WHAT'S CAUSING ALL THIS?

Photo by Dr. Jeff Davis NICE STOP — Kilgore's Shadow Stokes (65) makes a tackle in the middle of the defensive front on Ennis quarterback D.J. Betik (6). The Bulldogs do lose a lot of players to graduation, but a lot of talent returns, talent like Stokes, linebackers Mishaud Austin (7) and Taylor Carter, and quarterback Ken Smith, just to name a few. It was a tough way to go out, no question.

Kilgore fell to Ennis at Mesquite on Friday night, and Ennis moves on to face Rockwall Heath in the next round of the Class 4A playoffs.

There's nothing like the exhillheration of playing in an important game.

As Kilgore and Ennis both came onto the field Friday, as the cameras showed their entrance on the big jumbotron at Mesquite Memorial Stadium, I looked into the stands and saw a good portion of the city of Kilgore behind me. Kilgore's players and coaches hit the sideline, and the Ennis band played the national anthem.

"This is what it's all about," I told Nick Bennett, after the anthem. "This is why you play all those regular-season games, and do all those things. This is so much better than the alternative — being at home at 7:30 p.m. on a Friday night, with all the other teams that didn't make the playoffs. Is there anything better than this?"

LUCAS There's also nothing like the disappointment that follows a loss in one, and it's tough for all of us when Kilgore loses, anyway.

But my motto today, much like the University of Florida football cheer, is "It's great to be a Kilgore Bulldog."

The Ragin' Red really accomplished a lot this year. Look here:

— An opening season win over a Carthage team that looks as strong as any right now, and won again in the playoffs Friday night.

— Wins over rivals Hallsville, Henderson, and Jacksonville, because any of those teams would have loved to have beaten the Ragin' Red. It would have made Henderson's season.

— A win over 3A annual East Texas power Gilmer. That one may look better and better with each passing week. And the game wasn't nearly as close as the 28-14 final score.

— A 34-31 win over Whitehouse in what has to be considered one of the best regular-season games not just in East Texas, but the whole state.

— Beating Nacogdoches in the final regular-season game of the year, a game Nac really needed to make the playoffs. It seems like so many teams look at KHS as their big rival. You know why? Because Kilgore beats them on an annual basis. What's that old bumper sticker? "My two favorite teams are (fill-in-theblank) and whomever plays 'Kilgore.' That's about right around here.

— A playoff win over Marshall at Marshall, when all the know-it-alls in the local media were writing Kilgore off, for some strange reason.

— Last and definitely not least, a District 14-4A championship — and no sharing it with anyone.

This is not a "Mitch-makesexcuses" column. This is very much a "hey, they did just fine" column.

By the way, thanks to the Kilgore senior class of 2009 that made this year so special. I had Frank Reddic with about 140 yards rushing in the loss to Ennis, which puts him right at a 2,000-yard season. Two-thousand yards! Quite an accomplishment, not only for Frank, but for that senior-dominated offensive line.

The Bulldogs lose a lot of players to graduation, but there's promise for 2009, including a very good group of freshmen that coach Joey Pippen coached to a 9-1 record this year. Quarterback Ken Smith, as impressive of an athlete physically as we've seen in some time, returns, as do linebackers Taylor Carter, Deadrick Lacy and Mishaud Austin, tight end Blayne Cole, defensive/offensive lineman Shadow Stokes, defensive back C.J. Gary and kicker Ryan Bustin, just to name a few.

"Don't you hold your heads down," coach Mike Vallery told his team, as Ennis celebrated with the area trophy on the turf at Mesquite Memorial Stadium Friday night. "Don't hold your heads down."

He's right. After the disappointment subsides over the next few weeks, we'll look back at this season and realize just how good this team was.

"Daddy, guess what? The Bulldogs play today!," my 3-year-old daughter Ashtyn said Wednesday at lunch.

That's the kind of enthusiasm that football brings to this town. It's been a good ride in 2008. It's hard to believe it's over.

Here's hoping that you and your family have a great Thanksgiving, and remember all the things we have for which to truly be thankful.

God bless.