WHO’S WHERE & WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING?!? | Bulldogs battle; Mabank at Hendo (don’t look, Mabank!); Gilmer at Pittsburg (uh-oh, Pirates); and much, much more

Who’s where and what the heck is happening?

That’s an understatement tonight.

When your game is important not only to you, but to your district, and Dave Campbell’s Texas Football has named it one of the top 10 games in the entire state for the weekend – well, that’s when you know you’ve reached a certain pinnacle of success as a high school football program.

That’s where both Kilgore High School and Chapel Hill High School are.

Tonight, the two will meet again, for the seventh time since the start of the 2021 season, at Chapel Hill ISD Stadium, at 7:30 p.m. in a District 9-4A, Division I battle that the whole state will be watching, or at least score-checking.

Ironically, much of 9-4A are Kilgore fans tonight: Henderson, for instance, would like for Kilgore to win, because it would mean the Lions would be the district’s lone unbeaten team. Lindale also would love for the Ragin’ Red to win – the Eagles lost at Chapel Hill, 42-30, last weekend and play at Kilgore next Friday.

And of course, the intensity in that stadium will be off the charts.

And that’s just from Kilgore coach Clint Fuller!

Tickets are available at https://www.vancoevents.com/us/events/43655/sessions/117372/sections/74198/tickets,  and that’s $5 for adults, and $3 for students and senior citizens. If you show up at the gate to buy tickets, they’ll be $8 and cash only.

If you’ve never been to Chapel Hill, be advised: you’re gonna be sitting close to your brother or sister. There’s not a lot of space.

And there’s this: a construction map, because they’re having construction that is affecting parking.

If you’d like to hear the game on the radio, the Ragin’ Red Broadcasting call of Doug Smith, Jason Smith and Alan Clark, go to KDOK 105.3-FM, or listen here: Chalk Hill Communications. Just scroll down and click on one of the Kilgore helmets.

And our best wishes to Don Hedrick. Get well soon, Don – all our prayers are with you.

We’re coming back to Bulldogs-vs.-Bulldogs, but here’s what else is going on tonight in the ETBlitz.com coverage area.

The 7 p.m. kickoff games have Leverett’s Chapel (3-2) visiting Union Hill (4-2), in a huge, huge, huge (did I say ‘huge?’) game in their six-man district – like, the winner of this game will almost certainly win the district championship.

It is homecoming at Union Hill tonight, by the way.

LC was off last week, and our congratulations, too, to senior Trent Wheat, one of our recent Whataburger / ETBlitz Player of the Week winners. Wheat also took home the Sixmanfootball.com Player of the Week award – in that game, he had 407 yards and nine touchdowns on 24 carries (hey, man, six-man football is wide the heck open), and on defense, he had five tackles, an interception, and scored a touchdown, and also had a kickoff return for a score on special teams.

Also at 7, another key district game is at Lovelady ISD Stadium, where coach Scotty Laymance, quarterback Bryce Still, Jayden Edwards, Justin Weir and the Overton Mustangs (5-1) visit Lovelady (3-2) – that’s another one where a district title is not a sure thing, but becomes a lot more realistic for the winner.

Here’s a link for a streaming broadcast of the game online, for those who can’t make the trip: NETSN (youtube.com). We got that link from the Overton Mustang Athletics Facebook page, and so surely it’s legit.

Sabine (2-4) will visit Atlanta (4-2) for a 7 p.m. kickoff, and the Cardinals, man, it’s been tough since starting quarterback Colt Sparks was injured and had season-ending surgery after the New Diana game. The Cardinals haven’t forgotten how to play or coach; Sparks is just a big part of that team. It would be like taking Aikman off the ‘90s Cowboys, or Patrick Mahomes off Kansas City present-day. You’re not only removing the player from the line-up; you’re removing a leader. Sabine can recover – let’s hope the road to recovery starts tonight at Atlanta ISD Stadium.

Do they still have that large rabbit statue in the end zone? Anybody know?

Also at 7 p.m.: coach Johnny Louvier and the Gladewater Bears (3-3) get a visit from Liberty-Eylau (4-1) at Jack V. Murphy Stadium, one of my favorite stadiums in East Texas to go to a game. The people are friendly, there’s great food, a great atmosphere, the sunset is fantastic setting over the stadium – and tonight, this is a big one. Seriously.

One last 7 p.m. game has the reigning, defending University Interscholastic League’s Class 4A, Division II state champion Gilmer Buckeyes (3-2 – I thought that was a pretty good introduction) playing the Pittsburg Pirates at Pittsburg High School Broach Park. And Pittsburg is 0-5. And they’ve got a pretty large problem starting at, oh, about 7 p.m.

Then, we have four 7:30 p.m. kickoffs.

Troup (4-2), which seems to have found its footing after an 0-2 start, is making the trek to Winona (0-6). The Wildcats better get all wildcatted-up. They’re gonna need it to slow down Bryce Wallum, Brett Wells and those other cats, the Troup Tigers.

Hear Troup football live tonight on Tigersportsnet.

West Rusk (3-3) heads up the road a piece and visits the No. 5 team in the DCTF Class 3A, Division II state poll, the New Diana Eagles (5-0). Now, the Eagles have been taking no prisoners this season. They’ve scored 286 points in just five games, and they’ve only allowed 45. Ergo, one would think the Raiders are in trouble. But West Rusk has been around the block a few times. They’ve got a great running game in quarterback Judson Dodson, Cole Jackson, Hunter McCandless and those guys. They play good defense. If they can keep that ND offense standing on the sidelines – they’ve got a shot.

Mabank (1-4) at Henderson (5-1) also begins at 7:30 p.m. Personal prediction for Mabank: well, it’s not good. Click here to see it (Prediction (youtube.com)).

