LUCAS It’s never fun when it’s over.

Never. And I’ll be honest with you: it’s also not easy to always find a bright side, and I guess I don’t absolutely have to do that.

But I always look for one.

While Kilgore did lose in the first round of the playoffs Friday night against Marshall for the first time since 2002, there are plenty of reasons we can all take heart a bit.

And most of them have to do with this youth movement.

Marshall had 38 seniors on its roster Friday night at R.E. St. John. Kilgore had just 13.

Y o u read that correctly.

They are Josh Medford, Mishaud Austin, C.J. Gary, Ryan Bustin, Jordan Henderson, Howard Mauldin, Braylon McCarty, Eric Bullard, Taylor Carter, Shadow Stokes, Blayne Cole, Clint Edmonds, and Willie Lawler.

We’re proud of them and they were a part of three straight playoff appearances for the Bulldogs, and their overall record, from the time they were sophomores through now, is a fairly good 23-11, with a couple of district championships thrown in and five playoff games.

Not bad at all. They’ve got no reason to hang their heads — the Bulldogs had a good run in district and kept the playoff streak going.

Some juniors in the lineup who made key contributions, and hopefully will make even more next season, were Breon Ector, Chris Crosby, Robert Morgan, Robert Poland, Keith Wright, Jacovan Savoie, Christian Sibley, Shannon Polk, Zach Hartfiel, Patrick Colbert, Brandon Lopez, Brandon Owens, and Dylan Jordan.

But now look at the 10th graders.

Just a few sophomores in key positions were all-everything running back Ladarius Anthony, quarterbacks Riley Toler and Kaleb Brisendine, wide receiver Matthew Dickey, defensive backs Shaun Williams and Deon- tre Williams, linebacker Dondra Halton, big “DJ,” Donald Jackson, an offensive lineman, and defensive end Chris Paige. All of those kids had to grow up, if you will, on the football field this year, and the Bulldogs will reap the benefits of that next season.

Can you imagine Anthony, who finished with over 1,500 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns, a year older and a year stronger?

And I haven’t even accounted for a talented JV group that will be in the varsity mix in 2010.

The Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel’s sports editor, Brandon Ogden, wrote a column over the last week where he has already predicted Kilgore will win the district championship if the Bulldogs remain in a district similar to the one they’re in now, a 4A district with many of the same teams.

Of course, the UIL’s realignment is next spring, and it’s even possible — some say highly possible — that the KHS sports teams will compete on the 3A level next year.

Regardless, I think the next few years are going to be awfully fun to watch.

• Been told late, and just getting this in, that the Kilgore Youth Basketball Association’s annual registration for boys and for girls will be next Saturday, Nov. 21, at the older gymnasium at Kilgore High School.

Registration will be from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., and if you have internet access and would like to know more, see the league’s site at kilgoreyouthbasketball@yahoo.com.

I’ll have more on that in Wednesday’s sports section.

Again, thanks for reading through another football season, and putting up with yours truly as I got used to this new format. I hope you’ll stay with me the rest of the school year. I really think we’re going to see some special things.

Have a great week, and may God bless.