ATEMS

The Abilene High Eagles will return to Shotwell Stadium tonight to host Lubbock Coronado in a District 2-5A Division I game. Meanwhile, Cooper is on the road to take on district-leading and state-ranked Lubbock Cooper in a District 2-5A Division II game.

Both games will kick off at 7 p.m.

The Eagles are 4-2 overall and 2-0 in district play after last Friday’s 63-42 win at Amarillo High. The Mustangs are 1-5 and 0-2 and enter tonight’s game, having lost five straight games by an average score of 42-13. AHS leads the all-time series against the Mustangs, 4-0.

Meanwhile, Abilene High’s offense has been virtually unstoppable this season, even in its two losses. The Eagles are averaging 49.8 points per game overall, including 55.0 ppg in their four wins.

Junior quarterback Brayden Henry leads the offense, having accounted for 25 touchdowns through six games (13 passing and 12 rushing). He has rushed for at least 100 yards in four games, scored three touchdowns in three games, and accounted for five touchdowns in three games. He has rushed for 782 yards through six games and is just 91 yards from topping his career high of 882 yards, set last season in 14 games.

Junior running back Ethan Joyner has rushed for 461 yards and scored four touchdowns but has rushed for at least 100 yards in three of the Eagles’ last four games. Senior wide receiver Ryland Bradford scored three touchdowns last week against the Sandies. He caught six passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns, including an 81-yarder from Henry, and ran the ball seven times for 96 yards and one touchdown.

Fans planning to attend the game can purchase tickets here. 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 also listen to the Eagles’ audio feed here, with Chuck Statler and Cody Coil calling the action. AISD TV will provide the video stream, which is available here.

Other games tonight in District 2-5A Division I are Lubbock High (3-2 overall and 0-1 in district play) at Lubbock Monterey (2-4 and 1-1) and Amarillo High (2-3 and 1-1) vs. Amarillo Caprock (1-4 and 0-1). Amarillo Tascosa (3-3 and tied with AHS for first place at 2-0) is off tonight.

The Cougars are 1-5 overall and 0-2 in District 2-5A Division II. Tonight, they will be at Pirate Stadium (just outside Lubbock) to take on eighth-ranked Lubbock Cooper, which is 5-1 and tied for the district lead at 2-0.

Cooper is 3-1 all-time against the Pirates, but tonight's challenge is significant. The Pirates are averaging 40.2 ppg on offense and 405.3 yards per game. Last Friday, they jumped out to a 44-0 halftime lead against Wichita Falls Legacy and cruised to a 51-28 win over the Leopards.

Cooper has lost its first two district games against Wichita Falls Memorial (24-7) and Wylie (29-7) and probably needs to win three of its final four games to reach the playoffs for the 18th straight season.

Quarterback Austin Cummins leads the Cooper offense, who has thrown for 748 yards and seven touchdowns, while running back Peyton Ewing has run for 451 yards and three touchdowns on 70 carries. Zavian Alexander leads the team in receiving with 34 catches for 472 yards and five touchdowns.a

Fans planning to attend the game can purchase tickets here. Lubbock Cooper ISD enforces a clear bag policy at Pirate Stadium for all school athletic events, including high school and middle school events of all competitive levels, to maintain a safe and orderly environment for participants, officials, coaches, and fans.

Fans can also listen to the Cougars’ audio feed here, with Jimmy Pogue and Rick Cason calling the action. Lubbock Cooper ISD Athletics TV will provide the video stream available here.

Other games tonight in District 2-5A Division II are Wichita Falls Legacy (0-6 overall and 0-2 in district play) at Plainview (2-3 and 0-1) and Amarillo Palo Duro (3-2 and 0-1) at Wylie (4-1 and tied for first with Lubbock Cooper and Wichita Falls Memorial at 2-0). Memorial is off tonight.

