Photo gallery for MaxPreps of the Amarillo High Sandies vs Tascosa High at Dick Bivins in Amarillo, TX on October 8, 2021.

Photo gallery for MaxPreps of the Amarillo High Sandies vs Frenship at Dick Bivins in Amarillo, TX on September 17, 2021.

Payton Bush was tired of being underestimated. The Randall second baseman had spent his childhood playing career often being overlooked because of his size. He was never picked by the best teams and was never asked to play in extra tournaments. It fueled him.

No one saw the superb senior season Tristan Curless put together on the diamond.

Not even himself.

The recent Amarillo High graduate had a breakout campaign to conclude his high school playing career, leading the Sandies both on the mound and at the plate en route to their 2021 journey to the state semifinals.

“The talent level of these guys was very high, but really just the camaraderie of this team this year is what really separated us from any team that I’ve had in the past,” said Johnson, whose Amarillo High squad reached the state tournament for the first time since 2016. “The guys really bonded well together and would enjoy coming to the park every day. Mix that in with really talented baseball players, it makes for a good combination.”

Scott Tankersley knows a thing or two about taking athletic programs to the next level. At Caprock, he won seven state championships with the girls wrestling team. As a Bushland baseball pitching coach, the team reached the state tournament in three consecutive years from 2010 to 2012. The first-year varsity Bushland softball coach led the Lady Falcons to the Region I-3A semifinals.