RAGIN’ RED at PINE TREE TONIGHT | 8-4A also has Henderson hosting Lindale
LONGVIEW – Well, well, well.
That’s an awfully deep subject.
Pine Tree and Kilgore are two of the four teams in District 8-4A, Division I teams sitting atop the district standings this morning. They both won, as did state-ranked Lindale and Henderson a week ago. The Pirates beat Jacksonville 42-13, while the Bulldogs got a victory over Bullard, 40-6.
Tonight’s 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Pirate Stadium marks the 52nd time these rivals have met on the gridiron. It’s a series Kilgore has dominated 39-11-1.
But, remember these Pirates are not your dad’s Pirates.
These are Jason Bachman’s. He’s in his fifth season as the head football coach and yeah, if you believe in records, he’s turned this program around.
Since a 2-8 start in 2022, Pine Tree is 26-14 and has made the playoffs each of the last three seasons, going two rounds deep in 2024 and reaching the third round a year ago.
Interestingly enough, for your eyes only; the Pirates have reached postseason four times in the last six years (2020, 2023, 2024, 2025).
“They’re a very good football team,” said Kilgore coach Clint Fuller earlier this week watching his Bulldogs (1-2, 1-0) prep for the Pirates. “They’re good up front on both sides of the football. They’ve got a good quarterback and really good skill position players.
“They want to establish the running game and then throw over you. They’re big on both sides of the football… I would say comparable to Gilmer.”
In the season opener, a 52-40 win over Gilmer, PT quarterback Colton Croft (6-foot-4, 235 pounds, a senior) was 10-of-13 passing for 230 yards and three touchdowns. He ran for another score. In last week’s win, Croft was 6-of-14 for 149 passing yards and two touchdowns. Those went to Jakaiden Johnson and Bosston Johnson.
Another key receiver for the Pirates has been senior Rashaad Wofford, while Jakarius Timmons (5-7, 200, senior) is an experienced running back, who rushed for more than 700 yards and scored 11 touchdowns last season.
Through four games, the Pine Tree is averaging 44.5 points per game, and allowing 42.5. Their losses came against state-ranked Carthage (67-36) on Sept. 4 and Athens (50-48) on Sept. 11.
One of the Pine Tree’s defensive standouts early this season has been cornerback Darron Pair (6-0, 145, senior), who had two interceptions against Jacksonville, returning one 51-yards for a touchdown. His first against the Indians came in the end zone, turning away a scoring drive by the hosts.
Others of note, defensively, include Bosston Johnson, a free safety, defensive back Desmond Williams, and linemen Bryk Bratton (6-1, 230, a junior) and Derek Kalulu (5-8, 225, also a junior).
In the opener against Gilmer, Pine Tree had four picks against the Buckeyes and Pair returned his 54 yards for a touchdown.
When asked about his own quarterback Braddox Johnson, Fuller said, “he’s settled in,” referring to his three touchdown passes against Gilmer and five last week against Bullard. Four of those against the Panthers went to wide receiver De’Andre Thurmond and the other was to Tyler Johnigan.
Johnson is 42-of-64 passing for 508 yards with eight touchdowns in three games. His primary receivers have been Johnigan (11 catches, 215 yards, 3 touchdowns), Thurmond (7-149, 4) and Rayshaun Williams (5-32).
Maddox Wright led the rushing attack in each of the last two games with 182 against Gilmer and 142 a week later against Bullard. Williams (27-203, 2 touchdowns) and Warren Royal (21-134, 1 TD) have shared the rushing duties with Wright, a junior.
Through three games, the Bulldogs leading tackler has been inside linebacker Blade Chitwood with 31 tackles, including one tackle for loss (TFL). Others to watch defensively for the Ragin’ Red have been Williams, an outside linebacker, with 23 total tackles and Thurmond, the other outside backer, with 22 stops, along with safety Brenton Mumphrey (17) and defensive end Zarak Hall (15).
In other 8-4A, DI games tonight, Henderson (2-2, 1-0) hosts second-ranked and unbeaten Lindale (4-0, 1-0); Bullard (1-3, 0-1) entertains Palestine (2-2, 0-1); and Chapel Hill (0-4, 0-1) hosts Jacksonville (2-2, 0-1).