WINNERS OF THE ‘MUST WIN’: KILGORE | ‘Dogs get big rushing night, two INTs from Sanders to dust off Chapel Hill, 41-20
The phrase “must-win” is pretty self explanatory. In coach speak it’s “or else” – some coaches use it, because it puts a little more pressure on their team to win, and some don’t use it for exactly the opposite reason.
The ninth week of Friday Night Lights at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium between Chapel Hill and Kilgore was one of those must-win games. The fact it was Halloween Eve just added eerie and spooky.
Kilgore’s Maddox Wright and Rayshaun Williams continued their dueling rushing exploits with trick-or-treating performances. And quarterback Braddox Johnson ran for a touchdown and threw for another to Sekemian Moore as the Ragin’ Red rolled Chapel Hill, 41-20, clinching a playoff berth before a senior night crowd.
“I’m proud of our kids. It’s always a big game when we play Chapel Hill, and we clinched a playoff spot,” said Kilgore coach Clint Fuller. “Our defense played physically and flew around. We forced some big turnovers. Keion (Sanders) had two big interceptions that were critical for us.
“Our run game always starts up front. Our O-line played really well and Rayshaun and Maddox ran behind them all night.”
Kilgore’s win combined with Henderson’s 44-14 loss to Pine Tree in Longview on Friday means the Bulldogs and Lions, with identical 4-2 district records, will decide third and fourth-place in the District 8-4A, Division II standings when they meet at Lion Stadium next Friday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m.
In other 8-4A Division I games this week, Lindale defeated Palestine, 56-28, and Jacksonville upended Bullard, 44-37.
Lindale defeated Kilgore, Henderson and Pine Tree, and will go into the UIL 4A Division I playoffs as the No. 1 seed from the district. The Eagles are undefeated and currently ranked second in the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football poll of 4A-DI programs.
Pine Tree, who beat KHS and Henderson but lost to Lindale, will be No. 2. The Kilgore-Henderson winner will be the third seed, and the KHS-HHS loser will be the fourth.
So officially, now, Chapel Hill, Palestine, Jacksonville and Bullard have all been eliminated from playoff contention.
Back to Friday’s Kilgore-Chapel Hill game.
Wright and Williams combined for 336 of Kilgore’s 456 yards of total offense and three touchdowns. Wright rushed for 190 on 18 carries and had a reception for another 10 yards, while Williams, the school’s all-time leading rusher, added 136 yards and two touchdowns before calling it a night.
But it was Johnson that opened the scoring for the Ragin’ Red with a one-yard sneak to cap a seven-play, 85-yard march with 4:16 remaining in the first quarter. Johnson, who was 8-of-16 passing for 103 yards, would find Moore on a 30-yard pass-and-run play to close a 69-yard march, coming with just 3:38 remaining in the second quarter to extend Kilgore’s advantage at the time to 18 points (28-10).
Kilgore’s initial possession followed a Chapel Hill drive of 60 yards that stalled at the Bulldogs’ 15-yard line. Estevan Sandoval then missed a 32-yard field goal.
Chapel Hill’s Maliek Brown, who had seven receptions for 171 yards, got the visitors on the scoreboard with an 102-yard kickoff return. Sandoval’s extra point knotted the score at 7 with 4:01 left in the first period.
Joining Brown, who came into the game with 36 receptions for 727 yards, were Jeremiah Hinojosa (2-25) and Marklon Brooks (1-7).
Lemuel Stinson led the visitor’s ground game with 85 yards on 14 carries. CHHS quarterback Jakaivian Snow was 10-of-22 passing for 203 yards.
Kilgore pinned Chapel Hill deep in its own end of the field and a short punt gave Kilgore a short field. Wright took full advantage, hitting the middle and going 39 yards untouched for his 10th touchdown of the season, extending Kilgore’s lead to 14-7 with 11:11 remaining in the second quarter.
A Sanders pick, his first of the evening and second of the season (he would add another in the third quarter), set the stage for Williams’ 73-yard scoring run with 8:58 left until halftime. Ethan Reyes converted his third of five extra points, pushing Kilgore’s edge to 14 (21-7).
Chapel Hill’s ensuing drive reached the Ragin’ Red 17 and brought Sandoval on again this time for a 34-yard field goal that split the uprights. The big play of the march was a 42-yard completion from Snow to Brown. The drive stalled though as Kilgore’s De’Andre Thurmond batted a third-down Snow pass attempt away to the ground.
Eight Kilgore plays later, Johnson and Moore were celebrating their touchdown. It was QB1s 18th passing score of the season and Moore’s fourth catch, but his first TD of the 2026 campaign.
The visitors capitalized on a Matthias Snelson interception of Johnson, but had to settle for a 37-yard Sandoval field goal, his second of the game, as time expired in the first half.
Snow and Brown worked efficiently with completions of 7-, 13- and 30 yards to give Sandoval an opportunity. A big play for Kilgore’s defense, though on the CHHS’s scoring march was a 10-yard sack by Kilgore defensive end Zarak Hall, back in action after a somewhat-scary injury just a few weeks ago.
The late Chapel Hill field goal left Kilgore ahead 28-13 at intermission.
The home-standing Bulldogs, who deferred the coin toss to open the game, took the second-half kickoff – a 12-yard T.K. White return – to drive 46 yards to the visiting Bulldogs’ 13.
Reyes, who would add a 32-yard field goal at the two-minute mark in the fourth quarter, converted from 30 yards with 5:34 remaining in the third period, extending Kilgore’s advantage at the time to 18 (31-13).
Chapel Hill answered with its final score of the evening, coming on a 52-yard Snow-to-Brown completion with 1:09 left in the third quarter.
Kilgore’s Williams then capped a six-play, 61-yard march with a 2-yard run coming with 9:21 remaining in the contest. It was his 11th rushing touchdown of the season.
Johnson threw to six different receivers. Tyler Johnigan had two catches for 22 yards and Devin Tinney also had two receptions for 18 yards. Miles Applegate (1-15), White (1-8) and Wright (1-10) joined Moore with catches.
In other district games to close the regular season next week, Bullard entertains Pine Tree, Jacksonville visits Lindale, and Chapel Hill hosts Palestine.