Hear a live streaming broadcast of Henderson-Mabank (although if you’re a Mabank fan and you’re squeamish, you might not want to watch) here: KWRD – Sports Home of the Henderson Lions (network1sports.com).

Two of our high school programs – Arp and Tatum – are off this weekend, and Kilgore College, the ninth-ranked team in the nation in the NJCAA poll, is also off tomorrow.

Finally, we’re back to the battle of the Bulldogs.

Kilgore has faced Chapel Hill twice a year the last three years, with varying results. Kilgore beat Chapel Hill in the regular season in 2021, only to lose to the blue-and-yellow ‘Dogs in the playoffs. Chapel Hill managed to get Kilgore twice in the 2022 season, and in 2023, last year, Kilgore blasted Chapel Hill in its own stadium in the regular season on the way to winning the district title outright, but Chapel Hill found a way to get by KHS in the playoff rematch, scoring all of their points early, then holding off a late Kilgore rally for a 21-19 win.

The Kilgore Bulldogs come off another wild finish last week against a scrappy Henderson team last week. Kilgore saw Henderson go in front, 21-0, and then the Bulldogs came from behind to tie the game at 24. The Ragin’ Red got inside Henderson’s 20-yard-line, backpedaled a little bit with a penalty, lost a third down on an official’s mistake and had to kick a game-tying field goal.

Henderson managed to drive the length of the field in the final three minutes and win the game, 27-24, on a 20-yard field goal by Ivan Navarro, dropping Kilgore to 1-1 in district play. Kilgore’s district win was over Pine Tree two weeks ago.

Chapel Hill, on the other hand, has had to deal with the loss of its quarterback, senior Demetrius Brisbon, who has missed time for various reasons, but is 2-0 in district with wins over Lindale (42-30, two weeks ago) and overmatched Palestine (28-0, last week).

There is this: in common opponents already played, Kilgore and Chapel Hill have two: Carthage and Gilmer.

Gilmer managed to beat Kilgore on a wild finish where Kilgore ran out of time at Gilmer’s 4-yard-line, and an injury caused a 10-second clock run-off.

Kilgore beat Carthage, the number one team in the state, in the first week of the season, however.

Chapel Hill beat Gilmer, 33-29, in another weird finish where the lights of the stadium went off on a timer situation, then came back on and Brisbon intercepted a pass in the final 30 seconds to end the Buckeyes’ scoring threat.

Carthage routed Chapel Hill, though, 45-14, at Chapel Hill’s own stadium.

Tonight, all the iffin’ and buttin’ will play out on the field.

If Brisbon isn’t in the lineup at quarterback for Chapel Hill, it’s likely to be Malik Gee there for the blue-and-yellow Bulldogs, coached by Jeff Riordan (pronounced REAR-den). Gee on the season is 25-of-49 for 316 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions.

The straw that stirs the drink for Kilgore, though, is running back Rickey Stewart, who has 852 yards and 11 touchdowns this year on 88 carries, and also had six catches for 127 yards and a score.

Also watch for wide receivers Trevor Brooks and Jonah Riordan, who have combined for five touchdown catches this year, and Stewart’s back-up in the backfield, running back Cazden Holton – 254 yards and two scores.

Brooks also lines up at linebacker for CHHS, and he’s a force: 14 tackles for loss, two sacks and as many interceptions, a fumble recovery and two forced fumbles. His linebacker-mate is David Doan, who has 44 tackles on the season, a sack and a forced fumble.

A couple of other names of note defensively for CHHS: defensive lineman Isaiah Collins, who has 58 tackles, and three sacks; lineman Matthew Walker, who has two sacks; lineman Kaeden Franklin, who has seven tackles for loss and 2 ½ sacks; and a secondary with Timontrea Jenkins, Peaira Allen, and Tyrell Gause, each with an interception.

Kilgore this season has thrown the ball more than in recent memory, with quarterback Kayson Brooks pulling the trigger. Brooks is fearless, with an accurate deep ball and not afraid to let it go. He’s 87-of-142 for 1,071 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions this season.

Jayden Sanders has caught 31 of those passes for 482 yards and three scores; Javon Towns has 19 catches for 241 yards and five TDs; and Lakeyleon Graves has 15 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns.

Rayshaun Williams leads the team in rushing, with 392 yards and five touchdowns on 90 carries, but also is a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield: 16 catches for 146 yards and a score.

Don’t sleep on Isaiah Watters, who will make a big play on offense and then smack you on defense: Watters has 212 yards and three rushing touchdowns, and also has six catches for 72 yards and a score, and on defense, as a linebacker, has 28 tackles, one for loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry.

Also for the Ragin’ Red, the Graves brothers have gone nuts. La’Perrion Graves has 56 tackles, five for loss, a sack, and a fumble recovery, and Lakeyleon has 54 tackles, two for loss, a sack and two picks.

Towns has 45 tackles and an interception. Cam Christian has 36 tackles, two for loss, and 4 ½ sacks. Jackson Tucker Phillips, JTP, has 28 tackles, four for loss, and 1 ½ sacks. Wylie Mitchell has 34 tackles, five for loss, 2 ½ sacks and a forced fumble.

Sanders, the Michigan verbal commit, has 13 tackles, two for loss, and a pick, and brother Dre’ Sanders has 17 tackles, one for loss, three sacks, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.

David McGowan had 25 tackles, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble and a half-sack, and Jamarian Morgan has 31 tackles, two for loss, an interception, a sack and a forced fumble.

Kilgore’s defense has been nothing short of amazing: 11 interceptions, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 14 sacks, 28 tackles for loss, and 31 pass break-ups.

They’ve allowed only 623 rushing yards and 539 passing yards through six games, and 73 opponents’ possessions.