Much of the Big Country remains unaware of him. But Big Spring senior Gabriel Baeza has begun to post numbers that demand attention, and he’s starting to get it.
His latest effort: 374 yards passing for three touchdowns in a 49-10 win over Lubbock High School to push Big Spring to a 2-0 start.
This week’s Capital Farm Credit/Big Country Preps Player of the Week also rushed 12 times for 56 yards and three additional scores, giving him a direct hand in six TDs.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Abilene High-Cooper football (72 images)”
Brady 46, Comanche 19 — JD Ibarra rushed for 239 yards and three scores on just 21 carries to help Brady to a win on the road.
Zeke Jones added 142 yards rushing and an additional score and quarterback Hayden Baronet found the end zone three times (despite finishing with one yard on 12 carries) to lift Brady (2-0).
Brock 47, Nevada Community 13 — The Eagles had little trouble with Community, outscoring the Braves 35-0 over the middle two quarters to turn a tight game after one quarter into a rout.
Brock (2-0) outgained Community 501-267, rushing for 355 yards on just 30 carries in the win. Kutter Wilson led that effort, amassing 263 yards and two touchdowns on 18 rush attempts.
Forsan 22, Post 6 — Forsan improved to 2-0 behind a solid defensive effort and and a patient offensive approach.
The Buffaloes rushed for 133 yards and two scores by committee to go with Major Stockton’s 76 yards passing to put away Post (0-2) on the road.
Forsan forced three turnovers, committed none and shut Post out after the break.
Albany 48, Dublin 21 — After having their opener against Colorado City canceled, coach Denney Faith’s Lions pushed through a sluggish start to blow out Dublin in their first game of the year.
AHS didn’t get on the board until the 4:48 mark of the second quarter and led just 14-7 at halftime. But Faith’s squad got going after halftime, outscoring DHS 21-0 in the third quarter to turn a one-score game into a runaway.
Coahoma 54, Miles 0 — Coahoma (1-1) had an easy time picking up its first win of the season, routing Miles (0-2) behind 447 yards of total offense.
Billy Baily threw for 148 yards and four scores and Isaiah Eleda rushed for 105 yards and two scores to lead CHS, which rebounded from a season-opening loss to archrival Forsan.
Coleman 33, Anson 6 — The Bluecats (2-0) rolled up 581 yards in total offense while limiting Anson (1-1) to just 124.
Ryland Gentry rushed for 170 yards and two TDs on 12 carries and Jadin Jackson threw for 180 yards and two more scores to lead Coleman.
Roscoe 37, Stamford 26 — The Plowboys evened their record at 1-1 with an impressive win over Stamford, taking advantage of four Bulldog turnovers and a big game by senior Antonio Aguayo to build a three-score lead in the fourth quarter.
Aguayo rushed for 62 yards and two scores while receiving for 73 yards to account for 135 of Roscoe’s 320 total yards on just eight touches. Freshman Ivan McCann also rushed for a pair of TDs, finishing with 57 yards on 10 carries.
Merkel 19, Stanton 0 — Isaiah Burns rushed for 91 yards and a score and Joey Zink rushed for 66 yards and another TD to lift Merkel to a win on the road.
Colby Hadley was the top MHS receiver, hauling in two catches for 42 yards and a score.
The Badgers managed just 242 total yards, but limited Stanton (1-1) to 188.
Snyder 45, Levelland 7 — The Tigers improved to 2-0 with an impressive win over the Lobos, racing out to a 31-7 halftime lead and cruising from there to a 38-point victory.
Hunter Stewart hit all 10 of his passes for 127 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 58 yards and two scores to lead the SHS offense. Jorge Martinez also had a nice day running the ball, finishing with 78 yards and a TD on seven carries, while Tim Henderson (5-79, 1 TD) was the Tigers’ top receiver.
Snyder outgained Levelland 364-240, rushing for 237 yards in the victory.
Stephenville 38, Everman 14 — The Yellow Jackets took it to the Bulldogs, using a 28-7 second-quarter advantage to pull away for their second blowout win in as many weeks.
Stephenville (2-0), which outgained Everman 492-254, scored the game’s first 28 points and led 35-7 at halftime before cruising in the second half.
Quarterback Ryder Lambert had a touchdown pass and run to lead the Yellow Jackets, who also got a pair of scoring runs from Julian Irabarren.
Early 33, Tolar 16 — Tre Beam rushed for 158 yards and two scores and Jaxyn Price threw for 187 yards and two more touchdowns to keep Early (2-0) unbeaten.
Price hit five different receivers on the night, but Jeremy Brown was hit favorite target, hitting six times for 61 yards and a score.
Big Spring 49, Lubbock High 10 — Gabriel Baeza passed for 374 yards and three touchdowns and ran for three more scores to lead the undefeated Steers to a blowout win over the Westerners.
