SCRIMMAGES EVERYWHERE! | Where’s your team playing this weekend? Here’s where to look. And Kilgore’s watermelon fest is Thursday night!
There’s not a lot of counting down left to do.
The 2024 high school football season – the 2024 football season, period – is upon us.
Scrimmages are this week, including at Kilgore, the watermelon tradition on Thursday night outside the field house.
And then it all kicks off for real next weekend here at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium for Kilgore College, then the following week for area high schools.
So let’s take a look at what’s coming up, a football calendar for the next couple of weeks to keep you guys informed of who’s scrimmaging who, where and what time before the actual ’24 season gets under way.
KILGORE HIGH SCHOOL
The Bulldogs will welcome the public to the practice field out behind the Mitchell Field House, as they have for so many years, at 7:30 p.m. this Thursday for the annual watermelon fest.
Watermelon for everyone, but before that, the football teams will be brought out, as will the volleyball teams, and there are normally performances by the band, the Kilgore High School cheerleaders, the KHS Hi-Steppers, the twirlers, and often even the Kilgore Middle School cheerleaders and Star-Steppers.
After that, on Friday, it’s step one of the 2024 season.
Coach Clint Fuller’s Ragin’ Red will take the field for the first time this year, a 5 p.m. start at home for the freshmen and junior varsity for their scrimmage against Mesquite Poteet. Varsity will follow, likely around 7 p.m.
There’s no admission, but donations will be accepted on behalf of the Day To Shine program – Our Day To Shine is simply a benevolence fund, established years ago by the Texas High School Coaches Association Board of Directors to help student athletes and coaches who experience hardships, such as a home that burned, or similar difficulty. Over 1,165 schools across the state have participated, including Kilgore for several years running.
Next week, Kilgore scrimmages at Center on Thursday night, and then the big one: the Ragin’ Red opens the season at Carthage on Friday night, August 30.
By the way, ETBlitz.com will be there a few hours before hand, The ETBlitz.com Road Show: WE’RE HITTING THE ROAD! | The ETBlitz.com Road Show comes to Tatum Aug. 29, to Carthage Aug. 30. Come out and join us.
Kilgore, of course, is coming off a 12-2 season a year ago. Our preview on the Bulldogs coming next week here on ETBlitz.com.
HENDERSON HIGH SCHOOL
Coach Clay Baker will open his second season driving the Lions with a pair of home scrimmages.
The first: this Friday against Hallsville, a 5:30 p.m. freshmen/JV start, and then next Thursday against another ETBlitz.com-area school, Tatum, also beginning at 5:30 p.m. with subvarsity.
The Lions went 2-8 last year, Baker’s first, of course, and are 10 wins away from the program’s 600th victory.
They open the season at home against Athens on Friday night, Aug. 30.
Here’s our preview for the Henderson Lions, from last week: THE LIONS’ DEN | Baker’s plan: To bring winning ways back to Henderson (etblitz.com).
GILMER HIGH SCHOOL
The Buckeyes – coming off a 13-3 season and, more importantly, a UIL Class 4A Division II state championship – have two scrimmages, as well.
The first is this Friday at Paris, a 5 p.m. start for freshmen and junior varsity, then varsity at 7 p.m.
The second is at Whitehouse, next Thursday, Aug. 22, the same format: freshmen and JV at 5, with varsity to follow.
Coach Alan Metzel’s team will open the season at home against 4A Division I newcomer (after realignment) Pine Tree on Friday, Aug. 30, a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
Like Kilgore, our preview for the Buckeyes is still to come. Gilmer only recently joined the ETBlitz.com coverage area: THE. BUCKEYES. ARE. HERE. | ETBlitz.com adds GILMER, sportswriter Williams, to the family!.
SABINE HIGH SCHOOL
The Cardinals, having missed the playoffs the last two years, did improve their win total last year, and have a lot of talent back.
That talent will hit the field for the first time this season on Friday in a tri-scrimmage against both New Boston and Waskom. And the Cardinals won’t have to go far: it’s at home, at James Bamberg Stadium on campus, Friday night at 6:30 p.m.
Coach Cody Gilbert, beginning his third season with Sabine, will have one more scrimmage after that – next Thursday, Aug. 22, at Edgewood at 6:30 p.m. – to get things as close as possible to how he wants them before the Cards open the season at Spring Hill on Friday, Aug. 30. That’s a 7 p.m. start.
Here’s our Sabine football preview: TIME FOR CARDINALS TO FLY | A tough schedule, but with senior leaders, Sabine could have a playoff return (etblitz.com).
GLADEWATER HIGH SCHOOL
The Bears are looking to get things back to normal after just three wins last year, although they did get into the playoffs. Here’s our Gladewater preview: GLORY DAYS | Springsteen sang about ’em; Louvier looking to restore ’em at Gladewater (etblitz.com).
They’re in the district with Sabine, and a talented district it is, as Jefferson, newcomer Liberty-Eylau, Tatum, Atlanta and White Oak will also be there.
Coach Jonny Louvier’s Bears have a tough test right out of the gate: a season opener on Thursday night, Aug. 29 against Daingerfield – those Tigers are No. 2 in the state in the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Class 3A-Division II poll.
First, though, the Bears have a pair of scrimmages.
