By Sam Waller

The Albany Lions football team continues to receive accolades for the efforts on the way to winning the Class 2A Division II state championship, claiming eight spots on the Blue Bell./Texas Sports Writers Association 2A All-State Team.

The TSWA team is selected by vote of sports writers from around the state based on total statistics including postseason games.

Lions head coach Denney Faith was named Coach of the Year, and junior defensive back Wyatt Windham shared Defensive Player of the Year honors in addition to earning a spot on the first team.

By Sam Waller

Nine Shackelford County high school seniors have been selected to participate in the 2023 Big Country FCA All-Star Festival.

The festival, scheduled for June 4-10, features 350 of the area’s top student-athletes competing in seven sports held in four cities.

As part of the leadup to the festival, Albany head football coach Denney Faith and Hawley’s Mitch Ables will participate in a lunch program on Thursday, Feb. 16 at Potosi Live restaurant. The coaches will speak on their teams’ 2022 football seasons, both of which ended in state championships.

By Sam Waller

The spring sports season is fast approaching for Albany High School teams.

Softball will start things off at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14 against Eastland at Webb Park before spending the following weekend at the Eastland tournament.

Lady Lions coach Jimmy Fuentes said the team has some holes to fill after reaching the third round of the playoffs last season.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lady Lions were the last obstacle between Stamford and the District 10-2A championship.

The Lady Bulldogs, ranked No. 22 in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class 2A poll, were not to be denied, rolling to a 69-18 victory Friday, Feb. 3 at Stamford.

The Lady Lions (8-19 overall, 1-10 district) closed out their season Tuesday, Feb. 7, with a 43-25 loss at home against playoff-bound Anson. Details will be reported next week.

By Sam Waller

Albany’s youth basketball teams wrapped up their season Saturday, Feb. 4 at a postseason tournament in Eula. All four teams posted at least one win, with three playing for division championships.

The sixth grade boys claimed their bracket championship, while the sixth grade girls lost in the championship game.

By Sam Waller

Illness and winter weather wreaked havoc with the Moran basketball schedule over the last two weeks with two boys games and one girls being rescheduled, while two junior high games were cancelled.

The Lady Bulldogs concluded their season Tuesday, Feb. 7 at Baird. Results will be reported next week.

The Moran boys visit Cross Plains on Friday, Feb. 10 before playing their season finale Tuesday, Feb. 14 at home against Rising Star.

Girls Basketball

By Sam Waller

The Big Country Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ Weekend of Champions girls camp drew more than 150 participants to Solid Rock Camp at Eastland on Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 4-5.

A total of 108 girls from eighth through 12th grade and 44 adult volunteers participated in the program.

“It went really well,” local FCA representative Paul Johnston, who oversaw the weekend event, said. “We had over 150 people out there – girls and adult women. It was tremendously impactful.”

By Sam Waller

The Baby Bottle Boomerang fundraiser to support Open Door Pregnancy Resource Centers is ongoing through Sunday, Feb. 19.

Local churches are participating in the annual program during which baby bottles are distributed to area residents to be filled with coins, bills, or checks which will be donated to the Open Door, a nonprofit faith-based organization that provides prenatal care and counseling.

Baby Bottle Boomerang is one of two major fundraising projects Open Door conducts each year. A banquet is held each October.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Rehearsals have started for Albany High School’s one act play, which will be presented at the district contest on Wednesday, March 8 in Haskell.

Director Chanel Hayner said that the play “Oz” will be presented locally as well; however, a date has not been set yet for that performance.

Tryouts for the comedy were held during the last two weeks for the cast of 12.

“Oz” was written by Don Zolidis as a take-off on the original “The Wizard of Oz.”

By Sam Waller

Albany exhibitors wrapped up participation at the Fort Worth Stock Show last week, as well as getting started at the San Angelo and San Antonio stock shows.

At Fort Worth, Chelsy Parsons had the champion lightweight division crossbred barrow after placing first in her class.

Slayton Parsons placed second in the Yorkshire class, Leddie Leech took third in white OPB and Creed Spencer had a sixth                    place crossbreed.

Also exhibiting barrows were Callan Edgar and Tatum Grady.