Lots of new opponents, and a few old rivals, on the Ragin' Red schedule

Photo by Lester Murray 2008 COACHING STAFF: Here are the coaches for the Kilgore High School football program this season. Pictured (from left, front row): head athletic trainer Darrell "Red" Ganus; Jeff Blackstone; Ronnie Lee Garvin; head football coach and athletic director Mike Vallery; Joey Pippen; Jay Dean; Jerry Reddic; and Charles Pressley. Back row (from left): T.J. Gillen Hall; Andy Robinson, Keith Myers, John McGilvray; Mike Wood; Les Loper; Mark Roskos; and Chris Vallery. Not pictured is kicking coach Michael Bradshaw, also Kilgore High School's new head boys soccer coach. The University Interscholastic League realigns its districts every two years, but during the last realignment, the district that included the Kilgore High School athletic programs didn't change.

This year, that's not the case.

Thanks in large part to Longview High School's enrollment number, on which realignments are based, the Longview-area schools are in a north-I- 20 district. So for the first time in recent memory, all KHS sports programs aren't in the same district with Pine Tree and Hallsville.

It's a whole new ballgame — literally — for this new school year, as Kilgore is a part of six-team District 14-4A.

There are several schools the Bulldogs will still have as district foes: nearby Henderson, perhaps Kilgore's oldest rival, is still a district opponent, as is Jacksonville. Whitehouse and Nacogdoches return, as well. The new member of the district is Lindale.

That district lineup will be for every Kilgore athletic program except soccer, which is different.

One other thing that's different this season: four teams will make the playoffs from each district, where in the past, it was just three.

Kilgore opens the schedule with an old rival, Carthage, on Friday night here at R.E. St. John, and then travels for two straight weeks to Hallsville (Sept. 5) and Marshall (Sept. 12) for what are now non-district games.

"I was glad we were able to schedule those games against Hallsville and Marshall," KHS head coach Mike Vallery said, "because we've built up good rivalries with those schools, and our fans kind of expect us to play those teams. They're normally great games, and we're excited about them remaining on the schedule."

A big-money game for the Bulldogs, although it's non-district, is their tussle with Gilmer here at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium on Sept. 19, also the Bulldogs' homecoming game.

• Carthage (Friday, Aug. 29) will be a good test for the Ragin' Red to kick off the season. The "other" Bulldogs compete at the 3A level, but they went 9-3, just like Kilgore, last season and went 5-0 in district play. Carthage brings back just two starters defensively, though. Their quarterback, Si'Darius Blackshire, was a wild man in 2007, passing for 2,600 yards, 32 touchdowns and threw just 11 interceptions in 254 pass attempts. CHS also returns much of its offensive line.

Carthage second-year coach Scott Surratt has to navigate a really tough schedule. After opening with Kilgore, the Bulldogs also face Henderson, normally-strong Atlanta, Nacogdoches and Jacksonville in their non-district schedule, and have to contend with Diboll and Jasper, likely, in District 18-3A.

• Hallsville (at Hallsville, Friday, Sept. 5) had a bit of a down season in 2007, going 3-7 overall and just 1-6 in district play after a more impressive playoff season in 2006.

The Bobcats will once again be coached by David Plunk, a Kilgore boy, and another former KHS athlete and coach, Rodney Barthelemess, is one of his top assistants. Barthelemess has been moved from defensive coordinator to offensive coordinator, and is also listed as head coach.

A.J. Jones will be a weapon for the Bobcats on offense. Jones had 670 yards and five touchdowns on 94 carries last season, and should be utilized a great deal. Handing off to him, likely, will be quarterback Tim Lee Hutchinson, listed at 6- foot-3.

Michael Boyd (6-0, 230 pounds) returns at one defensive end. Boyd had 46 tackles last year. Brandon Pyle joins Boyd up front. Pyle is a 6-2, 220-pound defensive tackle that recorded 52 stops last year.

