By Donnie A. Lucas

The Lion baseball team is starting the 2021 season at home this week, hosting a JV tournament on Thursday through Saturday.

The Lions will play Sweetwater’s JV at 2:00 Thursday, then take the field again on Friday at 1:00 p.m. against the Baird varsity. The third day of the tourney has the Lions playing the Abilene Cooper JV at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Coach David Fairchild has had only nine total players from both varsity and JV to work out, with the majority of the players still involved in the basketball playoffs.

By Sandy Morris

Local FFA and 4-H youth braved the winter weather and participated in the recent San Angelo and San Antonio stock shows, with the San Antonio show still going on this week.

San Antonio Show

Albany FFA sponsor and ag instructor Chris Beard said eight exhibitors showed gilts Feb. 10 to Feb. 12 during the first week of the San Antonio Livestock Show.

Carter Carrion earned seventh place with his Duroc gilt.

By Donnie A. Lucas

After missing out on their regular season opener and a tournament last week due to the weather, the Lady Lion softball team got on the field Monday to earn a 20-0 victory over the Cooper JV in Abilene.

Albany will play in the Stephenville tournament starting today, weather permitting. The girls are scheduled to play Springtown at 3:30 p.m. and Midway JV at 5:00 p.m. at McClesky Field at City Park in Stephenville.

The Lady Lions will play Crowley at 11:00 a.m. Friday at Stephenville High and Krum at 2:00 p.m.

By Melinda L. Lucas

A one-year contract extension was approved for principals Glen Hill at Albany Junior/Senior High School and John Gallagher at Nancy Smith Elementary School, along with similar offers for district business manager Angelyn Faith and director of student services Leigh Lowe, following a closed session at the end of Monday’s regular school board meeting, postponed a full week because of the weather.

Five percent raises were approved in the same motion, which was made by Kelly Head and seconded by Ginny Ivy.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The 2020 Class 2A All-State Football selections were announced Monday by the Texas Sports Writers Association, and the list includes one Albany player.

Senior Wesley Estridge received Honorable Mention by the organization at the defensive lineman position.

The 2A selections included schools from both Division I and Division II.

Estridge was also named to the Class 2A second team All-Big Country at defensive lineman. He was the district lineman of the year, totaling 74 tackles (27 solo), including 18 for a loss and 2.5 sacks.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Albany’s junior high tracksters had the first track meet of the year at Hamlin cancelled as a result of schools being dismissed the previous week because of the weather.

The season opener will be next Tuesday, March 2 at Breckenridge.

Events are scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m.

Albany will host a junior high meet on Monday, March 8, and the district meet is slated for March 27 in Hamlin.

Carolyn Hill (second from right), who often helps coach local tennis players as a community volunteer, works with several junior high students on their serving. The Albany High School team members were in action for the first time this week, with Hawley hosting a weather-delayed invitational meet at Rose Park in Abilene.

By Sandy Morris

Pick-up dates for the March distribution of the commodity food program will be Thursday, March 4 and Friday, March 5.

Certified eligible families in Moran should pick up their monthly commodity food at the Moran City Hall between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 4. 

Albany families who have been certified as eligible for the February food distribution program may pick up their food on Friday, March 5, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the rear door of the JP office. 

By Sandy Morris

The local Little Dribblers teams continued their season with games on Saturday, Feb. 20, in the old Albany High School gym. 

The final games will start at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27. 

Results from last week’s games are listed below.

Boys WEEK 3

Gray 29 – Black 27

Scoring for Gray – Matthew Key 2, Ben Russell 5, McCoy Vaughn 3, Blake Britting 19.

Scoring for Black – Jathan Perez 4, Slayton Parsons 9,  Lyle Wheeler 14.

Black 31 – Red 24

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Lion basketball team won the bi-district title in a 57-55 barn-burner with a two-point buzzer shot against Petrolia last Saturday in Bryson.

Albany advanced to the area round against Lipan on Tuesday in Eastland, losing 75-46 in a season-ending defeat to finish the year with a 11-7 record.

Details of the loss to the state-ranked Indians will be reported next week.

The Lions  overcame a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter, capped by the buzzer basket by Barrett Beal to win the game and keep the contest out of overtime.