With the 2026 Texas high school football and volleyball seasons ramping up towards the UIL Playoffs statewide, many of the Big Country’s top high school athletes shined across the Lone Star State last week.
Several athletes had standout performances during last week’s action and have been nominated for this week’s edition of the Abilene Reporter-News’ City National Bank Big Country High School Athlete of the Week.
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The Reporter-News is taking weekly nominations and will release a list of finalists for the City National Bank Big Country Athlete of the Week at the beginning of each week.
City National Bank Athlete of the Week
Please include statistics from the week’s games and any pertinent information or honors.
Students in all varsity sports are eligible and can only be named Athlete of the Week one time per season, per sport, and athletes from one school cannot win more than three consecutive weeks.
The poll will close at 5 p.m. Friday and the winner will be announced shortly afterward.
Nominations are due by 7 p.m. Saturday and can be submitted through email at sports@reporternews.com or Andrew.McCulloch@reporternews.com.
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Take a look at this week’s candidates and cast your vote.
Candidates for the Abilene Reporter-News’ High School Athlete of the Week are listed in alphabetical order below.
Owen Bishop, Forsan
Bishop racked up 204 yards and five touchdowns through the air on 12-of-14 passing to spearhead Forsan’s 64-22 runaway win against Sonora.
Trent Buffington, Brownwood
Buffington rushed for 204 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries to power the Lions to a runaway 44-20 win over Salado in their final game of the season.
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Lane Couch, De Leon
Couch, the Big Country’s leading rusher, rumbled for 146 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 21 carries in the Bearcats’ 37-20 loss to Cisco in the de facto District 5-2A DI championship game.
Coy Evans, Forsan
Evans reeled in five catches for 116 receiving yards and two touchdowns to help the Buffaloes trounce Sonora 64-22.
Miles Follis, Stamford
Follis, the Big Country’s leading passer, threw for 111 yards and six touchdowns on 8-of-10 passing to help the Bulldogs thrash Winters 60-0 in their regular-season finale.
Javon Jackson, Big Spring
Jackson helped the Steers secure a 4A DII playoff berth in a 48-6 blowout win against rival Snyder, running for 206 yards and five rushing touchdowns on 19 carries while also throwing for 145 yards and a touchdown on 4-of-13 passing.
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Hunter Kresta, Ballinger
Kresta recorded 131 receiving yards and three touchdown catches in the Bearcats’ 36-35 shootout loss to Ozona.
Easton Malone, Merkel
Malone showed off his dual-threat abilities in the Badgers’ 48-22 win against Holliday, throwing for 227 yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-26 passing and scrambling for 88 rushing yards and three touchdown runs. He also tacked on five tackles and a tackle for loss defensively.
Haddie Mock, Abilene Wylie
Mock racked up 25 kills, five blocks, three digs and a .483 hitting efficiency to lead the Lady Bulldogs to back-to-back wins over El Paso Del Valle (25-11, 25-11, 25-12) and Eagle Mountain (29-27, 25-12, 23-25, 25-19) in the area round and regional semifinals of the 5A DII UIL Volleyball Playoffs.
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Haegen Pinkerton, Haskell
Pinkerton threw for 224 yards and four touchdowns on 13-of-24 passing and scrambled for 169 yards and three rushing touchdowns on 22 carries to lift the Indians to a dominant 60-27 win over Seymour in their regular-season finale.
Braxton Powell, Tuscola Jim Ned
Powell hauled in four receptions for 93 yards and a pair of touchdown catches to help lift the Indians to a 38-7 win over Odessa Compass Academy.
Jenna Stricklin, Abilene Wylie
Stricklin tallied 18 kills, nine blocks, six digs, one ace and a .481 hitting efficiency to help lift Wylie to victories against El Paso Del Valle (25-11, 25-11, 25-12) and Eagle Mountain (29-27, 25-12, 23-25, 25-19) last week in the second and third rounds of the 5A DII UIL Volleyball Playoffs.
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Carter VanZandt, Stephenville
VanZandt tallied 12 tackles, two tackles for loss and a QB hurry defensively in the Yellow Jackets’ 56-6 blowout win over Marble Falls to close out the regular season undefeated.
Eli Weatherly, Roby
Weatherly shined for the Lions in their dominant 95-58 win over rival Rotan, throwing for 427 yards and 11 touchdowns on 20-of-28 passing, running for 67 yards and a rushing touchdown while adding seven tackles and a pass break-up defensively.
Jagger Wiley, Hawley
Wiley threw for 284 yards and five touchdowns on 13-of-18 passing in the Bearcats’ 48-0 rout of Abilene TLCA.
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Caden Wilson, Early
Wilson put on a show offensively in the Longhorns’ 38-35 shootout loss to Llano, throwing for 150 yards and three touchdowns on 12-of-22 passing and running for 160 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 17 carries.
Devan Wright, Clyde
Wright helped the Bulldogs complete a 10-0 regular season and win the District 2-3A DI championship by throwing for 203 yards and a touchdown on 11-of-26 passing and scrambling for 151 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 22 carries in Clyde’s 28-21 win over Sweetwater.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Vote for Big Country High School Athlete of the Week for Nov. 2-8, presented by City National Bank
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
