It wasn’t a “lights out” type of game, but then again it was.

The Lion basketball team won a Region I Class 2A bi-district game on Tuesday in Bangs, beating Christoval, 46-43, after the bout was moved from the original location in Coleman due to an electrical outage.

Albany (13-6) now advances to the area round of the playoffs to face the Sundown Roughnecks, winner of District 5-2A. The game is set for Friday in Colorado City with a 7:00 p.m. tip-off. 

Ticket prices are $3 and $2, with usual passes accepted. 

The Lady Lion basketball team proved just how far they have come this season, winning a bi-district title and leading at one point Friday in the Region I-2A area playoff before things went wrong.

The season came to a close with a 44-31 loss to Sundown in Colorado City on Friday, but the team posted a 21-10 record – its best season in several years.

Albany beat Eldorado earlier last week, 32-30, in Coleman for the bi-district trophy.

Five Albany Lion football players were selected for the Class 2A all-state team selected by the Texas Sports Writers Association recently.

Seniors Ryan Hill and Cameron Dacus both received first team picks, while fellow senior Payne Hebel was named to the third team. There were also three honorable mentions.

Hill was picked for first team offense as a tight end, while Dacus received a first team defensive back spot. Hill also earned honorable mention as defensive lineman at the defensive end position.

The JV baseball team opened the season Monday with 6-4 win over Graford.

The season continues this week with Albany hosting a JV tournament Thursday through Saturday.

The Lions will play at 11:45 a.m. Thursday and Friday, as well as having a 1:30 p.m. game Friday. The action will continue with a 10:45 a.m. Saturday game.

The Lady Lion softball players are off to a strong start, winning their first five games, including four games at the Eastland Tournament last weekend.

Albany started the season with a 7-5 win over Breckenridge in the home opener, followed by winning all four games in the tournament in Eastland.

The Lady Lions are entered in the Stephenville tournament this weekend, followed by a road trip to Bangs on Feb. 26. 

Stephenville tourney games are set for 9:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 3:00 p.m. in pool play on Friday, with bracket games on Saturday. 

One Lady Lion took an MVP award and six others were named to other District 8-2A positions recently by the district’s basketball coaches.

Junior Jaleigh Morales was picked as the district’s co-Defensive MVP, along with Sadie McCambridge of Roscoe.

Albany coach Tate Thompson was also tapped as the district’s Coach of the Year.

Seven local Little Dribblers teams continued their season, playing two games each in the old Albany High School gym last Saturday, Feb. 16.

The next set of matches will take place this Saturday, Feb. 23, starting at 8:30 a.m. with Black facing Blue.

Results from the first week of play on Saturday, Feb. 9 are listed below.

BOYS

Red 26 - Gray 20

Scoring for Red - Clay Chapman 12, Christian Hernandez 10, Zak Presley 4.

Scoring for Gray - Colter Edgar 10, Jakobi Word 4, Levi Murphy 4, Zane Green 2.

Registration forms for T-Ball, Coach Pitch, and Little League are available at local schools, and the signup deadline is next Thursday, Feb. 28.

Players that will be eight years old or older on Aug. 31, 2019 need to attend the Feb. 28 registration meeting at The Feed Store with their parents to sign up for Little League.

Moran High School student JT Holland placed fifth in class 35 medium weight European cross steers at the Fort Worth Livestock Show earlier this month, earning a spot in the exhibition’s Sale of Champions.

Judge Chris Mullinix from Kansas placed Holland’s Simmental steer “Coon” in the top seven percent of the 70 animals in the class. 

Holland had already won the grand champion steer banner at the Shackelford County Youth and Livestock show with Coon on Feb. 2 before exhibiting the animal in the Fort Worth show the following week.

Dakota Fowler, head girls coach at Moran High School, was chosen to be one of the volleyball coaches for the upcoming Big Country Fellowship of Christian Athletes All-Star Festival.

Coaches and players for the teams were announced on Sunday, Feb. 10 at Beltway South in Abilene.

Fowler was named as one of the coaches for the South volleyball team, along with Jamey Wills from Clack Middle School and head coach Natalie Whitewood from Early High School.