Tag: Local football

by Daniel Youngblood

Surging Cougars look to take care of business at Lubbock High

COOPER (4-4, 3-1) AT LUBBOCK HIGH (1-6, 0-3)

7:30 p.m. Friday at Lowrey Field, Lubbock

What it means: Cooper, which is currently tied with Amarillo Caprock for second in the District 2-5A Division I standings, is looking to pull half-game ahead of the Longhorns with a win over the struggling Westerners. The Cougars have won four of their last five games and can move their overall record above .500 for the first time all season with a victory. This is the seventh meeting all-time in a series that Cooper has dominated. The Coogs are 6-0 against LHS, winning by an average score of 50-5.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Upset-minded Wylie hits road for Canyon Randall

WYLIE (0-7, 0-2) AT CANYON RANDALL (3-4, 2-0)

7 p.m. Friday at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium, Canyon

What it means: The Bulldogs need two wins in their final three games to have any hope of extending their streak of consecutive playoff seasons to 25. And since one of those is a road date with undefeated Lubbock Cooper, this is basically a must-win. Wylie, which has never played Randall before, will try to snap the Raiders’ two-game District 3-5A Division II winning streak, which has them tied with Cooper for the league lead heading into this week’s games.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 9)

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 (Week 9)” →

by Daniel Youngblood

Abilene High RB trio sharing load, providing production for Eagles

Looking solely at the Abilene High stat sheet, it would be difficult to identify the Eagles’ featured running back. That’s largely because that title — and the player who holds it — can vary from drive to drive.

With injuries and position changes impacting that spot this season, the AHS coaching staff has taken more of a committee approach to the running game. But the trio of Xavier Carrillo (76-397), Phonzo Dotson (59-395, 4 TDs) and Esai Jaques (64-215) have combined to provide the offense with steady and needed production.

With everyone healthy and more comfortable with their roles within the offense, the members of that committee are excited about what the final two weeks of the regular season holds and eager to bring a new level of consistency to their play as the playoffs approach.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Cooper line at heart of offensive improvement, running success

With four regulars who saw time a year ago, including a three-year starter in Thomas Squyres, Cooper coach Aaron Roan knew his offensive line would be a strength at some point.

But even with some experience on the depth chart, it still takes time to build the familiarity and chemistry needed to excel up front — especially when you have guys in new or expanded roles.

Roan saw this concept in action early in the season, when his team averaged just 272 yards, including 124 on the ground, through an 0-3 start. But in the five weeks since, the Cougars have found their stride, averaging 416 total yards and 272 yards rushing during a 4-1 stretch that’s seen them even their record at 4-4 overall.

That success, as is always the case in football, has started at the line of scrimmage.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Sandifer ‘proud’ of winless Bulldogs, ready to see work rewarded

It’s no secret that Wylie’s first season in Class 5A has been a struggle.

The Bulldogs are 0-7 for the first time since 1982 and have been outscored 299-106, including a 98-29 margin through their first two district games.

But if you think this Wylie team’s will has been broken, longtime coach Hugh Sandifer would tell you otherwise.

Yes, his team has struggled. And yes, it enters Friday’s game at Canyon Randall with dimming playoff hopes. But this team hasn’t and won’t quit, Sandifer said, and it’s working as hard as ever to turn things around.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 19: Sammy Burnett talks Brownwood football with Evan, Daniel

Having spent his high school years playing for a pair of coaching legends at Brownwood, Sammy Burnett’s professional dream was always to return to his alma mater as the head football coach.

Burnett, who realized that dream when he was announced as the Lions coach in February, took some time to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about “the Brownwood way,” how he was influenced by coaches Gordon Wood and Randy Allen and what he wants to build at his alma mater in this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.

Also on this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the top developments from Week 8 and where it leaves the Big Country’s football teams with three weeks remaining in the regular season.

by Daniel Youngblood

District 3-6A: Week 8 Report

Haltom City Haltom 28, Abilene High 14 — The Eagles (5-3, 2-2) held the Buffalos to their season-low scoring output, including just seven points in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to hand Haltom its first loss of the season.

