High school football returned in full force this weekend to the Big Country and the Lone Star state, bringing with it up upsets, renewed rivalries, blowouts and big surprises.

OFF THE TOP

Things that really caught my attention this week:

Hawley’s big win over Jim Ned
Wylie winning on the road at Brownwood
Ira taking care of Motley County
#1 Albany being pushed to the limit by Trinity Christian
Abilene High’s offense will have to do better, but there’s obviously plenty of time to improve
Cooper will likely be emphasizing special teams a bit more this week in practice
May is still May. Westbrook is still Westbrook. Could they be on a collision course to meet for all the marbles again?
Aspermont and Trent get big season opening victories
It was a tough night for new coaches in the Big Country, as head men taking over at new schools this year went just 2-7 in week one

BIG COUNTRY A TO Z

Abilene High could not get any offense going, picking up just 44 yards and three first downs in a 17-3 loss to Odessa Permian. AHS suffered a seventh straight season opening loss. The Eagle defense did its best to keep the team in the game, but the offense, rotating junior quarterbacks (Brelon Badon and Dyland Slack) making their varsity debuts, struggled from the start. Permian snapped a two-game losing streak to Abilene High.

Abilene Christian opened the year with a 62-32 win over the Lubbock Titans. The Panthers will play their home games at Trent this season and there was a good crowd on hand for week one.

Abilene Christian vs Lubbock Titans Photo Gallery

#1 Albany got shut out by Lubbock Trinity Christian for nearly three quarters, but rallied to get a hard-fought 19-15 season opening victory. Trinity Christian led 7-0 at the half and 7-6 after three quarters but the Lions roared back in the fourth, going up 12-7 on a 77-yard Coy Lefevre run. Trinity went back ahead 15-12 but the Lions got late game heroics from Adam Hill, who ran the rock in from 15-yards with under two minutes to put Albany ahead to stay. Trinity got inside the Lion 20 with under a minute to play but London Fuentes sealed the victory with an interception.

Anson started the Cory McCombs era with a 47-22 loss at Seymour. The Panthers never trailed, leading 27-16 at the half on their way to a debut victory for head coach Dan Loyd.

Aspermont turned some heads with a bit of an upset victory in a battle of Hornets at Blackwell. Aspermont led 26-20 at the half and held off Blackwell 34-28 to earn a season opening victory for the first time since 2019.

A young Baird squad hit the road (for the first four straight road games to kickoff 2022) and fell 46-0 at Meadow.

Ballinger dropped a 29-7 decision at Sonora in Ty Lang’s Bearcat head coaching debut. Ballinger trailed just 14-7 at the half but could not get on the scoreboard the rest of the way to fall to 0-1.

Bangs hung with highly rated Early, but their rivals rallied to beat the Dragons 34-20. Guy Powell went the distance on a long touchdown run on the first play of the game to give the Dragons the lead, but Early tied it up at 7 by the end of the first and led 22-14 at the break. Jaxyn Price threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another to lead the Longhorn offensive attack.

Blanket came out on the short end of a 53-18 decision at Rising Star. The Wildcats ruined Michael Cherry’s head coaching debut and showed how much they’ve improved as they enter year two under Derek Stevens. The Tigers came into the game as the favorites and entered the season as the #18 in the state in 1A Division II.

Breckenridge defeated Jacksboro to start the season for the second year in a row, knocking off the Tigers at home 42-13. The Buckaroos jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead and never looked back, handing former head coach Casey Hubble a defeat in his first game as head coach at Jacksboro.

Photo: Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan

Brookesmith fell at Mullin 38-6 in game one for Jack Graves as head coach of the Mustangs. Brookesmith has lost its last nine games.

Brownwood and Wylie met in what turned out to be one of the best games to watch in the Big Country this week. The Lions scored first on a field goal but the Bulldogs answered with the next 16 points and never trailed again on their way to a 30-24 victory. Wylie led 30-17 at the break but could not score in the second half to allow Brownwood back in the game. The Lions had a chance to take the lead in the fourth but turned it over on a fumble inside the Wylie ten-yard line with 8:39 to play. The Bulldogs were able to hold on from there to earn the season opening victory.

Photos: Derrick Stuckly/Brownwoodnews.com

Cisco overcame a slow start and topped Clyde 41-13. The Bulldogs led 7-6 after one quarter but Cisco had a 20-7 lead by the break and a 34-7 lead after three quarters.

Coleman outslugged Mason 7-6 in a battle of teams with very high expectations. The Bluecats took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter and that turned out to be just enough to get the victory. The Punchers scored with 1:03 to play to pull within one, but Coleman turned away the potential game-winning two-point try to escape with the win.

Colorado City played well in its first game for new head coach Monty Leaf, but high-powered Roscoe pulled away to win 46-20. The Plowboy defense held Colorado City to just 104 yards of total offense.

