By Sam Waller

The Albany NFL Flag Football League reached the midway point of its season Saturday with two divisions having ties for first place.

The league had to double up with two rounds of games two weeks ago after the original opening date of Oct. 2 was postponed because of wet field conditions.

The league got underway Oct. 5 with the second round of games played Oct. 9 and the third on Oct. 16. All games are being played at the Albany High School baseball field.

Not all scores were available, but results from the three sets of games are as follows:

By Sam Waller

Albany’s Jonathan Coody qualified for regional competition last week with his performance at the District 10-2A cross country meet at Anson.

Coody, a freshman, finished sixth out of 11 runners in the varsity boys race on Oct. 13. Coody covered three miles at Anson Golf Course in 20 minutes, 15 seconds.

Coody will compete in the Region II-2A meet on Tuesday, Oct. 26 at Lynn Creek Park in Grand Prairie.

Albany had six runners compete at district with two varsity girls and three junior high girls in addition to Coody.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lions junior varsity football team started quickly and never trailed last Thursday in defeating Hico 46-0 on the road.

Cason Fairchild returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown, and Lute Wheeler passed for three touchdowns as Albany improved to 7-0.

“We came out and dominated both offensively and defensively,” coach David Fairchild said. “We had a lot of energy on both sides of the ball.”

Ashton Bailey, who also kicked four PATs, scored on a 22-yard screen pass to give the Lions a 12-0 lead.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Junior High Cubs recorded a pair of road victories last Thursday despite going in different directions.

The eighth grade Cubs won 34-0 at Hico, while the seventh grade won 22-21 at Abilene TLCA.

Both teams are off this week as the Albany programs take an open date. The teams return to action Oct. 28 at Santo.

Eighth Grade

Brody Oliver threw three touchdown passes and ran for a two-point conversion as the  Albany eighth grade improved to 7-0.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Junior High eighth grade Lady Cubs defeated Newcastle 25-14, 25-12 on Oct. 12 in last week’s only junior high volleyball match.

The Lady Cubs seventh and eighth grade teams played Hawley on Monday. Results were not available at press time and will be reported next week.

Against Newcastle, the opening set went back and forth and was tied at 10-10 when Caroline Chapman served 10 consecutive points to help Albany take a 20-10 lead.

By Sam Waller

The Moran Lady Bulldogs volleyball team kept its playoff hopes alive Saturday with a four-set victory over Rising Star.

Entering their Tuesday match at Strawn, the Lady Bulldogs were tied with Newcastle for third place among District 6-2A’s Class 1A members at 4-4. The top three teams qualify for the playoffs.

Moran started last week with a three-set loss to Hawley on Oct. 12, a match that didn’t count in the district standings because Hawley is on the 2A side of the district.

By Sam Waller

Moran students spent the week building up spirit for homecoming weekend with a series of dress-up days.

The week started with the patriotic ’Merica Monday, followed by the Hawaiian-themed Tiki Tuesday and Pajama Day on Wednesday. Thursday (today) is Hippie Day, and Friday is Spirit Day, with students sporting Moran’s school colors of purple and gold.

The weekend will honor classes from 1946 and 1947 (75th anniversary), 1971 and 1972 (50th) and 1996 and 1997 (25th).

By Sam Waller

Moran’s football playoff hopes took a hit last Friday with a 60-14 loss at Woodson.

Moran (1-5 overall, 1-1 District 9-1A Division II) fell behind 26-0 in the first quarter, but played closer over the next two. Woodson (3-3, 1-0) ended the game with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

“The whole difference was the first quarter,” Bulldogs coach John Hughes said. “They put 26 on us because we had four busted assignments they got touchdowns off of.”

Ellis Hise was 6 of 14 passing for 112 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Local testing facilities reported 19 positive cases of ­COVID-19 for the week of Oct. 4-8, just one more than the prior week.

According to an update from county judge Bob Skelton, the positive cases were reported by the Shackelford County Health Clinic (SCHC), Resource Care Community Health Center, and the Shackelford County EMS Station. The number of tests administered was not released, but positive results totalled 19 for the week.

SCHC was open on Monday during the Columbus Day holiday, reporting four tests with two positive results.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The annual Albany Chest campaign is off and running, with directors setting a 2021 goal of $46,000. 

Twenty-six different organizations submitted requests for this year’s funding, all of which were considered by the board during a meeting held on Wednesday, Oct. 7. 

“The goal of the Albany Chest is to enhance the lives of local citizens with the funding that is given to us,” said board president Jana Kitchens. “We do our best to place the money where it will benefit the most individuals across the broadest range of our population.”