WHAT’CHU TALKIN’ ‘BOUT, WILLIS? | Kilgore-Stafford meet in the shadow of Houston tonight in round two

WILLIS – Round two, we’re here, and round two, it’s Kilgore vs. Stafford, tonight at 7 p.m.

Note the 30-minute-earlier kickoff time.

There is no video streaming – that’s a bit of a sore subject among Kilgore faithful. But there is Ragin’ Red Broadcasting. Hear the game live on radio on KDOK Radio (105.3-FM in the Kilgore area), or streaming audio online here: www.kdokradio.com.

And if you’d like, go to our home page, here on www.ETBlitz.com, and click the big Kilgore helmet, and it’ll take you right to the broadcast of Doug Smith, Don Hedrick and Jason Smith.

Also, I’ll have a traditional game story tomorrow morning, and our own Mitch Lucas will be live during the game with updates.

Now, to Kilgore-Stafford.

These two teams have a bit of playoff history, but not much at all.

They square off for only the third time here at Berton A. Yates Stadium tonight (7 p.m.), vying for a berth in the third round of the schoolboy playoffs next week at a site and time to be determined.

The winner of tonight’s area playoff game between the Bulldogs and Spartans advances to meet tonight’s winner between Bridge City (10-1) and Navasota (8-3). They play tonight, as well, at Baytown’s Stallworth Stadium, beginning at 7 p.m.

Each won rather handily a week ago. Kilgore eliminating Little Cypress-Mauriceville 61-14 and Stafford spanking Houston Wheatley 49-7.

Stafford won the 2016 game between the schools played in College Station 27-21, but the Bulldogs got a measure of revenge in the rematch at Sheldon ISD Stadium in Houston back in 2021, 28-26.

The Spartans finished this year’s regular season at 5-5, good enough to reach the playoffs before dusting up Wheatley in bi-district. It was a season that didn’t start particularly well for coach Ken Savannah’s team coming off an 8-5 record a year ago.

Stafford, in fact, lost four of its first five games, losing to Alvin’s Iowa Colony and then Bellville before winning for the first time on Sept. 12 against Sweeny 49-17. The Spartans then dropped their next two games against Port Lavaca Calhoun and Hamshire-Fannett before an Oct. 3 open date.

They used the bye to refocus and preceded to win three in a row, and four of the next five games, to close the regular season with a playoff bid.

The Spartans averaged 26.9 points per contest, while allowing 28.0, while Kilgore has allowed an average of just 11.4 points per game. Only Carthage and Lindale have scored more than 20 points against Kilgore’s defense which has allowed just 125 points in 11 games.

Stafford quarterback Nate Ray (5-10, 193), only a sophomore, has a 52.4 completion percentage (89-of-170) for 1,509 yards and 26 touchdowns with only six interceptions. His leading receivers are sophomore Aiden Seales (5-10, 155) with 41 catches for 829 yards and 16 touchdowns and senior Robert Endlsey, Jr. (6-3, 180) with 28 receptions for 360 yards and four scores.

Besides his pass catching abilities, Seales is also the leading rusher with 512 yards on 63 carries and two touchdowns. He’s followed by senior running back Jeziah Pratt (5-9, 175) and Ray. Pratt has 376 yards and two TDs, while Ray has 301 yards to go with a pair of rushing touchdowns. The Spartans have rushed for 1,639 yards and 10 touchdowns on 337 carries.

Kilgore’s defense has allowed 2,705 yards, of that 1,394 is rushing and 1,311 passing.

The leading tacklers for the Ragin’ Red continue to be linebackers Isaiah Watters and Lakeyleon Graves and safety Ja’Kalyn Sheffield. Watters has 107 total tackles, nine tackles for loss as well as four sacks and 10 hurries. Graves has 99 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, as well as a fumble recovery and four interceptions, returning one of those for a touchdown. Sheffield has 99 tackles, three tackles for loss and two interceptions.

David McGowan (linebacker), Bi’Syn Williams (defensive lineman) and Travis Holmes (outside linebacker) follow with 92, 75 and 61 stops, respectively, just ahead of DE Cameron Christian with 55 tackles to go along with his seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three interceptions, a fumble recovery and 13 quarterback hurries.

Kilgore quarterback Kayson Brooks is coming off another quality performance, completing 15-of-18 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns against Little Cypress-Mauriceville, bringing his numbers for the season to 151-of-226 for 2,337 passing yards with a completion percentage of 66.8% for 24 touchdowns with only four interceptions.

Brooks has a stable of quality receivers with six with a dozen or more receptions, accounting for 136 catches and 21 touchdowns. Lakeyleon Graves (38-526, 7 touchdowns), Dre’ Sanders (26-275, 2), and Tyler Johnigan (24-395, 5) lead the way, but T.K. White (19-350, 4), Ja’Kalyn Sheffield (17-333, 2) and Rayshaun Williams (12-200, 1) aren’t far behind.

Williams leads the Ragin’ Red rushing attack which has accounted for 2,301 yards with 1,394 and 14 touchdowns for an 8.5 yard per carry average. Maddox Wright (16-265, 4 TDs), Watters (48-207, 4) and McGowan (16-180, 1) follow. Also, the fact Brooks is a dual threat quarterback that can and has run (45-198, 6) should concern opposing defenses.

