Kilgore soccer teams split with Hallsville
Girls win, boys lose; both junior varsity teams win
By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com

THEY WON'T STOP HER - Kilgore's Emily Green (9) didn't score here, but was credited for the winning goal Tuesday night, as KHS beat Chapel Hill, 2-1.

A split with Hallsville was the best the Kilgore High School soccer programs could do on Tuesday, with the varsity boys falling on the road to the Bobcats, and the girls winning here at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium.

For a moment, it looked like both teams might be in trouble. Kilgore's girls trailed Hallsville, 1- 0, deep in the second half before Sara Stewart scored with about 24 minutes left in the game, tying it up.

What wound up being the final goal of the night looked to be an on-goal, and Emily Green was credited for it. The Lady Bulldogs held off Hallsville for the remaining 14 minutes of the contest for a big, big win.

That ends the first round for Kilgore's girls, coached by Amanda Walzel. After the first round, Kilgore is 3-4-1 in District 17-4A play, and will begin the second round here Friday night against Athens. Junior varsity will play at 5:30 p.m., varsity to follow. Kilgore defeated Athens early in the season in the district opener, 2-0.

Things didn't turn out as well for the Bulldogs, who had little offense in a 2-0 loss at Hallsville. The Bobcats actually had less shots-on-goal than Kilgore (Kilgore had six to Hallsville's four), but Hallsville managed to put them in the net.

"We just didn't play well," coach Kris Duplissey said. "It was really an ugly game by both teams - just not a lot of offense."

Lane Hardin scored both goals for Hallsville - one about four minutes into the game, and another before halftime.

The loss drops KHS to 3-5 in district play. Like the girls, the Bulldogs finished the first round of play with that win, and travel to Athens Friday for the start of the second round. KHS lost at home to Athens in the second week of the season in the district opener.

Lindale sits atop the boys standings with a very impressive 8-0 record. Marshall is second, at 7-2. Pine Tree, Athens and Whitehouse follow, with Kilgore, Chapel Hill and Hallsville all tied in sixth place. Eustace is at the bottom of the district standings.

To make the postseason, Kilgore needs to somehow work its way into one of the top three spots in the district. The Bulldogs have eight games left to do so.

• Kilgore 6, Hallsville 0 (boys JV): Coach Joey Pippen's junior varsity Bulldogs moved their record to a nice 7-1 overall, 6-1 in district play with a convincing win over the Bobcats Tuesday night.

Edgar Torres scored twice. Pablo San Juan,

Robert Davidson, Troy Green and Daniel Ellis each scored a goal, and Ellis and Alejandro Estrella each had an assist.

Like the varsity boys, the KHS JV boys visit Athens Friday night, and start at 5:30.

• Kilgore 5, Hallsville 0 (girls JV): Coach Alice Crocker's JV girls won again, too, blanking Hallsville.

Yadira Castro got the hat trick, scoring three times for Kilgore for the second straight game. Ariadna Contreras scored a goal, as did Kat McIntyre. Crocker complemented Karla Mojica, Tiffany Jordan, Ashtyn Price and goalkeeper Francisca Barron for their defensive play.

• Kilgore 8, Chapel Hill 2 (girls JV): This game was played Friday night at Chapel Hill.

Castro had three goals. McIntyre had two, and Contreras, Denisse Ramos and Jessica Dukes each scored once. Barron, Mojica and Jordan all played very well defensively, Crocker noted.