Cisco wins high- scoring duel with KC

Photos by Lester Murray TOUGH BATTLE — Cisco quarterback Terrance Cain (top, left) tries to slip away from a Kilgore College defender. Right: KC receiver Kendrick Johnson (5) goes up between Cisco defenders to try and pull down a pass in the end zone. The Rangers lost the highscoring Southwest Junior College Football Conference playoff game, 52-42. The Kilgore College Rangers put up 42 points on one of the nation's best defenses on Saturday in a hard-fought Southwest Junior College Football Conference playoff game.

Unfortunately, the Rangers came out on the wrong end.

Blinn overcame over 200 yards of penalties and got revenge for an early-season loss to KC by holding off the Rangers 52-42 on Saturday, the first round of the SWJCFC playoffs. The Bucs' victory eliminated the Rangers, and Blinn moves on to face No. 1 Navarro this Saturday in Corsicana (Navarro beat Trinity Valley last weekend).

The season may not be over for KC, however — the Rangers are fielding potential bowl game opportunities, second year head coach J.J. Eckert said. Watch the News Herald's sports section in upcoming days if the Rangers do decide to accept a bowl offer.

Eckert was obviously disappointed after the Rangers' playoff loss, but commended his offense for doing so well against Blinn's defense, and kicker Marty Kolat for hitting five extra points in the contest in the absence of injured starting kicker Rico Casas.

No one on the Rangers' sideline was thinking bowl game last week: the focus was on Blinn.

The Bucs went up 28-7, and before halftime, freshman quarterback Shane Fry connected with Cortez Smith for a touchdown that cut the Blinn lead in half, 28-14. Smith was all alone on the Blinn sideline for the score.

Much like the Sept. 24 regular season game between the programs, Blinn took an early lead on a touchdown pass from Terrance Cain to Reggie Brown, this one for 34 yards.

KC cornerback Jimmy Anderson picked off Cain in the first half for his eighth interception of the year (that leads the nation) and the Rangers' defense did get some pressure on Cain, but the Blinn signalcaller was still very efficient on the afternoon, finishing 23-of- 29 for 409 yards, a touchdown and the one pick.

Blinn went up 14-0 before KC finally scored, a 37-yard touchdown strike from Fry to Darius Valentine, but the Bucs would add two more scores, including one on a punt return.

In short, Blinn's defense came into the game getting a lot of attention, but the offense played well in its own right, finishing with 540 yards of total offense. Dexter Ransom had eight receptions for 200 yards and a pair of scores. For the Rangers, Fry went 19-of-25 for 296 yards and four scores. Valentine caught five balls for 100 yards and two touchdowns, and Smith had six catches for 131 yards and the score before halftime.

In the second half, Cain fumbled on a sack by Alex Kautai that led to a fumble recovery for a touchdown by KC linebacker JoJo Schumpert, and KC eventually scored on a 3-yard run by tailback Donielle Hill on a direct snap — the big play on that drive was a 51-yard reception by Smith from Fry.

KC took the lead in the game on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Fry to Valentine, but the Bucs would soon reclaim the lead and go on to win the game.