Abilene ISD -

The playoffs begin Friday night for the Cooper Cougars, who must win at least two of their final three games – and perhaps their final three games – to extend their playoff streak to 18 straight seasons.

Meanwhile, the Abilene Eagles take on Lubbock High at 7 p.m. Thursday in Lubbock, where a win would clinch the program’s fifth straight playoff berth. It would also be Abilene High’s 10th straight district victory.

Cooper, 1-6 overall and 0-3 in District 2-5A Division II, will host Plainview at 7 p.m. Friday at Shotwell Stadium in a must-win game. If the Cougars win their final three games – at home against Plainview, at Wichita Falls Legacy next week, and against Amarillo Palo Duro – they will clinch a spot in the playoffs.

But it starts Friday against the Bulldogs from Plainview. A Cooper win would give the Cougars the tiebreaker edge over Plainview at the end of the season. A win the next week would give Cooper a 2-3 record, and a win over Palo Duro would clinch the playoff berth for the Cougars. However, a loss to Plainview would leave Cooper at 0-4 in district play, while Plainview would improve to 2-1 with games left against Palo Duro, Wichita Falls Memorial, and Wylie.

If Cooper and Plainview finish tied for fourth at 2-4, the Bulldogs will earn a playoff spot because of their win over the Cougars. Friday’s game is a homecoming for Plainview interim head coach Wyatt Martinez, who played at Abilene High School and is the son of AHS assistant coach Tommy Martinez.

Cooper dropped a 49-17 decision last Friday at Lubbock Cooper, but quarterback Austin Cummins had a solid game, completing 23 of 35 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown, a 4-yard pass to Zavian Alexander. He also scored on a 6-yard touchdown run, accounting for both Cougars’ touchdowns.

Cummins has completed 104 of 180 passes for 999 yards and eight touchdowns this season, and Alexander has caught 53 passes for 608 yards and five touchdowns.

Fans planning to attend the game can purchase tickets here. AISD has implemented a clear bag policy at Shotwell Stadium and the Shotwell Annex. To ensure the safety of all events, only clear bags will be allowed in with spectators.

Fans can also listen to the Cougars’ audio feed here. Jimmy Pogue and Rick Cason will call the action. AISD Live will provide the video stream, which is available here.

Thursday night in Lubbock, the Abilene Eagles will play Lubbock High in a game that could send them back to the playoffs for the 39th time in program history. The Eagles and Westerners were state powers in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, but they haven’t played since 1957.

The Eagles ran their record to 5-2 overall and 3-0 in District 2-5A Division I last week with a 59-40 win over Lubbock Coronado. The Eagles were led by senior Ryland Bradford, who caught five passes for 158 yards and one touchdown and carried the ball 14 times for 92 yards and four touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Tristan Beal stepped in for an injured Brayden Henry against the Mustangs and completed 10 of 16 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns.

Bradford now has 27 career receiving touchdowns, a new AHS program record, breaking the old mark of Lyle Leong Jr., who caught 25 touchdown passes from 2003-05. He has scored 38 career touchdowns, eighth on Abilene High’s all-time list. He’s also scored 228 points, ninth on Abilene High’s all-time list.

Junior placekicker Naim Segura hit all eight PATs last week to run his streak to 92 straight converted PATs dating back to last season. His last miss was on Oct. 6, 2023, against Amarillo Caprock. He is 48 for 48 this season and 127 for 129 in his career. His 127 career PATs are second in program history behind Matt Adams (166 from 2002-04), and his 166 career kicking points are second behind Adams (235 points).

Abilene High fans planning to attend the game in Lubbock can purchase tickets here. To enhance existing safety and security measures across the LISD, a clear bag policy is in effect for all visitors to PlainsCapital Park. The new policy regulates the size and type of bag that may be carried into the stadium for any event at the facility. Exceptions will be made for medically necessary items after proper inspection.

Fans can listen to the live audio broadcast from AHS announcers Chuck Statler and Cody Coil and watch the game on Lubbock ISD TV.

Team Tennis
Abilene High’s season ended Tuesday afternoon at Hardin-Simmons University with a 10-5 loss to Lubbock High in the Region I-5A quarterfinals. The Eagles, second in District 4-5A and ranked No. 24 in Class 5A, finished the season 27-3.

Volleyball
Abilene High and Cooper dropped 3-0 District 4-5A decisions Tuesday night, with the Lady Eagles losing at Wichita Falls Memorial and the Lady Cougars falling to Wylie at Cougar Gym. Wylie’s win clinches a playoff spot for the Lady Bulldogs, who are 5-0 in district play.

Cooper and Abilene High will play for the second time this season on Friday at 5 p.m. at Eagle Gym. A win by Abilene High and another win for the Lady Eagles on Tuesday at Wichita Falls Memorial would clinch a playoff spot. Depending on tiebreakers, AHS could clinch a spot Friday with a win over Cooper and a Wylie win at Wichita Falls Legacy.

At 1-4 in district play, the Lady Cougars can inch closer to clinching a spot in the playoffs with wins over the Lady Eagles (Friday) and at home on Tuesday against Wichita Falls Memorial. Cooper will close the season at Wichita Falls Legacy on Tuesday, Oct. 29, with a chance to clinch a playoff spot.

Cross Country
The Abilene High and Cooper boys’ and girls’ cross country teams will compete at the Region I-5A championship meet in Lubbock on Monday (Oct. 21). Mae Simmons Park will host the 5-kilometer races that will determine which teams and individuals qualify for the state cross country championship meet, Saturday, Nov. 2, at Old Settler’s Park in Round Rock.

Abilene High’s boys and girls teams won District 4-5A championships last week in Wichita Falls, and Cooper’s boys and girls finished second in their respective races. Abilene High seniors John Alcantar (boys) and Mason Murray (girls) won the individual district championships and are among the favorites to win individual regional championships.