Schools & Sports

The eyes of the Texas high school football world were upon City Bank Stadium last Thursday night as the state #1-ranked Ennis Lions (7-0) traveled to town to meet the area #7-ranked North Forney Falcons (7-1) in the District 8-5A (D2) championship game.

On Friday, November 20, the Forney Jackrabbits battled Corsicana for the second time this year. In a hard hitting, hard fought battle, the Jackrabbits had the ball at the close of the fourth quarter to attempt to tie the game, but ultimately came up short at the end. The Jackrabbits won the second half and were “special on special teams”, but just could not finish off the Tigers. The final score was 21 for the Corsicana Tigers to 14 for the Forney Jackrabbits.

Athletic arenas, stadiums and even youth sports centers have shuttered their doors to large crowds amid COVID-19, yielding a massive, growing revenue loss for a major American industry and contributing to thousands of layoffs nationwide. However, analysts say a new scientific breakthrough could soon put an end to the extended timeout.

Wednesday, November 11, was a big day for two of Forney High School’s senior softball players. Vanessa Hollingsworth and Savannah Hughes gathered with family and coaches at the Forney Community Softball Complex where they signed their National Letters of Intent to play softball in college.

School closures and hybrid learning models have forced educators, parents and students to adapt to new forms of learning; the impact of this is not to be underestimated. Teachers and parents around the country have expressed concerns about the accessibility and quality of education under these conditions.

NubAbility® Athletics Foundation announced the non-profit held a two-day camp on November 14th from 9:00 am to 5:00 p.m. and November 15th from 9:00 am to 1:30 p.m. at the Lanny Fraser Middle School in Mesquite, Texas. The event was open to children ages 4-17 with congenital or traumatic limb loss who wish to improve their basketball, football or tumble/cheer skills. NubAbility helps limb-different children across the country develop greater self-esteem by providing them with instruction in 22 mainstream, organized sports.

The holidays will be even more magical with the expansion of The Pauline and Austin Neuhoff Christmas Village at the Dallas Arboretum. Inspired by European Christmas Markets, or Christkindlmarket, The Christmas Village is comprised of charming shops and façades representing a quaint European hamlet. In total, 12 delightful shops and façades debuted in 2019 and more will be added this year.

Dear Aunt B,

Crandall came in Friday night with a chance to earn a playoff spot from their last opponent in district (zone) play. The Pirates were 1-1 in zone play and had a must win game against the Bulldogs. This game would be a battle as the Bulldogs had strong threats in both the run and air game.

Last Friday, as the North Forney Falcons football team headed to Corsicana for the final Zone B game of the district season they did so with the knowledge that the result of the game would be meaningless for standings or playoff seedings. The Falcons’ 57-25 win against Greenville the previous week, combined with Sulphur Springs’ 28-21 upset of the Tigers the same day, had already secured the top spot in the zone, and a meeting with state #1-ranked Ennis in the district championship game.

The Jackrabbits fell to the number one team in 5A football last Friday night, the Ennis Lions. In typical 2020 and Friday the 13th style, last week’s game got started under unusual circumstances with the officials arriving one hour and 20 minutes late. When they arrived, they were given a standing ovation by the crowd!

Dear Aunt B,

A Final Act of Love: My mom and dad were not wealthy by any means but we always had a roof and the only time I ever remember going hungry was just for the better part of one day, but that is another story.