Sports

Don’t look now, but HC Josh McGee has his swarming Yellowjackets making a lateseason push, just like a year ago, and when Ferris blew past Venus on Tuesday, 69-46, it was no accident.

A young Ennis cross country team developed and made literal and figurative strides from August through the fall season. The varsity harriers were honored at their annual XC Banquet on Jan. 6, with athletes and coaches reviewing their autumn efforts.

1. ENNIS AT RED OAK

On the night that DeIvian “Dee” Johnson broke his record for most yards rushing in a single game, Zarron Dove, a 2011 Ennis graduate, took time to recognize the senior who cleared 300-yards during a 48-20 rout of previously unbeaten Royse City.

A year after being ranked No. 1 the entire regular season, Ennis assembled a second straight unbeaten regular season and a No. 3 ranking. How is that for an encore?

A very hard pill to swallow was an epic fourth quarter spatula that Red Oak turned on Ennis earlier this week in a District 14-5A setback. Whether the Lions view themselves as the team who dominated the top team in the league in every phase for a 48-31 advantage through three quarters, or the team that laid an egg while the Hawks caught fire in a 31-9 final quarter will likely determine how Ennis bounces back from a 62-57 defeat.

Off-season is a thing of its own, often separating the casual fan from those with above average knowledge about teams, players and districts. The internet has raised the degree of information available via websites, blogs, publications and video providing.

A strong performance at this week’s UIL State Spirit Class 2A Team Competition led Italy High School to a fourth-place mark. Held at the Fort Worth Convention Center, the squad battled in a field of 58 schools, ultimately finishing behind Jewett Leon, who won for the fourth straight year.

Former Ennis record-setting quarterback, Graham Harrell, the Offensive Coordinator at Southern California the past three years, was introduced this week as the OC and QB Coach at West Virginia. The Mountaineers, members of the Big 12, assures Graham will stay connected to his Texas roots.