They’re hosting coach Sam Wells’ Troup Tigers this Thursday at 6:30 p.m., and then next week, they’ll make the trek up to the Paris area to face North Lamar on Thursday, Aug. 22, another 6:30 p.m. start.
WHITE OAK HIGH SCHOOL
Coach Mike Ludlow returns his son, Jaxsen, at quarterback and a lot of talent from a team that didn’t hit the win column in 2023. That’s certain to not be the case in 2024.
The Rougnecks bring back nine starters on both offense and on defense, and their first scrimmage is at New Diana this Friday night at 6:30 p.m.
They’ll be home next Thursday for a scrimmage against coach Rafe Mata and his West Rusk Raiders.
It gets real for the ‘Necks on Friday, Aug. 30, their season opener at home against Eustace, a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Our White Oak preview is coming soon.
WEST RUSK HIGH SCHOOL
Speaking of coach Mata’s Raiders, who have won their district in four of the last five years, they’ve got a busy few days.
They’ll play a scrimmage this Friday at Garrison, beginning with JV at 5 p.m., varsity to follow, and then that scrimmage Thursday at White Oak.
In between, their photo day is Saturday morning.
The Raiders open the season against No. 1-ranked Malakoff (top-ranked in the DCTF 3A-DI poll) on Friday, Aug. 30, at Malakoff.
Here’s our preview for the 2024 Raiders: THRILL RIDE | A near-decade of dominance for West Rusk, as Mata begins year two at the helm in ’24 (etblitz.com).
TATUM HIGH SCHOOL
Coach Whitney Keeling’s Tatum Eagles were a playoff team last year (6-5), but with Keeling – a coach with state championships in his pocket – at the helm, the Eagles are likely thinking about more than just making the playoffs.
They’ll start the 2024 journey with a scrimmage at home on Friday against Timpson, a 6 p.m. start, and then a second scrimmage is set for next Thursday, Aug. 22, at Henderson at 5:30.
The Eagles will open their season at home on Thursday, Aug. 29 against Winnsboro, and as we mentioned above in the Kilgore brief, ETBlitz.com will be there for the very first ETBlitz Road Show (WE’RE HITTING THE ROAD! | The ETBlitz.com Road Show comes to Tatum Aug. 29, to Carthage Aug. 30.) Y’all come out, bring signs and get crazy – you know, in a civilized sort of way. 😊
Our Tatum preview will hit ETBlitz.com next week.
ARP HIGH SCHOOL
The Tigers have scrimmages at home this Friday (against Beckville, a 6 p.m. start) and on the road next Thursday (at San Augustine, also at 6) in preparation for what should be another good season. Coach Wes Schminkey gets nine starters back on offense from a team that went 8-4 a year ago.
Like Tatum, Kilgore, and Gilmer, our Arp preview is coming next week. And so is the Tigers’ season opener: at home against Harleton on Friday night, Aug. 30, a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
TROUP HIGH SCHOOL
Coach Wells and his Tigers came oh-so-close to winning a district championship a year ago, only to run into West Rusk.
Troup still had a fantastic year, going 9-2 and they’re bringing back a lot of personnel from that team.
As mentioned earlier, they scrimmage at Gladewater this Thursday at 6:30 p.m., and then will host Alto in a second scrimmage next Thursday, Aug. 22, at 6.
The Tigers’ season opener is at home, as well, against Shelbyville on Friday, Aug. 30, at 7:30 p.m.
Here’s the ETBlitz.com preview for Troup’s 2024 season: DOMINATE THE DAY | Wells and his Troup Tigers look to replace key pieces, keep rolling (etblitz.com).
OVERTON HIGH SCHOOL
For the first time in many years, the Mustangs are coming off a season in which they had double-digit wins.
Overton won 10 games a year ago, in coach Scotty Laymance’s first season as head coach (he was offensive coordinator prior to that), and lost to Mart in the playoffs – hardly an embarrassing defeat.
The Mustangs finished with a 10-2 record and will be gunning for an even-better year this year – and for what it’s worth, they’re ranked in the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football preseason Class 2A state poll (PRESEASON POLLS | ETBlitz will recognize DCTF polls this season, beginning with preseason; KHS, Gilmer ranked in 4A top 5; WR, Overton both ranked).
Overton will scrimmage at Union Grove on Friday, a 5 p.m. start, and then host Ore City next Thursday, Aug. 22, at 6 p.m. at Coach Chester Roy Stadium.
The Mustangs open the season Friday, Aug. 30 at home against Alba Golden at 7 p.m.
Their preview will be on ETBlitz.com next week.
LEVERETT’S CHAPEL HIGH SCHOOL
For the first time in a while, the Lions, the only six-man football program in the ETBlitz.com coverage area, will have a truly new head coach.
Andy Bates had been the Lions’ coach for a handful of years, before retirement, and then Matt Everett, the LCISD Superintendent of Schools who actually founded the school’s six-man program, came out of retirement to coach them the last two seasons, alongside former Arp legend Dale Irwin.
Now, LC will be led by Keith Hughes, who takes the reins of the program, alongside assistant coach A.J. Hendrix.
LC went 8-3 a year ago, and 3-0 in district play.
The Lions will play its final scrimmage at Dallas Lakehill on Friday, Aug. 23, starting at 6 p.m., a multi-team scrimmage, and then then open the season at home against Trinity School of Texas on Aug. 30.
See our preview of LC next week here on ETBlitz.com.