AMARILLO PALO DURO (3-5, 1-2) AT WYLIE (5-3, 2-1)
7 p.m. Friday at Hugh Sandifer Stadium, Abilene
Category: Wylie Bulldogs
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Bulldogs, Bearcats meet with district title in the balance
LAST WEEK: 44-7, .862
SEASON TOTAL: 391-86, .820
It really didn’t take long for people to start talking about the Hawley – Stamford matchup in 2023. In fact, this one was on our calendar as a possible Game of the Week before the season even started.
Who will win? That depends on who you speak with. Our Twitter poll is split virtually down the middle and even the computers see this one as a near tossup.
Stamford (7-0, 4-0 District 4-2A DII) enters this game scarcely challenged, rolling over the opposition by an average tally of 45-8. Hawley (6-2, 4-0), on the other hand, comes in with some battle scars after a brutal schedule featuring Jim Ned, Lubbock Roosevelt and Albany.
Big Country Volleyball Statistical Leaders (as submitted by area coaches through Oct. 24)
Big Country Preps is publishing area volleyball statistical leaders each Tuesday at 7 p.m. roughout the regular season.
This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 9 REPORT: Cooper, Wylie roll to wins; Rider stays unbeaten in league play
Cooper 31, Plainview 14 — The Cougars used a 21-point second quarter to climb out of an early 7-0 hole and were never threatened after halftime in a dominant showing against the Bulldogs.
Cooper (3-5, 2-1) outgained Plainview 284-191, limiting a talented Bulldogs offense to just 3.8 yards per play. Christian Rico (8-52 rushing), Austin Cummins (8-32 rushing; 9-18-1—94 passing) and Troneal Robinson (13-29) all had rushing scores for the Cougars, who also got a TD pass from Cummins to tight end Clayton Gift (3-46 receiving) in the victory.
GAME REPORT: Wylie dominates Lubbock High from start to finish, moves to 2-1 in league play
Photos by Mandi McDonald, HubCityPreps.com
LUBBOCK — The Wylie football bounced back from last week’s loss to Wichita Falls Rider with a blowout win over Lubbock High, pushing out to a 42-0 halftime lead and cruising from there to a 52-7 victory Friday at Lowrey Field.
The Bulldogs outgained the Westerners 454-159, building a 49-0 lead before the home team finally got on the board in the third quarter.
The win improved Wylie to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in district play, setting up key district matchups with Amarillo Palo Duro and Cooper in Abilene to close out the regular season.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Stephenville hosts China Spring (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 40-8, .833
SEASON TOTAL: 347-79, .814
As Week 9 of the 2023Texas High School football season gets underway, there are multiple high-profile games that would qualify as our Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
But we’re settling for a rare Thursday night matchup at Tarleton State University where seventh-ranked 4A DI Stephenville (5-2, 1-0) will play host to fourth-ranked China Spring (6-2, 2-0) in a game will give the victor sole possession of first place in District 5.
Picking who wins it may come down to throwing darts, but I do believe China Spring has one key advantage.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 8 REPORT: Cooper snaps losing streak; Rider takes league lead with win at Wylie
Photos by Tom Carver, PressPassSports.com
Cooper 28, Amarillo Palo Duro 21 — Daniel Bray rushed for 99 yards and a two touchdowns, Christian Rico had an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and the Cooper defense held the Dons to seven points over the final three quarters to hold on for a crucial district win.
Cooper raced out to a 21-14 lead after a quarter and extended that to 28-14 by halftime, before holding off Palo Duro in the second half to improve to 2-5 overall and 1-1 in district play.
PHOTO GALLERY: Wichita Falls Rider-Wylie football (50 images)
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GAME REPORT: Wylie can’t overcome slow start in 34-14 loss to Wichita Falls Rider
A slow start and a couple of missed opportunities in the first two quarters put Wylie in a 14-0 halftime hole, and the Bulldogs could never dig their way out in a 34-14 loss to Wichita Falls Rider on Friday at Hugh Sandifer Stadium.
