The 2021 calendar year certainly provided its fair share of ups and downs but for the most part, seemed to get people closer to a sense of normalcy again. In the sports arenas, many Brazos Cougars excelled and represented their school at the regional and state levels and returned home with some hardware and records.

The Sealy News compiled the top stories that impacted the City of Wallis from news and sports perspectives and the following are excerpts from highlights throughout the year. For the full stories and even more, visit sealynews.com.

Kneip, Lewis sign NLIs

To start the year, a pair of part, seemed to get people closer to a sense of normalcy again. Brazos Cougar student-athletes signed their National Letters of Intent to continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level.

Maddie Kneip made her commitment to run cross country at Southwestern Assemblies of God University official at a ceremony Dec. 4, 2020, and D.J. Lewis pledged his commitment to play football at Texas Lutheran University during a ceremony Jan. 8.

On the cross-country course, Kneip closed an illustrious Brazos career with a top-10 finish in district as a senior. She missed her junior year due to injury but had been on two state-qualifying Cougarette teams in her first two years of high school.

Lewis earned all-district honorable mentions as a junior and secured a spot on the second-team all-district defense in his final season where the Cougars won a pair of games through the pandemic.

Makinzy joins siblings

At a signing ceremony Nov. 8, Makinzy Kneip joined the masses in putting pen to paper on her National Letter of Intent to solidify her spot on the SAGU softball squad next year.

She will join her sister Maddie, a member of Brazos’ Class of 2021, who ran cross country for the Lions this fall, and their brother Kaden, a member of Brazos’ Class of 2020 who is on the SAGU baseball team.

Makinzy Kneip finished her junior year on the softball diamond as the Cougarettes’ lone first-team all-district honoree at the shortstop position. She then played for the Texas Lady Aces in a summer league and helped register a 16-6-1 final record.