The Buffs (7-0, 3-0) raced out to a 21-0 halftime lead, extended it to 28 points with a third-quarter touchdown and held off a late AHS rally to stay alone atop the 3-6A standings.

The Eagles allowed 445 yards, with 195 of those coming on Haltom’s four scoring plays. The back-breaker came on the Buffs’ final touchdown, an 84-yard pass from Michael Black to Julian Johnson after Black had retrieved an errant shotgun snap.

Leading the way for AHS, which was limited to 260 yards, was backup quarterback Matthew Ezzell (7-12-1—103, 1 TD), running back Xavier Carrillo (25-95 rushing) and receiver Reese Pettijohn (7-84 receiving).

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by Daniel Youngblood

District 2-5A Division I: Week 8 Report

Cooper 28, Amarillo Caprock 12 — The Cougars (4-4, 3-1) got back to .500 for the first time since the start of the season, downing the Longhorns for their fourth win in five games.

Cooper, which outgained Caprock 353-299, led 14-0 at halftime and outscored the Longhorns 14-12 in the second half to maintain control of the game.

Sophomore running back Noah Garcia led the way offensively for the Coogs, rushing for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, while Daelin Campos and Jessus Menjivar also rushed for TDs.

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by Daniel Youngblood

District 3-5A Division II: Week 8 Report

Wichita Falls High 64, Wylie 22 — Coyote quarterback Anthony Vargas passed for 523 yards and eight touchdowns Friday to silence a homecoming crowd at Wylie’s Bulldog Stadium.

Wichita Falls, which also got big games from receivers Isaiah Johnson (8-217, 3 TDs), Andrew Byrd (8-183, 4 TDs) and Tre Mitchell (5-97, 1 TD), led 30-8 after a quarter and shut out the Bulldogs (0-7, 0-2) in the second half to improve to 3-4 overall and 1-1 in district play.

Wylie, which was limited to 213 total yards, was led offensively by Bailey Hicks, who rushed for 40 yards on eight carries and caught four passes for 51 yards and a touchdown.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

Cooper controls Caprock for homecoming win

Cooper entered Friday night’s homecoming game knowing that a win over Amarillo Caprock would go a long way toward securing a better seeding for a potential playoff berth.

The Cougars (4-4 overall, 3-1 district) did their part with a 28-12 win over the Longhorns and just missed out on moving into a tie for first place in District 2-5A Division I when Lubbock Coronado scored with four seconds left to take a 34-33 win over Lubbock Monterey.

After securing the win, Cooper coach Aaron Roan was closely watching the scoreboard to see how the Coronado-Monterey game would end.

Though Cooper missed out on moving into a first place tie, the Cougars all but clinched a playoff berth Friday night.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

Fast start, big plays spark Haltom past Abilene High 28-14

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS — Haltom’s quick-strike offense accounted for three big-play touchdowns, and that was enough to propel the unbeaten Buffalos to a 28-14 win over Abilene in a District 3-6A game Friday night that probably left the Eagles wondering, “What if …?” afterward.

Though the Buffs improved to 7-0 on the season and 3-0 in league play, Abilene High’s defense often put the clamps on a team that was averaging more than 50 points per game — and that had taken down perennial district kingpin Trinity 48-34 a week earlier.

It couldn’t stymie Haltom’s talented quarterback Michael Black three times, however, and that was pretty much the difference in a hard-hitting game. Black ran for a 51-yard score and threw a 51-yard touchdown bomb to Decorian Mitchell. At that, it was his third scoring play that showed why the Buffalos are so dangerous.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Wichita Falls High passing game too much for Wylie in 64-22 loss

Wichita Falls High grabbed the momentum early and never let it go Friday in routing Wylie 64-22 to spoil the Bulldogs’ homecoming festivities.

The Coyotes forced a three and out on Wylie’s opening possession, picked up two points on a safety when a high punt snap rolled through the end zone and proceeded to put on a passing clinic in burying the home team with 44 first-half points.