WHS outgained Rider 371-330 and had 21 first downs to the Raiders’ 13, but the visitors took advantage of a Wylie interception and a short field to build a two-score lead just two possessions in, and Bulldogs couldn’t cash in on a couple scoring opportunities before the halftime break.
That left coach Clay Martin’s team playing from behind the rest of the way, and though the Bulldogs twice cut the deficit a single touchdown in the second half, that was as close as they could get in a key District 2-5A Division II loss.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Hico hosts Dawson with high playoff seeds in the balance (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 41-7, .854
SEASON TOTAL: 307-71, .812
Big Country Preps makes a point of sharing the love and we look for opportunities to take our Game of the Week to as many different places that make sense each year.
Yet since our inaugural season in 2018, a rebuilding Hico football team missed our spotlight game for five straight seasons.
That drought ends this week when BCP visits Hico for the first time as the Tigers (5-2, 2-1 District 10-2A DII) host Dawson (5-1, 2-0) in a crucial matchup with high seed implications.
PHOTO GALLERY: Cooper-Wylie volleyball (36 images)
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GAME STORY: Wylie on the verge of playoff berth after sweeping Cooper; Lady Coogs looking for a miracle
With just two weeks left in the regular season, only one playoff berth has been decided in District 4-5A: the Lady Pirates of Lubbock Cooper know they will be playing in the postseason.
Who joins them in chasing a state championship is still up in the air, but a small sliver of the picture came into focus on Tuesday night.
Wylie knocked off Cooper 25-8, 25-15, 25-19 at Bulldog Gym to move to the precipice of clinching its postseason berth, but the Lady Bulldogs were denied a chance to officially clinch when Lubbock Monterey claimed a five-set thriller over Abilene High.
ABILENE NOTEBOOK: Abilene High, Wylie football set for huge district showdowns
Those paying attention likely already know that Abilene High is in the midst of one of its best football seasons in several years.
Off to a 5-2 start, the Eagles have only lost to 5-1 Class 6A squads from Midland Legacy and Wolfforth Frenship, and they’ve dominated their first three district opponents to the tune of a 156-34 margin.
But if AHS hopes to close the 2023 season with its first district championship since 2016, it will likely come down to this week’s home matchup against Lubbock Cooper. Since falling 35-34 to Wylie on Sept. 8 in a game that saw them allow three defensive touchdowns, the Pirates (4-2, 2-0) have been almost as dominant as the Eagles, setting up quite a matchup Friday at Shotwell Stadium.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde senior claims his second weekly accolade
One top-notch performance after another.
That’s the 2023 résumé of Clyde senior quarterback Blake Carr, who has once again taken our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award after leading the Bulldogs to a 60-36 rout of Vernon on the road on Friday.
It is the second time this season Carr has taken the top spot.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 7 REPORT: Wylie, Rider and Palo Duro open league play with wins
Wylie 36, Cooper 34 — Malachi Daniels rushed for 185 yards and a touchdown and the WHS defense made four stops inside its own 25-yard line to escape Plainview with a thrilling two-point victory.
Wylie (4-2, 1-0) was outgained 343-273, but coach Clay Martin’s squad took advantage of two blocked extra points (one returned for two points) and a 2-1 edge in the turnover margin, including a fourth-quarter scoop-and-score.
PHOTO GALLERY: Wylie-Plainview football (86 images)
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GAME STORY: Wylie escapes Plainview with wild 36-34 win to open district play
PLAINVIEW — Friday’s District 2-5A Division II opener between Wylie and Plainview was a dog fight in more ways than one.
In the end, it was the Bulldogs from WHS who had just a bit more bite than their PHS counterparts in a thrilling 36-34 win.
In a game that featured a number of wacky plays and wild momentum shifts, Wylie rallied from a 20-16 halftime deficit to take a two-possession lead on a pair of occasions in the final five minutes of the game. But Plainview responded each time it looked like the visitors had put their hosts away, forcing coach Clay Martin’s team to recover an onside kick in the final minute to secure the narrow victory.
