Here’s a complete rundown of Thursday and Friday’s Class 3A playoff results in the Big Country:
GAME STORY: Rough start, mistakes doom Cooper’s upset hopes in 77-35 area-round loss to Argyle
GODLEY — Heading into its Region I-5A Division II area-round matchup with state-ranked Argyle, the Cooper football team knew its margin for error would be narrow if it hoped to advance past the Eagles and into the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
So when the Cougars found themselves down 14-0 just 32 seconds in, it became clear pretty quickly that they might be in for a long night.
That disastrous start set the course for a 77-35 loss at Wildcat Stadium, ending Cooper’s best season in five years at 7-5. And though neither the process nor the outcome matched that which he and his players were hoping for Friday night, coach Aaron Roan left the stadium proud of how his team continued to fight no matter how deep the hole got — a hallmark of a 2025 squad that handled adversity and itself well all season.
GAME STORY: Graham rallies to eliminate Lubbock-Cooper Liberty 35-28
ABILENE — While the Graham Steers may have won Friday’s Region I-4A DII area round matchup with Lubbock-Cooper Liberty, the 35-28 victory might be better described as a seminar on answering the bell.
On three separate occasions, the Steers erased deficits and eventually overcame a major momentum shift in the final minutes to advance to the regional semis.
Jace Gill threw for 239 yards and three scores and rushed for 118 yards and another TD to lift Graham (9-3), which now advances to face Midland Greenwood (12-0).
Gill’s final TD pass — an 8-yarder to Thomason Burkett with only 1:11 to play, proved to be the game-winner, after which the Steer defense closed the door on Liberty’s final possession.
GAME STORY: Denton Ryan dominates Abilene High in shutout win to end Eagles’ season at 9-3
FORT WORTH — Friday night’s Region I-5A Division I area round showdown between No. 10 Abilene High and No. 4 Denton Ryan at Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium started badly for the Eagles and quickly went downhill from there as the Raiders rolled to a 59-0 win.
Quin Henigan threw for 319 yards and six touchdowns as Ryan put up 453 yards of offense, avenging a 31-21 loss in the same round of the 2023 playoffs.
Abilene High coach Mike Fullen fully shouldered the blame for the loss as AHS had just 246 yards of offense and turned the ball over four times.
SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Playoffs heat up with bevy of intriguing area-round games
After a week full of blowouts in the bi-district round of the six-man playoffs, the area-round should prove to be much more competitive.
This week’s area slate is chock full of excellent games, with marquee matchups as far as the eye can see.
As we do every week here in this column, it’s time to break down the biggest games of the week in our “Six-Man Lookahead.” We hope you enjoy this preview of the week’s action.
Continue reading “SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Playoffs heat up with bevy of intriguing area-round games”
GAME STORY: Wall dominant in every phase in 50-0 area-round win over Childress
SNYDER — After seeing last season end in heartbreaking fashion with an emotional loss to Gunter in the state semifinals, the Wall football team has made it no secret that it plans to earn a rematch with the Tigers in the same round on its way to Arlington this season.
If there were any worries that such a mission-focused approach might lead to overlooking earlier steps in the process, the Hawks did a pretty good job of allaying those Thursday in a 50-0 area-round win over Childress at Grant Teaff Tiger Stadium.
In scoring on every possession but one in the first half, Wall built a 33-0 lead by the halftime break and never let down after, securing its second consecutive shutout and sixth of the season to earn a Region I-3A Division II semifinals date with Slaton at 1 p.m. next Friday in Sweetwater.
GAME STORY: Merkel suffers heartbreaking loss to Slaton after furious fourth-quarter rally
SWEETWATER — The Merkel offense dug deep into its bag of tricks for Thursday’s Region I-3A Division II area-round matchup with Slaton at the Mustang Bowl.
Three different players threw touchdown passes to three different players, but it wasn’t enough as the Badgers dropped a 43-36 heartbreaker to the Tigers.
Slaton scored the game-winning touchdown on a 28-yard screen pass from Jacob Lopez to Trae Harris with nine seconds to play and held on for the win when Eli Delgado was tackled at the Slaton 44 on the ensuing kickoff as the horn sounded after a 34-yard return — keeping the Badgers from winning multiple playoff games in a season for the first time since the 2017.
Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 13)
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games, in addition to the results of our weekly fan polls for each matchup.
For those interested in voting, polls go up on Sunday night each week and close Thursday evening.
Disagree with our picks or the fan poll consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
BIG COUNTRY PLAYOFF FORECAST: A quick thanks to those to who reached out
LAST WEEK: 28-3, .903
SEASON TOTAL: 500-104, .828
Before I get going this week, I’d like to thank those of you who have sent me all of the well-wishes over the past month, which has seen my wife and I suffering through two deaths in our families and me going through two separate stays in the hospital with a minor surgery thrown in for good measure.
It’s been a bear, but it’s good to be back again and we appreciate all of your kindness.
Here’s this week’s playoff forecast:
TOP MATCHUPS
CISCO (10-1) VS. PANHANDLE (9-2)
I seldom pick upsets when the spread is more than 20 points, but the 23-point number in this game comes with a unique intangible.
The Loboes are 4-0 in games decided by two scores or less while Panhandle, which has destroyed nearly everything in its path this year, is 0-2 in the only close games it has experienced (Dalhart and Stinnett West Texas).
SIX-MAN REWIND: Bi-district round yields lopsided results across Big Country Preps coverage area
The first week of the playoffs is in the books, and that’s a good thing for those who enjoy competitive games.
The area’s bi-district round was marked by excellent performances — both team and individual — but it largely rendered lopsided results, as all but three games involving Big Country Preps squads ended by mercy rule.
It’s time now to take a look at the teams that are still standing and the individual performances that have them in that position in this week’s “Big Country Rewind.” We hope you enjoy this look back at Week 12.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Abilene High’s Henry takes award after record-setting performance
You have to love a great all-around performance and in the case of Brayden Henry, our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, his effort in last week’s 84-25 bi-district win over El Paso Bel Air was a record-setter.
Aside from going 6 of 7 through the air or 56 yards and one TD, he also rushed five times for 137 yards and three more scores.
WEEK 13 FAN POLLS … Pick this week’s 11-man winners!
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we offer fans the chance to pick the winners of all games involving our local and area football teams. The results of these weekly polls, which will close at 5 p.m. each Thursday, will be included in our weekly Pick ‘Em Panel.
Here are the games for Week 13:
PHOTO GALLERY: Early-Holliday bi-district football (54 images)
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Early-Holliday bi-district football (54 images)”
PHOTO GALLERY: Hawley-Forsan bi-district football (74 images)
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Hawley-Forsan bi-district football (74 images)”
GAME STORY: Cooper rallies from three-score halftime deficit to beat El Paso Chapin in 42-35 thriller
Trailing 24-7 at halftime and struggling to contain El Paso Chapin quarterback Daveon Singleton, the Cooper football team found itself in a deep hole Friday in its Region I-5A Division II bi-district game at Shotwell Stadium.
But it wasn’t deep enough to bury a Cougars team that has stood tall in the face of adversity all season long.
Using a big special teams to play to turn the momentum on the opening kickoff of the second half, Cooper outscored the Huskies 35-11 over the final two quarters to rally for a dramatic 42-35 win, advancing to the area round of the playoffs to take on fifth-ranked Argyle next week.
GAME STORY: Graham plays complete game in shutting out Godley
ALEDO — Graham may not have the playoff experience that it’s enjoyed in the past, but the Steers looked like a team peaking at the right time in a 32-0 victory over Godley Friday night.
By scoring on their first five possessions and limiting the Wildcats to seven first downs, Graham made sure there would be no late-game drama or upset inside Bearcat Stadium.
“We’re definitely going to enjoy this one,” Graham quarterback Jace Gill said. “You know, a lot of people are doubting us and some people didn’t even think we’d make the playoffs so it’s good to come out here and show they can do it under the Friday night lights in playoff time.”
GAME STORY: Early rallies but falls short in high-scoring affair with Holliday
CLYDE — First-year Early head coach Marvin Wilson learned a lot about football in college at Hardin-Simmons University under the legendary Jimmie Keeling and spent this season instilling one of those lessons in his Longhorns squad.
