By Kathy Thomson

Albany Sports Center took three cheer teams to the Varsity Spirit Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders National Championship in Arlington on Saturday, Feb. 1, and along with the team awards, one Albany participant was named for an individual honor.

Albany High School freshman Haily Cox won a “WOW” award.

ASC coach Kandi Ray explained that the judges give the special recognition WOW awards to the team members that most impress them during the competitions. 

By Kathy Thomson

Matthew Key was the overall winner in the Albany Cub Scouts’ annual Pinewood Derby race that was held at the Scout Hut on Tuesday, Jan. 28, taking home the top trophy.

Cubmaster Jacey Shack and Den Leaders Dan Key, Crystal Herrell, and Robert Rogers organized the event.

“All the kids did a fantastic job building their cars,” said the Cubmaster. “We presented ribbons to the first through third place winners, and trophies to the grand and reserve.”

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Lion basketball team picked up their first district win last week against Cross Plains, then added a second mark in the win column this week over Roscoe.

The Lions hosted the Plowboys on Tuesday, putting up a 47-32 win to start the second round of district.

Albany will be at home again on Friday, hosting the Hawley Bearcats. The JV is on the schedule to follow the JV girls at 5:00 p.m., with the varsity boys taking over the court at about 7:45 p.m. after the varsity girls bout.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Lady Lions locked up a playoff berth on Tuesday with a victory over Roscoe, improving to 5-3 in district for third place with two district games remaining in the regular season.

Albany hosted Roscoe on Tuesday, sending them home with a 45-43 loss to sew up a place in the playoffs.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The future of competitive sports in Albany was reshuffled somewhat this week when the University Interscholastic League conducted the bi-annual realignment of schools, which forms districts for various sports and academic competition for the next two school years.

The local school has competed with Region I schools for sports and academics for the last six years, with the exception of football, which was already in Region II. However, a shift occurred this time around, with Albany moving east to Region II for most competitions.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Workouts for both baseball and softball have started at the high school, with the softball team to open the season on Feb. 18. The baseball team isn’t on the schedule to play its season opener until Feb. 27 during the local tournament.

Softball coach Jimmy Fuentes reported that he has 18 girls out for softball this season, although a few are still involved in basketball.

“We didn’t have any seniors to lose off of last year’s team,” he said. “So we will have more experience, especially since we played so many freshmen last year.”

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Albany Cubs closed out the basketball season at home Monday, winning two out of the three games against Roscoe.

The eighth grade Cubs ended a perfect 16-0 season, according to coach David Fairchild, with their 46-13 win over the Plowboys. The group also went 3-0 in the local tournament last Thursday and Saturday.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Albany High School junior Wesley Estridge placed second at a recent powerlifting meet in Coa-homa, recording a three-lift total of 1,405 pounds.

Competing in the super heavy weight class, the 317-pound AHS athlete had a 600-pound lift in the squat, benched 340 pounds, and had a dead lift of 465 pounds.

This is Estridge’s third year to participate, lifting the last two years for Reagan County ISD. He qualified for the regional tournament last year as a sophomore.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Tyler Beard, who played both ways as a lineman for the Albany Lions, was one of only a few Big Country football players named to Even Ren’s 2019 “True Grit” Team on the Big Country Preps online sports site recently. 

Nominations came from coaches in area schools from 1A all the way up to 6A.

By Kathy Thomson

Moran’s basketball season is winding down, and although they have lost most of their district games, all Moran coaches report that their players are improving, learning, playing better, and coming together as a team, even if the scores don’t reflect it.

The junior high teams will close out the season next Monday night when they host Strawn to games starting at 6:00 p.m.