LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE | Kilgore’s offense AND defense simply too much for Stafford in overwhelming playoff win
WILLIS – Let’s talk about domination. Let’s talk about taking care of business.
Well, we can talk all we want. But Kilgore did more than talk the talk Friday night here in a second-round playoff game: the Bulldogs walked the walk.
Kilgore overcame not only Stafford’s Spartans, but an hour-and-52-minute lightning-delay enroute to its 11th win of the season, 42-0.
It was No. 3-ranked Kilgore’s first shutout of the season, but marked the seventh time for the Ragin’ Red to hold its opponents to a touchdown or less.
More importantly, it sends coach Clint Fuller’s Bulldogs (11-1) to round three of the UIL Class 4A, Division I playoffs, where they’ll meet Bridge City at New Caney’s Randall Reed Stadium on Friday, a 2 p.m. kickoff. Bridge City (11-1) beat Navasota, 35-27. Randall Reed Stadium has been a frequent playoff stop for Kilgore over the years.
By the way, in other games involving teams from District 9-4A Division I, Pine Tree (also in the ETBlitz coverage area) rallied from behind to beat previously unbeaten Houston Yates 35-28, and Fort Bend Crawford upended Lindale, also 35-28. So Lindale is out of the playoffs.
Bulldogs fans and Stafford fans didn’t know what was in store for them during a lightning delay Friday night that seemed to be never-ending.
Turns out, that lightning storm had more bite than Stafford (5-6).
The Bulldogs limited Stafford, a 49-7 bi-district winner over Houston Wheatley a week ago in round one, to just five first downs and 73 yards of total offense on 40 plays.
“Our team goal this week was to step up and I thought our entire team did that,” said Kilgore coach Clint Fuller, following the game. “I’m really proud of the way we played. Our defense played fast and physical all night. Bubba (McGowan) and Cam (Christian) led the charge up front for us and our secondary locked down a very explosive passing attack.
“It’s always great to get a shut out in a playoff game.”
David McGowan and Isaiah Watters came away with turnovers and touchdowns, for the defense.
McGowan returned a Nate Ray interception 27 yards with 7:44 remaining in the third quarter to extend a 14-point halftime advantage for Kilgore to 21.
Kilgore’s defense would cash in again, this time on the eighth play of Stafford’s very next possession as Watters scooped and scored, returning a fumble 56 yards for a touchdown.
Eddie Jimenez was 6-for-6 on extra points and his fourth of the contest gave Kilgore a comfortable 28-point cushion with just 3:50 left in the third period.
Domination, you say? Yeah, Kilgore outgained the Spartans 371-to-73 in total yardage. Pretty complete.
Quarterback Kayson Brooks was 8-of-16 passing for 73 yards. Lakeyleon Graves and Tyler Johnigan each had two receptions for 38 and 13 yards, respectively. Ja’Kalyn Sheffield (1-9), Dre’ Sanders (1-6), Rayshaun Williams (1-4) and T.K. White (1-3) also caught passes.
Williams led the rushing parade with 162 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. Beside his interception return for a score defensively, McGowan had five carries for 20 yards and a touchdown.
Brooks had two carries for seven yards and a score, and Maddox Wright came on in the fourth quarter to wrap up the scoring with an 80-yard sprint to complete a two-play march that took just 41 seconds, extending the lead to 42 with 6:45 remaining in the contest.
Ray was 4-of-13 passing for 22 yards and the Spartans added 51 yards rushing on 27 carries. Aiden Seales led all rushers for Stafford with 23 on seven carries. And, Robin Dansberry followed with 20 yards on five carries.
Kilgore scored on its initial possession of the game, moving the football 75 yards in 11 plays with Brooks scoring on a one-yard keeper. It was his seventh rushing touchdown of the season and came with 8:08 left in the first quarter.
There were a couple of completions, the first to Graves and the second to Johnigan, but the big play of the march, which took 3:52 off the clock, was a 37-yard Williams run from the Stafford 38 to the Spartans’ one.
On its initial possession Stafford’s offense moved from its 25, following an Ethan Reyes’ kickoff into the end zone, to the Kilgore 42 before stalling. The Bulldogs took possession, and the weather delay began.
When play resumed, Kilgore would navigate the 58 yards in 2:36 with McGowan scoring on a two-yard run to give the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead.
Neither team scored in the second quarter.
After using its defense to stretch the lead to 28-0 in the third quarter, Kilgore would put together a couple of drives for 14-fourth quarter points. The first of those started in the third period and was the longest scoring march of the game (14 plays) in which Kilgore converted two fourth downs to keep its offense on the field. Williams did most of the heavy lifting with runs of 7-, 16-, 3-, 8-, 5- and 7-yards for the touchdown.
Stafford took the ensuing kickoff and Christian and friends kept the pressure particularly on Ray, the quarterback, and the Spartans’ offense to force a punt, after three downs netted only seven yards.
Kilgore’s Shaun Moyers entered in relief of Brooks at quarterback, and two plays later, Wright was off to the races going 80-yards for the Bulldogs’ final touchdown of the evening. It was Wright’s fifth touchdown of the season.
