Kilgore takes PT to the woodshed

WHAM! - Kilgore linebacker Rick Thomas (21) and defensive lineman Greg Szymarek (41) harassed Pine Tree quarterback Matt Hughes all night Friday, allowing the Pirates just 115 total yards. Kilgore beat Pine Tree, 42-0, after getting 400-plus yards rushing from Hakeem Colbert, Torian Rodgers and Frank Reddic. LONGVIEW - This was supposed to be the year, many said, that Pine Tree would give Kilgore a game in football.

All it took was the first quarter Friday night to figure out that wasn't going to happen.

The Kilgore Bulldogs scored 21 first-quarter points, rolled up over 450 yards rushing and held Pine Tree scoreless Friday night in a very one-sided 42-0 game, capped by a 213-yard rushing performance by young Hakeem Colbert, who scored an 89-yard touchdown late in the contest.

The win, while lopsided, was important for Kilgore - the Bulldogs are trying to be one of three teams to get into the UIL Class 4A playoffs, and this year in District 12-4A, it's a tight race.

Kilgore is now 5-2 overall, 3- 1 in 12-4A play with three games - all district contests - to go in the regular season. Whitehouse beat Hallsville, 22- 19, Friday night and is the current district leader. Kilgore and Marshall each are 3-1. Hallsville and Nacogdoches are both 2-2. Henderson and Jacksonville are each 1-3 and PT is at the bottom of the standings, 0-4.

STEAMROLLER, BABY - Kilgore running back Torian Rodgers (33) runs through a Pine Tree tackle. Rodgers finished with 200 yards and three touchdowns, one of them on this play. The Ragin' Red dominated the game, beating the Pirates, 42-0, for another District 12-4A win. Kilgore (5-2 overall, 3-1 in 12-4A) hosts Hallsville this Friday night. Kilgore hosts Hallsville this Friday night.

KHS head coach Mike Vallery said he felt like he was at a home game at Pirate Stadium.

"You don't feel like you're away from home when you've got a crowd like this," Vallery said after the win. "...We did have some turnovers tonight, but I really thought we played well in every phase of the game. We've got three games left (in the regular season) and they're all important, starting with Hallsville Friday night."

The Bulldogs were rolling early and often against PT. Kilgore accepted the opening kickoff, but a false start penalty before the very first play from

scrimmage put the 'Dogs in a hole, and they went three downs and out. On the punt, though, the Pirates were flagged for a personal foul for roughing KHS kicker Ryan Bustin, giving Kilgore the ball back on its own 44.

On the very next play, quarterback Eric King dropped back

and found wideout Deaundray Rossum downfield. Rossum caught the ball at about the PT 25-yard-line and took it the rest of the way for a 56-yard touchdown. Bustin's extra point gave the Ragin' Red a 7-0 lead with 10:09 left in the first quarter.

After holding PT to a quick three-and-out, Kilgore got the ball back at its own 17, and went to work. Running backs Torian Rodgers and Frank Reddic made three big plays - including a 33-yard run by Rodgers - to the Pirates' 28, and after Reddic was stopped on first down, Rodgers scored on a 28-yard run. Bustin made another extra point for a 14-0 KHS lead with 6:28 left in the quarter.

The Bulldogs' defense played particularly well in this game, allowing PT just 26 first-half yards (and no first-half first downs), and forced another punt on the ensuing Pirates' possession.

Kilgore got a big return from Cody Murphy and was set up in PT territory, starting the next drive at the Pirates' 44. On a third down and 13 play, King got the ball to Rodgers on a halfback screen pass that Rodgers picked up 11 yards on, and on fourth-and-2, Rodgers broke free through the right side of the Pine Tree defense and went the distance, a 36- yard touchdown run. Bustin's extra point gave the Bulldogs the 21-point first-quarter lead with 2:05 left in the quarter.

Kilgore almost added a fourth first-half touchdown, but the ball was knocked to the turf at the PT 4, and the Pirates' defensive line fell on it.

In the third quarter, Pine Tree picked up its first first down of the game on the very first offensive possession, but Pirates receivers

had a problem dropping many of the balls thrown their way by quarterback Matt Hughes. Hughes, under pressure by the Kilgore defense the entire night. The entire PT offense gained just 111 yards of total offense on the night. The Pirates' leading rusher was Cameron Copeland, who had just 35 yards.

Kilgore didn't score again until the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs got a 25-yard gain from Rodgers, then two plays later got a 27-yard gain by Colbert. Rodgers would finish the drive with his third touchdown of the night, a 4-yard run with 9:09 left in the game to give Kilgore a 28-0 lead. Bustin was perfect on extra points, hitting all six.

Colbert gained 48 yards on first down on the next KHS possession, and this time it was Reddic doing the scoring honors, finishing the drive with a 5- yard touchdown with 6:26 remaining.

The only time Pine Tree threatened to score all night came after the Pirates recovered a Kilgore fumble at the PT 40. The Pirates were in fourth-and- 2 at the Kilgore 12 and running back LaKeith Johnson was stopped for a 1-yard gain by Kilgore's Greg Szymarek and Shaun Edwards.

Kilgore took over the ball and on first down at their own 11, Colbert burst through the middle of the defense, running out of a pair of tackles and overcoming an ankle-tackle, recovering for an 89-yard touchdown

that capped the scoring. Bustin's extra point made it 42-0 Kilgore with 22 seconds left.

It was, by far, the best rushing game the Bulldogs had put together so far this season. Colbert finished with 213 yards on nine carries and the spectacular touchdown run; Rodgers had 200 yards on 18 carries, a lot of

that in the first half, and three touchdowns; and Reddic finished with 43 yards and a touchdown, as well.

King went 4 of 8 for 90 yards and the 56-yard touchdown to Rossum, and didn't throw a pass in the second half. Rodgers had an 11-yard screen pass, and Jeremy Thomas had a pair of catches for 22 yards.

Defensively, Rossum had an interception and Szymarek had a sack. Jaron Shepherd led with eight tackles. Rick Thomas had six. Szymarek had the sack and two tackles. Michael Huey had three tackles, as did Weston Thomas.