LOCAL SPORTS IN BRIEF

BASKETBALL

KC teams in action tonight

Both the men's and women's basketball teams from Kilgore College are back in action tonight.

Coach Brian Hoberecht's Rangers (2-5) host Cedar Valley at 7 p.m., and also play Thursday night at home against Southwest Christian, another 7 p.m. tipoff. The Rangers picked up their second win of the young season on Saturday against Dallas Diesel, 85-72.

Coach Roy Thomas' Lady Rangers are 5-0, having defeated Collin County 58-46 on Saturday in the Rose City Classic in Tyler, and visit McLennan tonight in Waco, a 5:30 p.m. tipoff. The Lady Rangers are off, then, until Saturday, when both KC teams open their Region XIV Conference schedules at home against Panola College. Saturday's start times against Panola have the ladies game tipping off at 2 p.m., the men to follow at 4.

See coverage of KC-Cedar Valley and KC-McLennan in Wednesday's News Herald.

KHS falls to Longview

The Kilgore High School Lady Bulldogs opened their 2008-09 home schedule on Monday night against Longview, coming up short to the talented and experienced Lady Lobos, 65-34.

Kilgore (1-2 on the season) is back in action at Tyler Lee on Saturday, beginning with the freshmen at 11 a.m., then the junior varsity and varsity following. That's a change from the schedule on KISD website, but the 11 a.m. time is correct.

Against Longview, Kilgore trailed 34-19 at the half, but didn't play badly at all in what turned out to be a fairly physical game, a good test early in the schedule.

The reason for scheduling a power team like Longview? To be tested for district play later, coach Davia Garrett said.

"I feel like we did well in spurts," Garrett said. "I don't make an easy preseason schedule, for the simple fact that when district play comes around, having played tough competition will make you play better if you're working hard.

"Longview has more experience. They've got their whole team back. ...It's going to take us a while to get used to everybody and get that team chemistry going."

For KHS, Andrea Ashley scored 12 points, had three steals and two rebounds. LaDoris Conrod scored nine points, grabbed 10 rebounds, two steals and had a blocked shot. Raven Wiley had seven points, five rebounds and a steal; Kitt Sechrist and Kearia Rayson each had three points — Sechrist had five rebounds and Rayson had two.

For Longview, Tiara Davis scored 14 points. Tiana Poole had 12, and Brittany Turner had 10.

Coach Jimmy Williams' Kilgore High boys basketball program opens its season Tuesday night at Athens, a 5 p.m. freshmen start, with JV and varsity afterward.

Kilgore's Kelly plays in UCF's opener

Kilgore native and former Kilgore High School standout Ashia Kelly scored two points and had seven rebounds in Central Florida's 89-56 loss to Colorado on Sunday. Kelly, a 2008 KHS graduate, is a member of one of the youngest Division-I teams in the country, but likes living in Orlando and the school, dad Louis Kelly said today.

The Knights play their home opener Friday against Florida A&M at 6 p.m. Central time, and also are in action Saturday at 4 p.m. at home against Florida Atlantic. Anyone with information on a former Kilgore-area athlete is encouraged to call News Herald sports editor Mitch Lucas at (903) 984-2593, or you may also e-mail him at sports@kilgorenewsherald.com.

SOCCER

Meet coaches tonight

The annual meet-the-coaches night for the Kilgore High School soccer program will be tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the KHS cafeteria. The KHS soccer booster club invites everyone to come visit with girls soccer coach Amanda Farmer, back for another season, and to meet new boys coach Michael Bradshaw.