By Sam Waller
The spring sports season is fast approaching for Albany High School teams.
Softball will start things off at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14 against Eastland at Webb Park before spending the following weekend at the Eastland tournament.
Lady Lions coach Jimmy Fuentes said the team has some holes to fill after reaching the third round of the playoffs last season.
By Sam Waller
Nine Shackelford County high school seniors have been selected to participate in the 2023 Big Country FCA All-Star Festival.
The festival, scheduled for June 4-10, features 350 of the area’s top student-athletes competing in seven sports held in four cities.
As part of the leadup to the festival, Albany head football coach Denney Faith and Hawley’s Mitch Ables will participate in a lunch program on Thursday, Feb. 16 at Potosi Live restaurant. The coaches will speak on their teams’ 2022 football seasons, both of which ended in state championships.
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions football team continues to receive accolades for the efforts on the way to winning the Class 2A Division II state championship, claiming eight spots on the Blue Bell./Texas Sports Writers Association 2A All-State Team.
The TSWA team is selected by vote of sports writers from around the state based on total statistics including postseason games.
Lions head coach Denney Faith was named Coach of the Year, and junior defensive back Wyatt Windham shared Defensive Player of the Year honors in addition to earning a spot on the first team.
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions officially punched their ticket for the postseason Friday, Feb. 3 with a 45-30 victory at Stamford.
The Lions (12-3 overall, 8-2 district) still have a shot at the District 10-2A championship. After a 67-27 senior night win over Anson on Tuesday, Feb. 7, Albany hosts Cisco at 6:15 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10 and travels to Hawley on Tuesday, Feb. 14 to close out the regular season.
Albany played just one game last week after having the district bye on Tuesday, Jan. 31.
By Sam Waller
The Moran Lady Bulldogs dropped two district basketball games last week before winter weather jumbled this week’s schedule.
Weather forced postponement of games scheduled on Tuesday, Jan. 31 to Thursday, Feb. 2 (tonight). Moran will host May with the girls game tipping off at 5:30 p.m. followed by the boys game. Moran will hold senior night ceremonies for the Lady Bulldogs before the girls game.
On Friday, Feb. 3, the Moran teams will visit Eula. On Tuesday, Feb. 7, Moran visits Baird, closing out the girls season.
By Sam Waller
Registration deadline for the Albany Softball Association is Monday, Feb. 6.
Registration forms are available at Nancy Smith Elementary School. Fees are $65 per girl for 8U, 10U, and 12U, but discounts are offered for families with multiple players.
ASA board member Matt Stapp said the league will begin play sometime in March, but they are working to avoid scheduling conflicts with Little Dribblers. Local teams are expected to play Cisco, Eastland, and Breckenridge.
Umpires and sponsors are being sought.
By Sam Waller
The calendar has just ticked over to February, but that qualifies as springtime in Texas high school sports.
The Albany Lions and Lady Lions have begun practicing for baseball and softball, while track, tennis, and golf programs are also gearing up. All spring sports teams are scheduled to be in competition by the end of the month.
Softball will start things off at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14 against Eastland at Webb Park before spending that weekend at the Eastland tournament.
By Sam Waller
Three Albany Lions football players were honored for their achievements in the classroom with inclusion on the Texas High School Coaches Association’s Academic All-State team.
Cole Chapman earned second team honors, while Coy Lefevre and Keatin Russell received honorable mention.
More than 4,100 students from across Texas achieved the honor.
By Sam Waller
Albany Lions head baseball coach David Fairchild was inducted into the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame at its banquet Saturday, Jan. 28.
Fairchild, a 1987 graduate of Bonham, was inducted for his coaching accomplishments, which include a career record of 437-174-4 and two trips to the state tournament.
After graduating from Texas Tech in 1993, Fairchild began his coaching career at Port Lavaca. He was named head baseball coach at Savoy after a year at Port Lavaca and held the same position at Lockney and Ballinger before coming to Albany in 2003.
By Sam Waller
The Albany youth basketball teams wrapped up their regular seasons Saturday, Jan. 28, getting five wins and a tie in games played at Hawley and Merkel.
The teams will take part in postseason tournaments Saturday, Feb. 4, at Eula. All four brackets will have six teams with all teams guaranteed two games.
Sixth Grade Girls
At Merkel, the sixth grade girls split their two games, losing to Eula 25-20 before beating Hawley 21-4.
