Bulldogs tripped up by speedy Gilmer

NOT A GREAT NIGHT — Kilgore High School’s football team faced an experienced Gilmer Buckeyes team Friday night — the No. 1 team in the state in Class 3A, in fact. Things didn’t work out well for the Bulldogs, however, in the nondistrict loss. Kilgore will complete a very tough non-district schedule next Friday at home against Palestine, and that’s homecoming. Above: C.J. Gary tries to chase down a Gilmer receiver. Right: Kilgore sophomore Matthew Dickey (5) makes a catch. GILMER — The two teams that played at Gilmer High School on Friday night combined for a 32-0 record and two state championship wins in the 2004 season, and have been two of the best programs in East Texas for the last decade, and longer than that in Kilgore’s case.

But youth met experience Friday night, and experience won out, with Kilgore dropping a 70-27 decision to the older, playoff-tested Gilmer Buckeyes.

KHS finishes its non-district schedule next week at home against Palestine, which will be the Bulldogs’ homecoming this season. The non-district schedule, which included the two top teams in Class 3A and another very good 4A program, Marshall, has been very, very tough for Kilgore, and hopefully will help the Bulldogs be battle-tested for District 14-4A play, which begins Oct. 9 at Lindale.

It seemed everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong for Kilgore in the first half — the snowball just got bigger and bigger, with the older and speedy Gilmer team capitalizing on the mistakes. Gilmer quarterback Godfrey, who has accounted for over 5,000 passing yards over his threeplus years as a starter, threw a 70-yard pass play to NO. 3 on the third play from scrimmage. NO. 3 was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for taunting. The penalty was enforced on the point after, and it was missed, leaving Gilmer in front 6-0 with 11:27 left in the first quarter.

YOUNG BUT LEARNING — Kilgore sophomore quarterback Kaleb Brisendine (above) throws a pass against Gilmer. The Bulldogs lost to the high-powered Buckeyes Friday night, and host Palestine next week. The Buckeyes appeared to have held Kilgore to a threeand out, but Gilmer was flagged for roughing the passer (sophomore Riley Toler) and the 15-yard penalty kept the drive alive.

On a second-and-16 later in the drive, the Bulldogs converted for a first down on a big pass play to running back Ladarius Anthony down to the Gilmer 30-yardline.

Another 15-yard penalty, this one on coach Jeff Traylor for running onto the field, was assessed on Gilmer, and two plays later, from 5 yards out, Anthony scored. Ryan Bustin’s extra point gave KHS the early lead, 7-6, with 7:56 left.

But Gilmer would go on to have a big half, scoring 20 total points in the first quarter, 27 more in the second quarter, and finish with a 47-7 halftime advantage. The Buckeyes’ wide-open spread offense, coupled with some mistakes by KHS, allowed for the big lead.

In this kind of a game, with a young team, coach Mike Vallery and his staff are looking for not just the bad things, but the good — seeing how the team will respond.

Late in the game, Kilgore’s young lineup made some nice plays, with Gilmer’s starting defense still in. Anthony, who ran hard on the night, would score twice more, both from 5 yards out — once in the third quarter and once in the fourth. The fourth quarter saw the Bulldogs put together a nice 65- yard drive that wound up with Anthony getting into the end zone, and a third Bustin extra point of the night.

Another drive culminated in Kaleb Brisendine getting a touchdown pass, with Matthew Dickey on the other end.

Gilmer got a safety late in the contest on a two-point conversion attempt by Kilgore, the only time the Bulldogs didn’t try for the extra point.

The Bulldogs would put up 264 yards of total offense on the night.

The other teams in 14-4A have had their struggles this year, as well. But the top four teams out of six in the district will make the playoffs, so the Bulldogs, effectively, will be 0-0 after their Oct. 2 bye week.