamlin rivalry and this year’s matchup in particular for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel take a look at the area’s most intriguing district races heading into the final week of the regular season.
Continue to check back at BigCountryPreps.com each Wednesday night at 7 p.m. when Evan and Dan discuss the current happenings in Big Country High School sports — often with an interesting sports figure from around the area.
You can also peruse our BCP Podcast archive, which features dozens of our previous shows with prominent coaches and Big Country media fixtures.
Inquiries regarding these podcasts may be directed to Evan Ren at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
If you have a suggested topic of conversation or a recommended guest, don’t hesitate to contact us!
Lubbock Cooper 49, Wylie 14 — With the game tied at 7 early in the second quarter Friday, the No. 6 Pirates got an 85-yard kickoff return touchdown to start a run of 42 unanswered points over the middle two quarters of a blowout win.
Cooper (8-1, 4-0) outgained the Bulldogs 340-158, pounding out 239 yards rushing on just 29 carries. Isaiah Johnson led the Pirates with 77 yards and three touchdowns on six rush attempts, while Tyler Hairston added 69 yards on four carries.
Wylie (1-8, 1-3), which got a 32-yard touchdown reception from Creed Cooper and a 1-yard scoring run from quarterback Balin Valentine, will likely wrap up its season Friday at Plainview. Cooper, which has already clinched the No. 1 playoff seed in this district, will host Canyon Randall in its regular-season finale.
The Wylie football team went into Friday night’s District 3-5A Division II game against Lubbock Cooper needing to pull off an upset of the district leaders to bolster their playoff hopes.
Instead, the Bulldogs saw a strong first quarter evaporate before halftime before dropping a 49-14 decision to the Pirates at Bulldog Stadium.
In a Wylie program that places great value on senior leadership and experiences significant roster turnover each and every year, one-year starters are a common occurrence.
Unless roster holes open up early opportunities, most players are asked to wait their turn and to be ready to lead the program when it comes.
Senior cornerback Braxton Ward may be one of the best examples on the Bulldogs’ 2019 roster of this concept.
After getting the bulk of his playing time on special teams and as a backup to two seniors last season, Ward has emerged as one of Wylie’s top defensive players this year. And though his time as a Bulldog starter was a long time coming and will be relatively short in duration, he’s done his best to maximize his impact on the WHS program.
It’s taken Brady native Shay Easterwood three years to lay the foundation for the BHS football program, but with his team sitting at 4-4 overall and 3-0 in District 13-3A play, he has the Bulldogs in position to compete a district championship this season.
Earlier this week, Easterwood took some time to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about the pressure of coaching at his alma mater, the Bulldogs’ turnaround this fall and his goals for the rest of the season for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also on this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the Big Country football landscape, highlighting last week’s top results and this week’s most intriguing matchups.
Continue to check back at BigCountryPreps.com each Wednesday night at 7 p.m. when Evan and Dan discuss the current happenings in Big Country High School sports — often with an interesting sports figure from around the area.
You can also peruse our BCP Podcast archive, which features dozens of our previous shows with prominent coaches and Big Country media fixtures.
Inquiries regarding these podcasts may be directed to Evan Ren at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
If you have a suggested topic of conversation or a recommended guest, don’t hesitate to contact us!
As two of the most consistent performers in the Big Country this season, Cooper’s Noah Garcia and Dylon Davis could have earned Big Country Preps Player of the Week honors any number of times this season.
Garcia, a junior running back, has rushed for more than 190 yards per games this fall, while Davis, a senior cornerback, leads the state of Texas in interceptions with 12.
Well, after nine weeks and nine Cougar wins, it’s time to give this duo their due.
As has been the case in virtually every game in 2019, the pair was at the forefront of the Coogs’ 49-14 whipping of Lubbock High on Friday. And for their part in that game, Garcia and Davis will share a weekly award that could just as easily serve to recognize a season worth of outstanding play.
Canyon Randall 20, Wylie 7 — Offensive struggles undermined a solid effort on defense and special teams Friday as the Bulldogs dropped an important home game to the Raiders.
Wylie managed just 92 total yards and seven first downs, five of which came on their final possession of the game. Despite this, the Bulldogs trailed just 14-7 at halftime and were never down more than two scores thanks to some clutch plays by the defense, which intercepted Randall quarterback JaKobe Norman three times.
Wylie, which got 64 total yards from utility back Jaxon Hansen, will play its final home game this week against district leader Lubbock Cooper. Randall (3-5, 2-1), meanwhile, will host Wichita Falls Rider.
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery.
Wylie made enough plays on defense and special teams to win Friday, but the Bulldogs could never find their stride offensively in a 20-7 home loss to Canyon Randall.
Coach Hugh Sandifer’s team, which was coming off a 21-14 win at Wichita Falls High, managed just 92 yards of total offense and seven first downs — three of which came on Randall personal fouls on the final possession of the game.
