CORNERED | Bulldogs drop one on the road at PG; off two weeks before meeting Gilmer
TEXARKANA – Friday in Pleasant Grove was one of those nights that would lead to someone taking the “good” out of “good morning” this morning.
An optimist, on the other hand, might chalk it up as just one game, a learning experience for a young, inexperienced Kilgore football team.
Opening night of the 2026 football season for the Kilgore High School Bulldogs wasn’t exactly what Ragin’ Red fans have become accustomed to since Clint Fuller became the head football coach now six years ago.
Kilgore, ranked fourth in the state in the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football 4A Division I poll, arrived here Friday afternoon and was ambushed by equally fourth-ranked Pleasant Grove (in 4A-DII).
The Hawks put the pedal to the medal, rolling up their sleeves to get the initial win of the Darby Era with a 42-7 triumph over KHS, a team with more than a handful of new faces on both sides of the football.
“They got after us pretty good,” said Fuller, who has guided Kilgore to four district titles, as well as appearances in the last two 4A-DI state championship games, along with a 60-13 record.
“We shot ourselves in the foot. We will build on this and be a better football team when we play Gilmer in two weeks.”
Kilgore only plays nine regular-season games this season, with a couple of open dates. The first one of those is this coming Friday, Sept. 4.
This time, Fuller didn’t see longtime friend Josh Gibson when he looked across the way at the PG sideline: Gibson stepped away from coaching in the offseason, and the Hawks welcomed Jonathan Darby as their new head coach.
The Bulldogs struggled early as the Hawks’ defensive lineman Kedrid Smith blocked a Kilgore punt and returned 27 yards by linebacker Tyler Price for the Grove’s first touchdown of the season with 9:05 remaining in the first quarter. Hawkins Solomon converted his first of what would be six extra points to give the homestanding Hawks a 7-0 lead.
Braddox Johnson, a junior replacing the graduated Kayson Brooks, one of the best quarterbacks in history at KHS, showed some bright spots throwing the football and running the offense. But Kilgore struggled at times offensively, especially in the first half managing just four first downs. They finished with 15.
Johnson completed 8-of-19 passes for 61 yards in the first half, and was intercepted by Hawks Griffin Grubbs and Jaidon Brown. The second of those picks came in the end zone to end the first half.
Kilgore was trailing 14-0 after a 51-yard run by Marcus Floyd on a fourth down call from the PG 49-yard-line with 4:45 remaining in the first period.
Still behind by only two scores, Johnson and T.K. White connected on a 45-yards scoring play, in which the Bulldogs were flagged for a holding penalty.
Hawks quarterback Colt Yancey scored his first rushing touchdown of the new season on a 21-yard keeper, avoiding a big rush to slip out of the pocket and maneuvered through the Kilgore defense. About five minutes later, Palmer Gibbs would cap a three-play, 71-yard march which took 1:24 in time, with a 61-yard run that extended the Hawks’ advantage to 28-0 at the half.
PG put together a nine-play, 72-yard scoring march which came with 4:40 left in the third quarter, stretching its lead to 35 points.
The veteran PG quarterback managed the contest very well, mixing his passes-and-runs effectively. He completed 18-of-23 attempts for 182 yards and two touchdowns. Those covered 34 yards to Floyd late in the third quarter, and 33 yards to a leaping Rashad McCoy in the end zone midway through the fourth.
The Bulldogs received the second half kickoff and drove 50 yards in nine plays mixing the runs of Rayshaun Williams, 3-for-20, with completions of 22 yards to De’Andre Thurman and eight more yards for Williams before Johnson was sacked on a fourth-and-seven play from the Hawks’ 21-yard line.
Kilgore’s next possession covered 4:24 in time and came late in the third stanza with Johnson completing a 43-yard scoring toss to Tyler Johnigan for the Bulldogs’ second touchdown, which like the first was brought back by a holding infraction. The drive then stalled and Pleasant Grove took over following Isaac Jamaica’s punt to the Hawks’ 25-yard line.
Seven plays later, the Grove scored its final touchdown on Yancey’s completion to McCoy with 8:38 showing on the game clock.
The Bulldogs went to work, putting together their longest and best drive of the night (75-yards) in 15 plays with junior running back Warren Royal carrying 13 times for 75 yards. The only exceptions to that were a 4-yard run by Jayvion Loyd and a Johnson incompletion into the end zone.
The touchdown came with just 36 seconds left to play. Ethan Reyes tacked on the point after and Kilgore was on the scoreboard for the first time this season.
Johnson completed 14-of-25 passes to seven different receivers for 111 yards. Those went to T.K. White (2-25), Maddox Wright (4-10), Johnigan (2-23), Williams (2-16), De’Andre Thurmond (2-25), Brenton Mumphrey (1-4 and Kei Warren (1-8).
The Bulldogs added 144 rushing yards. Following Royal were Williams (9-42), and Wright (8-26).
The Hawks wound up with 206 yards rushing on 20 carries. Leading the way was Floyd with 12 carries for 105 yards. Gibbs (2-66, 1 Td), and Yancey (5-28) followed.
Next up for Pleasant Grove is a visit to Sulphur Springs, while, as mentioned, Kilgore is off this coming week and doesn’t play again until Sept. 11 at Gilmer, also 0-1 after Thursday’s setback at Pine Tree.