PHOTO GALLERY: Wylie-Abilene High volleyball (106 images)
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GAME STORY: Wylie holds off Abilene High on road to take four-set thriller
It’s not often that the momentum — or even outcome — of an entire volleyball match hinges on a single point, but that sure seemed to be the case in Wylie’s 25-27, 25-15, 26-24, 25-21 win at Abilene High on Tuesday night at Eagle Gym.
After seeing a 24-21 lead erased in a tough Game 1 loss to fall into an early hole, the Lady Bulldogs found themselves in an almost identical situation in Game 3. This time, Wylie watched a 24-19 lead evaporate as the Lady Eagles fought off game point for five consecutive points to even the score at 24-all.
With the set and match score tied and the balance of the key District 4-5A contest seemingly at stake at that point, the teams played their longest point of the match, going back and forth for what felt like minutes before the rally finally ended with an AHS hitting error. That point spurred Wylie to a Game 3 win, which was followed by a come-from-behind victory in Game 4 to take the match — and a two-match lead on the Lady Eagles in the district standings.
ABILENE NOTEBOOK: Local volleyball races heating up; football teams hitting pivotal stretches
Several weeks ago, when our local volleyball teams were struggling against tough nondistrict schedules, I laid out a case in this column for patience, citing the significant progress those squads typically make over the course of the season.
Well, we’ve reached the midway point of the District 4-5A campaign and the Wylie and Abilene High volleyball teams are making me look smarter than I really am.
Heading into the second half of league play, which begins Tuesday with a big matchup between those two teams at AHS’ Eagle Gym, the Lady Bulldogs (18-15 overall) are in second place at 5-1 — behind only 6-0 Lubbock Cooper — while the Lady Eagles (11-19 on the year) are a match behind in third at 4-2.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Yellow Jackets head to Brownwood to face archrival
LAST WEEK: 46-12, .793
SEASON TOTAL: 229-61, .789
More often than not, Big Country Preps makes an appearance at the annual Stephenville-Brownwood matchup. Because more often than not, it produces a game worthy of one of Texas’ top rivalries.
This year is no exception as Stephenville travels to famous Gordon Wood Stadium for the Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 5 REPORT: Wylie stays hot as district goes 2-4 in final week of nondistrict action
Wylie 37, San Angelo Central 27 — Bear Meng passed for 191 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 47 yards and another score to lead the Bulldogs to a homecoming win over the Bobcats in their final nondistrict game of the season.
Malachi Daniels added 106 yards and two touchdowns rushing while Derrick Evans received 101 yards and a TD as Wylie (3-2) built a 24-14 lead by halftime and stretched that to 30-14 by the end of the third quarter.
PHOTO GALLERY: Wylie-San Angelo Central football (94 images)
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GAME STORY: Total team effort lifts Wylie to homecoming win over San Angelo Central
San Angelo Central entered Friday night’s game against Wylie at Hugh Sandifer Stadium with a 1-3 record and every game being decided by one score.
Last year, the Bobcats used a walkoff Hail Mary to beat the Bulldogs at San Angelo Stadium.
There would be no close finish or miracle this go-round as the Bulldogs thoroughly dominated the Bobcats in all phases of the game and took a 37-27 homecoming win in front of a packed house.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Sweetwater plays host to Clyde in battle of unbeatens
LAST WEEK: 44-11, .800
SEASON TOTAL: 183-49, .788
Some weeks are just loaded with competitive area games and Week 5 of the 2023 season falls squarely into that category.
This week’s menu features six or seven games that under normal circumstances, would qualify for our Big Country Preps Game of the Week. This forces us to push some great matchups aside to select our spotlight game.
This week, we go with a battle of unbeatens — Class 3A Division I Clyde (4-0) at Class 4A Div. II Sweetwater (4-0) — at the famed Mustang Bowl at SHS.
PHOTO GALLERY: Wylie-Lubbock Monterey volleyball (38 images)
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GAME STORY: Wylie stays undefeated in District 4-5A volleyball with sweep of Monterey
Wesley Ruff, Bri Johnston and Aliyah Jowers all finished the match with double digit kills as the Wylie volleyball team swept Lubbock Monterey 25-17, 25-18, 25-19 in District 4-5A action Tuesday night at Bulldog Gym.
