LOCAL SPORTS IN BRIEF
BASEBALL

KHS season just around the corner

The Kilgore High School baseball team will be playing at Driller Park before you know it. The Diamond 'Dogs host a scrimmage against Longview on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 4 p.m., play an alumni game on Saturday, Feb. 9, then play two more home scrimmages against Gilmer (Tuesday, Feb. 12) and Carthage (Friday, Feb. 15). The Bulldogs will officially open the season on Monday, Feb. 18 at Wills Point.

Important dates to remember for coach Jeff Blackstone's team:

• The Bulldogs will once again compete in the Rose City Classic tournament in Tyler, to be played this year on Feb. 21-23. Kilgore will open the tournament against Rockwall on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 11 a.m. at University of Texas at Tyler Field. The tournament will also be played at Mike Carter Field. Other teams in the tournament are Tyler Lee, John Tyler, Shreveport Byrd, Greenville, Nacogdoches, and Haughton.

• The annual Oil Belt Classic tournament will be Feb. 28- March 1, and includes Bullard, Rockwall Heath, Lindale, Pine Tree, Liberty Eylau, Sulphur Springs and Longview.

• Kilgore opens its District 12-4A schedule on Tuesday, March 11 at Whitehouse.

• The junior varsity team opens its regular season Feb. 18 at home against Tyler Lee.

Booster club meeting Monday

There will be a meeting of the Kilgore High School baseball booster club on Monday at 7 p.m. at the baseball fieldhouse (beside Driller Park). Items to be discussed include coaches and stadium projects, sponsors and donations, memberships, merchandise, and the financial report.

Members are asked to attend, if at all possible.

KBBA registration begins Feb. 16

Sign up for the 2008 season of the Kilgore Boys Baseball Association (KBBA) will begin Saturday Feb. 16 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the KBBA fields on Harris Street.

Registration is $75 per player. Children must be five years old before April 30, and should bring birth certificates to registration. Ages range from five through 14.

It will be on Feb. 22 from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m., on the 23rd from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m., and tryouts will be there on March 1, the time to be announced.

For more information on KBBA, call the KBBA office at (903) 984-4170, or e-mail Stephanie Osteen at kilgorebaseball@ yahoo.com.

You can also visit the boys baseball association online at ourleaguesite.com/kilgorebaseball.

SOFTBALL

Lady Bulldogs' season nears, too

Coach Cassie Newell's Kilgore High School Lady Bulldogs are practicing, and will have four scrimmages leading up to their regular-season opener at home against White Oak on Feb. 11.

Kilgore will visit Lindale on Jan. 29 for its first preseason scrimmage, and will scrimmage here against Bullard Feb. 1. The Lady 'Dogs scrimmage again at home on Feb. 5 against Gladewater, and then welcome White Oak for the season opener.

Kilgore will again take part in the annual tournament at Lufkin Hudson on Feb. 14-16, and is gone for much of the month of February. KHS opens its District 12-4A schedule at Henderson on March 4. Newell is assisted by Rhonda Fletcher.

FOOTBALL

Banquet Feb. 11

The annual Kilgore High School football banquet will be Monday, Feb. 11 at the Devall Student Center on the Kilgore College campus. The banquet, organized and prepared by the school's football booster club, will begin at 6:30 p.m. that night. Tickets are $15 each, and are on sale now at the KHS athletic department offices.

SOCCER

Rent-a-player dinner Monday

The KHS Soccer Booster Club is hosting our annual rent-a-player dinner and auction on Monday night, January 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the KHS Cafeteria.

This is the booster club's biggest fundraiser of the year. The fare will be hot dogs, chili dogs, nachos, Frito pies, etc. along with some desserts.

After dinner, boys and girls players will be "auctioned off" to provide four hours of manual labor to the winning bidder(s).

This event has been a tradition for the soccer programs, as well as a great fundraiser. Most of the money raised by this event is used for college scholarships for senior soccer players.

Anyone with questions can call Bobby Bustin at (903) 237-3595.

- BY SPORTS EDITOR MITCH LUCAS