Sports

Two weeks ago Stephen F. Austin State University was hammered with one of the toughest penalties ever delivered by the NCAA. They discovered the Lumberjacks had played 82 ineligible student-athletes across many sports between 2013-2019.

Note: Second in a two-part series. Today we list Games No. 5 down to No. 1. Last week, June 7, the games No. 6-10. All five teams in the Big 5 are included at least once.

Another stellar freshman in Palmer Head Coach Korey Plough’s young pups roster is Reagan Tucker. Rapping out base hits, swiping bases and racing across the dish, she helped spur the Lady Bulldogs to an 11-5-1 abbreviated season this spring.

Former two-time Ennis All-District defensive lineman Jaylan Hill, (6’2, 295) started four games as a junior at West Texas A&M University (enr. 7,383) last fall. He racked up 22 tackles, five of them for lost yardage, including a QB sack against Texas A&M-Commerce.

A young and rebuilding Palmer softball team had a successful 11-5-1 start, and freshman Morgan Zabojnik was a key component. According to HC Korey Plough, she got off to a great start, “brought energy and loved to compete every practice and during every game,” he said.

Ennis senior softball player Ana Perales has won consecutive national championships in 2018 in Reno, NV and 2019 in Chicago. The division she competed was 16-17 years old at 53 kgs (116 lbs). This year’s event was canceled due to COVID-19. Perales has also competed in the Pan American Championship in Brazil and Ecuador and in the World Championship in Santiago de Chile.

Note: First of a two-part series. Today we list Games No. 10 down to No. 6. Next week, June 14, the Top Five games. All five teams in the Big 5 are included at least once.

Rice High School Athletic Director Andy Mills sought and found a successor to step in and take the reins of Class 3A Lady Bulldogs softball team and he didn’t need to go far. Eleven miles north on I-45 he signed Josh Owens, veteran assistant coach at Class 5A Ennis.

Every ten years the playing field at Lion Memorial Stadium as well as its encircling track are replaced or repaired. Over a week ago the artificial grass was lifted and rolled, the second time in 19 years according to Ennis Athletic Director Don Drake.