This made a deficit that never grew larger than two scores feel insurmountable in the second half, particularly during the fourth quarter, when the Bulldogs were forced to play into a stiff headwind.
In his 41 years at Wylie High School, more than 30 of those as the Bulldogs’ head football coach, Hugh Sandifer has had one of the most successful tenures the Big Country has ever seen. But in the past two years, WHS has struggled while transitioning to the Class 5A level, experiencing an 18-game losing streak before defeating Wichita Falls High 21-14 last week.
Earlier this week, Sandifer took some time to visit with Big Country Preps’ Daniel Youngblood about that victory, his tenure at Wylie and what drives him to continue coaching for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also on this episode, Daniel and partner Evan Ren discuss the Big Country football landscape, highlighting last week’s top results and this week’s most intriguing matchups.
Continue to check back at BigCountryPreps.com each Wednesday night at 7 p.m. when Evan and Dan discuss the current happenings in Big Country High School sports — often with an interesting sports figure from around the area.
You can also peruse our BCP Podcast archive, which features dozens of our previous shows with prominent coaches and Big Country media fixtures.
Inquiries regarding these podcasts may be directed to Evan Ren at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
If you have a suggested topic of conversation or a recommended guest, don’t hesitate to contact us!
In a week filled with explosive performances it wasn’t easy choosing our weekly award winner among those nominated by our coaches.
We eventually settled on Brady’s Walker Bauer, whose dual-threat performance in a win over Johnson City was just good enough to eclipse the others.
Throwing for 132 yards and four touchdowns in a 53-3 win over Johnson City, Bauer was perhaps even more impressive running the ball, with 239 yards and and two additional scores.
Wylie 21, Wichita Falls High 14 — The Bulldogs snapped their 18-game losing streak Thursday with a hard-fought win over the Coyotes, stopping a do-or-die pass play from the 3-yard line as time expired to seal the victory.
Wylie (1-6 overall, 1-1 in District 3-5A DII) took a 14-7 lead into halftime and answered third-quarter touchdown by WFHS with one of their own to build the seven-point advantage they’d protect the rest of the way. Quarterback Balin Valentine passed for 199 yards and three touchdowns to lead the offense, hitting Cason Hanna in the first quarter, Brodey Baker in the second and Reed Hughes for what proved to be the game-winner in the final minute of the third.
With a win under their belt, the Bulldogs can now shift their focus to bolstering their playoff hopes, beginning with a big home game against Canyon Randall this week.
WICHITA FALLS — Wichita Falls High quarterback Zy Gravitt’s pass to the end zone fell incomplete as time expired, sealing a 21-14 win for the Wylie Bulldogs on Thursday night at Memorial Stadium.
The victory, Wylie’s first since November 2017, snapped an 18-game losing streak for coach Hugh Sandifer and the Bulldogs. And more importantly, it put the WHS (1-6 overall, 1-1 in District 3-5A Division II) firmly in the playoff race after having a 24-year postseason streak snapped during a winless campaign last season.
With an inexperienced offensive line that’s seen its depth depleted by injuries, Wylie has had to lean more heavily on its passing game this season than coach Hugh Sandifer would prefer.
But if there’s been one positive to the Bulldogs’ struggles in the running game, it’s been the emergence of junior receivers Creed Cooper and Reed Hughes.
While Wylie remains winless at 0-6 heading into Thursday’s game at Wichita Falls High, Cooper and Hughes have added big-play potential to a Bulldog unit that has struggled to finish drives this season. And that duo will, no doubt, play a key role if Sandifer’s squad is to make a playoff push in its last four district games.
It’s been a big year for Eastland football coach James Morton, who has coached the Mavericks to a 6-0 start and earlier this week week watched his son, standout junior quarterback Behren Morton, commit to play collegiately at Texas Tech.
On Tuesday, Coach Morton took a few minutes to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about this year’s Eastland team, the progress his program has made and watching his son’s recruitment for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, the guys revisit Evan’s column on fan’s treatment of coaches and discuss last week’s top results and this week’s top matchups.
Continue to check back at BigCountryPreps.com each Wednesday night at 7 p.m. when Evan and Dan discuss the current happenings in Big Country High School sports — often with an interesting sports figure from around the area.
You can also peruse our BCP Podcast archive, which features dozens of our previous shows with prominent coaches and Big Country media fixtures.
Inquiries regarding these podcasts may be directed to Evan Ren at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
If you have a suggested topic of conversation or a recommended guest, don’t hesitate to contact us!
He looks more like a linebacker than a quarterback and he’s not exactly Usain Bolt on a dead run.
But Coahoma quarterback Zack Schneider is smart, double-tough and proving more than capable of handling a position that he may not have been specifically designed for.
That much was proven last Friday when the senior led Coahoma to a huge 29-21 win over Idalou in our Big Country Preps Game of the Week that saw him rush for 176 yards and four touchdowns and pass for 108.
