Thirteen teams competed in the annual PTO/Sam Tidwell Memorial Scholarship Tournament held this past weekend at Albany Golf Club.

The event, which benefits the Albany PTO and the Sam Tidwell Memorial Scholarship, featured two flights of play with competitive scores across the board.

Championship Flight Results

1st – Boyd, Strauss, Waller, 60-59—119

2nd – Benton, Ford, Hill, 58-63—121

3rd – Barrett, Kitchens, Jaco, 63-59—122

The Albany Lady Lions turned in one of their best performances of the season Tuesday night, defeating Colorado City in four sets—25-20, 25-16, 23-25, 25-23—to close out the first half of district competition.

Coach MJ Reneau said the win was one of the team’s most complete games of the year, as every part of their play came together on the court.

“Our serving, passing, hitting—everything came together,” Reneau said. “Even in the set we lost, it wasn’t from a lack of focus or effort. It was just a tough, close game.”

The Albany Lions will begin district play this Friday, October 10, with a road matchup against the Miles Bulldogs. The game marks the start of a five-game district schedule following a pre-district slate that tested the Lions against a range of playoff-caliber opponents.

The Albany Lions came up short against the Anson Tigers on Friday, September 26, falling 22–6 in what Coach Denney Faith described as a hard-fought and emotional game. The loss marks the first time Anson has beaten Albany since 2001, ending a 24-year streak and highlighting the Tigers as a serious contender in Class 2A this season. Anson now sits at 5–0 with a physical, playoff-ready team that made an impression on the Lions’ longtime head coach.

The Albany Lady Lions volleyball team battled through a tough district matchup on Tuesday, Sept. 30, ultimately falling to rival Hawley in three competitive sets: 17-25, 23-25, and 20-25. Despite the loss, Head Coach MJ Reneau praised the team’s performance, especially at the net.

“That was the best blocking game we’ve had this season,” Reneau said, noting that multiple players contributed key blocks that helped generate energy and momentum. However, serving errors continued to cause trouble for the team.

In one of the most emotionally charged games of the season, the Albany Lions came up just short against a much larger Class 3A Coahoma team on Friday night, falling 15–12 in front of a packed homecoming crowd.

“It was a great high school football game,” said Head Coach Denney Faith. “Two good football teams played each other, and I think both teams are better because of it.”

The Albany Lady Lions opened district play on a strong note Tuesday night, sweeping the Abilene TLCA Lady Eagles in three sets (25-16, 25-10, 25-19). The road win marked a critical momentum shift for the varsity team following a difficult loss over Homecoming weekend to Veribest.

“I thought our transition was spot on,” said Head Coach MJ Reneau. “It’s something we’ve really been working on, and it gave us so many opportunities to attack. The girls made adjustments without hesitation, and our chemistry and confidence are right where they need to be.”

The Albany Lions rolled to a commanding 69-6 victory over the Seymour Panthers on the road Friday night, backed by a relentless ground attack and a suffocating defense.

Albany amassed 500 yards of total offense, including 399 rushing yards, while holding Seymour to just 15 rushing yards and forcing four turnovers. The win moved the Lions to 3-0 on the season heading into homecoming week.

The Albany Lady Lions varsity team faced two home challenges this past week, falling to Newcastle on Saturday and Strawn on Tuesday but showing key signs of progress as they gear up for district.

Against Newcastle on Sept. 13, Albany dropped the match in four sets (21-25, 26-24, 16-25, 17-25). Head coach MJ Reneau said the team’s offensive execution stood out despite the loss.

“Our serve receive was a little off, but we turned nearly every ball into an attack,” she said. “That kind of growth is huge for us going into district.”

For the second week in a row, the Albany Lions earned a 21-7 victory over a rival opponent—this time shutting down the Hawley Bearcats in a defensive showcase at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium.

The Lions defense played a pivotal role, recording six sacks, two takeaways, and two defensive scores. A blocked punt led to a special teams touchdown, while Mason McCloy returned an interception for a pick-six, giving Albany a momentum swing that carried throughout the game.