• Marshall (at Marshall on Friday, Sept. 12):

Over the last six seasons, the Marshall Mavericks were arguably Kilgore's biggest rival for the district championship. Kilgore went 4-2 against some very good Marshall teams in that time. KHS, as we know, won the UIL Class 4A Division 2 state championship in 2004. That year, Marshall made it to the state championship game in 4A Division 1 and lost, then went back the following season, and lost again.

The Mavericks are guided by senior quarterback Darius Jones (5-10, 175), a verbal commitment to Oklahoma. Jones has played a number of positions for Marshall, and is a threat any time he's on the field. He was the District 12-4A offensive player of the year last year, when he rushed for almost 700 yards (averaging almost 7 yards per carry) and five scores, and threw for almost 700 yards and six more scores.

Jones' primary target is likely to be another highly-recruited athlete, wide receiver Dameon Smith. Smith had 413 yards receiving and three touchdowns last season and is listed at 6-2, 205. Jacob Bibb (6-2, 250) and Matt Sheppard (6-4, 290), the offensive lineman of the year in 2007, return to anchor the line.

On defense, Kilgore will have to contend with linebacker Aaron Franklin (6-2, 220), among others. Franklin was named the district's newcomer of the year last year as a sophomore.

• Gilmer (homecoming, Friday, Sept. 19): This is a game many East Texas fans have been waiting to be scheduled for three years.

When Kilgore won the state title in 4A in 2004, the Buckeyes pulled off the same feat in 3A, and made it to the 3A state title game last year (finishing with a 14-1 record) before losing to Liberty Hill. Coach Jeff Traylor returns once again to lead a program that, like Kilgore, has sent several of its players into the college football ranks in recent years.

While the Buckeyes only bring back one starter on offense and five on defense, the cupboard isn't bear for Traylor. The one starter that returns is quarterback Darian "Stump" Godfrey (6-1, 200), who completed 187 of his 296 passes last season for 2,727 yards, just four interceptions and 38 touchdowns as a sophomore.

Devane Clark hauled in 14 catches for 285 yards and five touchdowns in a non-starting role last year for Gilmer and is expected to provide Godfrey with a familiar face. Returning, as well, is running back Jeremy Jackson, who had 820 yards and scored 14 touchdowns in '07.

Defensively, linebacker Vance Green is among those back — Green helped spur the Buckeyes' defensive effort last year with 111 tackles. Also back is strong safety Paul Chestnut, who had four interceptions last season.

• Palestine (at Palestine on Friday, Sept. 26) might have once been known as Adrian Peterson University, and the Wildcats aren't exactly "Air Palestine," but they do throw it around a little more these days.

That's because they've got a quarterback-receiver tandem that can make the plays. Firstyear Palestine coach Booker T. Bowie will count on quarterback Olin Terry (5-9, 180) to get the job done at least as well as he did in 2007, when Terry passed for 784 yards and nine touchdowns. Terry is also a threat on the ground — he rushed for 1,120 yards and 12 scores to prove it.

His partner in the passing game will be wideout Earnest "E.J." Spurlock (6-0, 170), who caught 25 balls for 250 yards and two scores last year.

The Wildcats went 5-5 last season after losing 26 players to graduation in 2006, and missed the playoffs in 2007.

District 14-4A

• Lindale (here on Friday, Oct. 10): Following a bye week Oct. 3, the Ragin' Red will have to put their non-district schedule behind them and deal with a Lindale offense led by a dangerous young man.

Quarterback Nathan Simmons completed 142 of 257 passes last season for 1,870 yards, nine interceptions and 12 touchdowns. He was named by members of the East Texas media as the starting quarterback for the District 14-4A preseason all-district team. Another name to watch for is quarterback Matt Broussard, who was injured in 2007 but should see some playing time this year.

Another Eagle recognized on that preseason all-district team is wideout Logan Lawrence, who caught 49 passes for 700 yards and five scores last season.

Lindale went 5-5 last year. The Eagles bring back four starters on offense and five on defense, including defensive backs Will Kyle and Vinson Brown. Brown had three picks last year and Kyle, who was among the team leaders with 53 tackles, had two.

