For the first time, all three UIL high schools within the Abilene city limits will face each other during the upcoming boys’ and girls’ basketball season as District 4-5A counterparts.

Abilene High is in District 2-5A Division I in football, while Cooper and Wylie are district foes in football in District 2-5A Division II. But in every sport outside of football, all three schools are now district opponents after Abilene High dropped from Class 6A to Class 5A before the start of the 2022-23 season.

“I think (having all three schools in the same district) will be great for our fans and the city of Abilene,” AHS boys’ coach Justin Reese said. “The gyms will be packed for the crosstown rivalry games this year. Both those teams (Cooper and Wylie) have great coaches and players, so it’s going to be a battle every time we play one another.”

Of the four boys’ and girls’ teams from the Abilene ISD, only the Cooper boys qualified for the state basketball playoffs last season as the Cougars won their second straight District 4-5A championship.

The Cougars under seventh-year coach Bryan Conover return senior Jaelyn Rivera (first team all-district last year), along with juniors Jordan Willis and Kameron Gray (honorable mention all-district in ‘22) from a team that finished 20-11 overall and 7-3 in district. That 20-win campaign marked the first time the program won 20 games in a season in 12 years.

“We will have to rely heavily on our returning players,” said Conover, who was voted the district Coach of the Year last season. “A few new faces will have to step up for us to have a chance to compete for another district title. I believe the district is wide open this year. There isn’t a team that is heavily favored and there isn’t a team that will be a pushover. We are going to need to be at our best whenever we take the court against any teams in our district.”

Across town, Reese is anxious to get his team back on the floor after last year’s team missed the Class 6A playoffs after two straight trips to the postseason. The Eagles return three starters, led by 6-2 senior guard Jake Breckenridge. Also returning are 6-3 senior guard Chris Motl and 6-1 senior guard Demarco Upshaw.

“We’re excited about our group this year,” said Reese, who won his 300th career game last season and is 64-51 in four seasons at AHS. “They are committed to playing hard and playing together. We have a good mix of leadership and experience combined with many talented and hungry young guys. They mesh well together and pull for each other, so it’s a fun group to coach.”

Abilene High girls’ head coach Brenda Andress enters her second season, hoping to steer the Lady Eagles to a massive improvement. AHS was 6-27 and 1-11 in District 2-6A last season, but returns three starters among six returning letterwinners, giving Andress hope that experience gained last season will yield positive results this season,

The Eagles return senior guards Zikyria Shaw and Keylee Washington, as well as junior point guard Ariana Trevino, and sophomore post Emily Jordan. Andress is also excited about the addition of 6-0 sophomore forward Taryn Moore.

“This team has been working hard; it’s exciting to see their progress on the court,” Andress said. “We have a tight-knit group that will fight for each other, and we can’t wait to see all this group is going to accomplish this year. It’s a tough district for sure, but we’re excited about it. The Lubbock schools are full of young talent, and Cooper and Wylie both have solid programs. We have a couple of months to get ready, so our pre-season will be important for us as we prepare. We’ll be ready.”

At Cooper, the Lady Cougars will be under the direction of new coach as Brandon Hudson takes over for Arsenio Geter, who resigned to become the head coach at San Angelo Central. Hudson spent the last two seasons at Fort Bend Marshall in the Houston area but returns to his West Texas roots to take over a Cooper program that was winless in District 4-5A a year ago.

The Lady Cougars return senior Karrigan Parrott, who was first team All-District 4-5A last year, along with second team selections in senior Kayla Speights and sophomore Aliyah Ralston. Returning junior Jazlyn Hatcher was an honorable mention selection last year.

“The Lady Cougar basketball team is returning a lot of experience from last year,” Hudson said. “I hope we will be able to turn that into some success this year.”

Other Notes
• The district that both the boys’ and girls’ teams from AHS and CHS will be playing in is District 4-5A, which also includes Abilene Wylie, Lubbock Cooper, Lubbock Coronado, Lubbock Monterey, and Lubbock High.

On the boys’ side, CHS, Wylie, Monterey, and Lubbock Cooper represented the district in the playoffs last season with all four teams losing in the bi-district round. On the girls’ side, District 4-5A is one of the top districts in West Texas, along with District 3-5A, home of perennial state powerhouse Amarillo High.

Last year, Lubbock Cooper was 10-0 en route to the district championship, while Lubbock Monterey was the runner-up at 8-2. Also reaching the playoffs were third-place Wylie and fourth-place Coronado, both of which lost in the bi-district round. Lubbock Cooper lost to Amarillo High in the Region I-5A semifinals to eventual regional champion Amarillo High to finish at 28-5 on the season. Monterey finished 30-9 after losing to Lake Dallas in the other Region I-5A semifinal.

• Abilene High and Cooper will host the Raising Cane’s Key City Classic, Dec. 1-3, at both Eagle and Cougar gyms. The boys’ tournament will feature the following teams: AHS, CHS, Abilene Wylie, North Crowley, Amarillo High (coached by Cooper alum Jason Pillion), The Colony, Richardson Pearce, Dallas Woodrow Wilson, Mansfield Timber Creek, Midland Christian, Lubbock Coronado, Odessa High, El Paso Coronado, Midland Legacy, El Paso Austin, and Plainview.

