AREA PLAYOFFS SET | ETBlitz-area teams have second-round details set

Kilgore, Gilmer, Troup, and Overton – those are the four teams left standing in the University Interscholastic League’s high school football playoffs in the ETBlitz.com coverage area.

All of them have now set up arrangements for the second, or area, round this coming Thursday or Friday. Ticket and streaming information will be set soon, and when we have that, it’ll be here on ETBlitz.com as well, and we’ll have a preview of those games this week. ETBlitz.com will have staff at all four of those area playoff games.

• Class 4A, Division I area playoff: Kilgore (9-2) vs. Needville (7-4), a rematch of a playoff game last year, is set for Friday, Nov. 22, at Sheldon ISD Panther Stadium, a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Bulldogs have played at Sheldon ISD a few times in recent years, against El Campo and Bay City; they’ll take on Needville there on Friday. The winner moves on to round three to face either Lindale (6-5), one of Kilgore’s rivals from District 9-4A, or Navasota (6-5). That game is at Midway Friday night at 7:30.

Here’s our recap of Kilgore’s win over Vidor on Friday night: VIDORED | Kilgore’s Bulldogs rout Vidor, 66-6, move on to round two of 4A-DI playoffs vs. Needville.

• Class 4A, Division II area playoff: Gilmer (8-3) vs. Sunnyvale (8-3), Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Sulphur Springs. Gilmer, the defending 4A-DII state champions, escaped a first-round battle with Center Friday night in Tatum to reach this round. The winner of this one will face either Van (8-3), one of Gilmer’s District 7-4A rivals, or Van Alstyne (8-3). The arrangements for the Van-Van Alstyne game are apparently still pending at this writing.
• Class 3A, Division II area playoff: Troup (8-3) vs. Dekalb (10-1), Friday night, at Pine Tree Pirate Stadium, at 7 p.m. Sam Wells and the Troup Tigers don’t have to drive far. Troup blasted Anderson-Shiro, 35-6, in the first round, and Dekalb steamrolled Lone Star, 64-22. The Troup-Dekalb winner will meet either Grand Saline (11-0) or Woodville (9-2) in round three.
• Class 2A, Division II area playoff: Overton (9-2) vs. Mart (9-2), 7 p.m. Friday night at Kemp High School. This one is also a rematch of a round-two game a year ago, and Overton seems to be even better than it was a year ago. Overton blew out Evadale, 68-0, and Mart blew the doors off of Cumby, 68-20. The Overton-Mart winner will face either Grapeland (8-3), an Overton district rival, or Goldthwaite (7-4) the following week.

Here’s our story from Overton’s big win over Evadale in round one: OVERTON RUNS OVER EVADALE | Mustangs blow ’em out, 68-0, and earn a rematch vs. Mart.

Again, we’ll have ticket information and all other information for all three of these games on ETBlitz.com when we  have it, and best of luck to the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes, the Tigers and the Mustangs as they continue their playoff runs.