Wichita Falls, which outgained the Bulldogs 670-213, got 523 yards and eight touchdowns passing from quarterback Anthony Vargas, who spread the ball out to a speedy receiving corps that the Wylie secondary struggled to keep up with.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Eagles head to Haltom City for matchup with unbeaten Buffs

ABILENE HIGH (5-2, 2-1) AT HALTOM CITY HALTOM (6-0, 2-0)

7:30 p.m. Friday at Birdville Fine Arts/Athletics Complex, North Richland Hills

What it means: A win by Haltom would keep the Buffalos alone atop the District 3-6A standings as the league’s only undefeated team, while an AHS victory would put the Eagles in a tie with as many as three other teams for the district’s top spot. This matchup, the fifth between these schools, features 3-6A’s best offense (Haltom, 51.3 points per game) and best defense (AHS, 16.4 points allowed per game). The Eagles hold a 3-1 edge in this series, with the lone loss coming last year in a 36-35 thriller at Shotwell Stadium.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Cooper welcomes Caprock to town for homecoming

AMARILLO CAPROCK (4-2, 2-0) AT COOPER (3-4, 2-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday at Shotwell Stadium, Amarillo

What it means: The winner will all but clinch a playoff spot and gain a leg up for the No. 2 playoff berth out of District 2-5A Division I, while a third-place finish is likely the best-case scenario for the loser. This is homecoming for Cooper, so the Cougars will want to give an inspired performance and erase the memory of their last home game — a 42-23 loss to Lubbock Coronado. Cooper and Caprock have met only one time before, with the Coogs earning a 45-43 win over the Longhorns in a bi-district playoff game in 2015.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Wylie hosts Wichita Falls High for homecoming, crucial district game

WICHITA FALLS HIGH (2-4, 0-1) AT WYLIE (0-6, 0-1)

7 p.m. Friday at Bulldog Stadium, Abilene

What it means: Both of these teams dropped their District 3-5A Division II openers — Wylie to Wichita Falls Rider and Wichita Falls High to Canyon Randall — so this is a virtual must-win for each team’s playoff chances. The losing team will need at least one upset over the final three weeks to get back into the into the postseason discussion, while the winner can all but clinch a playoff berth with a win over 1-5 Plainview. This is also Wylie’s homecoming game, so you can expect a big crowd and a motivated Bulldog team for its first-ever matchup against the Coyotes.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 8)

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 (Week 8)” →

by Daniel Youngblood

Stout Abilene High defense looks to slow stampeding Buffalos

While Abilene High’s last-second loss to San Angelo Central may have kept this week’s game against Haltom City Haltom from being a clash of District 3-6A unbeatens, it did little to steal the intrigue from what remains one of the region’s top Class 6A matchups for Week 8.

The game, which pits 3-6A’s top offensive team against the district’s top defense, still has massive implications on the league’s playoff and championship races.

Add some history to the mix — Haltom came from behind to beat AHS 36-35 last year, effectively taking the district’s fourth playoff spot from the Eagles in the process — and you’ve got enough storylines to get even the most casual of fans excited for this one.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Controlling line, stopping run points of pride for Cooper front

With three first-year starters on his defensive line, Cooper coach Aaron Roan had high hopes for his defensive front coming into the season. But they were at the time just that — hopes.

That D-line group had graduated a pair of all-district performers in nose guard Anthony Arellano (first-team) and end Noah Flowers (second-team) off last year’s team, and the Cooper staff found out shortly before fall camp that its most experienced returner — Michaelin Toney — would be transferring to Cedar Hill for his senior season. 

So while Roan believed he had strong pieces with which to rebuild the defensive line, he wasn’t sure how those players would respond to expanded roles or how long it would take for that group to jell.

Fast forward to today, and the Cooper front has been one of the most consistent units for what has rapidly become a very strong defense. And those hopes Roan started the season with have evolved into expectations.