• The Abilene High and Cooper girls’ teams will be playing in the Pug Parris Tournament (hosted by McMurry University), which will be played Nov. 17-19, at Eagle Gym, Cougar Gym, and Kimbrell Arena on the McMurry campus. The girls’ tournament will feature the following teams: AHS, CHS, Abilene Wylie, Jim Ned, Lubbock Estacado, Wichita Falls Rider, Borden County, Cleburne, San Angelo Central, Snyder, Northwest Eaton, Seminole, Katy St. John’s, Cisco, and Sanger.

BOYS’ CAPSULES

Abilene High Eagles

Head coach: Justin Reese (16th year, fifth at AHS)
Career record: 301-180, 64-51 at AHS
Last year’s record: 10-20, 3-9 (6th in District 2-6A)
Last district title: 2016
Last playoff appearance: 2021 (lost to Trophy Club Byron Nelson 64-48 in the Region I-6A area playoff)
Returning lettermen/starters: 5/3
Players to watch: Jake Breckenridge, 6-2, sr, guard; Chris Motl, 6-3, sr, guard; Demarco Upshaw, 6-1, sr, guard
Newcomers to watch: Bryce Neves, 6-1, jr, forward; Carter Wyatt, 6-1, soph, guard; Connel Colley, 6-3, soph, forward; Eric Salazar, 5-10, soph, guard
Coach Reese says: “We are excited about our group this year. They are committed to playing hard and playing together. We have a good mix of leadership and experience combined with many talented and hungry young guys. They mesh well together and pull for each other, so it’s a fun group to coach.”
Coach Reese on the District 4-5A race: “it’s going to be a battle every night. We know that going in. Anybody can beat anybody, so we will have to bring our ‘A’ game every night. We are excited about the challenge.”
On being in the same district as Cooper and Wylie: “I think it will be great for our fans and the city of Abilene. The gyms will be packed for the crosstown rivalry games this year. Both teams have great coaches and players, so it’s going to be a battle every time we play.”

Cooper Cougars

Head coach: Bryan Conover (7th year, all at Cooper)
Career record: 97-103
Last year’s record: 20-11, 7-3 (1st in District 4-5A; Conover voted Coach of the Year)
Last district title: 2022
Last playoff appearance: 2022 (lost to Canyon Randall, 46-45, in Region I-5A bi-district round)
Returning lettermen/starters: 5/2
Players to watch: Jaelyn River, 6-4, sr, forward; Jordan Willis, 6-0, jr, guard; Kameron Gray, 6-1, jr, guard.
Newcomers to watch: Evan Warfield, 6-6, jr, post; Dycin Davis, 6-4, fr, forward.
Coach Conover says: “We will have to rely heavily on our returning players. A few new faces will have to step up for us to have a chance to compete for another district title.
Coach Conover on the District 4-5A race: “I believe the district is wide open this year. There isn’t a team that is heavily favored and there isn’t a team that will be a pushover. We are going to need to be at our best whenever we take the court against any teams in our district.”
On being in the same district as Abilene High and Wylie: “Those will continue to be big games for us this season. Adding Abilene High to the district will make that game a little more important. Both teams will have a talented group and be well-coached. The games also provide a great environment for our young men to play in”

GIRLS’ CAPSULES

Abilene High Eagles

Head coach: Brenda Andress (2nd year, both at AHS)
Career record: 6-27
Last year’s record: 6-27, 1-11 (7th in District 2-6A)
Last district title: 2004
Last playoff appearance: 2019 (lost to Arlington Bowie, 71-43, in the Region I-6A bi-district playoff)
Returning letterwinners/starters: 6/3
Players to watch: Zikyria Shaw, 5-5, sr, guard; Kaylee Washington, 5-5, sr, guard; Ariana Trevino, 5-4, jr, point guard; Emily Jordan, 6-0, soph, post
Newcomer to watch: Taryn Moore, 6-0, soph, forward
Coach Andress says: “This team has been working hard. It’s exciting to see their progress on the court. We have a tight-knit group that will fight for each other, and we can’t wait to see all this group is going to accomplish this year.”
Coach Andress on the District 4-5A race: “It’s a tough district for sure, but we’re excited about it. The Lubbock schools are full of young talent, and Cooper and Wylie are both solid programs. We have a couple of months to get ready, so our pre-season will be important for us as we prepare. We’ll be ready.”
On being in the same district as Cooper and Wylie: “It’s exciting to be in the same district with Cooper and Wylie. It’s great for the community and fans, and I think the competition will bring a lot of excitement and energy to our local games.”

Cooper Cougars

Head coach: Brandon Hudson (fifth year, first at Cooper)
Career record: 23-93 (2-52 at Fort Bend Marshall from 2020-22; 21-41 at Clear Brook High School from 2018-20)
Last year’s record: 13-19, 0-10 (10th in District 4-5A)
Last district title: 2019
Last playoff appearance: 2019 (lost to El Paso Socorro, 50-36, in Region I-5A area round)
Returning letterwinners/starters: 7 (letterwinners)
Players to watch: Kyla Speights, sr; Karrigan Parrott, jr; Alliyah Ralston, soph
Coach Hudson says: “The Lady Cougar basketball team is returning a lot of experience from last year. I hope we will be able to turn that into some success this year.”
Coach Hudson on the District 4-5A race: “We are in one of the toughest districts in the state of Texas. It’s going to be fun to compete against so many great coaches.”
On being in the same district as Abilene High and Wylie: “It’s a great thing for the city of Abilene to have all its teams in the same district. I am looking forward to competing with them.”