“We are too ignorant to ever think we are out of a game,” he said. “Coach Keeling said it all the time: ‘Go play hard no matter what the circumstances are.’ We’ve tried to play hard and know that we are never out of games.”
The Longhorns came up short at Bulldog Stadium in their Region II-3A Division II bi-district matchup with Holliday, falling 50-36, but the Longhorns battled the entire night and that left Wilson emotional as Early saw its fifth playoff appearance in the past six years end after just one game.
It was a playoff appearance hardly anyone expected when the season began just over three months ago.
SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Playoffs open with strong slate of area matchups
We’ve reached Week 12 and with it comes the start of the high school football playoffs. While a handful of area teams kicked off their postseason runs on Thursday, most of the Big Country’s most competitive matchups are still to come.
As we did in the regular season, we’ll continue to preview each week’s top matchups through the playoffs here in our “Big Country Lookahead” column.
We’ve got plenty to talk about, so let’s go ahead and dive in. And be sure to check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page for results as these games go final.
Continue reading “SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Playoffs open with strong slate of area matchups”
GAME STORY: Henry sets career touchdowns record as Eagles cruise past El Paso Bel Air in bi-district romp
The Abilene High football team kicked off its playoff run in dominant fashion Thursday, scoring early and often in an 84-25 bi-district win over El Paso Bel Air at Shotwell Stadium.
Do-it-all senior Brayden Henry led the way, accounting for six total touchdowns — three rushing, one punt return, one passing and one receiving — to pass Abram Smith for the school record in career touchdowns responsible for. But it was complete team effort for the Eagles, as eight players had a hand in at least one touchdown, and virtually everyone on the roster got a chance to play and contribute.
With the victory, AHS’ seventh in a row, coach Mike Fullen’s squad earned a Region I-5A Division I area-round matchup next week with fourth-ranked Denton Ryan, which routed Fort Worth Chisholm Trail 59-7 in its first-round game on Thursday.
GAME STORY: Stofel’s big night carries Hawley to bi-district win over Forsan
SWEETWATER — Hawley junior running back Brycen Stofel has had a quiet 2025 season for the most part, but when the Hawley football team needed him to step up, he did so in a big way.
Stofel ran for 181 yards and three touchdowns on just 15 carries Thursday as Hawley claimed a 42-14 win over Forsan in a Region I-2A Division I bi-district matchup at the Mustang Bowl.
It was an effort Hawley coach Mitch Ables said he told Stofel that he hoped to see more of.
Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Position Rankings: Posts
After highlighting the Big Country’s top guards and forwards the past two nights, we now take a look at the area’s best big men.
For the final installment in our three-part boys basketball position rankings series, we rank the Big Country’s top 10 post players for the 2025-26 season with several others to watch.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading through our rankings, and make sure to check back for all our boys and girls basketball coverage this season.
Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 12)
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games, in addition to the results of our weekly fan polls for each matchup.
For those interested in voting, polls go up on Sunday night each week and close Thursday evening.
Disagree with our picks or the fan poll consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Position Rankings: Forwards
After kicking off our boys basketball position rankings series on Tuesday with the guards, we now shift our attention to the forwards.
For the second installment in our three-part series, we rank the area’s top-10 players at that position for 2025-26 with a list of others to watch.
We hope you enjoy our list.
SIGNING DAY: Wylie trio, Abilene High pair make their college decisions official at local ceremonies
Five local athletes put pen to paper at local Signing Day ceremonies on Wednesday, making their college decisions official in front of friends, family and the coaches who helped make their special day possible.
At Wylie, baseball players Colby Garrett and Hudson Tuley signed with Ranger College and McLennan Community College, respectively, while softball player Olivia Volz signed to continue her athletic and academic career at Cisco College.
And over at Abilene High, softball pitcher Avah Reyes gave her signature to Odessa College, while soccer player Rheauna De La Garza signed to play at Seminole State College in Seminole, Okla.
Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Position Rankings: Guards
With boys basketball season set to begin later this week, it’s time to shine a spotlight on some of the players you’ll be reading about throughout the 2025-26 season.
For the first installment in a three-part series that will cover all positions on the area boys basketball scene, we’ll be taking a look at the Big Country’s top guards, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch this winter.
We hope you enjoy reading through our list.
