Kickoff 2023: Week-by-week look at the Big Country's best high school football games
As hard it is to believe after all the 100-degree temperatures this summer, it’s almost time for the high school football season to begin. There’s always a good game in the Big Country each week in the fall, whether it’s a showdown between two Class 5A foes or a six-man game with folks watching from their cars and honking after their team scores.
Here’s what we think are the best games each week in the Big Country:
WEEK 1
Brownwood at Abilene Wylie
What a way to start the season. Wylie, ranked No. 15 in Texas Football magazine’s preseason Class 5A Division II poll, takes on former district rival Brownwood — ranked No. 17 in Class 4A Division I.
Last year, Wylie forced a turnover late in the game as Brownwood was driving for the go-ahead score to preserve a 30-24 victory at Gordon Wood Stadium.
Others to watch: Hawley at Jim Ned; Abilene High at Odessa Permian; Hamlin at Stamford
Best six-man game: Knox City versus Westbrook at Jayton (Thursday)
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WEEK 2
Abilene High vs. Abilene Cooper
The Eagles and Cougars meet for the 63rd time in a series that dates back to 1961. This is the game everyone in Abilene looks forward to each year, even though it’s no longer a district game. Last year, Antoine “Bam” Ramshaw’s 8-yard TD run to start the fourth quarter lifted AHS to a 14-10 win over the Coogs — snapping Cooper's three-game win streak in the series. The Coogs lead the all-time series 36-25-1.
Others to watch: Wall at Cisco; Jim Ned at Holliday.
Best six-man game: Gordon versus Garden City at Abilene Christian High (Saturday)
WEEK 3
Abilene Cooper at San Angelo Central
What is it about Central and Abilene teams? The Bobcats played thrillers against Cooper and Wylie last year.
Chris Warren threw a 22-yard TD pass to Malik Jackson to propel the Cougars to a 41-38 victory on the final play in overtime last year.
Central, which overcame a 15-point deficit in the final five minutes in regulation to send the game into overtime, tallied a 24-yard field goal on the first possession in OT before Cooper scored the game-winning TD.
Others to watch: Wall at Jim Ned; Wylie at Lubbock-Cooper; Midland Legacy at Abilene High; Breckenridge at Cisco.
Best six-man game: Strawn at Gordon; Ira at Jayton; Benjamin at Abilene Christian High
WEEK 4
Albany at Hawley
The two defending Class 2A state champions meet in a much-anticipated matchup. Hawley, which played in its second straight 2A D-I title game last year, beat the eventual 2A D-II champion Lions 26-14 last year at Robert Nail Stadium. Will Scott and Chandlin Myers each picked off passes to set up TDs, and Kason O’Shields returned a punt 58 yards to set up another to spark the Bearcats. Albany played the game without starting QB Cole Chapman and running back Coy Lefevre. Both teams are loaded with talent this year and expected to contend for a state title once again.
Others to watch: Abilene Wylie at Stephenville; Brownwood at Glen Rose; Tolar at Comanche; Lubbock Coronado at Cooper
Best six-man games: Ira at Loraine; May at Garden City; Rankin vs. Knox City at Hermleigh
WEEK 5
San Angelo Central at Wylie
This one was a thriller last year in the first meeting between the two programs. Quarterback Tyler Hill somehow managed to avoid being sacked, scrambled away and hit Ben Imler for a 40-yard TD pass on the game’s final play to lift the Bobcats to a stunning 63-61 victory.
Others to watch: Stephenville at Wichita Falls Rider; Albany at Comanche
Best six-man game: Westbrook at Garden City
WEEK 6
Amarillo Tascosa at Abilene High
Two contenders for the District 2-5A Division I title square off at Shotwell Stadium. Tascosa went 6-0 in winning the league title year, including a 36-14 victory over the Eagles. AHS, playing its second year in 5A after always being in the UIL’s largest class, goes into the season ranked No. 24 in Texas Football’s preseason poll, while Tascosa is No. 12.
Others to watch: Stephenville at Brownwood
Best six-man game: Loraine at Benjamin (rematch of last year's Class D-II title game)
WEEK 7
Wichita Falls Rider at Abilene Cooper
These two teams always put on a show when they meet. It’s usually been a non-district game, but it’s a district game for the second consecutive year. Rider won last year’s game 51-21 in Wichita Falls.
Others to watch: Coleman at Tolar; Abilene High at Amarillo Caprock
Best six-man game: Gordon at Gorman
WEEK 8
Wichita Falls Rider at Abilene Wylie
This is the game that let everyone know Wylie was for real last year. K.J. Long threw a 45-yard TD pass to Braden Regala with 63 seconds remaining in the game, and Malachi Daniels ran for the two-point conversion as the Bulldogs stunned Rider 39-38 at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls.
Long threw for 368 yards and four TDs, including three to Regala. The Bulldogs scored two TDs in the final 2:54 to win the game.
Others to watch: Lubbock-Cooper at Abilene High; Jacksboro at Comanche; Stamford at Cisco.
Best six-man game: Ira at Highland
WEEK 9
China Spring vs. Stephenville at Glen Rose
China Spring and Stephenville — the two defending Class 4A state champs at the time — played a wild one last year.
Thomas Barr kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired to lift China Spring to a 38-36 victory in China Spring.
The Cougars went on to go undefeated in district and win their second straight state title. China Spring won the 4A D-II title in 2021, while Stephenville won the 4A D-I crown that year. This could be precursor to the Region II-4A final.
Others to watch: Abilene High at Lubbock Coronado; Breckenridge at Jim Ned
Best six-man games: Abilene Christian High at Fort Worth Covenant Classical; Hermleigh at Westbrook
WEEK 10
Amarillo High at Abilene High
This one will likely have playoff implications. The Sandies beat AHS 17-10 last year in Amarillo to nab the district’s No. 3 seed.
Others to watch: Stamford at Hawley; Wall at Early.
Best six-man game: Westbrook at Ira
WEEK 11
Abilene Wylie at Abilene Cooper
Hawley at Cisco
What a way to end the regular season. Too bad this isn’t a doubleheader at Shotwell. Wylie and Cooper met for the first time as district rivals last year and beat the Coogs 20-10 at Sandifer Stadium to wrap up a perfect run through district and deny Cooper a share of the title.
Expect this year’s game to decide the title once again.
It’s a good bet the Hawley-Cisco matchup will decide a district title as well — and they’ll probably meet later to settle the region title.
Hawley pulled out a 36-33 victory in the district finale last year in Hawley, then beat the Loboes 40-7 in the region finale on the way to a 16-0 state championship season.
Hawley also beat Cisco 17-14 for the region title in 2021 before playing in its first state title game.
It was the Loboes who ended Hawley’s season in the third round in 2020 with a 54-20 victory.
Best six-man game: Hermleigh at Ira
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: A look at the Big Country's best high school football games in '23
