Sports

Second-year Ennis Athletic Director Joe Kostiha confirmed summer progress on work projects to district facilities. As previously reported, a new gym floor at Alamo has been installed.

There is a reason to avoid a fourthplace finish, as it brings a playoff matchup against a district champion. First-against-fourth brings predictable results.

One of two area teams with over twenty wins, Ferris rolled up 22 to top the six schools in The Ennis News coverage area. The Yellowjackets were also one of two who advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

Just when things were breaking good for Avalon softball, the Lady Eagles ran up against Avery in what became a pair of razor-thin playoff losses. Assembling a 4-1 mark in April in which they outscored their opponents, 94-53, was countered by 6-5 and 19-16 defeats at the hands of Avery.

Avalon baseball enjoyed a late 12-3 run that ended with a second-round playoff loss in extra-innings. During that stretch, six of those games featured the Eagles pitching a shutout.

Local kids on the 10-and-Under 287 Express. The hoopsters won a national tournament in Austin, and finished third in another in San Antonio. Head Coach Justin Chappell says the “boys love to work hard and have the best attitudes I have ever seen.”

Fresh from graduating from Avalon, Josh Novak, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound running back, has signed with Howard Payne University. The multi-sport standout rushed for 2,487-yards his senior season.

Hired to change the fortunes of Italy baseball, Athletic Director Mike Loveless elevated Rodney Morphew to take the reins of the program. The third-year staffer who serves as the football Offensive Coordinator had been an assistant coach with the baseball team.

Palmer Baseball had little offense this season, and an 8-19 finish wasn’t cause for much tail-wagging either. The young Bulldogs did, however, qualify for the playoffs with a fourth place, 6-8 mark in District 18-3A. The Dirt Dawgs were shutout eight times, including twice against Troy (28-4), 9-0 and 5-0, in the playoffs.

A year after earning First Team All-District as a junior, Keno Castillo enjoyed a breakout encore season with another First Team All-District performance. In raising his batting from .308 to .443, the fleetfooted protagonist was a driving force behind the team boosting its number of wins from 13 in 2025 to 30 this season.