By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions got their first taste of outside competition Friday with a controlled scrimmage against the Coleman Bluecats at Coleman’s Hufford Field.
The Lions get their final preseason test Thursday (tonight) against the Hawley Bearcats at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium, with action starting at 6:00 p.m.
Coleman scored the only touchdown of Friday’s scrimmage early in the proceedings before defenses took over the rest of the way.
By Sam Waller
The Moran Lady Bulldogs opened their volleyball season Tuesday with a 3-1 victory on the road against Loraine.
Moran pulled away to win 25-20, 19-25, 25-20, 25-16.
“We played pretty well for the first game of the season,” Lady Bulldogs coach Joe Hise said. “We got up and stayed mentally strong through the third and fourth sets.”
Hise lauded the team’s mental approach in closing out the match after splitting the first two sets.
“They stayed up and were loud,” she said. “They stayed mentally high and were very scrappy.”
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions football team has moved on to the next phase of its preseason with the commencement of full-contact workouts, and the players will cap their second week with their first intersquad scrimmage.
The Lions will visit Coleman on Friday for a controlled scrimmage in their first taste of outside competition.
Head coach Denney Faith said donning full pads for the first time is something of a new beginning to the preseason.
By Sam Waller
The field for the Albany Golf Club’s Labor Day tournament is almost full with just one spot remaining.
“I’m full up in the afternoon and have one spot available in the morning,” Golf Club board member James Waters said.
The two-person scramble is scheduled for Sept. 4-5. Entry fee is $160 per team. Morning entries will tee off at 8:30 a.m. Saturday with the afternoon group starting at 1:30 p.m. The field will then be flighted for Sunday’s round.
Waters said a waiting list will be started if the last spot is filled.
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lady Lions began their volleyball season Tuesday evening at Breckenridge after a weekend of scrimmages. Now, the Lady Lions face another busy weekend as they host their Summer Slam tournament.
The local girls won their opener against Breckenridge Tuesday night 25-23, 25-22, 25-15. Details will be reported next week.
Albany played four scrimmages last week, taking on Benjamin and Lingleville on Friday and Mineral Wells and Paradise on Saturday.
By Sam Waller
The Moran Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs began preseason practices in football, volleyball, and cross country on Monday in preparation for the upcoming school year.
Lady Bulldog volleyball season begins Tuesday, Aug. 10 with a match at Loraine. The Bulldog football team kicks off its season Aug. 27 at Benjamin.
Football
Coach John Hughes started the week with the bare minimum six players, but has already seen that number increase and expects more players to join the team.
By Sam Waller
Albany cross country coach Tate Thompson welcomed five runners this week for the start of training for the upcoming season, and he hopes to add to that number before district competition.
Thompson said he will have four girl runners and two boys to start the season.
“The last couple of years, we haven’t had boy runners,” Thompson said. “There are not a whole lot of boy runners in the district, so that’s going to give us a good chance of advancing those two guys.”
By Sam Waller
Fans of the Albany Lions and Lady Lions athletic programs will have the chance to meet this year’s athletes at the All-Sports Athletic Booster Club Hamburger Supper, scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Monday, Aug. 9 at Bank Park.
In addition to the introduction of football and volleyball teams and cheerleaders, attendees may purchase a hamburger meal for $8.
High school athletes and coaches eat free of charge.
Along with the hamburgers and chips, cheerleaders will make homemade ice cream, which will be available to everyone.
By Sam Waller
Golfers will have six resodded greens to putt on this year at the Albany Golf Club’s annual Labor Day tournament, scheduled for Sept. 4-5.
Golf Club board member James Waters said the greens, which were damaged by February’s hard freeze, have been resodded with TifEagle Bermuda and are in good condition.
“We were going to do all nine of them, but we couldn’t get the grass,” he said. “The three we didn’t get to are rebounding, and by the time we have the tournament, they’ll be in good condition.”
By Sam Waller
It’s said that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
After a season of dealing with the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Albany Lions began preseason practices Monday under cool, cloudy conditions.
Head coach Denney Faith and his staff welcomed 46 players for the initial practice at the high school practice field.
