ETBLITZ KILGORE-CHAPEL HILL PREVIEW, Part One | Bulldogs & Bulldogs renew “acquaintances” Friday night in Forney
December high school football in Texas is special no matter who’s playing.
The 2024 season is in its fourth week of playoffs this Thursday, Friday and Saturday as team’s put their best efforts towards extending their goals of early August all the way to near-Christmas at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
That’s true, and it’s reached another level altogether when it comes to Kilgore (11-2) vs. Chapel Hill (10-3), meeting on Friday at City Bank Stadium in Forney at 7:30 p.m.
This is the fourth meeting between the two packs of Bulldogs in either the first or second weekend of December. And that’s besides the district schedule, which lately has seen them square off in early October.
And, yes, Chapel Hill won each of those playoffs, the first 41-35 in double overtime in the third round in 2021; a 24-21 win in the regional finals in 2022 at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler; and then 21-19 in a regional final last year at Longview’s Lobo Stadium. That’s an 11-point difference, if you’re counting.
“Our mindset for this game is like every other week. Focus is on ourselves and preparation for this week’s game, no matter who the opponent is,” said Kilgore head coach Clint Fuller, following the early-signing ceremony for Kilgore cornerback Jayden Sanders with the University of Michigan on Thursday morning in the high school gymnasium (Maleah Thurmond also signed to continue her education and volleyball playing career at East Central, in Oklahoma).
“I believe we’ve had a good week. Preparation has been the key to our improvement over the course of the season and I feel we’ve gotten better and better into the through the playoffs.”
These two have dominated 9-4A Division I, aka “the District of Doom,” each of the last four seasons, Kilgore winning district in 2021, 2023 and this year, while coach Jeff Riordan’s ‘Dogs capturing the district title back in 2022.
Chapel Hill’s three losses this season came against Carthage, Kilgore and Pine Tree. The Bulldogs have won four in a row since a 20-14 loss to Pine Tree on Oct. 25. Its playoff victories were against Huffman Hargrave (44-35), Houston Worthing (49-24) and Stafford (28-3).
Kilgore has won seven in a row since its 27-24 loss to Henderson at home on Oct. 4.
The teams also played twice in 2013, with the Ragin’ Red winning the regular-season matchup 42-25, and then again 59-19 in the quarterfinals at Rose Stadium on a cold wintry night in Tyler.
The teams have split their last eight games, 4-4, and Kilgore leads this all-time series, 37-12.
The winner of Friday’s showdown at City Bank Stadium will meet the winner of Friday’s contest between La Vernia (10-3) and Bay City (12-1) at Memorial Stadium in Bastrop in the 4A Division I semifinals sometime next week, at a site and time to be determined.
In the other half of the bracket, Canyon West Plains (10-3) vs. Stephenville (12-1) is Friday at Astound Broadband Stadium in Midland, and Alvarado (13-0) vs. Celina (13-0) meet Friday at Mustang-Panther Stadium in Grapevine.
Kilgore looks to take another step toward getting back to the state finals for the first time since 2013, while Chapel Hill seeks to make its second appearance in a row in Arlington and get the bad taste of a disappointing shutout loss (26-0) to Anna in last year’s 4A Division I Championship Game out of its mouth.