Ruff and Johnston each finished the match with 12 kills, while Jowers added 10 as the Lady Bulldogs improved to 16-14 on the season and, more importantly, 3-0 in district.
Adding to the all-around team effort were Mycala Reed (15 digs) and Callie O’Connell (34 assists, 10 digs) in a performance coach Shay Cox was excited to see.
ABILENE NOTEBOOK: Talking Wylie football, predictions slump, local volleyball turnarounds
Following their 0-2 start, I was consistent in my belief that the Wylie Bulldogs would finish the season with a much stronger football team than the one that started it. I said as much on our weekly podcast after each of Wylie’s defeats, downplaying the ultimate significance of season-opening home losses to quality outfits from Brownwood and Lubbock Monterey.
But I’d be lying if I said I expected the type of quick turnaround we’ve seen the last two weeks from coach Clay Martin’s team, which is now 2-2 after gritty road wins over Lubbock Cooper (35-34) and Stephenville (42-32) — both double-digit favorites according to a prominent power ranking service.
When I talked about Wylie finding its stride and eventually turning a corner, I was thinking more about October than September. So to see the Bulldogs go from where they were in Weeks 1 and 2 to beating a pair of good, established programs on the road was a surprise to even me.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Moran running back takes the award with insane performance
There are big games and then there are those that border on insanity.
Moran running back Ellis Hise, our Big Country Preps Player of the Week for the week ending Sept. 16, fell squarely into the latter category on Saturday with a performance that was absolutely nuts.
Helping the Bulldogs to a thrilling 68-67 win over Mullin in one of the top six-man games the Big Country has seen this year, Hise rushed for 287 yards and six touchdowns on only 26 carries. But that’s just the beginning.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 4 REPORT: Wylie downs Stephenville; Plainview keeps winning
Wylie 42, Stephenville 32 — Bear Meng passed for 252 yards and three touchdowns and added 78 yards and another TD rushing to lead the Bulldogs to a exciting road win over the Yellow Jackets.
Trailing 10-7 at the 7:58 mark of the second quarter, Wylie (2-2) reeled off 28 consecutive points to go up 35-10 with just under eight minutes to go in the third quarter, before holding off a furious Stephenville rally with a late touchdown drive to put the game away.
PHOTO GALLERY: Wylie-Stephenville football (94 images)
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GAME STORY: Wylie holds off Stephenville rally, spoils Yellow Jackets homecoming with 42-32 win
STEPHENVILLE — Leading Stephenville 35-10 early in the third quarter after scoring its fourth consecutive touchdown off the Yellow Jackets’ second turnover of the game, the Wylie football team seemed to be well on its way to a comfortable win Friday night at Tarleton Memorial Stadium.
In the end, though, it would take a pressure-packed touchdown drive in the final 5:50 and a victory-sealing interception in the end zone for the Bulldogs to finally breath easy with a thrilling 42-32 win.
Stephenville quarterback Ryan Gafford hooked up with Tristian Gentry for three second-half touchdown passes to trim a once-four score Wylie lead to 35-32 with just under six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. But after managing just one first down on their four previous possessions, the Bulldogs marched 74 yards in 10 plays on their last to fend off the SHS rally and spoil the Yellow Jackets homecoming.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cooper’s Bray takes this week’s top spot
When it comes to individual performances, there are big games and there are big games.
And then there’s what Cooper junior Daniel Bray did against San Angelo Central last week in leading the Cougars to their first win of the season.
The explosive tailback, who had been limited some in the first two weeks by a nagging ankle injury and the growing pains of a young offensive line, broke out in a historic way in that 53-45 victory over the Bobcats. By the time the game was over, he had rushed for a school-record 366 yards and seven touchdowns on just 21 carries, making a case for our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award that was too compelling to pass over — even in a week with a number of other monster performances.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 3 REPORT: Cooper, Wylie break into win column; Rider, Plainview stay perfect
Cooper 53, San Angelo Central 45 — Junior running back Daniel Bray had a record breaking night, rushing for 366 yards and seven touchdowns to fuel the Cougars to their first win of the season.
