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For three decades, fans entering Robert Nail Memorial Stadium have been greeted by a familiar voice. This fall marked the final season for longtime public announcer John Tate, who retired after 30 years behind the microphone at Albany Lions home games.

The Albany Lions opened their basketball season last week with a dominant road win over Eastland, posting a 73-point performance and setting an early tone for the year.

The Albany Lions’ season came to an end Friday, November 28, in a 28–7 loss to defending state champion Muenster in the regional semifinal round in Graham. The matchup continued what has become one of the most familiar postseason pairings in Class 2A Division II.

The Albany Lions were well represented on this year’s all-district football teams, with four players earning superlative awards and nineteen total receiving first and second-team recognition across both sides of the ball.

The Albany Lions battled through a slow first half and a ball-control strategy from Quanah before surging in the second half to earn a 35 to 15 win Friday night in Holliday. The playoff victory sends Albany into a highly anticipated regional matchup against defending state champion Muenster.

The Albany Lions opened the playoffs with a strong showing Thursday night in Graham, powering past Santo 34–18 to secure the Bi-District championship and extend their postseason run.Albany controlled the pace from the start, stacking up 429 yards of total offense and moving the chains 24 times.

For the first time in school history, the Albany Lions completed district play without allowing a single point, defeating Hamlin 33-0 on Friday night to claim the outright District 6-2A Division II championship.

For Brian Woodyard, the rush of a wrestling crowd never really goes away. Once the walk-out music hits — in his case, “Blood” by Dropkick Murphys — he says it all comes back like riding a bike.

The Albany Lions closed out their home schedule in dominant fashion Friday night, shutting out Roscoe 34-0 for their fourth straight district shutout. The victory moves Albany to 7-2 on the season and keeps the Lions perfect in district play heading into this week’s championship matchup at Hamlin.