DECLAWED | Kilgore defense slams door on Palestine, offense kicks it in with a 52-7 win

PALESTINE – Kilgore High School’s defense outscored many of the offenses around East Texas on Friday night.

The eighth-ranked Bulldogs’ D scored four touchdowns in Kilgore’s 52-7 blitzing of Palestine here at Wildcat Stadium.

With only one district game remaining on the schedule, the Ragin’ Red improved to 7-2 overall, but more importantly 4-1 in District 9-4A Division I play. Pine Tree improved to 3-1 with its 20-14 win against Chapel Hill (3-2). Henderson enjoyed the open date with a 3-1 record with two games remaining on its regular-season schedule.  And Lindale shut out Mabank, 36-0.

Meanwhile, the loss was the eighth in a row for the winless Wildcats under first-year head coach James Reyes.

Kilgore coach Clint Fuller, once a defensive coordinator himself, wasn’t disappointed either that his defense outscored his offense four touchdowns to three, if you were counting.

“Our team goal was to prepare to play at a high level for the third week in a row and establish consistency in all three phases,” Fuller said.

“I thought our kids played with great effort, physicality, and executed with attention to detail on offense, defense and special teams. I’m really proud of the way we responded and played (tonight).”

Dre’ Sanders and David McGowan scooped up Palestine fumbles, returning them 45- and 7-yards, respectively, for touchdowns to open the scoring. Later, Lakeyleon Graves and Donovan Rider got in on the act, returning interceptions for scores.

The Wildcats won the toss and elected to receive. On the fifth play of the opening drive, Palestine’s leading rusher B.J. Walker coughed it up on a third-and-2 call from the 50. Sanders was johnny on the spot, picking up the football and outrunning the pursuit to the end zone with 9:06 remaining in the first quarter.

Just 1:01 later, McGowan was in the right place at the right time, Palestine’s 7-yard line, converting a snap that got away from Wildcats’ punter Colt James, in which Kilgore scored to take a 14-0 lead after Eddie Jiminez converted his second extra point of the evening.

The Bulldogs led by two touchdowns and the offense hadn’t even been on the field yet. Kilgore maintained its advantage through the remainder of the first quarter and into the second.

The Ragin’ Red then used a four-play, 71-yard drive, extending its lead to 21 points, on an 11-yard Rayshaun Williams scoring run. Williams opened the march with an 18-yard run. Then Kayson Brooks hit back-to-back completions of 33 yards to Lakeyleon Graves and eight yards to Takieran White to get the football to the Wildcats’ 11-yard-line, where Williams scored for the sixth time this season with 10:19 to play in the second period.

Lakeyleon Graves would score the next two touchdowns, one for the defense and one for the offense.

His defensive score came on a 93-yard interception return for the distance of an errant Rohyn Price pass with 3:24 remaining until halftime.

The pick put a damper on a 55-yard Palestine march that got help from a Bulldogs’ penalty before fizzling out at the Kilgore 22.

Kilgore’s defense held the ‘Cats and a short punt gave the Bulldogs excellent field position at the Palestine 28 yard line. Three plays later, on a first-and-20 call from the 26 yard line, following a Kilgore penalty, Brooks hooked up with Graves for the receiver’s seventh touchdown of the season.

Jiminez converted his fifth of seven extra points, giving the visitors’ a 35-point lead with just 20 seconds remaining in the first half.

At the break, besides its comfortable lead, Kilgore dominated in total yardage 112 to 64. For the contest, Kilgore finished with 98 yards rushing on 17 carries with Williams leading the way with 87 yards on 12 carries.

Before giving way to Shaun Moyers at quarterback in the fourth quarter, Brooks was 7-of-9 passing for 156 yards with two touchdowns, the one to Graves and a 40-yard completion to Brayden Williams late in the third quarter.

Besides his seven extra points, Jiminez would boot a 23-yard field goal, after a Kilgore march stalled deep in Palestine’s end of the field in the third period.

Kilgore carried a 45-point cushion into the fourth quarter, after Jiminez’s field goal and a 40-yard Brooks completion to Brayden Williams for points to highlight a three-play, 44-yard scoring effort with just 1:28 left in the third quarter.

Palestine would score, finally, with a 65-yard Price to S’Vioarean Martin pass- and-run play, coming with four minutes remaining in the contest.

But, the Kilgore defense wasn’t ready to go home quite yet as Donavan Rider picked off a Palestine pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown with 1:57 left to play.

Graves led the Kilgore receiving corps with two catches for 59 yards and a score. Rashaun Williams also had two catches for 43 yards and Brayden Williams had a catch of 40 yards for a TD. Takieran White added two receptions for 14 yards and Javon Towns (1-6).

Moyers was 2-for-2 passing for five yards.

Price of Palestine was 8-of-19 for 103 passing yards and a touchdown with two interceptions. His primary receiver was Martin with four receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown. Walker led the ‘Cats’ rushing attack with 80 yards on 20 carries.

Palestine visits Mabank next Friday night and then returns home to host Pine Tree on Nov. 8. Kilgore enjoys an open date next week before closing the regular season at home on Thursday night, Nov. 7 against Mabank.