Sports

Big 5 Players of the Year on defense

Preventing the opposition from scoring is the name of the game, and all Big 5 teams did their share of stifling offenses. Palmer and Ennis racked up the best two squads, Palmer permitting just 12.6 points per game and five of their foes netted 13 or below. Ennis surrendered 15.6 ppg with six getting 13 or less.

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Governor appoints Bramhall as new SFA student regent

Ireland Bramhall of Ennis has been appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to serve as student regent for Stephen F. Austin State University during the 2020-21 academic year.

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UIL shuts down sports workouts

University Interscholastic League officials have urged schools to suspend conditioning and summer strength programs from Friday, July 3, through July 12. Part of the reason is due to an increase in positive test results for COVID-19, though not specifically to any school.

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Lions’ catalyst

President Teddy Roosevelt, when speaking about his foreign policy, uttered a memorable quote: “Speak softly, carry a big stick, and you’ll go far.” A year ago Ennis quarterback Collin Drake did similarly. He talked softly and carried a big team within a point of knocking off No. 1 Aledo.

Unassuming as the new man in town, he was the clear point man for an offense that was in-the-make all season. The junior dual-threat got it done in a season that extended four rounds deep in the playoffs. An overtime playoff loss to Aledo, 43-36, left the Lions hungry for an encore in 2020.

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Lions ranked No. 1 in state

Covering primarily amatuer football in Texas since 1960, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine has ranked Ennis as the No. 1 team in Class 5A headed into the new season. Considered the Bible of prep football, they know a thing or two about the sport. They preview over 1,400 teams in Texas alone.

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Big 5 football teams fire-up Aug. 3

Big 5 Football is less than two months from taking the field at Ennis, Ferris, Palmer, Italy and Avalon, and how the description of games will be done is anyone’s guess.

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Soccer, baseball events slated for mid-July

Two popular sports leagues for kids, baseball and soccer, disappeared during the spring due to the COVID-19. But not completely. The Ennis Parks and Recreation Department is stepping in to provide local youth, boys and girls, ages 6-to- 12, with a taste of both sports.

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Adrian Cisneros

MaxPreps recently posted the statistics of statewide passers in every class playing 11-man football. The leader in yards (2,745 yds, 39 TD’s) in Ellis County was Red Oak’s Joshua Ervin, who was a junior.

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Maile Deutsch

Having her chain-break season interrupted due to COVID-19, Palmer resident and former Ennis all-district softball player, Maile Deutsch (DOYTCH), was hitting .492 when the season ended due to the virus. A 5’9 junior at nationally ranked McPherson College (Ks), 17-of-her-31 hits went for extra-bases.