Big Spring (2-0), which outgained Lubbock High 456-272 and won the turnover battle 4-1, built a 21-10 lead by halftime and shut out the Westerners over the final two periods.
In addition to Baeza’s big game, which included 56 yards rushing, the Steers got big receiving games from Eli Cobos (8-140, 1 TD), Kaegen Mitchell (4-71, 2 TDs), Kavien Ford (7-70) and Maverick Yanez (6-52).
HOLLIDAY – The two Eastland-Holliday showdowns last season featured double-digit rallies and frantic finishes.
But the Mavericks’ visit to the No. 7 Eagles Friday night lacked any drama compared to the previous meetings.
Holliday gashed Eastland for 326 rushing yards and forced six turnovers in a statement-making 52-7 victory that was all but decided by halftime.
Continue reading “GAME STORY: Holliday whips Eastland 52-7 behind 326 rushing yards”
CISCO — A Class 2A DI Cisco football team expected to threaten for a regional championship jumped two divisions to demonstrate why on Friday, edging Class 3A DI Wall, 27-21 in double overtime at Chesley Field.
Hunter Long and Trenton Huston combined for 343 yards rushing and three touchdowns to lead the fifth-ranked Loboes (2-0), who overcame a 14-0 deficit to stay unbeaten. This included a 1-yard scoring run by Long in the second overtime to clinch the win.
Wall (1-1) was led by Dominic Garcia, who rushed for 98 yards and a score, along with quarterback Gabe Haskins who threw for 79 yards and a score and rushed for 31 yards and an additional touchdown.
Trailing crosstown rival Abilene High 14-0 early in the second quarter Friday, things looked bleak for the Cooper Cougars.
Coach Roan’s squad had gone more than five quarters without scoring to start the season, being outpaced 53-0 during that span, and you could feel the frustration setting in on the home side of Shotwell Stadium.
But the Coogs’ fortunes changed with one key drive. And 31 unanswered points later, they were celebrating a 31-14 win in the annual Crosstown Showdown.
After a disappointing season-opening loss on the road at Burleson last week, the Wylie football team had one thought in advance of its home opener.
Redemption.
Behind a two-headed rushing attack featuring Josh Carpenter and Trey Gomez, the Bulldogs earned that with a 30-22 win over Class 5A Division I Lubbock Monterey on Friday night at Hugh Sandifer Stadium.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Lubbock Monterey-Wylie football (45 images)”
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Brookesmith-TLCA Abilene football (59 images)”
Abilene High junior Timothy Outlaw freely admits it was difficult waiting his turn behind an outstanding group of senior wideouts last season.
As a sophomore on varsity, he respected his older teammates and understood why there were others ahead of him in the receiver rotation. But as a competitor, it was tough watching those players make the plays he wanted to be making.
A year later, Outlaw’s opportunity has finally arrived. And after watching players such as Jeshari Houston (40-713, 9 TDs receiving), Nate Seballos (34-671, 7 TDs) and Frederick “Pooh” Johnson (31-443, 3 TDs) emerge as big-play receivers for the Eagles in 2020, he’s ready to assume the role as a go-to guy.
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 Evan Ren’s Twitter polls for each matchup.
For those interested in voting, polls go up on Monday night each week and close Thursday morning.
Disagree with our picks or the Twitter consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
Continue reading “Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel vs. Twitter Polls (Week 2)”
Replacing a school and district record holder in Noah Garcia, Cooper running back Jeremiah Riley entered this season with some pretty big shoes to fill.
But coach Aaron Roan doesn’t want the 5-foot-7, 185-pound junior to view himself as Garcia’s successor. He just wants Riley to be himself.
A punishing runner with a low center of gravity, Riley operates a little differently than his predecessor, but he’s proving capable of handling that featured back load. And after watching the junior top 100 yards in the Cougars’ opener last week, Roan is excited to see what the rest of the season holds for him.
LAST WEEK: 43-12, .781
SEASON TOTAL: 43-12.781
A .781 pick percentage in Week 1?
I’ll take it.
I’m generally happy with anything in the low 70s to begin a season, so to hit nearly 80 percent out of the starting gate is something I’ll gladly accept.
Our Big Country Preps Game of the Week? Wall at Cisco.
Let’s dive into this week’s picks, shall we?
The Wylie football team’s season opener at Burleson was a forgettable one for the Bulldogs, but there are parts coach Clay Martin wants his team committing to memory.
In the days since that 42-3 loss to the Elks, the Wylie staff has been working hard to ensure that the WHS players have taken all of the lessons they should from that experience while, at the same time, moving past that game in time for Friday’s matchup against Lubbock Monterey.
