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By Travis M. Smith | KBEC Sports
The Ennis Lions dominated both sides of the football to win the annual Battle of Chambers Creek and a district championship Friday night.
Ennis scored three second-quarter touchdowns at Tiger Stadium to defeat Corsicana, 30-21, and win the District 8-5A Division II title outright.
The district title is the first for head coach Sam Harrell since his 2018 return to the Lion program that he turned into a perennial power in the late 1990s and into the early 2000s.
THE GAME
Ennis quarterback Collin Drake got the second-quarter scoring started with a 9-yard touchdown run to cap a seven-play drive. The scamper put the Lions on top, 9-7, with 8:56 to play in the quarter.
The lead, though, was brief, as Drew Denbow returned the blocked point-after-attempt for a two-point score to knot the game at 9-all.
The Ennis offense found the end zone again two possessions later when Drake connected with Laylon Spencer (4-99) on the first play of the drive. Spencer took the reception 59 yards to pay dirt and put Ennis up, 16-9, with four minutes and change to play in the half.
The final score of the first half came when Jarius Jones capitalized on an Ennis interception with a 3-yard touchdown run. Angel Aguilar split the uprights to put the Lions up 23-9 with 1:42 left before half time.
Drake added a second rushing touchdown — this time from 5 yards out — late in the fourth quarter to build a comfortable 30-9 lead for the Lions.
The Tigers eventually added two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
Ennis outpaced Corsicana 376 total yards to 295 and made the most of two Tiger turnovers.
The Lions rushed for 234 yards — far more than the 74 amassed on the ground by the Tigers.
Drake led the way in that department for Ennis, carrying the ball a game-high 21 times for 127 yards and two touchdowns. He also completed 8-of-13 passes for 142 yards and one score.
UP NEXT
Ennis improved to 8-1 on the season and 7-0 id 8-5A with the win, while Corsicana fell to 7-3 on the year and 6-2 in district play.
The Lions will wrap up the regular season at 7:30 p.m. Friday at home against Greenville.