Cooper led Keller 16-14 at the half Thursday night but gave up a two special teams touchdowns on a punt return and a fake punt and an interception in the end zone to end up on the wrong end of a 34-16 score. The Cougars have lost season openers at Shotwell to Keller in back-to-back seasons.

Cooper vs Keller Photo Gallery

Cross Plains played its first game since the loss of senior Ryan Hopkins and topped Winters on the road 40-14. The Blizzard coaches and many fans wore purple in support of the Buffaloes, who led 33-14 at the half and cruised the rest of the way for the victory.

Eastland suffered a 49-20 loss to Wall, marking its third straight season opening loss to the Hawks. The Hawks jumped on the Mavericks from the start, cruising out a 28-0 second quarter lead on their way to the win.

Gorman got the season going with an easier than expected 58-12 home win over Lometa. The Panthers led 22-12 at halftime but dominated in the second half on the way to the mercy rule victory.

Hamlin hoped to turn things around in 2022 but ran into stiff competition from rival Stamford in the season opener, as the Bulldogs cruised to a 48-0 victory. It marked Stamford’s biggest win over Hamlin since a 49-0 decision in 1952. The Pied Pipers have now dropped 12 games in a row.

Haskell earned an impressive 27-7 season opening victory over New Deal. The Indian defense led the way, forcing three turnovers and keeping Lions under 300 yards in the ballgame.

Hawley proved they’re among the elite in 2A Texas football once again with a 30-7 victory over 3A Division I Jim Ned. The Indians were missing many starters due to injuries and the Bearcats took advantage, leading 17-0 at the half and 24-0 after three before Jim Ned got on the board midway through the fourth quarter. Austin Cumpton scored twice and Rodey Hooper threw touchdown passes to Chandlin Myers and Kason' O’Shields.

Check out this great highlight video of the game by Cinco Cinco Productions.

Hermleigh got off to a great start in 2022 with a 71-39 victory at Sands. The Cardinals join Ira as the early season favorites to challenge Westbrook for the District 8-1A Division I title.

Highland fell at home to what looks like a very good Loraine Bulldog squad 48-15. The 1A Division II Bulldogs avenged a 2021 loss to their 1A Division I counterparts. Davion Walthall led the Loraine attack with 154 yards rushing on ten attempts and also threw for a touchdown. AJ Williams totaled 98 yards on the ground in the win.

Ira earned a win over highly ranked Motley County at the Jayton Gridiron Classic Thursday night. The 1A DI Bulldogs took down the Matadors, preseason #6 in 1A DII and last year’s state runner-up, in dominating fashion.

Lueders-Avoca could not win their debut under David Finch, falling on the road at Trent 79-32. The Gorillas earned their first season opening victory since 2014 and could start a nice run of victories over the next few weeks in non-district play.

May is still a force to be reckoned with. The Tigers had to replace a ton of talent from last season’s state runner-up squad but had no trouble getting past Jayton, ranked #3 in 1A DII, 58-12 on the road Friday night.

Merkel had a rough go of it on offense in their 20-12 loss to Clifton in Cisco Thursday night. The Badger offense scored on a pair of Joey Zink to Maddox O’Malley touchdown passes, but that was about all they could muster on that side of the ball. Merkel managed just over 100 yards of total offense and could not take advantage of a pair of early Clifton fumbles that gave them great field position.

Merkel vs Clifton Photo Gallery

Moran had their hands full in a tough 78-6 loss to Benjamin. The Mustangs are the preseason #1 team in 1A DII and proved why with their 78 point effort before the half against the Bulldogs.

Paint Creek got the Shannon Waters era off to a great start with a 57-12 home win over Harrold. The Pirates have dominated the Hornets three times over the past two seasons. Waters earns a win in his first game as head coach of his alma mater.

Ranger opened their second season of six-man football with a 72-42 loss to Newcastle, which is an improvement on their mercy rule loss to the Bobcats in 2021.

Roby came up short in a close contest against Claude, falling 48-46 Friday night in their first game under head coach Israel DeLeon. The Lions seemed to be in control of the game, leading 26-0 after one quarter and 40-16 at the half, but the Mustangs rallied — outscoring Roby 32-6 in the second half to escape with a victory. Dylan Lujan led the Lion attack with five touchdowns in the game.

Rotan got off to a rough start in 2022 with a 67-22 loss to Robert Lee. The Yellowhammers had won their previous two season openers under head coach Dale Means.

Rule was set to host the Abilene Homeschool Flamingos in their football debut but the game was cancelled. The Bobcats will now get the season going Friday at home against Bronte.

Santa Anna earned a 58-13 win over Veribest to kick off the Jose Luna era of Mountaineer football. Santa Anna has now won nine straight non-district games.

