Spirits lifted as Rangers head to Oklahoma

MOVE OUTTA MY WAY - Kilgore College running back Keith Smith (22) tries to avoid Trinity Valley defenders after making a catch from Jarred Wallace. The Rangers held on to beat Trinity Valley, 23-21, with a few late heroics, and go on the road to face conference foe Northeastern Oklahoma A&M this Saturday. Game time Game-planning for a game that will take place after an eight-hour bus trip is probably a lot like volunteering to host your family's Thanksgiving dinner, then waking up with a migraine headache that Thursday morning.

But the Kilgore College football coaching staff probably feels better this week after moving up to third place in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference standings with a much-needed win over Trinity Valley last Saturday, and maybe that road trip to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M

NEO) this week - a 2 p.m. Saturday kickoff - will go in the Rangers' favor for another conference win.

KC (3-4 overall) is now 2-2 in conference play with two games left: this weekend's trip to NEO

in Miami, Okla.) and next weekend's regular-season finale against Cisco, which also happens to be homecoming for the Rangers.

HEY, HEY, HOLLOWAY - Kilgore College's Kendrick Holloway (9) has four touchdown catches this season, including a fourth-quarter one last week vs. Trinity Valley. The four SWJCFC teams that finish with the best records make the conference's playoffs, and at least two of them will likely get bowl berths following said playoffs, which begin on Nov. 4 and conclude with a championship game on Nov. 11.

No one is putting KC in that postseason yet, but it's looking good. NEO could shake things up this weekend, though, and with a win over the Rangers, possibly force KC to beat Cisco - normally not a very difficult task. This year, though, Cisco, normally is a strong one-loss second to

after the Cardinals scored a touchdown,

Fox now believe they have two

Blinn.

free safety Errik Ejike batted

more-than-capable options at

The Rangers played well for

down the tying two-point

quarterback: Jarred Wallace, who

much of last weekend's 23-21 win

conversion pass. Ejike was named

has started every game since

over Trinity Valley, giving up the

the conference's defensive player

starter Trey Jones was injured in

lead in the second half, but reclaiming

of the week this week for his ninetackle,

week two, and former Kilgore

it, adding to it with a

one-interception performance.

High School standout Fisher, who

touchdown pass from Chase Fisher

went 3 of 4 for 83 yards and the

to Kendrick Holloway, and KC head coach Jimmy Rieves

touchdown to Holloway in the

second half of last week's game. That has been the only action of the season for Fisher. After the game, Rieves said he and Fox had been waiting until they felt the moment was right to put Fisher under center, and needing a bit of a lift at home, the moment must have been right. Fisher came in and did what he did 27 times at KHS: win.

Wallace has performed well in Jones' absence, too. On the season, he's completed 65 of 119 passes for 810 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. running-back-by-committee sessions each Saturday, but Billy Martin of Pittsburg had a good game last week, going for 72 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Martin leads the Rangers in rushing with 346 yards and three TDs on 82 carries this year. Keith Demby is just behind him - Demby, a former Pflugerville Connally standout, has 230 yards on 70 carries and a score. Also in the mix are Keith Smith (39 carries 177 yards in 2006) and Bee Jay Mathis (19 carries, 77 yards).

Adrian Brooks and Rashad Lee are getting the bulk of playing time at fullback for KC, and both catch the ball out of the backfield, as well.

Dante Higgins and Holloway are two of a big group of talented KC receivers that also includes former Kilgore standout Guy Clayton, Lewis Milbry, Mathis, Dee Watson, Deandre Wallace, and the injured Tee Canady. Higgins had four catches for 28 yards last week and on the season leads the Rangers with 15 catches for 238 yards and a touchdown. Holloway is right behind him at 13 catches for 185 yards and leads the team with four touchdown receptions.

The KC offense hopefully will continue to get better, but currently, KC is fifth overall in total offense, averaging 290 yards per game. Fortunately for KC, NEO's is worse, netting just 248 per contest.

Ejike is the brains of a very talented secondary on defense that also includes Quannell Butler, Avery Norris, Jamaal Skipper and a host of others. Butler and Ejike each had huge interceptions last week - Butler's came at the KC

270 yards per game. NEO's defensive of the end zone.

unit is next-to-last, allowing

The linebacking corps is as

324 per game. good, if not better, than any in the

The KC defense will face the conference, with the ever-present

conference's fourth-leading rusher and hard-hitting Tom Everett, the

this weekend in NEO running rejuvenated Giorgio Majors and

back Deji Karim, who has 578 Lafonzo Ruffin, Mark Forney,

yards and six touchdowns on 107 and Kilgore's own Antonio Kelly

carries. leading the way. The defensive

NEO quarterback Blake Byford front has been a dangerous one

has completed 41 of 93 passes for for KC opponents - Adrian

544 yards, five touchdowns and Johnson, a former John Tyler

eight interceptions. standout, has been amazing since

As a result of NEO's weak offensive transferring from Baylor, and converted

output so far this season, fullback Willie Green has

Karim is also the Golden Norsemen's played equally well. Both are defensive

leading receiver - he has tackles.

six catches for 59 yards.

Defensive ends Marcus Smith

Listen to the KC-NEO game on (two sacks last week) and Anthony

KZQX 105.3-FM here in Kilgore, Degrate (nine tackles) have only

or on the web on the Texas Sports gotten better as the year has

Radio Network's web site, tsrnsports. gone on. Smith's five sacks are

com. Both of those feature fourth in the conference this season.

the call of the "Voice of the Johnson has four, Garrett

Rangers," Manny Almanza, and three, Green 2 1/2, and Degrate

broadcast partner Mark Fried. two.