Sports

The Jacob Pierson era at Rice is off to a winning start. The Bulldogs opened their 2026 campaign Friday night with a 3413 victory over S&S Consolidated (Sadler, Tx), giving Pierson his first win as Rice’s head coach and providing an early look at the identity he hopes to establish within the program.

Senior linebacker Aaron Laza, shown here submarining Waxahachie’s Sedrick Marsh (10), had a solid outing in a game without many for the Lions. Ennis fell to the state’s No. 1 ranked team, 7214. Laza had four tackles and blocked a punt in front of 10,000 fans.

Ennis cruised to a 3-0 sweep of an outmanned Life High School of Waxahachie on Tuesday. The Lady Lions are now 14-10 overall and have the best record of teams in District 15-5A.

Following an 0-3 start, the Ennis Lady Lions have assembled a 10-4 record, much of it at area tournaments. In fact, they are playing several days in Forney this weekend.

A year after leading the area in wins, a very young Lady Bulldog team shows flashes of hope, though injuries, primarily to their top attacker, has Palmer looking forward to September. Veteran HC Melanie Barnes says junior frontline star, Reese Zhanel, has been rehabbing a leg throughout August.

Sophomore outside hitter Jordyn Brown, an All-District attacker last fall, has picked up where she left off. In a recent interview, she credited her veteran Coach, Kelly Henderson, for driving her to achieve more by her “belief in me. She gives me confidence.”

A large, dense crowd of flying insects is a swarm, and at Ferris High School those who lead them are creating quite the buzz. The advent of the new school year kicks off at Yellowjacket Stadium next Friday, August 28, when Pinkston visits Ferris in football.

All across the Lone Star State, next weekend commences the start of the new season! Four of the six teams in The Ennis News coverage area have a home debut, including one of the best rivalries in Texas; Waxahachie -vs- Ennis. Lion Memorial Stadium will have its capacity of 10,000 tested, as will Ferris’ Yellowjacket Stadium at 3,106 and the cowbell capital, Palmer Bulldog Stadium, is planning on exceeding 2,000.