HENDERSON’S ELLIS AND FREEMAN | The Whataburger / ETB Players of the Week!!

Our Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week for April 21-26: Henderson’s Chloe Ellis and Coy Freeman, just the third time since the awards began almost two years ago that the players of the week are from the same school, the same week. (Photo by MITCH LUCAS – ETBLITZ.COM)

Several diamond teams from the ETBlitz.com coverage area are in the University Interscholastic League’s softball and baseball playoffs: softball began last week, and most of the baseball teams begin their first-round playoff series on Thursday.

There are two athletic departments in our area where both baseball and softball are still being played: Henderson, in the 4A-Division I playoffs, and Troup, in 3A-Division II.

And for just the third time in the history of the award, we have Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week honors to two athletes from the same school, in the same week.

**Chloe Ellis with Henderson head softball coach John White. (Photo by MITCH LUCAS- ETBLITZ.COM)**

Henderson softball is scorching, and Chloe Ellis is a big part of that. She’s helped the Lady Lions to 30 wins this season, and eight in a row, including a sweep of Van in the first round of the UIL 4A-DI postseason.

Coy Freeman is also burning it up for coach Brock Lemire and the Lions, having helped them to an upset of Carthage in the regular season finale, and then a win over Canton in a warm-up game.

So, let’s make it official: Chloe Ellis and Coy Freeman are the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week for April 21-28!

Ellis is used to some attention. After all, she did just pass the 500 career strikeout mark last week, and when she’s on, and playing well, the Lady Lions are normally celebrating afterward. That’s far more often than not.

Last week, Ellis threw a no-hitter in game one of Henderson’s best-of-three-game series against Van. And Van was not chopped liver: the Lady Vandals had won 23 games in 2025.

Ellis, though, led the Henderson defense with an excellent pitching performance. As mentioned, she didn’t allow them a hit, walked only three batters, and rolled up 10 strikeouts, sitting down Van batter after batter after batter.

Then on Friday, coach John White called on Ellis in relief to close out game two. She did, throwing 2 1/3 innings, striking out three, walking two with two hits allowed. She not only closed out game two – Henderson closed out Van, sweeping the series and moving on to area.

That’s otherwise known as the second round. Henderson (30-8-1) will meet Nevada Community (14-4-1) in another best-of-three series that’ll be played in Athens. Game one is Thursday night at 6:30; Henderson is the home team.

Game two is Friday night at 6, and if they need game three to decide things, it would begin shortly after game two.

**Henderson’s Coy Freeman with head coach Brock Lemire. (Photo by MITCH LUCAS – ETBLITZ.COM)**

Freeman and the baseball Lions are doing pretty well themselves.

Lemire is in his first season, and Freeman, a junior, and his teammates have lifted their level of play for the coach. Henderson fought its way through the tournaments, then in a very-tough District 16-4A, the Lions finished with a 9-5 record after upsetting Carthage on April 17, then routing Cumberland Academy, 18-0, in the district finale.

Freeman, an outfielder for the Lions, had a home run and a single, and finished with 4 RBI, and five total bases, in the win over Cumberland.

And the Lions are about to start their playoff run.

Henderson faces Mabank (13-13) in the first round, a home-and-home best-of-three-game series.

Game one is Friday night, a 7 p.m. start, and it’s at Henderson. Game two is Saturday at Mabank, the first pitch at 4 p.m. And game three would follow game two, if a third game is necessary.

By the way, for those wondering who the other duos were that won the awards who were from the same school, in the same week: Earlier in the 2025 school year, in basketball season, Tatum’s Kamdyn Scott and JaCorie Bradley were named our players of the week the same week, and then Luke Sigler and Aundrea Bradley, also both of Tatum, pulled off the feat, also both for basketball.

For anyone who’d like to read about any of our winners this school year, here you go:

Now, we’ve talked at length in this space about how the ETBlitz.com crew should probably be getting our mail at Whataburger – we’re there a LOT.

Here’s one of the reasons why. Check out the return of Whataburger’s Mushroom Swiss burger. And remember that if you download the app for your phone, you can earn points for free items. Check out anything Whataburger-related on the app, or here on their excellent website: Whataburger | Order Online with Curbside and Delivery.

Congratulations again to Coy Freeman and Chloe Ellis, the Whataburger / ETB Players of the Week!

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