KILGORE PULLS THE PLUG ON CHARGERS | Bulldogs face La Vernia Friday at McLane in Waco
HUNTSVILLE – Rayshaun Williams and Isaiah Watters have been a formidable one-two punch all season for Kilgore and they were exactly that on a chilly Friday evening at Huntsville’s ISD Stadium.
Williams and Watters combined for 241 yards and four touchdowns as the Bulldogs (13-1) stretched their win streak to 13 with a solid 30-3 victory over Fort Bend Crawford in a Class 4A, Division I quarterfinal contest.
Kilgore moves on, now, to the state semifinals — one game away from returning to the state championship.
The Bulldogs will face La Vernia on Friday, Dec. 12, at McLane Stadium in Waco, the home of the Baylor Bears. The game is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
If Kilgore wins this coming week, the Ragin’ Red will play for a state title on Dec. 19 at AT&T Stadium against either Stephenville or defending 4A-DI state champion Celina.
Back to Kilgore-FB Crawford.
Kilgore’s defense, which had shutout its last two opponents, allowed the 12-4A DI champion Chargers (12-2), averaging 44.3 points in three playoff wins and 426 yards a game in 13 games, a meager field goal and 144 total yards on 48 plays.
Crawford had eliminated two of Kilgore’s 9-4A, DI brethren, Lindale and Pine Tree, but the trifecta against the Bulldogs just didn’t work.
And the win moves the ’Dogs to a rematch of last year’s semifinals (against La Vernia) next week against La Vernia, a 38-27 winner over San Antonio Davenport on Friday night.
“I’m really proud of our team and our coaches. We executed the game plan in all three phases,” said Kilgore coach Clint Fuller, following the contest. “We wanted to play a physical game and control the line of scrimmage.
“This was a complete team effort and that’s what you like to see at this point of the season. Every player stepped up and played at their best tonight.”
Kilgore rolled up 385 yards of offense. Williams led the rushing attack with 151 yards on 19 carries. His scoring runs covered 75- and 18-yards, giving the Bulldogs a 7-3 lead less than a minute after Crawford’s Miguel Arana booted a 47-yard field goal to give the Chargers a very momentary 3-0 advantage.
The lead lasted all of 11 seconds.
Williams second touchdown of the night and 18th of the season came on the first play of the second quarter to complete an 80-yard march in seven plays. It was a drive that featured Kilgore quarterback Kayson Brooks completing five straight passes for 61 yards; two of those to Ja’Kalyn Sheffield for 30, two to Lakeyleon Graves for 14, and one to T.K. White for 17, following a blocked field goal by Kilgore’s Dre’ Sanders, after Crawford had driven all the way to the Kilgore 2 before being stopped short of the goal line by Kilgore’s defense.
Another sterling performance from not only Cameron Christian and Bi’Syn Williams, but the entire D.
Watters finished with 90 yards on 12 carries and wrapped up the scoring with runs of three- and 29-yards in the fourth quarter.
Leading 14-3, Kilgore would benefit from a safety in which Arana, who was 1-for-2 on field goals in the first half, mishandled a punt snap on a fourth down from the Crawford 30-yard line, but alertly soccered the football through the back of the end zone with 8:42 remaining in the first half of play.
Brooks was 11-of-14 passing for 100 yards. He only threw two passes in the second half and they were both completions. He also rushed for 26 yards and converted first downs on three of those quarterback keepers for three-, eight- and four-yards, respectively.
The Kilgore quarterback threw to four different receivers. Graves led with seven catches for 60 yards. Sheffield followed with two for 30, White added one for 17, and Williams also had a reception for -6 yards.
Crawford quarterback Braylen Fisher, who threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns a week ago in a win against Pine Tree, was 15-of-30 for just 71 yards against Kilgore. Graves, when he wasn’t catching passes offensively for the Bulldogs, had two interceptions, giving him six of those for the season.
The Chargers’ Dedrick Polk, who came into the contest with a team-leading 890 yards rushing, gained 34 yards on eight carries. Fisher followed with 33.
Justin Butler led the Chargers’ receiving corps with seven receptions for 22 yards. Alvin Mosley followed with five catches for 35 yards. Polk (1-6), Amir Johnson (1-3) and Israel Hill (1-4) also each had a reception, totaling 13 yards.
After Arana’s long field goal on Crawford’s second possession of the contest that reached the Kilgore 30-yard line, the Chargers reached the Ragin’ Red’s 39 where Graves broke up a fourth-down Fisher pass intended for Polk at the 35-yard line.
On Crawford’s very next possession, this time on a second down Fisher pass, it was Graves again, this time collecting his second pick of the contest, this one at the Kilgore two-yard line.
Kilgore’s scoring drives covered 75-, 80-, 75- and 61-yards.
The Bulldogs’ kicker Eddie Jimenez was four-for-four on extra points, but missed a 38-yard field goal, hitting the right upright in the final minute of the first half. The senior is 82-of-83 on extra points thus far this season and 22-of-22 for the playoffs.