• Henderson (at Henderson, Friday, Oct. 17): When coach Vallery was asked to name one team in the district he believes will be improved from 2007, he quickly answered "Henderson."

The Lions were a pitiful 1-9 team in 2006, coach Dickie Meeks' first year. But Meeks turned around the program quite a bit in his second season. They finished with a 4-6 record, but scared a few opponents, including eventual district runner-up Whitehouse.

One of the first things that stands out about the Lions is their prolific offense, both on the ground and through the air. First-team alldistrict running back Telvin Fryman (5-10, 160) returns for his senior year after rolling up 1,215 yards and scoring nine touchdowns on 192 carries last year. Quarterback Tyrell Jenkins (6-4, 170), just a junior, had a great sophomore breakout year, passing for 954 yards and four scores, and he's got several targets back, including Cramer Hurt (6-0, 180) and Weldon Davis (6-6, 170). Davis caught 21 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns in 2007.

Defensively, linebacker Daniel Prior is the motor that makes the Lions run. Prior, who was the co-preseason all-district defensive player of the year with Kilgore's Dominique Jones, recorded 114 tackles, 20 for loss, last year. Another talent on defense to watch for is safety Tobi Washington (5-10, 175), who made four picks last year and had 58 tackles.

• Whitehouse (here, Friday, Oct. 24): Kilgore's 2007 victory over Whitehouse in last year's district opener was a statement win. The Bulldogs were very impressive at slowing the vaunted Whitehouse passing attack, and set the tone for the rest of the season on that victory.

The Bulldogs went on to win the district championship, finishing the 12-4A slate with a 6-1 record (the one loss in a sloppy game at Nacogdoches). Whitehouse finished second.

The Wildcats haven't had a good football history, but they have been good the last two seasons. However, they lost 40 players to graduation from that 2007 team.

Quarterback Brady Attaway (6-2, 185), who's promoted as one of the best quarterbacks in East Texas, returns. Attaway's numbers from 2007 are staggering — he completed 248 of 403 pass attempts for 3,127 yards, threw 39 touchdowns and 14 interceptions — but the Wildcats pretty much only passed the ball. Wide receiver Asher Williams (6-1, 190) returns. Williams had 48 catches for 600 yards and four scores last year.

A couple of defensive standouts are linebacker Seth Cashion (6-2, 195), who is one of the best in the district with 58 tackles and three sacks last year, and defensive back Quincy Aldridge, who had six interceptions in '07.

• Jacksonville (at Jacksonville, Oct. 31): Two seasons ago at Jacksonville's Tomato Bowl, Kilgore and Jacksonville played a classic four-overtime game that ended when the Indians scored a touchdown, but failed to tie the game with a two-point conversion.

Last year, things weren't as dramatic, a convincing Kilgore win at R.E. St. John.

The Bulldogs head back to the Tomato Bowl this season — on Halloween night, no less — to face a Jacksonville team with a new leader. Steve Wells is the new head coach of the Indians, and hopes to restore the Tribe's winning football tradition.

He'll count on a hard-hitting defense to help him do it. Linebacker Antwon Johnson (6-1, 205) is back, as is Justin Jones, who had 90 tackles last season. Kyle Stacy, who threw for 400 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions in limited action last year, and sophomore Ryan Black are expected to compete for the quarterback job.

• Nacogdoches (here, Nov. 7): Like Whitehouse, the Dragons were swarmed by graduation, losing quarterback Justin McAninch and many a talented defender.

Former linebacker Ben Perkins (6-0, 190) has been moved by coach Bill Harper to running back, and tight end LaBryant Johnson, a sophomore, was impressive for Nac in spring. If the Dragons can place a capable quarterback on the field, he'll have a few targets in wideouts Howard Thomas and JerMichael Smith. Thomas caught four touchdowns last season and Smith has dangerous speed.

Cornerback Jamar Roberts (5-9, 160) stands out in the secondary. Roberts had four interceptions a year ago.