Team Tennis
No. 24 Abilene High opened its playoff run with a 10-8 win Tuesday over No. 23 Lubbock Cooper, 10-8, in Lubbock. Ranked No. 7 in the region by the Texas Tennis Coaches’ Association, the Eagles are now 26-2 and will play the region’s 10th-ranked team, El Paso High, today at 1 p.m. in an area-round match at Bush Tennis Center in Midland.

The Eagles’ match came down to No. 4 singles, where Abilene High's Garrison Scoggin was involved in a tight contest against Pedro Sganzerla. After splitting the first two sets, Scoggin was trailing 8-4 in the third-set tiebreaker before he rallied to win six straight points, win the set 10-8, and clinch the match in the Eagles’ favor.

Ranked No. 8 in the region, Cooper drew Lubbock High (No. 16 in the state and No. 5 in the region) in the bi-district round and came out on the short end of an 11-8 score at the CHS Tennis Courts. Cooper finished an outstanding season at 24-4.

District champion Wylie – ranked fifth in the state – won its bi-district match, 11-3, over Amarillo Tascosa and will play El Paso Chapin in the area round. Amarillo High, which won the 2022 state championship, beat Wichita Falls Memorial, 10-0, in the bi-district match and will take on El Paso Bel Air in the area round.

Cross Country
The Abilene High boys’ and girls’ cross country teams won their respective District 4-5A team championships Thursday morning in Wichita Falls. Abilene High seniors John Alcantar and Mason Murray won the boys’ and girls’ individual championships. Cooper finished second in the boys’ and girls’ team races.

The Abilene High boys finished with 39 points, followed by Cooper with 48 points, Wichita Falls Memorial in third with 54 points, and Wylie in fourth with 86 points. The Abilene High girls won the team title with 18 points, followed by Cooper with 58 points, Wichita Falls Memorial in third with 71 points, Wylie in fourth with 87 points, and Wichita Falls Legacy in fifth with 126 points.

Alcantar cruised to the championship, covering the course at Lucy Park in 15 minutes, 18.66 seconds, easily outpacing runner-up Antonio Montoya from  Wichita Falls Memorial, who finished in 15:52.01. Abilene High's Aldo Sanchez was fourth in 16:18.39, and Antonio Delagarza was eighth in 17:45.78.

Cooper’s top finishers were Gabriel Reyna (fifth in 17:10.93) and Karson Martinez (seventh in 17:43.81). Dyllen Gladden was 10th for the Cougars (17:56.42), and Marcelo Bayubasire was 11th in 17:56.42.

On the girls’ side, Murray (17:32.04), Zoe Vann (17:36.83), Remie Batten (18:47.79), Aubrey Duran (19.25.54), and Emily Brumley (19:35.67) finished first, second, third, fifth, and seventh, respectively for Abilene High. The Lady Eagles scored 18 points to secure the district title.

Cooper was led by Lila Murillo, who finished sixth in 19:30.50, followed by Dannie Muco (ninth in 20:01.74), Kayla Dillon (12th in 20:36.83), Mizeri Ortiz (14th in 20:45.39), Jalicia Flores (17th in 21:34.81), and Mya Garcia (18th in 21:50.43).

All four AISD teams advance to the Region I-5A championship meet on Monday, Oct. 21, at Mae Simmons Park in Lubbock.

Volleyball
Wylie and Wichita Falls Memorial have begun to separate themselves from the rest of the district atop the District 4-5A standings, both carrying 3-0 records into tonight’s key matchup in Wichita Falls. Wylie improved to 3-0 in district play Tuesday night with a 3-0 home win over Abilene High, while Memorial went to 3-0 in the district Tuesday with a 3-0 victory over Wichita Falls Legacy in the first matchup between the city’s two new high schools.

Cooper (12-18 and 0-3) will try to pick up its first district win tonight when it hosts Wichita Falls Legacy (8-18 and 0-3) and put itself in position for a playoff spot (four of the five teams in the district will reach the postseason).

The second half of the district schedule starts next Tuesday (Oct. 15), with Abilene High playing at Wichita Falls Memorial and Cooper hosting Wylie.