SIX-MAN REWIND: Final week of regular season delivers thrilling results in slate’s top, most important matchups
Week 11 is in the books and the regular season is officially over. But some of the season’s best six-man drama was saved for last, as we have a number of thrilling games to talk about.
Chief among those was our “Big Country Lookahead” Game of the Week, which saw Hermleigh edge Westbrook in District 7-1A Division I action. But that was one of several thrillers that took place in the area.
Without further ado, let’s dive into all of last week’s action in this week’s “Big Country Rewind” column. And make sure you check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page when you’ve finished reading for more information on your favorite team(s).
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wylie RB Laine takes honor with monster game in high school finale
Coming off a breakout junior season that ended prematurely due to a torn ACL late in district play, Wylie running back Julius wasn’t having the type of senior season he had hoped to going into Friday’s Senior Night game against Plainview.
Running behind a young and often banged-up offensive line, Laine entered that matchup with 668 yards on 135 carries on the year, including a combined 139 yards on the ground in three consecutive losses leading up to the Plainview game.
On Friday, though, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound bruiser finally broke loose and found some open field — a lot of open field — in closing out his high school career with a memorable night worthy of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week honor. By the game’s end, Laine had run for a career-high 300 yards and five touchdowns, including scoring runs of 35, 39 and 49 yards, to lead the Bulldogs to a wild 70-52 victory.
WEEK 12 FAN POLLS … Pick this week’s 11-man winners!
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we offer fans the chance to pick the winners of all games involving our local and area football teams. The results of these weekly polls, which will close at 5 p.m. each Thursday, will be included in our weekly Pick ‘Em Panel.
Here are the games for Week 12:
Continue reading “WEEK 12 FAN POLLS … Pick this week’s 11-man winners!”
PHOTO GALLERY: Stamford-Hawley football (65 images)
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Stamford-Hawley football (65 images)”
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. I WEEK 11 REPORT: Amarillo High sneaks into playoffs after forfeiting six wins; Monterey, LHS earn wins
Photo by Roy Wheeler, PressPassSports.com
Amarillo High 63, Amarillo Tascosa 21 — After having all but one of its wins wiped out for the use of an ineligible player, the Sandies entered Friday needing a win over the Rebels and some help after to earn a spot in the playoffs. Amarillo High got both, routing Tascosa and then winning a three-way coin toss over Amarillo Caprock and Lubbock High for the district’s fourth-playoff spot.
The Sandies (2-8, 2-4) put up 551 yards of offense in the win, getting 368 yards and seven touchdowns passing from Jett Lopez and a huge game running and catching the ball from Jude Dunavin (13-174, 2 TDs rushing; 5-119, 1 TD receiving). Austin Sluder (8-184, 5 TDs) also had a big game catching the ball for AHS.
DISTRICT 2-5A DIV. II WEEK 11 REPORT: Wylie routs Plainview to close season, Palo Duro takes top spot over Cooper
Wylie 70, Plainview 52 — Julius Laine ran for 300 yards and five touchdowns as WHS scored on 10 of its 11 possessions in a shootout win over Plainview.
Coach Clay Martin’s Bulldogs (5-5, 3-3), who finished with 615 yards of total offense, forced three consecutive turnovers to start the second half to turn a 31-28 halftime deficit into a 56-31 lead by the start of the fourth quarter. In addition to Laine’s big game, Wylie got big games from quarterback Jadin Karleskint (11-15-0—139, 3 TDs passing; 9-99, 1 TD rushing) and receiver Dylan Regala (5-76, 2 TDs; 1 interception defensively).
DISTRICT 14-2A DIV. I WEEK 11 REPORT: San Saba falls to Mason, Johnson City and Thorndale all score big wins
Mason 22, San Saba 0 — The Armadillos’ final opportunity to win the District 14-2A DI title ended here with a loss to Mason.
San Saba (6-4, 3-2) will open with Rosebud-Lott in the bi-district round. Mason (7-3, 5-0) will open with Marlin.
DISTRICT 10-2A DIV. II WEEK 11 REPORT: Goldthwaite, Bremond, Wortham and Chilton earn wins in final week of regular season
Goldthwaite 40, Mart 14 — Blake Howard threw for 287 yards and four scores in yet another easy win over Mart for the Eagles.