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by Daniel Youngblood

District 3-6A: Week 7 Report

San Angelo Central 17, Abilene High 15 — The Eagles (4-2, 2-1) dropped an absolute heartbreaker to the Bobcats, who got a 37-yard field goal as time expired to escape Shotwell Stadium with the win.

AHS had a chance to put the game away before the game-winning drive, pushing the ball inside the Central 10-yard line with a 15-14 lead and a little over two minutes remaining, but a fumble inside the 5 gave the Bobcats (4-2, 2-1) one final chance. They responded by driving 78 yards to set up Miles Houser’s field goal.

The Central offense scored just 10 offensive points, but a fumble return touchdown allowed the ‘Cats to take a 14-9 lead into halftime. Quarterback Kallin Sipe passed for 124 yards and Xavier Carrillo ran for 111 for Abilene High, which was narrowly outgained 326-324.

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by Daniel Youngblood

District 2-5A Division I: Week 7 Report

 

Cooper 49, Amarillo Palo Duro 15 — Cooper, which outgained Palo Duro 529-235 and scored on each of its first seven possessions, led 21-0 after a quarter and pushed that to 35-0 by halftime.

Running back Noah Garcia rushed for 239 yards on 18 carries to spearhead a 325-yard rushing attack, while quarterback Aidan Thompson completed 11 of 16 passes for 204 yards and four touchdowns. Tony Green led Palo Duro (3-4, 1-2) with 106 yards rushing, but he averaged just 3.8 yards per carry.

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by Daniel Youngblood

District 3-5A Division II: Week 7 Report

Wichita Falls Rider 34, Wylie 7 — The Raiders’ struggling offense got untracked against the Bulldogs on Friday, pounding out 319 yards rushing in a game they controlled throughout.

Samuel Manuel led Rider (2-4, 1-0) with 111 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, while three others — Darien Boyd (11-77, 1 TD), Jacob Rodriguez (12-76, 1 TD) and Tre Byrd (11-53, 1 TD) — ran for at least 50 yards and one score.

Wylie (0-6, 0-1), which was limited to 221 total yards — 133 rushing and 88 passing — got its only touchdown in the fourth quarter when Jaxon Hansen hit Parker Sanford from six yards out. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

Cooper dominant in all phases of 49-15 win over Palo Duro

Noah Garcia rushed for 239 yards and Aidan Thompson passed for four touchdowns as the Cooper Cougars cruised to a 49-15 win over Amarillo Palo Duro on Friday at Dick Bivins Stadium.

The Cougars, who outgained the Dons 529-235, led 35-0 at halftime and never punted in what was a dominating effort from start to finish.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Last-second FG lifts Central over Abilene High 17-15

The Abilene High players and coaches will likely be replaying the final 2½ minutes of Friday’s 17-15 loss to San Angelo Central in their heads for quite some time.

If one of any number of things during that sequence had gone just a little bit differently, the Eagles would have been talking about their sixth consecutive victory and gearing up for a battle of District 3-6A unbeatens with Haltom City Haltom next week.

Instead, a perfect storm of events forced the home team to watch a jubilant Bobcats squad celebrate a last-second win on the on the Shotwell Stadium turf.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Abilene High hosts Central in search of sixth straight win

SAN ANGELO CENTRAL (4-2, 1-1) AT ABILENE HIGH (5-1, 2-0)

7:30 p.m. Friday at Shotwell Stadium, Abilene

What it means: The Eagles can be one of just two unbeaten teams in District 3-6A play after Friday with a victory over the Bobcats. The league’s only other undefeated teams, Euless Trinity (5-0, 2-0) and Haltom City Haltom (5-0, 1-0), meet Friday in Bedford, so one is guaranteed its first loss. AHS still has both of those teams on its schedule, playing Haltom on the road next week and hosting Trinity in Week 10. A victory here would put district championship implications on those two games. This is the 99th meeting between AHS and Central. It’s been a hyper competitive series to date, with the Eagles holding a narrow 48-44-6 advantage. The Bobcats have won four of the last five meetings, however, since snapping a 10-game AHS win streak in 2013.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Cooper looks to get back on winning track at Palo Duro