Snyder doubled up Slaton 28-14, earning a season opening victory over the Tigers for a second straight season. Snyder led 28-0 in the third quarter before Slaton was able to get on the scoreboard.

Sweetwater dropped game one of 2022, 38-20 at Idalou Friday night. The Mustangs dug a 21-0 first quarter hole and could not get out of it. They got as close as 31-20 in the third quarter.

TLCA Abilene’s first 11-man football game was an 80-19 loss at Water Valley. The Wildcats were playing their first 11-man game since the 2001 season.

Westbrook got its state title defense rolling a in big way with a 61-16 victory over #7 Happy in the Jayton Gridiron Classic. Cedric Ware picked up where he left off last year, running for six touchdowns in the Wildcats 2022 debut. Westbrook led 28-0 after one quarter and 44-0 in the second before the Cowboys got on the scoreboard. The Wildcats knocked Happy out of the playoffs in the state semifinals in 2021 and gave them no shot whatsoever at revenge in game one of 2022.

Zephyr came close to snapping a 14-game losing streak, but saw it extended to 15 with a 44-37 home loss to Bronte. The Bulldogs led 31-24 at the half but penalties and turnovers led to their ruin in the second half. Eathan Gowin led the Zephyr charge with 133 total yards and four touchdowns.

UP NEXT

A look at the week two matchups for teams in all the districts that include Big Country squads.

Cooper at Abilene High
Rio Rancho Cleveland (NM) at Amarillo
Caprock at Palo Duro
Tascosa vs Midland Legacy at West Texas A&M
Frenship at Lubbock Cooper
Lubbock Coronado at Midland
Wylie at Lubbock Monterey
Lubbock at Big Spring
Plainview at Pampa
Wichita Falls Rider at Decatur
Brownwood at Marble Falls
Andrews at Monahans
Dumas at Estacado
Snyder at Levelland
San Angelo Lake View at Sweetwater
Graham at Springtown
Greenwood at Canyon West Plains
Brock at Wichita Falls Hirschi
Breckenridge at Childress
Eastland at Clyde
Holliday at Jim Ned
Bowie at Bridgeport
Benbrook at Iowa Park
Gainesville at Vernon
Ballinger at Coleman
Tolar at Early
Mason at Brady
Christoval at Grape Creek
Odessa Compass at TLCA San Angelo
Cisco at Wall
Comanche at Bangs
Albany at Dublin
Boyd at Jacksboro
Stanton at Merkel
Henrietta at Millsap
Anson at Archer City
Colorado City at New Home
Lubbock Roosevelt at Hawley
Olney at Petrolia
Haskell at Stamford
Winters at Eldorado
De Leon at Cross Plains
Goldthwaite at Santo
Hamilton at Bosqueville
San Saba at Junction
Hamlin at Water Valley
Sterling City at Miles
Roscoe OPEN
TLCA Abilene at Munday
Electra at Memphis
Seymour at Lindsay
Windthorst OPEN
Abilene Christian at Hermleigh
Highland at Throckmorton
Ira at Paint Creek
Kingdom Prep at Roby
Rotan at Lingleville
Westbrook at Jonesboro
Baird at Moran
Blanket at Bryson
Ranger at Gordon
Gorman at Evant
Bluff Dale at Perrin-Whitt
Blum at Lometa
Austin St. Stephens at May
Santa Anna at Lueders-Avoca
Southland at Aspermont
Lorenzo at Guthrie
Klondike at Jayton
Knox City at Motley County
Wilson at Patton Springs
Bronte at Rule
Woodson at Newcastle
Blackwell at Eden
Crowell at Loraine
Trent at Lohn
Olfen at Paint Rock
Mullin at Panther Creek
Sidney at Rising Star
Gustine at Morgan
Zephyr at Veribest
Kopperl at Brookesmith
Cherokee vs Gold-Burg at Gordon
Austin Royals at Richland Springs
Nueces Canyon at Rochelle

