With the district race winding down, the Lady Lions volleyball team split games over the last week with just two regular season bouts remaining.

Albany will be at home for the final pair of District 6-2A games, with Woodson coming to town Saturday for a 10:00 a.m. game. The last regular season game is set for next Tuesday, Oct. 23 against Ranger in a parents night finale starting about 6:00 p.m. after the JV bout.

Although none of Albany High School’s cross country runners will advance to the regional meet, several local junior high runners medalled at last week’s district competition.

Included in that elite group are eighth grader Isaiah Carrillo, who came in second among all junior high boys at district after medalling at every meet he participated in this season.

Other medalists were Cason Fairchild, Lute Wheeler, and Ashlyn Holson.

The district meet was held Wednesday, Oct. 10 in Haskell.

The junior high volleyball teams were busy last week with a tournament in Graham, as well as games at Wylie on Monday.

The 7B also played in Moran on Tuesday, but results were not available at press time.

Albany will host both seventh and eighth grade games on Monday against Ranger starting at 4:30 p.m. to close out the season.

The seventh grade girls won two out of three matches at the Graham tournament to earn the runner-up spot.

Two teams of elementary aged volleyball players from Albany played in a youth league based in Breckenridge this fall, and both squads won top medals in their division.

“Both teams went 9-1 in regular season and ended up at the top of the league in their age groups,” said coach Lindsey Edgar. 

The Albany Aces also won last weekend’s tournament in each of their age divisions.

The Albany Cubs picked up a pair of games last week in Stamford, bringing home a shutout and tie.

The Cubs were scheduled to host Roscoe on Thursday, but since the Plowboys have a turf field, the games will probably be moved to Roscoe starting at 4:00 p.m. with the seventh grade. The eighth graders will follow at about 5:15 p.m. 

Also, the JV was originally scheduled to play Roscoe, but the Plowboys can’t put a JV team on the field due to injuries, and the Albany JV will instead play Post in Roscoe about 6:15 p.m. after the eighth grade game.

The Albany Fall Ball team plays teams from all over the Abilene area and is doing well this year, according to assistant manager Tony Wheeler.

Wheeler’s son Lyle, one of the players, reported that the team is undefeated so far.

Also playing for the Albany team are Graham Ceder, Colter Edgar, Pecos Duke, Bennett Neece, Aiden Vickers, Ace Vickers, Jacobi Word, Cole Richards, Sam Tidwell, Easton Riley, and Rhyland Parsons.

Anthony Ceder is the manager of the team, and Gary Vickers is also an assistant manager. 

The Bulldogs won by forfeit last Friday, when Three Way could not field a varsity team and had to cancel the football game. 

A win is not expected to be as easy tomorrow, Oct. 19, when coach Harley Ethridge and his team travel to Gustine to take on the Tigers with the kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Sixmanfootball.com favors Gustine (3-3) by 11 over Moran (2-3) in the Bulldogs’ last non-district game of the year.

Trying to snap a five-game losing streak – the worst start since the 1956 season – the Albany Lions will open district Friday with a homecoming bout against the visiting Baird Bears.

Kickoff at Robert Nail Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m.

Albany is coming off an open week that has allowed most of their wounds to heal after a brutal pre-district schedule against larger schools resulting in a 0-5 record.

The Bears (4-1) have picked up pre-district wins over Grape Creek, Irion County, Miles, and Roby, while losing only one game to Menard.

The Lady Lion volleyball girls split district games last week as they started the second round of district action.

Albany hosted Hawley, the District 6-2A leader, on Tuesday. The Lady Lions lost the match 10-25, 13-25, 21-25. Complete results will be printed next week.

The loss drops Albany to 4-5 in the district race, currently fourth behind undefeated Hawley, with Newcastle in second and Ranger in third place.

Members of the Albany Golf Club are encouraged to attend the club’s annual business meeting at the municipal golf course on Saturday, Oct. 20, and then stay and play in the Championship Tournament starting at 1:00 p.m. that afternoon.

“We will meet for a hamburger lunch on Saturday, at about noon, and have a short meeting to elect a couple of directors,” said member James Waters. “Then we will tee off at 1:00 p.m.” 

Organizers are planning a senior division, a regular division, and if there is enough interest, a women’s division.