Goldthwaite led 19-0 at the break before stretching its lead to 33-6 late in the third quarter.
Goldthwaite improved to 7-3; Mart fell to 5-5.
Big Country football playoff pairings, results w/ region brackets (through Dec. 17)
Here are the Big Country football playoff pairings and results (through Dec. 17):
DISTRICT 8-2A DIV. II WEEK 11 REPORT: Santo can’t keep pace with Collinsville; Lindsay, Muenster roll
Collinsville 40, Santo 13 — Justin Hollingsworth scored a touchdown late in the first quarter to give the Wildcats an early lead, but the Pirates closed the first half with 34 unanswered points to take control on their way to a comfortable win.
Collinsville had four passing touchdowns and a fumble return score in the second quarter to go to halftime up 34-7 and tacked on another passing TD in the third quarter, before Santo closed out the scoring with another rushing score by Hollingsworth.
DISTRICT 6-2A DIV. II WEEK 11 REPORT: Haskell cruises past Electra; Windthorst takes down Petrolia for title
Haskell 46, Electra 20 — Facing off with Electra with the district’s No. 3 playoff seed on the line, the Indians had little trouble with the Tigers, dominating from the start in a blowout win.
Haskell (6-4, 4-2) stretched an 8-6 first-quarter lead to 32-6 by halftime and coasted from there to the four-touchdown victory.
DISTRICT 4-4A DIV. II WEEK 11 REPORT: Glen Rose, Godley, Benbrook close regular season with victories
Glen Rose 43, Fort Worth Dunbar 20 — Judd Connally threw for 195 yards and four scores and rushed for 161 yards and two more TDs as Glen Rose rolled to a 23-point win over Dunbar.
With the victory, Glen Rose evened its record at 5-5, bookending the regular season with an 0-5 start, a 5-0 finish and a district title.
DISTRICT 4-4A DIV. I WEEK 11 REPORT: Stephenville, Brownwood close regular season with wins; Lampasas takes a brief vacation
Stephenville 49, Burnet 0 — Trot Jordan threw for 222 yards and three scores and rushed for 53 yards and another TD as Stephenville improved to 10-0.
Zyler McClendon was another key contributor, rushing for 120 yards and two scores.
DISTRICT 3-2A DIV. I WEEK 11 REPORT: Colorado City upsets Sonora for first win; Forsan blasts Reagan County
Colorado City 42, Sonora 12 — Ace Mejia threw for 200 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 79 yards and two more scores to lead the Wolves to what may have been the upset of the year over the Broncos.
Gavin Harbour (11-57), Joel Hernandez (3-54, 1 TD) and Mikell Martinez (3-24, 1 TD) also contributed to a 212-yard rushing effort for Colorado City (1-9, 0-5), which got quality receiving days from Jadon Reyna (3-61, 1 TD), Aidan Casares (3-59) and Davin Lara (4-48, 1 TD).
DISTRICT 5-2A DIV. I WEEK 11 REPORT: Hamilton steals one from De Leon; Bangs, Hico pick up wins
Hamilton 27, De Leon 26 — The Bearcats had the Bulldogs on the ropes in this district championship matchup, leading 26-21 with four minutes remaining and the ball inside the HHS 5-yard line. But a fumble at the 1 ended that threat, and the Bulldogs drove the length of the field to score the winning touchdown with 22 seconds remaining.
De Leon, which got four passing touchdowns from Heston Jobe and a pair of receiving scores from Jake Cooper, took a 12-7 lead into halftime and rallied from a 14-12 deficit to take a 26-14 lead with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. But the Bearcats couldn’t close Hamilton out in falling to 7-3 overall and 4-1 in league play.
DISTRICT 5-3A DIV. II WEEK 11 REPORT: Clifton slips past Brady; Early, Tolar earn convincing wins
Clifton 7, Brady 6 — The Cubs finished with just 117 total yards and one touchdown, but it was enough claim a defensive win over the Bulldogs and the district’s No. 2 playoff seed.
Clifton (8-2, 4-1), which held Brady to 166 yards of offense, got a 43-yard touchdown pass from Carter Ritz to Judd New late in the first half and made that hold up thanks to some key defensive plays late in the game.