Well, the deadline for All-Big Country basketball teams has come and gone, so now I’m buried under a stack of names and stats that number somewhere between 150 and 200. That’s a great thing … lots of kids from Abilene and the area had great seasons this year, and we’re going to do the best we can to pick out the top few. Look for those stories in the coming weeks.

But right now I wanted to let you know about a state competition coming up this weekend. The powerlifting state meet will be in Houston Saturday, and Abilene will have eight lifters.

AHS has six lifters: Jordan McCoy (132s), Mark Weaver (165s), Garrison Hardin (220s), Mitch Harvey (242s), Michael Ysa (275s) and Zach Sartor (super heavies). Cooper’s two representatives will be Jevon Powers at 148 and Jeff Hay at 242.

Hitting the road to Houston might be a stretch for most folks, but if you happen to see any of these guys before they take off, wish them luck.