Stafford’s leading tacklers are outside linebacker Hatangimana Olivier, cornerback Jabrion Sonnier and middle linebacker Kendrik Ytuarte. Olivier leads with 71 tackles and three tackles for loss, while Sonnier follows with 70 tackles, three tackles for loss, five interceptions and three caused fumbles. Ytuarte has 56 stops and five tackles for loss.

The Spartans have thrived off opposing offenses mistakes with 11 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries. Following Sonnier’s five picks, cornerback Denim Steed, a sophomore, has three interceptions and the other cornerback Jeremiah McWilliams, only a freshman, has two. DE Jose Deluna leads in fumble recoveries with three.

In other second-round playoff action, involving 9-4A DI teams Pine Tree and Lindale tonight. The Pirates (7-4), coming off a 35-point shutout of Lumberton last week, meet Houston Yates (10-1) at 7:30 p.m. at Crockett’s Driskell Stadium, and in a matchup involving a couple of 10-1 teams, Lindale plays Fort Bend Crawford at Nacogdoches ISD Dragon Stadium, beginning at 7 p.m.

The winner of Pine Tree’s area contest against Yates advances to meet the winner between Lindale and Fort Bend Crawford in a regional semifinal game next week.  

The rest of the playoff slate involving ETBlitz area and East Texas teams:

Kilgore (10-1) vs. Stafford (6-5)

Friday, 7 p.m., Willis ISD / Yates Stadium, Willis

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Pine Tree (7-4) vs. Houston Yates (11-0)

Friday, 7:30 p.m., Crockett ISD / Driskell Stadium

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Carthage (11-0) vs Sanger (8-3)

Friday, 7 p.m., City Bank Stadium, Forney

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Gladewater (10-1) vs Grandview (9-2)

Friday, 7 p.m., Kaufman ISD / Homer Norville Stadium

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Troup (11-0) vs. Hooks (8-3)

Friday, 7 p.m., Emory Rains ISD / Wildcat Stadium

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Arp (10-1) vs. Daingerfield (8-3)

Friday, 7:30 p.m., Marshall ISD / Maverick Stadium

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Beckville (8-3) vs. Jewett Leon (11-0)

Friday, 7 p.m., CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium (Tyler ISD)

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Overton (7-4) vs. Goldthwaite (8-3)

Friday, 7 p.m., Groesbeck ISD / Groesbeck Stadium

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Longview (7-4) vs. DeSoto (8-3)

Waco ISD Stadium, 7 p.m.

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Lufkin (8-3) vs. Pflugerville Weiss (9-2)

Shenandoah Woodforest Bank Stadium, 7 p.m.

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Terrell (11-0) vs. Huntsville (7-4)

Waco’s McLane Stadium, 7 p.m.

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Texas High (10-1) vs. Midlothian Heritage (8-3)

Friday, November 21, at Royce City ISD Stadium, 7 p.m.

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CLASS 4A, DIVISION I

Alvarado (10-0) vs. Sulphur Springs (10-1)

Prosper Children’s Health Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

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Lindale (10-1) vs. Fort Bend Crawford (10-1)

Nacogdoches ISD Dragon Stadium, 7 p.m.

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Athens (9-2) vs. Krum (10-0)

Mesquite Hanby Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

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Van (7-4) vs. Sunnyvale (10-1)

Sulphur Springs ISD Prim Stadium, 7 p.m.

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Pleasant Grove (10-1) vs. Canton (10-1)

Texarkana Hawk Stadium, 6:30 p.m.

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CLASS 3A, DIVISION I

Malakoff (8-3) vs. Pottsboro (10-1)

Greenville ISD Ford Stadium, 7 p.m.

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Commerce (8-2) vs. Pilot Point (9-2)

McKinney ISD Poe Stadium, 7 p.m.

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Palestine Westwood (9-2) vs. Columbus (9-2)

Caldwell ISD Hornet Field, 7 p.m.

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CLASS 2A, DIVISION I

Mildred (9-2) vs. Hamilton (9-2)

Robinson ISD Rocket Field, 7 p.m.

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Carlisle (6-5) vs. Alvord (9-2)

Friday, November 21, at Ennis ISD Lion Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m.

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Honey Grove (10-1) vs. Joaquin (7-4)

Ore City ISD Rebel Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

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Waskom (9-2) vs. San Augustine (8-3)

Henderson ISD Lions Stadium, 7 p.m.

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CLASS 2A, DIVISION II

Mart (6-5) vs. Lovelady (9-2)

Palestine ISD Wildcat Stadium, 7 p.m.

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Grapeland (8-3) vs. Bremond (11-0)

Madisonville ISD Mustang Stadium, 7 p.m.

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Mount Enterprise (11-0) vs. Chilton (10-1)

Kemp ISD Yellow Jacket Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

Some interesting notes to think about as you drive to today’s game: Since district play began on Sept. 26, that’s six district games and a playoff contest, Kilgore is 22-of-22 in the red zone, scoring 20 touchdowns and two field goals.

The Dogs also have eight 50-or-more-yard touchdowns and that’s not counting a couple of kickoff returns and a punt return for scores. And, the defense has accounted for a couple of touchdowns as well as a safety.

Go figure.