GOTCHA! | Kilgore knocks down Bridge City; takes on FB Crawford in round four Friday in Huntsville
NEW CANEY – Bridge City’s new bakery class got off to a rollicking start the day after Thanksgiving on Friday afternoon here at New Caney ISD’s Randall Reed Stadium.
They served Kilgore six turnovers and 24 of the Bulldogs’ 34 points in the third round of the Class 4A, Division I University Interscholastic League’s football playoffs.
The Ragin’ Red’s second consecutive post-season shutout, this one 34-0, dashed any Cardinals’ high-brow hopes of an extended football playoff run, sending them into basketball despite a district championship season-ending 11-2 record.
In the process, No. 3-ranked Kilgore stretched its own win streak to an even dozen (12-1) and moved into December and a date against Fort Bend Crawford this coming week in the 4A, DI Region III finals (or Quarterfinals) Friday night at 7 p.m. at Huntsville. When more details are set, we’ll have it here on ETBlitz.com.
The Chargers (12-1) topped Pine Tree 48-10 on Friday night in Crockett, a week after knocking Lindale, another of Kilgore’s 9-4A playoff brethren from the playoffs in the area round, 35-28.
A week after limiting Stafford to 74 yards of total offense, Bridge City managed 79 on 38 plays.
The Bulldogs were honestly, just too MUCH for the 12-4A DI winning Redbirds. The Ragin’ Red opened fast with a 10-play, 82-yard scoring march which included four runs, the last being a one-yard Isaiah Watters touchdown with 6:51 remaining in the first quarter.
In the drive, Kilgore quarterback Kayson Brooks delivered a message, completing his first six passes for 71 of the 82 yards. Tyler Johnigan had three catches for 13 yards, Rayshaun Williams (1-10), Dre’ Sanders (1-24) and Ja’Kalyn Sheffield (1-24).
Eddie Jimenez followed with the first of his four extra points and Kilgore led 7-0. He would add field goals of 24- and 22-yards, one of those to end the first half and the second coming late in the third quarter.
Kilgore rolled 339-yards of offense, 147 and three touchdowns rushing to go with a 16-of-22 passing performance by Brooks for 192 yards and a touchdown to Lakeyleon Graves.
Back to the turnovers, a fumble on the Cardinals very first play from the line of scrimmage was recovered by Travis Holmes. Brooks and Kilgore’s offense were in business, again at Bridge City’s 37 yard line, and on their way to a quick 14-point advantage.
This time, Rayshaun Williams did the heavy lifting four carries for 22 yards, the last coming on a five-yard run with 3:24 left in the opening period. Brooks was 2-for-2 passing for eight yards to T.K. White and seven to Graves.
The Cardinals’ second possession (six plays netted all of six yards). Ugh!
Bridge City forced a Kilgore punt, but three plays later Cardinal quarterback Hudson Hoffman’s fifth pass of the contest was intercepted by Watters at the 25 and returned four yards to the Bridge City 21.
It took Kilgore all of six plays, including a fourth-and-one out of a jumbo package for a first down, enroute to its third touchdown of the contest, coming on an eight-yard Brooks-to-Graves completion for a 21-0 lead with 6:34 left in the second quarter.
No turnovers this time, but a timely Bi’Syn Williams sack, along with shutdown coverage by Sanders in the secondary of a Hoffman pass intended for Bridge City’s top receiver Abraham Munguia, and Cameron Christian stuffing a run by Ashton Sumrall for a loss to two, gave Kilgore the football at the BC 26. A 19-yard Brooks completion to Graves gave the ’Dogs a first-and-goal at the seven. With time running out in the half, the Ragin’ Red settled for a 24-yard field goal by Jimenez and a 24-0 halftime lead.
Jimenez would add his ninth field goal of the season and second of the game from 22-yards away, out of the hold by Brayden Williams, with 3:25 left in the third quarter.
At that point, Kilgore had run 45 plays for 27 points, compared to Bridge City’s 31 for zero.
The Cardinals finally reached Kilgore’s end of the field for the first time with just 38 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs’ final points would come on a 34-yard Watters’ run to complete a 64-yard push in five plays and 3:09 in time. It was the senior’s second rushing touchdown of the game and sixth of the season.
Kilgore would get another couple of interceptions, one by Kaeson Clayton and the other by Sheffield, but neither led to any more points on the scoreboard.
By that time of the afternoon, a couple of baker’s dozen was sufficient, and 34 was even better.
Kilgore rushed for 147 yards with Watters leading with 55, followed by Rayshaun Williams’ 48, 37 by Maddox Wright and seven by Brooks.
Brooks, the senior QB1 for the ’Dogs, was 16-of-22 passing for 192 yards with a touchdown and an interception by Bridge City’s Ethan Hernandez.
Graves led Kilgore’s receiving corps with five catches for 46 yards. Sheffield and Johnigan had three receptions apiece. Sheffield for 84 yards and Johnigan for 13. Sanders (2-30), White (2-9) and Rayshaun Williams (1-10) also contributed.
Hoffman was 8-of-18 passing for 45 yards with three interceptions. Sumrall led the rushing attack with 18 yards on nine carries and Hoffman followed with 16 on eight.
