football

The sting of defeat is sharp and the instant heartbreak can be overwhelming. When it occurs in the playoffs, the sudden finality to what was expected to be a greater outcome carries an even deeper pain.

In a season that began with a return of the scripted helmet logo from the three state championships under Head Coach Sam Harrell, to a stunning 42-28 loss to unranked Mansfield Timberview, Ennis’ dream of another crown ended with a resounding, unscripted finish. It wasn’t supposed to end in such a fashion.

Scoring the first seven times they had the ball, No. 1 ranked Ennis clobbered Frisco Liberty, 49-0, on Friday in a Class 5A Bi-District playoff game at Lion Memorial Stadium.

Senior quarterback Collin Drake accounted for all six touchdowns in the first half, two on runs of six and nine yards, and four through the air on throws of 11 to Laylon Spencer, 26 to Karon Smith, 11 on a swing pass to Dee Johnson, and 19 to Ashton Ehly.

Many observers believe the 2020 state football champion will arise out of the 16-team field that is Region II of Class 5A. Of course the last two years has seen Aledo win their eighth and ninth state titles. This year they suffered a 27-17 setback at home to Class 6A Cedar Hill (7-1) on Oct. 16.

From the start of the season until now, Aledo has been ranked No. 2 behind front-running Ennis. The Lions, 8-0, are the favorite, though the their path to the final four is littered with landmines.