TOUGH TO SWALLOW | Kilgore loses in final seconds at Gilmer; time expired, but should it have?

Kilgore High School running back Rayshaun Williams (8, center) runs through a gaping hole in Gilmer's "Black Flag" defense Friday night at Jeff Traylor Stadium in Gilmer. In a shootout that came down to the final seconds, it was the Buckeyes that wound up pulling out a 24-22 win. But not without some controversy: another KHS back, Isaiah Watters, went down with 20 seconds left on the clock, and the clock was allowed to keep running until officials finally blew the play dead with six seconds left. Officials called for a 10-second run-off -- there was less than 10 seconds left on the game clock, which meant the game was over. But if Watters was down with 20 seconds left, wouldn't there have been time left on the clock for Kilgore to run another play, even with the 10-second run-off? (Photo by DENNIS JACOBS - ETBLITZ.COM) — Kilgore High School running back Rayshaun Williams (8, center) runs through a gaping hole in Gilmer’s “Black Flag” defense Friday night at Jeff Traylor Stadium in Gilmer. Below: The Bulldogs’ Lakeyleon Graves wins a handfight for the ball and goes on to score. In a shootout that came down to the final seconds, it was the Buckeyes that wound up pulling out a 24-22 win. But not without some controversy: another KHS back, Isaiah Watters, went down with 20 seconds left on the clock, and the clock was allowed to keep running until officials finally blew the play dead with six seconds left. Officials called for a 10-second run-off — there was less than 10 seconds left on the game clock, which meant the game was over. But if Watters was down with 20 seconds left, wouldn’t there have been time left on the clock for Kilgore to run another play, even with the 10-second run-off? (Photos by DENNIS JACOBS – ETBLITZ.COM)

GILMER – With no timeouts remaining, Kilgore running back Isaiah Watters carried the football for a 3-yard gain to the Gilmer 4-yard-line, where he was tackled with 20 seconds left to play.

That is indisputable.

Watters was down, and Gilmer defensive players were, also. The clock kept running – tick, tick, tick – as Kilgore tried, and did, get its field goal team onto the field, and with six seconds left, officials finally blew the play dead.

That’s when it was announced due to the injured player and Kilgore having no time outs remaining, there would be a 10-second run-off and the game was officially over.

Cadon Tennison, Alec Sims and Trillyon Butler rushed for touchdowns and Brayden Pate kicked a 40-yard field goal as the Buckeyes celebrated homecoming with an 24-22 come-from-behind, upset victory over fifth-ranked Kilgore on Friday night at Jeff Traylor Stadium.

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Was Friday the 13^th an omen? Maybe.

The win was Gilmer’s first of the season, while the loss dropped Kilgore to 2-1.

The Ragin’ Red look to get back to their winning next Friday in their final non-district contest of the season against one of the tougher 4A Division I schedules in the state of Texas. The Bulldogs will entertain Pleasant Grove, a 42-6 winner over Daingerfield on Friday, improving to 2-1.

Kilgore coach Clint Fuller was an assistant on the PG coaching staff when the Hawks won the 4A, Division II state championship prior to his arrival in Kilgore.

This was like so many of the previous recent Kilgore-Gilmer games: back-and-forthbetween the two Class 4A East Texas football heavyweights. Kilgore won last year’s contest 24-23, but Gilmer went on to win the 4A, Division II state championship, its fourth in school history, but the first for Alan Metzel as a head coach at Gilmer High School.

Kilgore’s Kayson Brooks was 17-of-28 passing for 341 yards and three touchdowns. The junior quarterback’s scoring strikes covered 68 yards to Jayden Sanders, 36-yards to Lakeyleon Graves and 62-yards to Rayshaun Williams.

Brooks threw to seven different receivers for the second time in as many weeks. Brooks also suffered two interceptions, one by Zade Taylor and the other by Trillyon Butler.

Gilmer used three quarterbacks (Brady McCown, Cadon Tennison and Taylor, only a sophomore). The three combined were 12-of-24 for 137 yards. Kilgore also had two picks, one by Lakeyleon Graves and the other by Dre’ Sanders.

Kilgore rushed for just 51 yards on 12 carries. Its leading ball carrier with 30 yards on eight carries was Williams.

Brooks’ first scoring toss of the evening to Sanders gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead with 5:52 remaining in the opening quarter after Jiminez converted the extra point. The scoring march covered 85 yards in just three plays.

Kilgore added to its lead with a 34-yard Jiminez field goal with 10:30 left in the second quarter. An eight-play Kilgore drive stalled at the Gilmer 17-yard-line, bringing Jiminez on for the field goal.

Trailing 10-0, Gilmer, which used three different quarterbacks during the game, put together a 12-play, 65-yard march, with Tennison, one of the three quarterbacks, scoring on an eight-yard keeper with 4:10 remaining in the second period. Brayden Pate’s PAT left the Buckeyes down three, 10-7.

But that changed rather quickly as Gilmer’s Atavian Ector recovered the kickoff at the Kilgore 33 yard line. Eight plays later, the drive stalled and Pate knotted the score at 10-all, converting a 40-yard field goal.

Kilgore threatened again, but Turner intercepted a Brooks pass in the end zone to end the first half of play.

Gilmer took its first lead of the contest as Alec Sims scored on a three-yard run with 8:58 remaining in the third quarter after Butler intercepted a Brooks pass at the Kilgore 28-yard line. Pate’s conversion PAT gave Gilmer a 17-10 advantage.

Kilgore answered quickly as Javon Towns returned Pate’s ensuing kickoff 40 yards and following an eight-yard Williams run, Brooks hit Graves for the touchdown on a 36-yard completion. The extra point failed, though, and Kilgore trailed 17-16 with 7:58 left in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs came right back, regaining the lead (22-17) as Brooks and Williams hooked up on a screen pass that covered 62 yards. Leading by only five, Kilgore went for a two-point conversion, but failed.

Gilmer rallied back, getting help from a couple of costly Kilgore penalties on the same play to move 67 yards in seven plays, to take a 24-22 lead as Butler scored on a 23-yard run right up the middle with just 1:26 remaining in the game.

That set up the final sequence.

Kilgore got a 25-yard kickoff return by Jayden Sanders and a 22-yard completion from Brooks to Towns.

Watters’ run to the 4 turned out to be the game’s final play, as described above.

Jayden Sanders led the Kilgore receiving corps with six catches for 153 yards and a touchdown. Lekeyleon Graves followed with five receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown.

Gilmer’s primary receiver was Geramiah Noble with five catches for 87 yards. Butler led the Buckeyes with 36 yards rushing on 12 carries.

The Buckeyes travel to Lindale to play the Eagles next week.

TOUGH TO SWALLOW | Kilgore loses in final seconds at Gilmer; time expired, but should it have?

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