Sports

The third week of the 2021 football season proved to be less than kind to county football programs with Canton, Edgewood, Fruitvale, Grand Saline and Wills Point all coming up short in their respective games. With those setbacks, Van became the last team to retain its perfect early season record.

The Van Lady Vandals hit the court twice last week, continuing their preparations for the start of District 14-4A play with matches against both Whitehouse and Paris. Van began its week at home, scoring a hard-fought 21-25, 26-24, 25-23, 25-20 win over the Whitehouse Wildcats Sept.

The Canton Running Eagles welcomed runners from across the area to the First Monday parking area Sept. 11 for the annual Henry Lewis Memorial Invitational. Prior to the start of the races, there was a 9/11 tribute in honor of those who lost their lives and who have served our country.

With a winning percentage of 78, Bobby Mayne of Grand Saline is the winner of Football Contest No. 3 in the Van Zandt News.

The Canton Running Eagles and Wills Point Tiger cross country teams hit the road last week, traveling to Kaufman to compete in the annual Run with the Lions Invitational Cross Country Meet. Wills Point finished the event with a fourth-place finish in the varsity boys division with 107 total points, behind Kaufman with 51 points, Commerce with 83 points and Eustace with 93 points.

The first Friday night of the 2021 football season provided mixed results for county teams as Canton, Edgewood and Van all notched wins while Fruitvale, Grand Saline and Wills Point all came up short. Edgewood and Canton delivered arguably the most thrilling moments locally, rallying back in their respective games to earn wins that could serve as a springboard for bigger things ahead.

The Van Lady Vandals stayed close to home last weekend, competing in Edgewood’s annual varsity volleyball tournament. Van fared well overall during the two-day event, going a combined 3-2 with a second place finish.

The winner of Football Contest No. 1 and Football Contest No.

The Wills Point Tiger tennis program tallied two more wins last week, pushing their overall season record to 7-1. The Tigers, currently ranked fourth overall in the state in the 4A classification, defeated Whitehouse in convincing fashion (17-2) before fending off a stiff challenge from Longview (12-7).

The Canton Eaglettes were kept busy last weekend, hitting the court seven times over a three-day span Aug. 26-28. The workload did not slow down Canton, which went a combined 6-1 overall in those matches including a win in the championship game of the Athens Tournament.