More than 155 4-H members from 21 Panhandle counties submitted record books to be judged by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agents and adult volunteers on July 8 at the Tri-State Fairgrounds, Amarillo.

Texas high school coaches and athletes—and their eager fans—are hoping for the best these days, and bracing for whatever comes next. Having already faced the disappointment of a year disrupted by school closings—in the midst of the state championship basketball games and a spring sports season that had barely gotten rolling—they wait, now, for the latest gubernatorial mandate or TEA ruling, or UIL announcement, wondering whether the 2020-21 sports season will again be upended by the coronavirus pandemic.

Canadian High School Lady Cat Basketball standout Mattie Boyd (in photo above) was among three Texas high school girls to receive offers from Abilene Christian University. Mattie is entering her junior year at CHS, and has already made a name for herself after being named to the TGCA’s All-State basketball team following her sophomore season.

The coronavirus recession has led to layoffs and closed businesses everywhere, but rural America has fared better than the nation’s largest cities. The farther away a county is from a central city, the fewer jobs it lost as the effects of Covid-19 shuttered businesses and kept people out of stores, gyms, restaurants and airports.