Kilgore teams beat Hallsville in finales
HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER
By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com

Photo by Lester Murray SENIOR NIGHT - Kilgore's boys soccer team honored its seniors (above) Friday night, then whipped Hallsville, 5-0, at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium.

Sending the seniors out winners - that's what it was all about for both Kilgore High School soccer teams on Friday night, and they were able to accomplish just that.

Shortly after paying tribute to 10 seniors, Kilgore's boys soccer team, coached by Kris Duplissey and Joey Pippen, blasted Hallsville, 5-0, as the 2008 season concluded. KHS didn't make the playoffs, but was in the playoff chase until just before the last game, and finished fourth in District 17-4A.

Garrett Fields scored off an assist by Will Estel on a free kick with 21:49 left, giving Kilgore the 1-0 advantage. Joe Davilla scored off an assist by Fidel Cedillo with 7:49 remaining in the half to make it 2-0 KHS, and Cedillo scored, as well, with 5:49 left. Corey Coston narrowly missed scoring twice in the first half, but would get a goal in the game, scoring the fifth goal with 4:41 left. Estel, a senior leader, also scored in the second half off an assist by Fields.

The Bulldogs paid tribute to seniors Estel, Fields, goalie Everardo Delmas, Tommy Howard, Juan Alfaro, Chris Thompson, Shawn Waldo, Sergio Espinosa, Juan Rico, and Ryan Huckabee just prior to the start of the contest. And even after losing all those seniors, KHS still has a lot of talent coming back next season.

And the KHS junior varsity, coached by Pippen, finished off an incredible season with a 5-2 win. Kilgore's JV went 13-2-1 this year.

• Lady 'Dogs win twice, too: The Lady Bulldogs took their season finale on the road, a very close 2-1 win over Hallsville's LadyCats.

The game got a bit ugly at times, with yellow cards being dished out to both programs (three to Hallsville). It was the final game for six KHS seniors: Margie Mitchell, Carmen Rios, Suzi Espinosa, Whitney Brown, Ashley Stanley and Cassie Rodgers.

Hallsville led the game 1-0 until Macy Reynolds scored, tying things up before halftime. Sara Stewart broke the tie about 12 minutes into the half when she scored - Rios had taken a shot, the ball was bobbled, and Stewart put it into the goal.

Kilgore's Lady Bulldogs, coached by Amanda Walzel and Alice Crocker, won their last three games, and like the boys, Kilgore has a good group coming back next season.

The JV Lady 'Dogs won, as well, beating Hallsville, 5-0.