Abilene High School

The Abilene ISD athletics season started earlier this month but kicks into high gear Friday with the start of the high school football season.

Cooper will open its season Friday at 7 p.m. when it hosts Azle in the season-opening game for both teams. Meanwhile, Abilene High will travel 75 miles south to San Angelo to take on its oldest rival, San Angelo Central, in a 7 p.m. game at San Angelo Stadium.

The Cougars – who have reached the state playoffs in 17 straight seasons – return 15 starters from last year’s team, which reached the area round of the playoffs. Leading the way for Cooper will be junior defensive end Dycin Davis, who already has nine NCAA Division I offers with two years of high school eligibility remaining. You can read a full Cooper season preview here.

Cooper is 2-1 all-time against the Hornets, who were 3-7 overall and 2-6 (seventh place) in District 3-5A, which includes state powerhouses Aledo and Denton Ryan.

Fans can purchase tickets to the game here, and they can be downloaded to their smartphones to enter the stadium. As a reminder, AISD has implemented a clear bag policy at Shotwell Stadium and the Shotwell Annex. Only clear bags will be allowed in with spectators to ensure the safety of all events at Shotwell and the Shotwell Annex.

Fans can watch and listen to the game online here. AISD Live is also on Facebook and YouTube. An audio-only broadcast is available here.

Abilene High and the Bobcats are​​ about to script the 101st  chapter in their storied rivalry, which dates back to Nov. 4, 1910, when the Bobcats emerged with a 17-0 win. The Eagles won the last meeting, 49-14, in Abilene in November 2021 and lead the all-time series against the Bobcats, 48-46-6. This Friday’s contest will mark the first game as the Central head coach for Abilene native and Cooper graduate Mark Smith.

The Eagles return 11 starters from a team that won the District 2-5A Division I title last year and reached the state quarterfinals en route to an 11-3 season. The Eagles will be anchored by junior quarterback Brayden Henry, senior wide receiver Ryland Bradford, and an offensive line that returns four starters. You can read a full Abilene High season preview here.

Tickets to the game can be purchased here and downloaded to your smartphone to enter the stadium. San Angelo ISD has implemented a clear bag policy at San Angelo Stadium. Only clear bags will be allowed in with spectators to ensure the safety of all events at San Angelo Stadium.

If you can’t make it to San Angelo for the game, you can listen to the Abilene High broadcast online here. San Angelo ISD offers live streaming options to watch the game at www.conchosports.com, on YouTube and Facebook, and other streaming services such as Roku and Amazon Fire TV. Search for "Concho Sports" on your streaming platform. 

Volleyball
The Abilene High and Cooper volleyball teams will be back in action this weekend in separate tournaments in the Metroplex. The Lady Eagles will play in the Arlington Invitational, while the Lady Cougars will play in the Godley Tournament.

Abilene High has rallied from a 0-4 start to the season in head coach T-Keeyah Hall-Fanner’s first season and carries a 10-10 record into the weekend. The Lady Eagles lost their first five matches last week against tough competition at the Pflugerville Tournament before winning three of their last four matches on Friday and Saturday and a non-district contest Tuesday at Hawley to even their season record.

The Lady Eagles will take on Arlington Martin, Glen Rose, and Amarillo High in their first three matches in Arlington before moving into bracket play. After the tournament in Arlington, Abilene High will be home Tuesday (Sept. 3) to host Jim Ned at 5:30 p.m.

The Lady Cougars were 3-3 last weekend in the Haltom Tournament with wins over Lubbock Monterey, LD. Bell, and Benbrook. But Cooper dropped a 3-0 decision Tuesday at Jim Ned and will carry an 8-9 record into the Godley Tournament.

Cooper is in Godley, where the Lady Cougars will play Paradise, Rowlett, and Godley on Friday before moving into bracket play on Saturday. After the tournament in Godley, Cooper will be home Tuesday (Sept. 3) to host San Angelo Central at 6 p.m.

Team Tennis
The Cooper and Abilene High tennis teams are off to blistering starts, carrying a combined 34-1 record into a weekend where both teams are off.

Cooper hasn’t lost, posting a 17-0 record through the season’s first month, including a 19-0 win Tuesday over Snyder. Head coach Trance Rosenquist’s team went 4-0 last weekend at the AISD Duals Tournament in Abilene, beating Lubbock All Saints, Odessa High, El Paso High, and Vernon.

The Cougars are off this weekend but will return to action next Saturday (Sept. 7) when they host Midland Legacy (9 a.m.) and Midland High (2 p.m.) at the Cooper Tennis Courts.

Abilene High is 17-1 on the season, with the only loss coming in a 10-5 decision last Friday against El Paso Franklin in the AISD Duals in Abilene. The Eagles won their last three matches in the tournament, knocking off El Paso High, Hobbs (New Mexico), and Odessa High.

The Eagles are off this weekend but will return to action next Saturday when they host Midland Legacy (8:30- a.m.) and Midland High (1:30 p.m.) at the Abilene High Tennis Courts.

Cross Country
The Abilene High and Cooper cross country squads have each run in two meets so far this season, with Abilene High set to run again this weekend.

The Eagles opened their season on Friday, Aug. 16, at the Friday Night Hawk Invitational in Carrollton. They ran again last weekend at the Denton Ryan Invitational. They will return to action on Saturday at the Marcus Invitational at North Lakes Park in the Metroplex.

The Cougars ran at the Jim Ned Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 17, and competed at the Greenhill Relays in Dallas last weekend. Cooper is off this weekend but will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Lubbock Invitational.