Sep. 18—The Greenville Lions hung tough with No. 6 state-ranked Ennis for a quarter before the other Lions pulled away for a 28-0 victory in the District 8-5A-II football opener on Friday night at T.A. “Cotton” Ford Stadium.
Greenville played Ennis to a 0-0 tie through the first quarter. But quarterback Jackson Gilkey hooked up with wide receiver Gracen Harris on a 33-yard pass completion on the first play of the second quarter and then the visiting Lions scored four plays later on a 4-yard touchdown run by Jace Berry.
T.T. Cox dashed 80 yards for a touchdown on Ennis’ next play from scrimmage.
Ennis then drove 66 yards in six plays to grab a 21-0 halftime lead after Gilkey fired an 18-yard touchdown pass to Lamarion McGowan.
Ennis had two touchdowns called back by penalties in the fourth quarter before Skylan Simmons scored the Lions’ final touchdown, making a shoestring catch on a 26-yard strike from Gilkey, who was 19-of-24 passing for 199 yards.
Ennis, now 4-0 for the season, had a 454-195 advantage in total yardage.
Greenville drove from its 40 to the Ennis 20, helped by a 33-yard run by Hue Pitts. But the Lions missed a 36-yard field goal.
The host Lions also drove from their 46 to the Ennis 28 but couldn’t convert on fourth and two.
Greenville also drove from its 1 to its own 45 but that drive ran out of steam.
“We just couldn’t cash in offensively,” said Greenville coach Darren Duke. “I thought we could have put some pressure on them. I thought our effort was great. We knew they were a good football team.”
Duke said the Greenville Lions were a play or two from putting some pressure on Ennis.
“It was just hard for us to find any rhythm,” he said.
Ennis is a two-time defending district champion and beat Greenville 56-3 last year though Greenville pushed Ennis to the limit in a 2019 game. In that one Greenville led 25-7 in the first half before Ennis scored in the final 40 seconds to win 32-25.
Cox led Ennis and all rushers with 162 yards on 19 carries.
Pitts led the Greenville Lions with 45 yards on five carries.
O.J. Johnson, who ran for 208 yards and three touchdowns in Greenville’s 59-0 win last week over Carrollton Ranchview, was limited to 38 yards on 15 carries by the Ennis defense.
Greenville quarterback Joe Galay was 7-of-11 passing for 80 yards.
Degaryion Anderson led the Lion receivers with two catches for 40 yards as Greenville dropped to 1-3 for the season.