Bray did all that damage on just 21 carries, finishing with four touchdown runs of at least 50 yards, including three of 70 yards or more. Behind the standout back, Cooper held a narrow 27-24 lead at halftime, before facing a pair of third-quarter deficits. The Cougars scored the final touchdown of the third quarter and the first of the fourth to take the game’s only two-score lead at 47-38 and held on from there for the victory.
GAME REPORT: Opportunistic Wylie Bulldogs outlast Lubbock Cooper for first win
Photos by Aaron Baxter, HubCityPreps.com
WOODROW — On most nights, being outgained 225-16 for a half would all but guarantee a blowout loss. But Wylie’s matchup Friday night with Lubbock Cooper was anything but a typical ballgame.
Fueled by three defensive touchdowns — two pick-sixes and a scoop-and-score — the Bulldogs stayed within one TD in the first half before finally finding their offense in the second to eek out a 35-34 win over the Pirates in a thriller of a nondistrict tilt.
It was the first win of the season for coach Clay Martin’s team, which piled up 234 yards in the second half to outscore Cooper 15-6 and complete the comeback victory.
ABILENE NOTEBOOK: Talking Shotwell renovation, TLCA’s big football win, ACS’ matchup with Benjamin and Wylie volleyball
It’s no secret that the Abilene High-Cooper rivalry — dubbed the Crosstown Showdown — is among the best series in the state of Texas.
When the Eagles and Cougars get together, you know you’re going to excellent effort from both teams in front of close to 15,000 rowdy fans.
In that way, Friday’s matchup, which saw AHS earn a 26-7 win in the 63rd playing of the series, was a lot like many before it. But there was one factor that made the most recent Showdown just a little bit unique: It marked the first game played in Shotwell Stadium since the historic venue got one heck of a facelift.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 2 REPORT: Wylie, Cooper drop to 0-2; Rider, Plainview stay unbeaten
Lubbock Monterey 34, Wylie 21 — A 17-0 first quarter run was all the Plainsmen needed to score a road victory over the Bulldogs, improving to 2-0 after going winless in 2022.
Wylie outscored Monterey 21-17 over the final three quarters, but the Plainsmen’s fast start proved the difference in the game. Quarterback Luke Arrington (6-10-0—212 passing) and Kashious Lewis (4-174 receiving) led MHS, hooking up for three touchdowns in the game.
PHOTO GALLERY: Lubbock Monterey-Wylie football (66 images)
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GAME STORY: Fast start lifts Lubbock Monterey past Wylie
Football games often turn on special teams miscues and gaffes.
Friday’s nondistrict game between Lubbock Monterey and Wylie at Hugh Sandifer Stadium saw two plays that fit into that category — one for each squad.
Ultimately, it was Monterey that was able to make the most of their opportunity as the Plainsmen took a 34-21 win, dropping the Bulldogs to 0-2 on the young season.
PHOTO GALLERY: Clyde-Wylie volleyball (98 images)
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GAME STORY: Wylie volleyball sweeps dual match against Midland Christian, Clyde
The Wylie volleyball team pulled two wins closer to .500 on Tuesday with a sweep in its dual match against Midland Christian and Clyde, defeating the Lady Mustangs 25-22, 25-21, 25-17 before knocking off the Lady Bulldogs 25-16, 25-14, 21-25, 25-17.
The victories improved WHS to 11-13 with three matches to play before its Sept. 8 district opener against Abilene High. And coach Shay Cox is hoping they will provide some positive momentum for a Lady Bulldogs squad that had lost six of its previous eight matches going into Tuesday night.
ABILENE NOTEBOOK: Catching up with local volleyball and talking a little AHS, ACS football
It’s an unfortunate truth in this profession that there are more sporting events going on in a given week than we could ever hope to attend.
And while we here at Big Country Preps pride ourselves on providing the most comprehensive high school sports coverage you’ll find from any Big Country source, we can never make it to all the games and matches that we would like to.
With that in mind, we’re adding a new feature this year to try to catch up on some of the things we missed or just to double back on some notes that we couldn’t quite give the attention they deserved.
Introducing the “Abilene Notebook,” our collection of such odds and ends from the past week of local athletic action.