Sports

One of my favorite sports to watch live is volleyball. Like hockey, seeing it in person is far better than on the screen.

Four-of-the-Big 5 schools will begin pre-season football camp on Monday, Aug. 2. Ferris, Palmer, Italy and Avalon open practices now, a week prior to Ennis, who start on Aug. 9.

Big 5 varsity volleyball teams will take to the court in a week on Monday, August 2. Practice schedules may very with many squads having two-a-days that first week before they begin scrimmages, tournaments and non-district matches.

Former Ennis safety and linebacker K.D. Davis has been gaining pre-season recognition as “the Shark” at the University of North Texas. At 5’11, 229-lbs, the junior returns as the starting middle linebacker for the Mean Green.

Hot on the newsstands is the 2021 edition of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine, considered the Sports Bible on college and prep-football, which was released a week ago.

Italy High School turned a southbound season into a straight north turnaround, qualified for the playoffs and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

(First in a series of head coaching changes of note)

Former 2014 state champion Ennis Offensive Coordinator Brandon Layne left Ferris earlier this year for the head coach and athletic director position at Redwater in Northeast Texas.

Ennis native Gary Svehlak hooked and landed a big black drum, as he described it, on July 11 from the Reel ‘em Inn pier in Rockport, Texas. He wasn’t exaggerating. The black drum weighed 41 pounds and was 37.5 inches long.

On the cusp of a deserved softball playoff berth, Palmer slid to a 1-5 finish, including three setbacks in a row to finish at 13-8 overall and 6-8 in District 18-3A. As Yosemite Sam would say, “Dagnabbit!” Two of those losses, to No.

Offseason workouts in the weight room, one-on-one technical improvements and exposure to other coaches while playing club ball are common means used by athletes to elevate their game.