Albany senior Chance Stewart capped his high school cross country career with a 24th-place finish out of 152 runners at the UIL State Meet Saturday, Nov. 1, in Round Rock. Stewart, a three-time state qualifier, battled a fast pace and one of the tougher courses of the season to earn the Top 25 finish.
When rain chances threatened to disrupt Friday night football, Albany and Cross Plains coaches decided to move their district game up a day. The matchup kicked off Thursday evening in Cross Plains after a joint decision was made Wednesday morning between Albany head coach Denney Faith and Cross Plains head coach Jared Sanderson.
The Albany Lady Lions closed out the regular season in dominant fashion Saturday morning inside the Albany Gym, defeating Colorado City in straight sets, 25-20, 25-16, 25-16. The win was a solid statement heading into the postseason, completing a 6-2 district slate and bringing the team’s overall record to 15-12.
Albany maintained control throughout the match, using timely serving and a balanced offensive attack to keep the Lady Wolves on their heels. The victory also marked the second time this season Albany handled Colorado City, continuing a late-season climb in confidence.
Albany senior Chance Stewart will compete at the UIL State Cross Country Meet this Saturday, Nov. 1, in Round Rock, aiming to improve on his top-10 finish at the Region 2-2A meet in Arlington on Oct. 21. Stewart posted his best time of the season, 17:18, to secure seventh place and earn his third consecutive trip to the state meet.
“Right now, Chance is going in with the 17th-best time for Class 2A,” Albany coach Ryder Peacock said. “Seventeen seconds separate seventh place from 17th, so he’s not far off the top seven going into state.”
Albany senior Chance Stewart will make his third consecutive trip to the UIL State Cross Country Meet after finishing seventh overall at the Region 2-2A meet Tuesday morning in Arlington.
Stewart clocked his best time of the season at 17:18, earning a top-10 mark out of 172 runners and securing his place at state. He’ll compete at 11:25 a.m. on Nov. 1 in Round Rock.
The Albany Lions rolled to a 54-0 victory over the Winters Blizzards Friday night at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium, delivering what head coach Denney Faith called the team’s “best performance all the way through” this season.
Albany’s offense and defense worked in perfect sync, overwhelming Winters on both sides of the ball. The Lions outgained the Blizzards 366 yards to 31 and limited the visitors to just two first downs. Winters managed only 22 rushing yards and 9 passing yards, while Albany tallied 197 on the ground and 169 through the air.
The Albany Lady Lions fell to Hawley in three sets Saturday, losing 5-25, 16-25, 18-25. With the victory, Hawley clinched the district championship, while Albany secured the number-one seed for small schools heading into postseason play.
Despite the loss, the Lady Lions’ playoff position remains unchanged. Head coach MJ Reneau said the team is locked into first place among the small schools in their district, regardless of this weekend’s results.
The Albany Lions opened district play in dominant fashion Friday night, defeating the Miles Bulldogs 48–0 on the road. The trip—a two-hour bus ride for the Lions—ended with one of the team’s most complete performances of the season, combining a stifling defense with a powerful offensive showing that totaled 529 yards.
The Albany cross country teams competed Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the district meet in Haskell, with strong performances across all levels, highlighted by Chance Stewart’s first place finish that earns him a spot at the regional meet in Arlington on Oct. 20.
The Albany Lady Lions improved to 5-1 in district play Tuesday night with a four-set victory over the Roscoe Lady Plowgirls, winning 25-16, 25-15, 18-25, 25-16. The win keeps the Lady Lions near the top of the district standings with only two matches remaining before postseason play begins.