He also came up big defensively, charting 10 tackles, one interception , one fumble recovery and one pass breakup to help the Bulldogs improve to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in District 2-3A Division II.
Wichita Falls Rider 30, Wylie 12 — The Bulldogs played their most competitive game to date, taking their first lead of the season with a second-quarter touchdown pass, but their inability to capitalize on some early opportunities and the play of Rider quarterback Jacob Rodriguez allowed the Raiders to pull away in the third quarter.
Rodriguez had a hand in every point for Rider, rushing for 216 yards and three touchdowns, passing for 153 yards and another score, and returning an interception on a point-after try for a defensive two-point conversion. Wylie, which finished with 288 yards of offense, was led by quarterback Balin Valentine (20-39-1—276, 2 TDs passing) and receiver Reed Hughes (4-138, 1 TD).
The Bulldogs, who dropped to 0-6 overall and 0-1 in league play with the loss, will try to snap an 18-game losing streak Thursday when they hit the road to take on Wichita Falls High. The Raiders (3-3, 1-0), meanwhile, will host Lubbock Cooper on Friday in a game that will likely decide the District 3-5A DII championship.
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery.
Wylie shut out Wichita Falls Rider for a quarter and held its first lead of the season during Friday’s District 3-5A Division II opener, but 30 unanswered points for the Raiders over the middle two quarters lifted the visitors to a 30-12 victory at Bulldog Stadium.
Balin Valentine’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Brodey Baker put the Bulldogs up 6-0 with a 8:20 remaining the second quarter, but a botched snap on the point-after try led to an interception that was returned the length of the field to put Rider on the board and get the Raiders going after a slow start offensively.
RHS (3-3 overall, 1-0 in district) closed the first half with a pair of touchdowns — a 47-yard Jacob Rodriguez touchdown run with 2:45 left in the second quarter and a 19-yard scoring strike from Rodriguez to Ranse Radtke about a minute and a half later — to take a 16-6 lead into the halftime break. The Raiders then put the game away with touchdowns on their first two possessions of the third quarter.
It’s no secret that the Wylie Bulldogs’ first five games didn’t go the way they had hoped they would.
Hugh Sandifer’s team closed nondistrict play at 0-5, getting shut out in its last three contests to extend a multi-season losing streak to 17 games.
But heading into Friday’s district opener against Wichita Falls Rider, the veteran coach’s message to his team was simple: What happened in the first five weeks matters far less than what happens in the next five.
LAST WEEK: 34-9, .790
OVERALL: 251-51, .831
There comes a point when every emerging football program has to show its hand. And it’s usually around the midpoint of the season when we can differentiate between who has a full house and who’s holding a pair of deuces.
The Coahoma Bulldogs (4-1) will reach that point this Friday when they host perennial toughie Idalou (3-2) in our Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
In his second year as Cooper’s head football coach, Aaron Roan has the Cougars unbeaten at 6-0 and ranked No. 10 in Class 5A Division I.
Earlier this week, Roan took a few minutes to chat with Big Country Preps’ Daniel Youngblood about the start his team’s gotten off to, the factors behind the Cougars’ success and his growth as a coach for this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.
Also in this episode, Daniel and Brandon McAuliffe discuss last week’s top results and the biggest area football matchups Week 7 has to offer.
Continue to check back at BigCountryPreps.com each Wednesday night at 7 p.m. when Evan and Dan discuss the current happenings in Big Country High School sports — often with an interesting sports figure from around the area.
You can also peruse our BCP Podcast archive, which features dozens of our previous shows with prominent coaches and Big Country media fixtures.
Inquiries regarding these podcasts may be directed to Evan Ren at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
If you have a suggested topic of conversation or a recommended guest, don’t hesitate to contact us!
What is the purpose of interscholastic athletics? It seems silly to even pose the question.
I bring it up because within the word purpose lies the problem — a poisonous problem, brought on by our own lack of vision.
Must I say it?
The original purpose behind high school sports was the teaching of teamwork, work ethic, sacrifice, respecting authority, overcoming adversity and accepting discipline.
Sports taught our kids that the world wasn’t perfect. It taught our kids that there would be disappointments to endure. It taught them the benefits of hard work and we hired our coaches accordingly.
Somewhere along the line we injected winning into the mix and it has resulted in something truly ugly.
Continue reading “EVAN REN: High school athletics has forgotten itself”
Wylie (0-5) — Like everyone else in this district, the Bulldogs had the night off Friday, giving them an extra week to heal up and prepare for this week’s district opener against Wichita Falls Rider.
Coach Hugh Sandifer’s team will try to regroup after a difficult nondistrict schedule through which it was outscored 195-45, including shutout losses in each of its past three ballgames. After Friday’s home game against Rider, Wylie will have important matchups against struggling teams from Wichita Falls High (Oct. 17) and Canyon Randall (Oct. 25).