Photo by Precision Sports Entertainment
Tuesday, February 10th was a special night at
Ennis High School that was set aside to honor the accomplishments of Coach Alvarez and the Ennis High Lions' varsity football team for their astounding success on the gridiron. The Lions' season started off with two losses, but somehow the Lions picked themselves up and reeled off fourteen consecutive victories and claimed the Texas 5A Division II state championship. The Lions finished the season ranked No. 108 in the country out of 16,000 football programs by MaxPreps and earned one of the fifty prestigious spots on the 10th Annual MaxPreps Football Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard.
During halftime of an exciting home basketball game, Mark Warde, Editor of the Ennis Daily News, stepped to the podium and welcomed all of the fans to the celebration and thanked them for their support and enthusiasm. He then introduced Dustin Gaines from MaxPreps who spoke of Ennis' success in finishing with such a high ranking. Once the crowd finished cheering, Dustin introduced Staff Sergeant John Parades of the Texas Army National Guard. SSG Parades congratulated the team and charged up the crowd. SSG Parades then presented the Army National Guard national ranking trophy to Coach Alvarez in recognition for the team's amazing accomplishments.
The crowd and football team erupted in a cheer as Coach Alvarez held the trophy high. Coach Alvarez briefly thanked the crowd for their support and held the trophy tightly until he handed it to his players and they held it even higher. This night was a special reminder of the success that comes with teamwork, hard work, and perseverance—all attributes of the "Minuteman" trophy, the Texas Army National Guard, and the 2014 Lions football team.
Congratulations Ennis on a great season and national ranking!
