By Sam Waller
The Albany Junior High Cubs and Lady Cubs basketball teams resume play tonight (Thursday) following the holiday break.
The Lady Cubs will host Abilene Christian, while the boys teams visit Abilene Christian. Games start at 5:30 p.m. at both locations.
The games start the second round of the junior high schedule. Competition will revert to Mondays starting next week (Jan. 10) with the boys hosting Cisco and the girls playing at Cisco.
By Sam Waller
Local fifth and sixth grade basketball players will tip off their season Saturday, Jan. 8, with four teams competing against opponents from other area towns.
“We’ve been practicing for about a week now,” league coordinator and coach Clint Chapman said.
Chapman said Albany’s boys team will play at Eula with the girls teams at Hawley. Albany will have four teams in the league with boys and girls teams for both fifth and sixth graders.
By Sam Waller
Albany’s Sarah Cotter was named to the Texas Girls Coaches Association Class 2A all-state volleyball team and was one of three Lady Lions to earn academic all-state honors.
Cotter, a senior middle blocker, led the Lady Lions with 541 kills and 64 blocks as Albany won the District 8-2A championship and advanced to the Region II-2A tournament. She also recorded 103 aces on 414 service attempts and had 216 digs.
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions boys varsity basketball team stumbled in its first District 10-2A outing before taking its holiday break and using the time to practice for the remainder of district play.
Albany (4-2 overall, 1-1 district) lost to Hawley before Christmas, then resumed competition on Tuesday, Jan. 4, with a district game at Hamlin. The Lions won easily 52-12, with details to be reported next week.
By Sam Waller
The Moran Lady Bulldogs split a pair of home games last week, winning in their final outing before the holiday break, while the varsity boys teams suffered a pair of losses.
On Tuesday, Dec. 14, the Moran girls lost a heartbreaker 36-35 to Rotan, then defeated the Knox City JV 42-23 on Friday.
In boys action, the Bulldogs lost 50-28 on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at Mullin, then dropped a 54-30 decision on Friday to Ranger at home.
Both Moran teams will compete in the Gordon Holiday Ford Classic on Tuesday-Wednesday, Dec. 28-29.
By Sam Waller
The slow starts that have beleaguered the Albany girls basketball team basketball team continued as the Lady Lions dropped their District 10-2A opener on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 89-21 at Haskell.
The Lady Lions made their second district outing Tuesday with a home game against Hawley, recording a loss. Details will be reported in the Jan. 6 issue of the News.
During the Christmas break, Albany will play in the Eula tournament Monday-Wednesday, Dec. 27-29. The Lady Lions will resume district play Jan. 4 at Hamlin.
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions varsity basketball team went 3-1 last week at the Hermleigh tournament in its first action of the season.
The Lions, who didn’t start practice until after the football team completed its season, got started on Thursday, Dec. 16, with a 43-27 victory against Bronte and a 44-35 decision against Merkel.
On Friday, Albany beat Coahoma 64-48 before suffering a 43-34 loss on Saturday to San Angelo Cornerstone.
By Sam Waller
The semifinals are called the cruelest round of the state football playoffs.
The Albany Lions learned that the hard way last Thursday, falling one step short of a shot at the Class 2A Division II title with a 35-14 loss to the Stratford Elks at Lubbock’s Lowrey Field.
“Our kids gave us everything that we asked of them and played as hard as they could,” Lions head coach Denney Faith said. “It just wasn’t meant to be.”
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions dominated District 8-2A Division II during the season and were rewarded with 20 players earning places on the all-district team.
The Lions collected 24 spots, including five of six superlative awards, and had three players honored for both offense and defense.
The all-district team was selected by vote of district coaches after the regular season.
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions varsity boys basketball team conducted their first practice Monday nearly seven weeks after most schools around the state and will play their first game Thursday (today) at the Hermleigh tournament.
Boys basketball teams were allowed to start practice on Oct. 27, but Albany was delayed because of the football team’s playoff run, which reached the state semifinals.
As it is, Lions coach Ryder Peacock still won’t have his full contingent this weekend as players recover from football injuries.