While that can be a fine line to walk, Martin feels his Bulldogs have done just that. And he’s confident that their second showing — a 7 p.m. matchup at Hugh Sandifer Stadium — will be a more representative example of this team’s ability.
For most teams, a big win sealed with taking a knee is just that, a win.
For Paint Creek, that kneel down was a lot more than just a win.
Friday’s 52-0 win over Harrold came as the Pirates took the field for the first time in three years and coach Leonel Murguia wanted to make sure his team soaked it in.
Evan Ren and Dan Youngblood visit with first-year Merkel coach Will Kates
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Midland Christian-Wylie volleyball (44 images)”
Hosting a Midland Christian squad it had just beaten over the weekend at the Wolfforth Frenship tournament, the Wylie volleyball team took care of the Lady Mustangs in three sets Tuesday, claiming a 25-15, 25-13, 25-18 victory at Bulldog Gym.
Coming off a 25-14, 25-6 tournament win over MCHS, the Lady Bulldogs showed no signs of complacency or let-up in Tuesday’s rematch, dominating play from start to finish to improve to 17-9 on the year.
Tuesday’s match marked the third time this season that Wylie had played a team twice and the first time the Lady Bulldogs have taken two matches from an opponent. In its first two rematch scenarios — against Dumas and Burleson Centennial — the Lady Bulldogs won the first match but were unable to take the second.
Prior to the season, we listed Dublin’s Chris Teten among our Top 10 area quarterbacks to watch in 2021. And he wasted no time in demonstrating why.
Only a junior, Teten threw for 310 yards and five scores in a 43-14 win over area rival De Leon to capture our first Capital Farm Credit/Big Country Preps Player of the Week award for the 2020-21 school year.
Hitting 16 of 26 throws, Teten threw a 69-yard TD pass on the first play from scrimmage, setting the tone for the rest of the evening. With the game in hand, he played a little more than a half before being taken out.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Jayton Jaybird Classic (48 images)”
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Sweetwater at Stephenville (40 images)”
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Keller-Cooper football (44 images)”
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Forsan-Coahoma football (55 photos)”
Merkel 24, Reagan County 15 — Merkel overcame three turnovers to defeat a Reagan County team expected by many to challenge for a playoff spot.
The Badgers played a possession game, rushing for 185 yards on 43 carries to put away the Owls.
Brock 31, Bushland 3 — It took the Eagles a quarter to get going in coach Billy Mathis’ Brock debut, but once they did they got on a roll in a blowout win over the Falcons.
Brock trailed 3-0 midway through the first quarter and found itself tied at 3-all at the end of one period. But the Eagles tacked on four touchdowns over the final three quarters to pull away.
Wall 28, Eastland 21 — Jacob Richardson scored on a 10-yard run to break a fourth-quarter tie and give the Hawks (1-0) a tough win at home.
Wall rolled up 316 yards rushing and four scores while limiting the Mavericks (0-1) to 279 yards in total offense.
Snyder 28, Slaton 9 — A big third quarter was all Snyder needed to pull away from Stanton for a three-score win in its season opener.
Trailing 8-7 at halftime, coach Wes Wood’s Tigers scored 22 unanswered points in the third quarter to cruise to the victory.
Santo 14, Rio Vista 12 — Trailing 12-8 heading into the final quarter, the Wildcats got a five-yard touchdown run from Sam Henderson with a little more than eight minutes remaining in the game to earn a come-from-behind win over the Eagles.
Santo (1-0) was outgained 228-177 and lost the turnover battle 2-1, but the Wildcats were able to make the plays they needed down the stretch to get the victory.
The Wildcats, who rushed for 141 yards on 35 carries, were led by Jake Bryan (8-48 rushing), Hutson Thornton (3-43, 1 TD rushing; 1-36 receiving) and Henderson (7-37, 1 TD rushing). Rio Vista (0-1) gained all but 17 of its yards through the air.
Brownwood 58, Lampasas 55 — The Lions outscored the Badgers 20-7 in the fourth quarter, getting a 21-yard field goal from Junior Martinez as time expired to break a 55-all tie and earn a thrilling win in their season opener.
In a game that went back and forth throughout, Lampasas took the first two-score lead late in the third quarter, but Brownwood (1-0) rallied from that 48-38 deficit to pull ahead 55-48 with about four minutes remaining in the game. The Badgers countered with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Sanchez to Ethan Moreno to tie things up about two minutes later, but the Lions put together the final drive for the game-winning field goal.
Brady 37, San Angelo TLCA 6 — Brady had an easy time with TLCA, finishing with 454 total yards, including 367 on the ground. 
JD Ibarra was the top scorer for BHS, with 175 yards rushing on 18 carries and three touchdowns. Hayden Baronet threw for 87, rushed for 172 and accounted for two scores.