KILGOROUND

I GUESS I HAVE to live up to my word now.

After getting home from the Kilgore-Spring Hill boys basketball game last night and kissing the children good night, my eightyear old son Jacob asked me what I thought about Texas quarterback Colt McCoy. If you're not a sports fan, the Longhorns were playing Ohio State last night in the Fiesta Bowl in what turned out to be an excellent football game.

I told Jacob I know he likes Texas, but I'm not wild about McCoy like so many people. He seems like a great kid, and he's a good quarterback. I don't know that I'd call him a great one. I'm one of these that thinks "great" is thrown around too much.

Anyway, after Jacob went to sleep, I watched the rest of the game. Ohio State scored with just about two minutes left, and I turned to Jenna.

"If Colt McCoy leads them down the field and they win this game," I said, "I'm going to shut my mouth about him for at least the next six months."

Guess what happened?

Of course, McCoy did lead them back. Texas got in front with 16 seconds left and hung on to win the game. Our Kilgore connection — Eddie Jones, Michael Huey and Britt Mitchell — was a part of the winning team, and they'll add one more next year when current Kilgore senior at UT commitment, Dominique Jones, joins the group.

Congratulations, Texas fans. I'm smiling with you today. Too bad Alabama had to stumble. But that's football.

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IF YOU'RE A BASKETBALL fan, you should be in hog heaven this week. All the local teams are in action. Kilgore High School's girls open district play here tonight against Jacksonville, Sabine's teams are both rolling and play at Harmony tonight, and the Kilgore College programs both plan at Tyler on Wednesday night and here at Masters Gym against Trinity Valley on Saturday.

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SOCCER HAS RETURNED, as well. The Kilgore High School girls, fresh off their alumni game on Saturday, play in a tournament at Mount Pleasant beginning Thursday, and the KHS boys host their own tournament here at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium that begins on Thursday. Check our sports section tomorrow for exact times of the Thursday games involving the Kilgore teams.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY to Clint Laird, Kelly Williams, Terry Etheredge, Dona Gordon, Karen Renshaw, Andrea Wylie, B.J. Murray, Justin Davidson, Allen Barrilleaux, Dorothy Camp, Jimmy Golden, Mrs. E.E. Huges Jr., Mrs. Don Connelly, Shannon Kyle Anderson, George Sutton, Nancy Grisham, Robert Wayne Ferrell, Whitney Lynn Lackey, Kendryon Smith, Michael Kusheba, Karen Blanton, Sharen Blanton, Jo Beth Reeves, Doyle Hankins.

Celebrating their own birthdays today: country singer Jett Williams (56 — that's Hank Williams Jr.'s sister); actor/comedian Rowan Atkinson (who is "Mr. Bean" on those ridiculous movies; he's 54); director John Singleton (41); and singer Kathy Sledge of Sister Sledge (50).

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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TODAY to Rev. James and Virginia "Bootsie" Griffin