Kilgore's JV, freshmen sweep Tigers

If the Kilgore High School varsity team plays tonight as well as the program's junior varsity and freshmen teams did on Thursday, Mount Pleasant might be in trouble.

Kilgore's JV squad beat the Tigers, 30-15, moving to 2-0 on the season. The Bulldogs have outscored MPHS and Crockett 74-21 in those two games.

Jordan Henderson gave the Kilgore JV its lead when he scored on an 8-yard run, and then Kilgore got a two-point conversion by Courtney Maddox.

That would become a theme.

Chris Williams recovered a botched punt and returned it for the Bulldogs' second score, with Maddox adding another conversion, and Kilgore taking a 16-0 advantage.

Maddox got into the end zone himself with 40 seconds left in the half, and although the conversion failed, Kilgore led 22-0 at the break.

Kilgore's final score of the game was scored by Mishaud Austin with 9:06 left, and Braylon McCarty added the conversion, giving Kilgore 30 points. Kilgore's defense played well, too, grabbing two interceptions (by Taylor Carter and Daedrick Lacy).

The freshmen team also beat Mount Pleasant, 28-6.

Kilgore got kind of an unexpected score when punter Santo Gonzales, trying to pick up a first down on a fake punt, got through the defense completely, and scored on a 40-yard play. Gonzales finished with 47 yards and the touchdown on five carries.

Breon Ector led Kilgore with 70 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries (7 yards per carry) and also scored two two-point conversions for the Bulldogs.

Quarterback Brandon Lea went 2-for-3 for 53 yards and a touchdown, with both passes going to Robert Morgan. Lea also had three carries for 3 yards, and Brancha Peagues had 2 yards on 5 carries.

Jeffrey Price set up a score for Kilgore with a big play on defense. Price recovered a fumble and returned it 40 yards to the Mount Pleasant 8-yard-line, setting up one of the touchdowns scored by Ector. The Bulldogs never trailed in the game.

The freshmen are also 2-0, and visit Atlanta next Thursday night. Due to some injuries on the Atlanta JV, there won't be a JV game. The freshmen will play at 5:30, head coach Joey Pippen said.

Both the freshmen and JV have an open date Sept. 20.

The Ragin' Red, the varsity football team, visits Mount Pleasant tonight, a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

Other games tonight involving teams in the Kilgore News Herald's coverage area:

• Sabine (0-1) hosts Jefferson (0-1) in the first home game at Sabine for first-year head coach David Feaster.

Feaster's Cardinals put up a good fight last Saturday in the Gladewater Kickoff Classic, falling to Troup, 28-21.

• Local rivals West Rusk (1-0) and Overton (1-0) meet in Overton at Coach Chester Roy Stadium. The series began just two years ago, and the Mustangs are 2-0 against the Raiders. It will be the first game in the series for first-year West Rusk head coach John Frazier. West Rusk beat Cushing last week, 30-9, while Overton got a 48-30 win over Union Hill.

See coverage of these games in Sunday's News Herald sports section.

The Kilgore College Rangers, 1-1 after a big 34-24 win at Tyler Junior College, have an open date this week and are finally home next Saturday, Sept. 15, opening Southwest Junior College Football Conference play against Navarro, a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Thanks to Karen Day-Norris and to Joey Pippen for statistics for the freshmen and JV games.