Same old 'Cats, same old 'Dogs

WHAM! BAM! SIX POINTS — Kilgore High School linebacker Taylor Carter (above, 44) hits Hallsville quarterback Tom Lee Hutchinson (7), jarring the ball free. It was scooped up by KHS defensive end Shaun Edwards (30), who got a wall of security from his teammates and raced into the end zone, giving Kilgore a 14-0 lead. The Ragin' Red left Hallsville with a 23-10 win. Kilgore (2-0) visits Marshall Friday. HALLSVILLE — Sometimes football just comes down to the basics, and while it isn't necessarily pretty, a win is a win is a win.

That was evident here Friday night, as the Kilgore High School Bulldogs overcame a bit of an off-night in the passing game and a few turnovers to get a convincing win over former district rival Hallsville, 23-10. The Bobcats trailed 14-3 at halftime, and although Kilgore didn't pull all that far away, Hallsville never really threatened KHS in the fourth quarter.

The victory moves the Ragin' Red to 2-0 on the season, with another former district rival — Marshall — on the horizon. Kilgore visits the 2-0 Mavericks this Friday.

Photos by Dr. Jeff Davis KHS head coach Mike Vallery, who picked up his 215th career win, said he'd take the victory, but felt like the Bulldogs could have played better.

"There's not an 'easy' opponent on our schedule," Vallery said after the game, asked about a non-district schedule that includes Marshall, Gilmer and Palestine in the weeks ahead. "Right now, we're glad to get out of here with a win over a good Hallsville football team. We did some good things tonight, but we left a lot of points out here. By that, I mean we've got to be smarter in certain situations, and not waste scoring opportunities."

Both teams turned it over twice early. Kilgore's defense, which held a Hallsville team in check that scored 42 points on Tatum the week before, forced the Bobcats to a three-and-out on their first possession. Kilgore quarterback Steven McBryde was picked off to end the first KHS offensive series, and then gave the ball back to Hallsville on a botched punt return. But then it was Hallsville's turn to make a mistake. A pass play that appeared to set Hallsville up with great field position at Kilgore's 1-yard-line was nullified when the ball slipped out, and Kilgore cornerback Xavian Sanders fell on it.

TWO GAMES, TWO WINS FOR THE BULLDOGS — Above: Kilgore running back Frank Reddic (4) darts through the Hallsville defense with help from Dominique Jones (40) and Vince Cano (68), among others. Below: Cano, also a defensive lineman, tackles Hallsville tailback A.J. Jones as Tyler Dennis (31) moves in. The Bulldogs then put together a very impressive 99- yard drive — aided by unsportsman like conduct call and a personal foul call for a late hit — that ended up in points for KHS. Frank Reddic scored the first of two touchdowns on the night on a 3-yard run with 11:21 left in the half, capping

the 11-play drive. The key play was a 28- yard gain on a reverse by Andrew Ector.

Hallsville's next turnover was maybe the most costly mistake of the game.

On first down at midfield, Hallsville quarterback Tom Lee Hutchinson was scrambling to his left, toward the Kilgore sideline, trying to break free of the KHS defense and make something happen. Instead, it was Kilgore linebacker Taylor Carter who made something happen — he popped Hutchinson hard, jarring the ball free. It bounced off the superturf only twice before Kilgore defensive end Shaun Edwards picked it up off the second bounce and got a human shield from his teammates all the way to the end zone. Ryan Bustin booted the extra point as the Kilgore crowd screamed for Edwards, and KHS led 14-0 with 9:42 left in the half.

Photos by Dr. Jeff Davis Casey Lightle got Hallsville on the scoreboard with 1:40 left.

The Bulldogs couldn't produce points on their first two possessions of the second half, and then Hallsville made its biggest progress of the game, scoring on a 9-yard run by A.J. Jones with 4:45 left in the third quarter, pulling within four points of the Bulldogs, 14-10.

The 'Cats would get no closer.

On the next Ragin' Red possession, with time running out in the third quarter and KHS at its own 28-yard-line on third down, Reddic got through a hole opened by his offensive linemen and outran Hallsville defenders right down the middle of the field for a 72-yard touchdown. The extra point bounced off the left upright, but KHS led 20-10 with just under three minutes left in the third.

Trevor Moon, Courtney Maddox and Reddic all had some well-executed running in the second half, as Kilgore closed out the game — the only score in the fourth quarter was a jaw-dropping 45-yard field goal by Bustin, who bested his varsity careerlong by 3 yards with the kick.

Kilgore rolled up 268 yards rushing on the night, led by Reddic's 168. Trevor Moon had 64 yards, as well.

Jones finished with just 73 yards rushing and the touchdown for Hallsville (1-1).

After the game, the talk was about Edwards' game-breaking fumble recovery for a score.

"Hey, I wouldn't have even been able to make that play if not for my boy Taylor Carter," Edwards laughed.

Kilgore's opponent this week, Marshall, defeated Shreveport Huntington, 41-22, on Friday night. The Mavericks and Bulldogs have been one of the best rivalries in East Texas high school football in recent years.

Following the game at Marshall, Kilgore hosts Gilmer for homecoming Sept. 19.