WAKE UP! on ETBLITZ.COM! | Congratulations to graduates; 7-on-7 results; one last chance to win gift cards; Overton baseball; and NORRRRM!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Happy Sunday, everybody, and we won’t waste time: It’s Wake-Up! On ETBlitz.com, presented by the Cozy Coffee Station, where you can find the absolute very best, not just coffee, but all sorts of tea, soda, even snacks. Do that at 110 Midtown Plaza in Kilgore, and 755 Highway 271 North in Gilmer. And cheat! Look ahead here at their website, Home | Cozy Coffee Station, to see what you’ll have before you go.

Grad-ulations, graduates

A special congratulations from ETBlitz.com to every single graduate, everywhere, but especially to our graduates at schools in our area: Arp, Gilmer, Gladewater, Henderson, Kilgore, Leverett’s Chapel, Overton, Sabine, Tatum, Troup, West Rusk, and White Oak.

Congratulations, as well, to all those graduates at Kilgore College, of which we have one on our staff, and in our family: our own Ms. Ashtyn Lucas. We are proud of you, Ashtyn.

Last day to enter the gift card-o’mania

That’s a bit cheesy, but I couldn’t think of anything else to call it.

We’re drawing today for the three gift cards to Cozy Coffee Station: one for those who entered on Facebook, one for those who entered on Instagram, and one for those who entered here on ETBlitz.com.

They’re each $20, and we’ll let everyone know on Wake Up!’s Monday edition who won ‘em.

It’s not too late to enter.

There’s an existing post on the ETBlitz.com Facebook page about the giveaway. You’ll need to scroll down to find it. Everyone who shares, comments, likes or loves the comment will be entered into a drawing. A name drawn at random on Sunday, May 25 will win the card, and the winning name will be announced in Wake Up! on ETBlitz the next day, on Monday, May 26, and on Facebook.

There’s also a post on Instagram. To enter the Instagram drawing, follow @ETBlitzofficial and share the post. Everyone who does so will be entered in that drawing.

On ETBlitz.com, simply go to the website, and comment on any story (comment boxes are at the bottom of every story). Everyone who does so will be entered into today’s drawing, and then everyone will know tomorrow morning who won.

Good luck, and we’ll be doing other promotions soon.

7-on-7 results

If you’re curious who qualified on Saturday in the 7-on-7 state qualifying tournaments in Tyler, hosted by Chapel Hill and Grace Community, Chapel Hill and Paris both qualified, and will join Kilgore at the Texas State 7-on-7 Football Tournament at Veterans Park in College Station on June 26-28.

Four ETBlitz-area programs were in the tournament: Gilmer, Kilgore (who had already qualified for state a couple of weeks ago at a state qualifier at their own stadium), Sabine and White Oak.

ETBlitz.com and our partner in crime, so to speak, Box County, were there last year when Kilgore and Sabine competed in the state tournament, and we plan to make a return trip this year.

Some scores from Saturday:

• In pool A, Chapel Hill defeated Gilmer, 21-19; Mabank beat Sabine, 33-0; Chapel Hill beat Sabine, 33-0; Mabank beat Gilmer, 26-19; Chapel Hill beat Mabank, 34-18; and Gilmer defeated Sabine, 25-12.
• In pool B, Kilgore beat Sulphur Springs, 26-6; Palestine beat Emory Rains, 15-8; Kilgore beat Palestine, 21-6; Sulphur beat Rains, 20-6; Kilgore beat Rains, 34-20; and Sulphur defeated Palestine, 33-7.
• In pool C, Sunnyvale beat Pleasant Grove, 25-20; White Oak beat Mexia by a couple of TDs, 20-6, and beat Sunnyvale, 32-27; Pleasant Grove beat Mexia, 21-13, then beat White Oak, 28-18; and Sunnyvale beat Mexia, 27-7.
• And in pool D, Paris beat Lindale, 33-27; Bullard beat Crockett, 32-13; Lindale beat Bullard, 34-12; Paris held off Crockett, 20-13; Lindale defeated Crockett, 22-14; and Paris beat Bullard, 34-28.
• In the state final games, Chapel Hill beat Sulphur Springs by just two, 14-12, and Paris beat Sunnyvale, 28-19.

We’ll have more on Kilgore in the 7-on-7 state tournament as it gets closer.

Overton-Burton reminder

Can’t do a Wake-Up! without mentioning Overton High School baseball these days, because they’re the only team we have left still playing – and because they’re a series win from playing for a state championship.

Overton, coached by Chris Cook and Scotty Laymance, takes on Burton in a best-of-three-game series in the University Interscholastic League’s Class 2A, Division II playoffs, the state semifinals.

Their series will be played in its entirety at Sam Houston State University, weather-permitting, and begins Wednesday at 6 p.m. Game two will be Thursday at 4 p.m., and if they need a game three to decide it, game three would be roughly 30 minutes after the conclusion of game two.

Tickets are $10 each for adults, $7 each for students at the gate.

The winner will face either Stamford or Collinsville on June 5 at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, a 9 a.m. start for the 2A-DII state championship game.

Good luck, Mustangs – we want you in that state title game.

“NOOORRRRRRRM!” (“Norman.”)

A lot of you guys are aware of my fondness for the 1980s. It was, after all, my time. I grew up then, graduated from high school then. And let’s face it – the ‘80s were the best decade. I mean, come on. We gave you guys President Reagan, we gave the world the best music ever, the best TV shows ever, and the best movies.

One of the icons from ‘80s TV passed away this past week, from one of my favorite shows. Of course, I’m talking about George Wendt. Even if you didn’t watch a single episode of “Cheers,” you probably know that when Wendt, who played lazy accountant Norm Peterson, entered Cheers, everyone in the room yelled, “NORM!,” except waitress Diane Chambers, who simply greeted him with “Norman,” after the shouts.

Believe it or not, the good folks at YouTube and Peacock put together a montage of EVERY SINGLE TIME Norm / Norman entered Cheers from all of the episodes. This wasn’t done this week, ironically, but a few years ago. Hope you get a kick out of it.

And have a great Sunday, y’all.