Sports

Another thriller, another close shave. Basketball ‘til the buzzer can be exhilarating. Trouble is, finishing games with the same execution as displayed through most of the game has not come easy for an Ennis team that should be much better than their record.

Having never won a district title in football in school history, the odds of the Palmer Independent School District replacing its grass surface with an artificial carpet were unlikely. Afterall, the high school has long been known for its successful baseball and basketball programs as well as some impressive girls athletic teams. Not so on the gridiron.

Ennis Athletic Director Don Drake confirmed the annual Lions football banquet has changed venues. Instead of a meal at the Tabernacle gym, the event will forego a meal and begin directly with an awards ceremony.

HC Desmond Guy had the Olde Gold on a roll last winter, but this season’s hoopsters could top their accomplishments from 2020. Ranked No. 18 in the state, they appear to have both feet on the pedal and no brake in sight.

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.