The Albany Lions will face a challenging road in the 2026 football season, as the official schedule released this week features a strong non-district lineup and a district that coaches say may be among the toughest in Class 2A.

The Lions will open preseason play with scrimmages at Henrietta on Aug. 14 and at home against Early on Aug. 20 before beginning regular-season action later in August. The non-district schedule includes home games against Hawley, Anson and Coleman, along with road trips to DeLeon and Coleman.

The Albany Lions completed a historic regular season last week, finishing with a perfect 22-0 record and capturing the district championship for the first time since 2017.

Albany picked up a 47-36 road win over Anson on Feb. 10 before closing out district play with a decisive 59-33 victory at Hawley three days later.

Head coach Ryder Peacock said the Anson game showed the team’s ability to win even when shots were not falling.

Five graduating seniors and two coaches from Albany and Moran will participate in the 27th annual Big Country FCA All-Star Festival, set for June 2-6 in Abilene and Brownwood.

The summer event will bring together 340 athletes representing 89 Big Country area schools. The festival features the region’s top student-athletes competing in six sports — football, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball and cheer.

Moran cheerleader Rayni Vinson will cheer at several events during the festival.

The Albany Lions locked up the District 10-2A championship Friday night with a hard-fought 63–57 win over Cisco, closing out the title on senior night in an Albany gym that felt more like a playoff venue than a regular-season stop.

From the opening tip, the night carried a different energy. Fans packed both sides of the gym, student sections stood shoulder-to-shoulder, and Cisco supporters filled the visitor’s end, creating a loud, constant roar that never let up. The intensity only grew as the game unfolded, with every possession drawing a reaction from the crowd.

Significant course improvements are scheduled to begin next month at Albany Golf Club, with a multi-phase greens renovation and course enhancement project planned for late winter and early spring.

The Albany Lions boys basketball team navigated an unusual midseason pause last week, returning from a nine-day gap between games to earn back-to-back district victories over Stamford and Haskell.

The break began with Albany’s open date on Thursday, Jan. 23, and was extended when winter weather forced the Lions’ scheduled Tuesday game at Stamford to be postponed. Road conditions also limited practice opportunities early in the week, leaving Albany with just one full practice before returning to game action.

Albany’s varsity Lady Lions split a pair of district basketball games last week against Stamford and Haskell, battling limited practice time caused by winter weather, according to coach Ashlyn Bevel.

Albany traveled to Stamford on Jan. 29 for a game originally scheduled Jan. 27, and earned a 44-24 victory despite having only one full practice before the game.

Bevel said the team started slowly but settled in after halftime.

The Albany Lions wrapped up the first half of district play with a 60–42 win over Hawley on Jan. 20, finishing the opening round a perfect 6–0.

Coach Ryder Peacock said the win was a physical one, as expected when the two teams meet, and credited his players for controlling the boards and staying composed against Hawley’s deliberate, ball-control approach.

The Albany Lady Lions pulled off a major upset last Tuesday, defeating Hawley 37-27 in a district matchup.

The Albany girls had their district open date Friday, Jan. 23, which allowed them to avoid a weather-related cancellation.

The Lady Lions’ game against Stamford was postponed from Tuesday night until Wednesday because of possible bad weather. Details will be reported next week.

The Albany Lions continued a strong run through district play last week, earning back to back wins with a road victory at Cisco followed by a home win over Anson.

Albany opened the week with an 83 to 64 win at Cisco on Tuesday, Jan. 13, in what was one of the most anticipated district games of the season. The matchup featured two teams expected to be in the district title conversation, and head coach Ryder Peacock said his team responded well to the challenge.