LOCAL SPORTS IN BRIEF

FOOTBALL

Proposed Aztec Bowl canceled

A bowl game that had been planned for Dec. 13 that would have pitted Kilgore College's football program against a team of all-stars from Mexico has been canceled due to a lack of sponsors.

The game was to be billed as the Aztec Bowl, and would have been played near Monterrey, Mexico.

That means the Rangers' season is now officially over. KC finished at 6-4, having made the Southwest Junior College Football Conference playoffs and lost to eventual champion Blinn in the initial game. The Rangers have made the playoffs in both seasons under coach J.J. Eckert, and with KC's rich football history, it's easy to see why the Rangers had been approached about playing in a bowl game. KC is the winningest junior college program in Texas, with 442 victories.

Bowl games at the junior college level have been decreasing over the years. The Red River Bowl, in which KC faced Tyler Junior College back in the 2001 season, is long gone, and now the Pilgrim's Pride Bowl, first played in Mount Pleasant in 2004, is gone as well, a victim of the economy.

In fact, Navarro, which spent a good portion of the season ranked No. 1 in the nation, lost only one game (the conference championship to Blinn) but didn't get a bowl invite.

BASKETBALL

KC teams at home tomorrow

Both Kilgore College basketball teams are playing here at Masters Gymnasium on Wednesday night — the Lady Rangers will face a conference opponent in Arkansas Baptist, a 5:30 p.m. tipoff, and the Rangers will be in action against a non-conference opponent, the junior varsity team from Northwestern State (La.).

KC's men lost in overtime, 82-79, at Southwest Christian in Terrell last night. With the game tied at 79 with just seconds left in the first OT, Southwest Christian hit three free throws that gave them the win. KC had beaten Southwest here at Masters Gym back on Nov. 20.

The Lady Rangers are 1-1 in the Region XIV Conference, having won lost their opener to Panola, but then defeated San Jacinto on Nov. 25 — that was also their most recent game. The Lady Rangers are 7-1 on the season.

If you can't make it out to the game tomorrow night, you can hear Manny Almanza's call of the game online at tsrnsports. com, the Texas Sports Radio Network's website.

KHS teams in action tonight

The Kilgore High School basketball teams all play tonight — the Lady Bulldogs will play in Canton, with freshmen tipping off at 5 p.m., then junior varsity and varsity to follow. The Bulldogs play their home opener tonight against Gladewater. Those games will also begin at 5 with freshmen.

Coach Davia Garrett's Lady Bulldogs have been off since last week's loss at Sabine. They'll be in a tournament Thursday at Union Grove, and the freshmen at JV girls will play this weekend in a tournament at Carthage.

Coach Jimmy Williams' Bulldogs dropped the only game they've played this year, a 70-68 loss at Athens last week. The 'Dogs will be back at home Friday, too, hosting Carthage. That's a varsity-only night, with the game tipping off at 6:30.

KYBA registration Saturday

A second registration for the Kilgore Youth Basketball Association's upcoming season will be this Saturday 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.