By Kathy Thomson

Signup is underway for local fifth and sixth grade boys and girls who want to play in the Albany Little Dribblers Association youth basketball league, according to organizer Clint Chapman.

“The deadline to sign up is Saturday, Nov. 30,” Chapman said. 

The registration fee is $35, and sign-up forms were sent home with students this week. The fee and completed paperwork should be returned to the elementary school office or given to Chapman by the Nov. 30 deadline.

The registration fee includes a team shirt.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Lady Lion basketball season officially opened last week, with the JV picking up a win against Graham and the varsity beating Newcastle.

The varsity returned to the court on Tuesday for a home opener against the Abilene Lady Hawks, earning a 39-21 win. Details of the game were not available at press time, but full results will be reported next week.

The JV girls are scheduled to play in the Woodson tournament on Friday and Saturday this week, along with the junior varsity boys.

Displaying both their bi-district trophy and a banner declaring Albany’s 700th program win, the 2019 -Lions cele-brate after defeating Miles 56-7 last Thursday night at Gordon Wood Stadium in Brownwood. Albany will take on Windthorst in an area playoff this Friday night in Graham.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The seventh grade girls basketball team and the combined boys B team opened the season on Saturday at the Woodson tournament.

Both groups split games with opponents at the tournament.

The two girls teams and the eighth grade boys will host Cross Plains on Thursday (today) starting at 5:00 p.m. 

The boys will be on the road to Haskell next Monday, Nov. 25, while the girls will host Haskell teams at home. Games will start at 5:30 p.m. at both locations.

Albany seniors Aubrey Moon (l) and Ben West (r) both signed letters of intent for college athletics in separate ceremonies last Thursday. Moon will play softball for Harding University in Arkansas, while West will join the baseball program at Weatherford College. 

By Kathy Thomson

The Lady Bulldogs played in the Baird tournament last week, hosted Blanket on Tuesday, and are entered in the Rising Star tourney Thursday through Saturday.

The varsity boys are also playing in Rising Star, and the teams will travel together for games in Bryson on Tuesday, Nov. 26 starting at 6:00 p.m.

Lady Bulldogs

According to head coach John Hughes, his girls have “raw talent that just needs to be molded together.”

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Lion football team is having to wait another week to attempt to hit the 700-win mark for the program after a surprising 66-20 loss last Friday in Hamlin that broke both a district winning streak and district championship run.

Albany (7-3, 3-1) now advances into the playoffs as the second seed from District 7-2A to face the Miles Bulldogs (7-3, 2-2) on Thursday (tonight) at Brownwood’s Gordon Wood Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $5 for adults and $3 for students, with the usual passes accepted.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Despite jumping out with a win in the first game, the Lady Lion volleyball team came up short in the area playoff against Miles on Saturday in Eastland.

Albany won the first game 25-14, but then dropped the next three 25-21, 25-16, 25-13, to end the season with an overall record of 21-13.

“The girls showed up ready for Miles,” head volleyball coach M.J. Reneau said. “We started out strong, attacking from every position.”

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Cubs and Lady Cubs will start the basketball season during the next week, with a couple of squads playing in the Woodson Tournament on Saturday.

The combined boys B team is supposed to play on Saturday in the tournament, along with the seventh grade girls.

The eighth grade girls and both the seventh and eighth grade boys teams will host Cross Plains on Thursday, Nov. 21 starting at 5:30 p.m.

The seventh grade girls are coached by Dakota Fowler this season, while the eighth grade is under Jamie Wilson.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Albany seventh and eighth grade Cubs ended the season last Thursday with a pair of victories.

The eighth grade team defeated Hamlin’s combined junior high squad 38-15, while the seventh graders shut out Haskell 44-0.

The eighth graders took their opening drive downfield, with Lanxton Viertel capping the series with a 10-yard scoring run. Quarterback Lute Wheeler connected with Cason Fairchild for the two-point play.