LOCAL SPORTS IN BRIEF

BASKETBALL

KC teams in action this week

After taking the Thanksgiving week off, the Kilgore College men's basketball team, coached by Brian Hoberecht, will be back in action Monday night at Terrell against Southwest Christian, a non-conference team KC defeated by seven points here at Masters Gymnasium Nov. 20.

The Rangers (5-5 overall, 1-0 in Region XIV Conference play) are done with RXIV play until January. KC, which has won four straight games, will host Northwestern State University's junior varsity team on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m., and will host Bossier Parish (La.) Community College on Saturday night at 7.

KC's Lady Rangers, coached by Roy Thomas, have gotten the season off to a great start. The Lady Rangers are 7-1 overall, 1-1 in conference play and are back in conference action on Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m., here at home against Arkansas Baptist. KC's ladies visit Lufkin on Saturday night to take on Angelina College, and then take the lengthy December break.

After Saturday, neither of the KC programs plays for the duration of December. The men jump back into conference action the first game back, visiting Tyler Junior College Jan. 7, and the ladies host a non-conference tournament here Jan. 2.

Both KHS teams play Tuesday

Coach Davia Garrett's Kilgore High School girls basketball program has been off since Monday night's game at Sabine, but is back in action Tuesday night at Canton. The Lady Bulldogs' freshmen tip off at 5 p.m., followed by junior varsity and varsity.

Kilgore's varsity team will play in a tournament at Union Grove that begins Thursday — we'll run the opening-round schedule in Tuesday's sports section. Also this weekend, the KHS freshmen and JV girls will play in a tournament in Carthage. Kilgore won't begin District 14-4A play until after the Christmas break in January.

The Kilgore High School boys basketball team lost its season opener at Athens earlier this week, as Athens held off KHS 70-68. The Bulldogs played very well until the fourth quarter, when they were outscored 20-7.

"For one day's practice," coach Jimmy Williams said, "we really played well. We broke down defensively at times and the conditioning is not there yet, but we played really hard."

KHS was led by Shaun Williams, who had 13. Matthew Dickey scored 12 points, Patrick Colbert 10, Devaron Harvey nine, Drake Bickham seven, and Ken Smith and Xavian Sanders each had six.

Williams said KHS went 29-of-52 from the floor (that's 55 percent), and 7-of-12 from three-point range. "The kids were really unselfish, as we had 21 assists on the 29 baskets."

The coach said the difference in the game was turnovers and rebounding. "We got outrebounded 31-38, and committed 22 turnovers to 12 (for Athens)."

The freshmen won their opener at Athens, Williams said, and the JV lost.

The Bulldogs' home opener is Tuesday night against Gladewater, a 5 p.m. freshmen start with JV and varsity to follow. The varsity is also at home Friday night against Carthage, but varsity-only, and that tips off at 6:30. The KHS freshmen and JV boys will play this weekend in a tournament at Tatum.

Sabine boys off this week

The Sabine High School varsity boys basketball team has taken this week off, after earning it with an unbeaten start.

Coach Tim Davis' Sabine boys (7-0) edged Hallsville, 68- 66, last week, and won't play again until next Tuesday, Dec. 9, at home against Como-Pickton, a team the Cardinals have beaten twice already this year. The junior varsity plays at 6 p.m., then the varsity. The freshmen and JV Sabine boys teams do play this weekend in a tournament in White Oak.

Sabine's Lady Cardinals (3-1), coached by Paul Bell, host Mineola Tuesday night at 5 p.m., beginning with JV, and then compete this weekend in a tournament at Spring Hill.

KYBA registration Saturday

A second registration for the Kilgore Youth Basketball Association's upcoming season will be this Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the older gymnasium on the Kilgore High School campus. This is for boys and girls first through seventh grades.

KYBA official Tim Capps said there was a good turnout for the first registration, and that the league is expecting over 300 children to participate this season.

Games are played on Saturdays at KHS, and Capps noted the enrollment has increased the last two years.

Registration is $40 for the first child, $30 for each additional child, and for more information, call Reggie Henson at (903) 983-0945, or Capps at (903) 984-3082.