COOPER (2-4, 1-1) AT AMARILLO PALO DURO (3-3, 1-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday at Dick Bivins Stadium, Amarillo

What it means: Both teams are off to 1-1 starts to District 2-5A Division I play, so the winner will move into the top half of the district while the loser will feel some pressure over the final four weeks of the season. Cooper has played the tougher district schedule to this point, routing Lubbock Monterey (58-20) and falling to district favorite Lubbock Coronado (42-23). Palo Duro, meanwhile, has lost to Amarillo Caprock (41-29) and beaten 1-5 Lubbock High (54-13). This is just the second matchup all time between these two schools. The only other meeting came in 1969, when the Cougars downed the Dons 17-0 in a bi-district playoff game. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

Bulldogs head to Wichita Falls for 3-5A DII opener with Rider

WYLIE (0-5, 0-0) AT WICHITA FALLS RIDER (1-4, 0-0)

7 p.m. Friday at Memorial Stadium, Wichita Falls

What it means: This is the start of District 3-5A Division II play for both teams, so it’s the biggest game either has played to date. Both squads come into this one on extended losing streaks as Wylie went winless through its nondistrict schedule and Rider lost four in a row heading into last week’s open date. This is the first time these two teams have ever played each other, and the winner of this inaugural matchup will take a big step toward securing a playoff spot in this district.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 7)

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 (Week 7)” →

by Daniel Youngblood

AHS cornerback Simpson happy out on his island

Abilene High senior Tyler Simpson is a confident kid. He has to be to play cornerback at the Class 6A level.

Manning a position that puts him on an island with some of the most talented receivers in the state, he knows that the slightest hesitation or indecision can have the opposing band striking up the fight song within seconds.

If that sounds like a high-stress job, it is. But the one-on-one, do-or-die nature of his position only adds to the thrill of playing it.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Cooper sophomore Garcia emerging as complete back

For a sophomore filling the shoes of one of Cooper’s all-time greats at running back, Noah Garcia keeps a remarkably even keel. If he’s feeling pressure to live up to the performance of 2,000-yard rusher Tyrees Whitfield, he does a good job of hiding it.

Instead, the 5-foot-7, 160-pound Garcia just goes out each week and quietly gives his best effort for his team. That that effort has him among the area’s top rushers through the Cougars’ first six games is just a bonus for him.

Garcia’s 676 yards rushing, which have largely been accrued over the past four weeks, have him ranked sixth among Big Country rushers this season. But he’s far more concerned with what his production has meant for Cooper’s record, which stands at 2-4 overall and 1-1 in District 2-5A Division I play heading into Friday’s game at Amarillo Palo Duro.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Battle-hardened Wylie Bulldogs embracing fresh start

Wylie’s struggles through an 0-5 start to the season are well documented. The Bulldogs were outscored 201-77 over the nondistrict portion of their schedule, falling 48-0 to Cooper and 53-21 to Brownwood in their two most recent outings.

But after a much needed bye week to prepare for the start of District 3-5A Division II play on Friday, coach Hugh Sandifer’s team is feeling rejuvenated.

Ask the Bulldog players and they’ll tell you the record that matters is is not 0-5, but 0-0, and all the goals they set the before the season are still within reach.

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by Daniel Youngblood

BCP Podcast No. 17: Evan, Daniel talk Cross Plains football with coach Daniel Purvis

Since taking over a moribund program at Cross Plains eight years ago, coach Daniel Purvis has turned the Buffaloes into a perennial playoff team. And this year, he has his squad off to the best start of his tenure at 4-1.

This week, Purvis took some time to talk to Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about the program he’s built, the state of his current team and the District 7-2A Division II race in the Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast.

Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel discuss the biggest developments of Week 6, which featured a shortened schedule for the Big Country.

by Daniel Youngblood

District 3-6A: Week 6 Report

Abilene High 28, Hurst Bell 7 — Playing for coach Del Van Cox, who lost his father to an inoperable brain tumor just days before Friday’s game, the Eagles did what they needed to do to secure an emotional road win Friday in Bedford.

Trailing 7-0 late in the first quarter, AHS (5-1, 2-0) tied the game on a 49-yard pass from Kallin Sipe to Clay Cox, Del Van’s son. And the Eagles took the lead for good midway through the second, when Griffin Cooke blocked a field goal attempt and Tyler Simpson took it back 72 yards to the house.

The Eagles ran just 30 offensive plays in the victory, gaining 244 total yards, but they limited the Blue Raiders (1-5, 0-2) to 212 total yards. Sipe finished 3-of-5 passing for 144 yards and two touchdowns, with two of those throws going to Marcos Garcia for 95 yards, including a 77-yard bomb in the third quarter.

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by Daniel Youngblood

District 2-5A Division I: Week 6 Report

Lubbock Coronado 42, Cooper 23 — A tough offensive night overshadowed a strong defensive performance in the Cougars’ first loss of the District 2-5A DI season.

Cooper (2-4 overall, 1-1 district) limited an explosive Mustangs offense to 335 yards and got defensive touchdowns from Dylon Davis (82-yard fumble return) and Brady Miller (21-yard interception return). But four Cougar turnovers and a recovered pooch kick led to 21 points for Coronado, allowing the Mustangs (5-1, 2-0) to pull away in the second half.

Sophomore running back Noah Garcia had 128 rushing yards on 19 carries for Cooper, which was held to just 227 total yards in the loss. Coronado, meanwhile, got 278 passing yards from quarterback Sawyer Robertson, who hit receiver Blair Conwright (11-120) with a pair of touchdown passes.

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by Daniel Youngblood

District 3-5A Division II: Week 6 Report

Wylie (0-5) — The Bulldogs’ bye week came at a good time, providing a much-needed break from a rough nondistrict schedule. But after spending last week getting back to the basics and working on itself, Wylie must shift its focus to its district opener Friday at Wichita Falls Rider.

The Bulldogs will need to play better if they hope to rebound in the second half and contend for a playoff spot, but the schedule should get much more manageable now that 3-5A DII play is here. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

Coronado pulls away from Cooper for 42-23 win

Four turnovers and a potent Lubbock Coronado offense were too much for Cooper to overcome Friday at Shotwell Stadium, where the Cougars fell 42-23 to the visiting Mustangs in a big District 2-5A Division I game.

The Coogs forced three turnovers themselves, scoring on two of them, but they could never get in the offensive rhythm necessary to put substantial pressure on Coronado.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

Abilene High earns emotional win at Hurst Bell

BEDFORD — Sparked by big plays by the offense, defense and special teams, the Abilene High Eagles earned an emotional 28-7 win over the Hurst Bell Blue Raiders in a District 3-6A game Friday night at Pennington Field.

Just days after the passing of Coach Del Van Cox’s father, Nowlin “Corky” Cox, the Eagles struck quickly on a bomb and a blocked a field goal — and intercepted a pass at a key juncture in the game — to improve their record to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in district. Bell fell to 1-5 and 0-2.

Afterward, during Cox’s postgame speech to the squad, dozens of Eagles shouted, “We love you, Coach!” and then proceeded to give him a group hug after he congratulated them on their effort against the Raiders.

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by Daniel Youngblood

Abilene High heads east to take on Hurst Bell

ABILENE HIGH (4-1, 1-0) AT HURST BELL (1-4, 0-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday at Pennington Field, Bedford

What it means: The Eagles can improve to 2-0 in District 3-6A play with a win, which would be big heading into key games against San Angelo Central (4-1, 1-0) and Haltom City Haltom (4-0, 0-0) the next two weeks. A victory also would keep AHS perfect against the Blue Raiders, who the Eagles beat 38-12 in 2014 and 44-12 in 2015, the only two previous meetings in the series. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 6)

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 (Week 6)” →