BULLDOGS GO OFF! | Kilgore runs wild in 66-6 stunner over Gilmer Buckeyes
BY JOE HALE
KILGORE – Turns out, Kilgore did remember that really close loss last year at Gilmer.
Or maybe the Bulldogs just really are the best team in the state in 4A, Division I.
Come to think of it, maybe it’s both.
Rayshaun Williams rushed for a season-high 209 yards and three touchdowns and returned a kickoff 70 yards for another score as third-ranked Kilgore spilled Gilmer 66-6 on Friday night at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium.
Prior to the game, the homecoming festivities ruled, and Miranda Reyes was crowned homecoming queen.
In good ol’ East Texas language, there was a bunch of celebrating, and that continued throughout the game – at least, if you were wearing red-and-white as the Ragin’ Red rolled, improving to 2-1 on the season.
Gilmer somewhat shockingly dropped to 1-2, having beaten Pine Tree to open the season, but then stunned by a 20-point Chapel Hill comeback last week, and then by what happened to them in Kilgore on Friday night.
“Our goal this week was to play at an elite level for four quarters in all three phases of the game. I believe our players met the challenge and played great,” said Kilgore coach Clint Fuller. “We still have areas to improve on and we will go back to work on Monday to grow and improve.”
Kilgore’s QB1, Kayson Brooks, completed scoring strikes of 26-yards to T.K. White, 68-yards to Dre’ Sanders and 23-yards to Isaiah Watters. Brooks finished his night completing 7-of-16 passes for 179 yards before turning keys to the offense over to Shaun Moyers.
“Kayson is one of the best quarterbacks in the state. He reads coverages at a high level and distributes the football where it needs to go,” Fuller continued.
The Bulldogs finished with 514 yards of total offense, compared to the Buckeyes’ 140. Kilgore had 179 yards and 38 points at halftime.
Special teams got in on the scoring act on the final play of the first quarter, as Kilgore’s Bi’Syn Williams blocked a Celson James punt in the Gilmer end zone with Gavin Wall recovering the football for a touchdown, extending the Bulldogs lead to 17-0.
They were just getting started.
Although the Ragin’ Red scored on eight of its nine possessions, the initial points somewhat surprisingly came on a 32-yard Eddie Jimenez field goal with 5:36 remaining in the first quarter. The ‘Dogs would add a couple of touchdowns, though, before the opening period was in the books.
They did it with Brooks’ fifth scoring completion of the season, this one to White, coming on a third-and-two call from the 26-yard line to cap a seven-play, 61-yard march.
Jimenez converted his first of his nine extra points, giving the ’Dogs a 10-0 cushion with 1:56 remaining in the first quarter. Then, Wall would get in on the scoring on the final play of the quarter, thanks to a special teams gem, Bi’Syn’s blocked punt.
The Ragin’ Red would then steadily build on its lead, scoring 21 points in the second period. The first of those touchdowns was set up by another erratic snap to James, the Gilmer punter, giving Kilgore excellent field position at the Buckeyes’ 13-yard line.
A couple of Williams’ runs for six and seven yards iced the abbreviated two-play march with 9:06 left until halftime. The junior’s second touchdown of the evening and third of the season, also covered seven yards with 3:15 remaining in the second quarter to complete a five-play, 51-yard surge, which took 1:25 off the clock.
Kilgore’s final score of the half extended their advantage to 38, and came on a 68-yard Brooks completion to Sanders, who nestled the football in at the Buckeyes’ 30, made a move, and simply outran the pursuing Gilmer defense all-the-way to the end zone.
Defensively, Kilgore limited the Buckeyes to just 58 yards in the first 24 minutes. Gilmer’s deepest penetration in the half reached the Kilgore 48, and then, went backwards.
Gilmer quarterback Zade Taylor was 3-of-12 passing for 20 yards before being replaced by Carter Johnson, who was 1-for-1 for 16 yards. Tayveon Horne was the Buckeyes’ leading rusher with 138 yards.
His touchdown, a 75-yard run, put the sophomore over 100 yards for the evening.
“Defensively, all 11 (players) stood out. We played with discipline, physicality and relentless effort. I think we had a great week of preparation and it showed. Our defensive line (anchored by Cameron Christian), our linebackers and secondary all did their job at a high level,” Fuller said.
Other than Horne’s scoring run, Gilmer’s longest play from the line of scrimmage was 14 yards by Atavian Ector late in the third quarter.
Rayshaun Williams’ final rushing touchdown, a 43-yard run, came with 10:18 left in the third period and stretched Kilgore’s advantage to 45, after Jimenez converted the PAT.
Brooks and Watters, who played a lot of defense at linebacker, hooked up on a 23-yard scoring play to complete a 77-yard march in eight plays with 4:30 left in the third stanza.
A Dre’ Sanders interception in the final minute of the third quarter set up Kilgore’s longest rushing touchdown of the evening, coming on David “Bubba” McGowen’s 73-yard run with 11:45 left to play in the game to cap a two-play drive that took just 31 seconds.
The second of three touchdowns in less than a minute came on Gilmer’s following possession as Horne raced 75 yards to finally get the Buckeyes on the scoreboard with 11:31 remaining in the game.
Williams, though, answered, returned the ensuing kickoff 70 yards to wrap-up the scoring.
Sanders led Kilgore’s receiving corps with two catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. Watters had a reception for 23 yards and a score and White had a catch for 26 yards and a touchdown. Others were Tyler Johnigan (2-6), Lakeyleon Graves, who verbally committed to Texas State University earlier in the day on Friday, (1-26), and Ja’Kalen Sheffield (1-15).
Amare Garrett (1-16), Trace Haynes (1-2), Gauge Trossbach (1-9) and Horne (1-9) combined for four Buckeye receptions.
Next week, Kilgore closes out its non-district portion of its schedule, traveling to Pleasant Grove to meet the 4A DII state-ranked Hawks, while Gilmer returns home to Jeff Traylor Stadium to meet one of Kilgore’s 9-4A DI rivals Lindale. Both are 7:30 contests next Friday night.
