Chandler RB staying in state at Arizona Christian
This is No. 8 in a month-long series of profiles of Arizona high school seniors that signed with four-year colleges. Here's the full list (currently totaling 262) of players from within the state moving on to the next level.
SPOTLIGHT: 2/14/23
The Chandler Wolves made it to at least the semifinals in the state's largest classification or the Open Division for the 10th consecutive year in 2022. The Wolves had a strong run game that accounted for 32 touchdowns last season. While Chandler had one workhorse back, the depth was also important. One of those in the CHS running back room was Charles Ennis Jr.
The 5-foot-8, 195-pound back averaged six yards per carry last season at Chandler. Ennis Jr. was on the varsity team in 2020 when the Wolves claimed their fifth consecutive state championship.
Ennis Jr. received his first offer from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He collected another one in late November from Arizona Christian. Following a visit to the Glendale campus, Ennis Jr. committed to the Firestorm in January and signed earlier this month.
"What made ACU so appealing was the coaching staff," Ennis Jr. said in an e-mail interview. "Just hearing (head) Coach (Jeff) Bowen speak, you could just feel his love for his players and his passion for helping develop them into men of faith and the principles really stood out."
ACU added a football program to its sports program in 2014. The Firestorm compete at the NAIA level and have been members of the Sooner Athletic Conference. This fall, Arizona Christian is leaving the SAC to join the Frontier Conference in football.
Ennis Jr. likes the choice of being able to stay close to home with an opportunity to earn a degree and continue to play the game he loves.
"The facilities are great," Ennis Jr. said. "They also have smaller class sizes, which I'm also excited about. The team is always in the running for a conference championship and recently made the NAIA playoffs. I'm extremely excited about the chance to help the program continue to grow on that success."
At a big national powerhouse school like Chandler it can be difficult to get on the field. The roster is a long one year in and year out. Making it on there is half the battle. To have sustained success like the Wolves have had, it's about everyone on the team buying in and understanding the purpose.
"Everyone on the team has a role, even when sometimes it might not seem that way," Ennis Jr. said. "You just continue to believe in your teammates, in your ability, and be ready when your number is called."
Ennis' number was called at a critical time for Chandler. In the first round of the Open Division playoffs, the Wolves were already without starting running back Ca'lil Valentine. That gave Ennis Jr. more snaps and he caught a touchdown pass from Dylan Raiola to open the scoring in the first quarter. Later in the game, the backup tailback left with an injury giving Ennis Jr. some carries. He scored a second TD early in the fourth quarter to put Chandler up by 10 points. The Wolves would go on to win 47-27.
Off the field, Ennis Jr. carries a 3.7 GPA and was accepted to every college he applied to. He also won the team's Wolf Award for Salute to Service.
Ennis Jr. is a multi-sport athlete that has competed on the track and field team in sprints, long jump, triple jump, and the javelin.
It was a big signing class on Feb. 1 for Arizona Christian as an even 50 players signed with the Firestorm. Thirty of those 50 players are out of high schools. As of now, 13 Arizona HS seniors are a part of the ACU signing class and will enroll in the fall. Last year, ACU was a co-champion in the SAC. The Firestorm finished 8-2 in the regular season and made the NAIA playoffs. In the postseason, ACU battled No. 1 Morningside all day long and only trailed 21-18 after three quarters before falling 35-18.
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