Overtime classic behind them, KHS visits Pine Tree

READY TO RUMBLE - The Kilgore High School Bulldogs got a muchneeded second-straight win last Friday night, beating Jacksonville, 30- 28, in four overtimes. The Ragin' Red (4-2 overall, 2-1 in District 12-4A) make another road trip this week, playing at Pine Tree on Friday night at 7:30. After participating in a four-overtime slugfest at Jacksonville last week, the Kilgore Bulldogs - the winners of that District 12-4A battle - go back to work Friday night, this time against a team that hasn't won a district game so far this season.

KHS (4-2 overall, 2-1 in district play) visits Pine Tree (2- 4, 0-3) Friday night at 7:30 p.m.

Kilgore coach Mike Vallery said that, in spite of Pine Tree's winless district record and recent football history, his team will not overlook the Pirates.

"We know we're in for another hard-fought game," Vallery said Wednesday. "They're a little bit different than They mix things up well. They've got a quarterback (Matt Hughes) that's been with them three years. He's an accurate passer, and you can throw a pretty good running game in there with it. We look at it going in as another big district game where we've got to play well."

A win this week certainly won't guarantee Kilgore one of the district's three playoff spots, but being 3-1 against district competition surely won't hurt. Following this trip to Pine Tree, Kilgore has three games left on the regular schedule: at home against Hallsville next weekend; at Henderson Nov. 3; and at home against Marshall Nov. 10. All, including the KHS-PT game, could be meaningful to the district's playoff race.

Whitehouse is the district's only unbeaten team (3-0). Kilgore, Hallsville and Marshall are all 2-1, with Marshall now holding a win over Hallsville. Jacksonville, Henderson and Nacogdoches are each 1-2, and Pine Tree is 0-3. The Kilgore coaches and players probably feel they're better shape than Jacksonville, the team they defeated last week. Jacksonville now probably has to win all of its games to have a shot at the postseason. The Bulldogs are taking it one game at a time. And the way - no one, Vallery said, in the Kilgore locker room still celebrating the 30-28 four-overtime victory at the Tomato Bowl last Friday night.

"This district race - you can't live on the one from last week," the coach said. "You've got to be ready to go again. ...I think the kids are over (the four-OT game). I'm not sure their old coach is, though."

Kilgore heads into this game at Pine Tree with three capable running backs: Torian Rodgers, Frank Reddic and Hakeem Colbert. The Bulldogs were dealt a blow in the Nacogdoches game, losing last year's leading rusher, Jerek Sheffield, to a knee injury.

But Rodgers has ran well in his stead. Since the second half of the Kilgore-Nac game began two weeks ago, Rodgers has rushed for 220 yards and a pair of touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass, as well. He has 509 yards and four touchdowns on 89 carries, including a 33-carry performance (for 116 yards and a TD) against Jacksonville last week.

The offense is starting to gel. Quarterback Eric King, a junior, threw the ball 22 times against Jacksonville - he was 11 of

last week, and on the season, he's completed 29 of 55 passes for 389 yards and has thrown seven touchdowns and a couple of interceptions.

King is throwing quite a bit to Jaron Shepherd, Deaundray Rossum, Cody Murphy and even Torian Rodgers. Shepherd leads the team in receptions - he has 13 catches on the season for 185 yards and four TDs. Deaundray Rossum has eight catches for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The men in front, protecting King and opening holes for Rodgers, Reddic and Colbert, are the offensive line of Joey White, Michael Huey, Jeff Watson, Josh Slagle and Adam Wiggins, as well as tight ends Dominique Jones and Greg Szymarek, who both have also been factors on defense, along with big Huey and Larry Zachary.

Linebacker Rick Thomas had seven tackles in last week's win and leads the team in

tackles and a sack, and Kendrick Ector had four tackles and an interception in overtime.

Huey had five tackles and Vince Cano and Shepherd each had four. Murphy, Rossum, Shepherd and Taylor Strube make up a good backfield for the Bulldogs.

Placekicker and punter Ryan Bustin, a freshman, has already made some clutch kicks this season, and none bigger than a 34-yard field goal that tied the game against Jacksonville with 1:16 left, and eventually, of course, sent it to overtime.

Kilgore's defense will face a capable passing attack by the Pine Tree Pirates. Hughes, a senior, has completed 54 of 90 passes for 561 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. He went 16 of 30 for 162 yards and four picks last week in the Pirates' 28-0 loss to Whitehouse at Pine Tree. The Pirates lost the game even though they actually outgained Whitehouse in total yards (by

Cameron Copeland actually leads the Pirates in rushing - he has over 350 yards this season already, and two touchdowns - but Kenny Hawkins led them last week, with 83 yards on 14 carries. For the season, Hawkins has 268 yards on 45 carries and a touchdown.

The Pirates' leading receiver is Delandrick Writt, who has 22 catches for 293 yards so far in 2006.

Whitehouse led the game just 7-0 at halftime.

If you can't make it to the game, listen to it on the radio on 1240-AM with Don Hedrick, Ronnie Chappell and Doug Smith, the Ragin' Red Broadcasting team, on the call - it's their 25th year to do so. You can also hear the KHS-PT game on the internet on the Texas Sports Radio Network's web site, tsrnsports.com - that also is the Ragin' Red Broadcasting call of the game.