DISTRICT STANDINGS

DISTRICT 2-5A DIVISION I	DISTRICT	OVERALL
Amarillo Caprock	0-0	1-0
Amarillo Tascosa	0-0	1-0
Lubbock Cooper	0-0	1-0
Lubbock Coronado	0-0	1-0
Abilene High	0-0	0-1
Amarillo	0-0	0-1
Lubbock Monterey	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 2-5A DIVISION II
Lubbock	0-0	1-0
Plainview	0-0	1-0
Wichita Falls Rider	0-0	1-0
Wylie	0-0	1-0
Amarillo Palo Duro	0-0	0-1
Cooper	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 4-2A DIVISION I
Andrews	0-0	1-0
Lubbock Estacado	0-0	1-0
San Angelo Lake View	0-0	1-0
Big Spring	0-0	0-1
Brownwood	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 3-4A DIVISION II
Graham	0-0	1-0
Midland Greenwood	0-0	1-0
Snyder	0-0	1-0
Wichita Falls Hirschi	0-0	1-0
Sweetwater	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 3-3A DIVISION I
Breckenridge	0-0	1-0
Vernon	0-0	1-0
Bowie	0-0	0-1
Clyde	0-0	0-1
Iowa Park	0-0	0-1
Jim Ned	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 2-3A DIVISION II
Early	0-0	1-0
TLCA San Angelo	0-0	1-0
Wall	0-0	1-0
Ballinger	0-0	0-1
San Angelo Grape Creek	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 5-3A DIVISION II
Comanche	0-0	1-0
Millsap	0-0	1-0
Dublin	0-0	0-1
Eastland	0-0	0-1
Jacksboro	0-0	0-1
Merkel	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 4-2A DIVISION I
Cisco	0-0	1-0
Hawley	0-0	1-0
Olney	0-0	1-0
Stamford	0-0	1-0
Anson	0-0	0-1
Colorado City	0-0	0-1
Winters	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 5-2A DIVISION I
Coleman	0-0	1-0
De Leon	0-0	1-0
San Saba	0-0	1-0
Tolar	0-0	1-0
Bangs	0-0	0-1
Goldthwaite	0-0	0-1
Hamilton	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 6-2A DIVISION II
Albany	0-0	1-0
Cross Plains	0-0	1-0
Miles	0-0	1-0
Roscoe	0-0	1-0
Hamlin	0-0	0-1
TLCA Abilene	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 7-2A DIVISION II
Archer City	0-0	1-0
Haskell	0-0	1-0
Munday	0-0	1-0
Seymour	0-0	1-0
Electra	0-0	0-1
Petrolia	0-0	0-1
Windthorst	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 8-1A DIVISION I
Hermleigh	0-0	1-0
Ira	0-0	1-0
Westbrook	0-0	1-0
Highland	0-0	0-1
Roby	0-0	0-1
Rotan	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 9-1A DIVISION I
Gordon	0-0	1-0
Gorman	0-0	1-0
Lingleville	0-0	1-0
Perrin-Whitt	0-0	1-0
Baird	0-0	0-1
Bryson	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 14-1A DIVISION I
Evant	0-0	1-0
Jonesboro	0-0	1-0
May	0-0	1-0
Santa Anna	0-0	1-0
Lometa	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 5-1A DIVISION II
Aspermont	0-0	1-0
Guthrie	0-0	0-1
Jayton	0-0	0-1
Motley County	0-0	0-1
Patton Springs	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 7-1A DIVISION II
Paint Creek	0-0	1-0
Woodson	0-0	1-0
Rule	0-0	0-0
Lueders-Avoca	0-0	0-1
Throckmorton	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 13-1A DIVISION II
Bronte	0-0	1-0
Loraine	0-0	1-0
Trent	0-0	1-0
Blackwell	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 14-1A DIVISION II
Paint Rock	0-0	1-0
Rising Star	0-0	1-0
Moran	0-0	0-1
Panther Creek	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 15-1A DIVISION II
Mullin	0-0	1-0
Sidney	0-0	1-0
Blanket	0-0	0-1
Gustine	0-0	0-1
Zephyr	0-0	0-1
DISTRICT 16-1A DIVISION II
Cherokee	0-0	1-0
Richland Springs	0-0	1-0
Brookesmith	0-0	0-1
Lohn	0-0	0-1
Rochelle	0-0	0-1
TAPPS DIV. II DISTRICT 1
Abilene Christian	0-0	1-0
FW Covenant Classical	0-0	1-0
Irving The Highlands	0-0	1-0
Midland Trinity	0-0	1-0
Amarillo San Jacinto	0-0	0-1
Denton Calvary	0-0	0-1
Keller Harvest	0-0	0-1
Lubbock All Saints	0-0	0-1

COLLEGE ROUNDUP

Cisco College was the only area college team in action. The Wranglers kicked off the year with a 52-0 victory at home over Gordon’s Fine Arts & Sports Academy in their first game under new head coach John O’Mera. Cisco is off next weekend.

ACU kicks off the season Thursday night at home against Lamar.
Hardin-Simmons will visit Wayland Baptist Saturday.
Howard Payne plays at Texas Lutheran.
McMurry will meet Birmingham-Southern in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Week 1 Rewind

OFF THE TOP

BIG COUNTRY A TO Z

UP NEXT

DISTRICT STANDINGS

COLLEGE ROUNDUP

BIG COUNTRY BLITZ

Week 1 Rewind

OFF THE TOP

BIG COUNTRY A TO Z

UP NEXT

DISTRICT STANDINGS

COLLEGE ROUNDUP

Blitz Picks - Week 2

Abilene Christian vs Lubbock Titans Photos

BIG COUNTRY BLITZ