The Big White K, the AARP, and lots of good football

Photo by Lester Murray HARD RUNNING — Kilgore running back Frank Reddic (left, 4) tries to avoid the tackle of an oncoming Carthage defender. Reddic, sporting the new Kilgore helmet with the big white 'K,' finished with 109 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries on Friday in the Bulldogs' 33-20 win over Carthage. A few random thoughts from the sidelines of Friday night's 2008 Kilgore High School football season opener against Carthage — and since...

• Nice to see everyone: I think everybody with whom I shared a conversation on Friday night was wearing a smile. Everyone seemed to be in a great mood, and happy a competitive football game was about to take place at tradition rich R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium.

• Trying to beat the heat: Both teams were struggling, and I mean struggling, with the heat. Kilgore has played in some warm weather since I've been here — some of our Saturday scrimmages have been just brutal — but in Friday's game against Carthage, the heat was almost stifling. You could see it on just about everyone's faces. Coach Mike Vallery acknowledged after the game that he thought both teams were having problems with players cramping up, as in most season-opening August games, but last night was as bad as I've ever seen it. KHS wide receiver Andrew Ector, who had a 40-yard touchdown catch and a 50-yard kick return in the game, was battling cramps all night long, and senior offensive lineman Vince Cano looked to be in some serious pain just after the game concluded.

• Not that sloppy: I thought it looked like a first game in a lot of phases, but it was not a poorly-played game at all, by either team. Carthage came in and was just as-advertised: a physical 3A team with a talented quarterback and running back, a balanced offense that provided Kilgore with a few challenges.

The Bulldogs met those challenges. We've talked about it before, but Kilgore's coaching staff is just about the best this area has to offer at making halftime adjustments. Carthage quarterback Si'- Darius Blackshire had 142 passing yards at halftime. His passing yardage after the half: 0. As in goose-egg.

Lots of people were responsible for that. The defensive front — ends Dominique Jones, Tyler Dennis and Shaun Edwards and tackles Vince Cano and Justin Roberts — made the Carthage offensive line work hard all night. Dennis' interception for a touchdown (maybe the shortest interception for a score I've ever seen, somewhere between 2 and 4 yards) was a game-changing play. Linebackers Jordan Henderson, Javarri Kelly and Sabit Bauta are a talented group, and can hit. The secondary held their own in spite of Carthage hitting a couple of big plays. As mentioned, Carthage really didn't have much offense to speak of in the second half.

• The 'K': If you weren't' at the game Friday night, you'll notice a new feature on the Kilgore High uniforms this year: a big white 'K' on each side.

I like it. Opponents can see a white blur when our skill players run by.

• Fun to watch: Is it just me, or does KHS running back Frank Reddic get better with every game?

Reddic is a north-to-south runner. We say that, and some people don't realize what it means. To run "north-south" means a back is running right at the line of scrimmage, right at the defense, and having success picking up yardage. An "east-to-west" runner, by comparison, will try to stretch the defense out by running sideline to sideline, then trying to find the corner.

Reddic is hitting his stride. He's running hard, he's got good blocking skills, and don't forget: he is a legitimate threat to catch the ball. He's got good hands. He caught 10 passes in 2007, turning some of those into big plays, and quarterback Steven McBryde already has two completions to him after just one game.

Courtney Maddox and Trevor Moon also had carries in the win over Carthage, and are not a drop-off from Reddic. McBryde, for which the Carthage game was his first start at quarterback on the varsity level, had the one miscommunication with Xavian Sanders, but can really gun the ball. He has the ability to wind away from the pass rush, and gives Kilgore not just a credible passing game but a threat to scramble. Ken Smith, a junior, got in a few snaps under center last night, and at 6-foot-3, 200, he's a tough tackle.

Of course, the offense is only as good as the offensive line, and those guys are hard workers, all of them. The line, for the most part, was played Friday by center Colby Rosen, John Swanson, Tyler Waddle, Cano, and Jeff Watson, with tight end work by Dominique Jones (a better blocker than he gets credit for) and newcomer Blayne Cole. Cole is a big kid, listed on the roster at 6-4, 220, and he's a handful.

• The Hallsville-Tatum score: Everyone on the sidelines seemed to be impressed with Hallsville — Kilgore's next opponent — throttling normally-strong Tatum the way they did on Friday, to the tune of a 42-7 blowout.

I admit I was surprised Tatum gave up that many points, and seemed to be dominated. But if you've been paying attention, Tatum has had quite a bit of talent pass through its doors in recent years, and the Eagles have graduated quite a bit of it. That, combined with the move back to 3A after the UIL realignment, could make 2008 a tough year on the gridiron for them.

• Surprise of the night: To me, the shocker was that Naaman Forest dropped 52 points on Whitehouse. The Wildcats have had a couple of good years now, after being the doormat of the area year-in and year-out. They do still have Brady Attaway, a very good high school quarterback. But if they are going to ever seriously contend for a state championship, the Wildcats are going to have to play better defensively, something that hasn't happened with regularity since they burst onto the scene in 2006.

• Worst thing to get in the mail before your birthday: With my birthday coming Monday, I walked to the mailbox Friday and what did I pull out?

An envelope from AARP, apparently seeking me to enroll.

• Best sign you just got a haircut that your child thinks is too short: You walk into the living room upon arriving home, your 4-year-old sees you and begins laughing hysterically to the point that she falls off the sofa. That happened to me on Friday, and yes, Ashtyn was keeled over, laughing.

Make no mistake: I like the short haircut, even if my hair looks more grey.

Have a happy Labor Day (I'll be laboring on Game Time Weekly for you to read), and I'll see you at Hallsville.