By Sam Waller
Work has begun on installing monuments honoring Albany’s three state championship football teams at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium.
“The foundations were poured last Friday (Sept. 1),” Albany superintendent Jonathan Scott said. “I’ve been told to expect the monuments to be installed sometime around the end of September.”
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions junior varsity football team scored on offense, defense, and special teams Thursday, Aug. 31 in defeating Dublin 38-0 to open the season.
The Lions JV returns to action at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, at Seymour.
“I thought our backs ran hard, and our offensive line did a good job,” coach David Fairchild said. “Defensively, Breylon Billington, Ryan Turner, Brody Oliver, and Jaxson Street played well.”
Shawn Keen ran for two touchdowns, while Aaden Mendez had TDs passing and rushing.
By Sam Waller
The Albany cross country program made its second outing of the season Wednesday, Aug. 30, with seven runners competing at Haskell.
The next meet will be Wednesday, Sept. 13 at Hawley.
At Haskell, Albany runners competed well with 136 competitors in the varsity girls race and 117 in the varsity boys race.
“This course was a challenge compared to our last race at Jim Ned, and they were able to stay within a close time range with the challenge,” coach Lauren Peacock said.
By Sam Waller
The team of Toombs-Toombs shot consecutive rounds of 61 to win the Championship Flight of the Albany Golf Club’s Labor Day Tournament.
The two man scramble, played Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 2-3, at Albany Golf Course, drew a field of 50 teams. The field was divided into five flights following Saturday’s round.
Toombs-Toombs cruised to a seven-shot win over A.Holson-J.Waters, who shot a closing 62 to finish at 129. The teams of Cook-C.Holson and L.Hays-J.Hays tied for third at 133.
By Sam Waller
The Albany Junior High Cubs kicked off the football season with a pair of victories Thursday, Aug. 31, at Dublin.
The seventh grade won 38-14 with the eighth grade winning 36-22.
A combined seventh/eighth grade team will play this week at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7 at Seymour.
Coaches Ryder Peacock and Tate Thompson are working with both grades, which each have just enough players to put 11 on the field with one or two substitutes. Thompson is handling the offense, with Peacock tutoring the defense.
Seventh Grade
By Sam Waller
The Moran Bulldogs stumbled in their second outing of the football season Friday, Sept. 1, falling 54-6 at Baird.
The Bulldogs (1-1) return to action Friday, Sept. 8, when Aspermont visits Bulldog Field.
At Baird, two early turnovers put Moran in a hole it couldn’t get out of.
“The biggest problem is we were down 14-0 in, like, 90 seconds,” Moran coach John Hughes said. “Baird kicked off to us twice, and we fumbled both kickoffs. If you take away that 14 points, it could have been 14-6 going into halftime, and we’re in the game.”
By Sam Waller
Overall, Moran ISD saw higher scores on state-mandated testing for the 2022-23 school year.
“Moran ISD received EOC and STAAR scores for the 2022-23 school year earlier this summer,” Gay Williams, the district’s director of testing, said. “Overall, passing rates are up from the 2021-22 school year.”
In English I, Moran posted 57 percent passing in 2023, compared to 42 percent passing in 2022.
English II saw a drop to 75 percent passing from 89 percent in 2022.
U.S. History produced 80 percent passing, up from 66 percent in 2022.
By Melinda L. Lucas
Team and individual pictures of the junior high football teams will be taken on Thursday, Sept. 14, starting at 3:45 p.m.
Those packages, along with Lady Cubs volleyball, will be ready for pickup in the next couple of weeks.
All cheer packages, high school football and volleyball are ready to be picked up at the news office.
Diana Gayle Mikeska, age 86 of Albany, passed away Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. Funeral services were held Wednesday, Sept. 6 at First Methodist Church of Albany with Lance Thomas officiating. Interment followed at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Abilene under the direction of Morehart Mortuary.
Diana Gayle Walls was born to William Vincent and Melba (Farmer) Walls on July 10, 1937 in Baird, Texas. Her soul departed from this planet on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023 around 11 p.m.
By Melinda L. Lucas
Shackelford County commissioners proposed a tax rate and heard a presentation about building a data center adjacent to the Lone Star Wind Farm during their meeting on Monday, Aug. 28.
A workshop at the end of the regular session gave elected officials some time to refine the $4,955,169 budget that was proposed and filed after an Aug. 14 session, as required by law.
Adjustments can be made before the budget is adopted, but no action was taken Monday to change the total.
Tax Rate Proposal
