BEWARE OF THE DOGS | Kilgore wins big, 42-21
EDITOR’S NOTE: More photos coming from this game Saturday morning, as well as story on the new Kilgore High School Wall of Honor inductees.
If you wondered what Kilgore QB1 Kayson Brooks could do for an encore of his career performance a week ago, don’t wait any longer.
The junior quarterback certainly didn’t rest on his laurels against Lindale, throwing for five touchdowns and running for another as eighth-ranked Kilgore blitzed Lindale 42-21 on Friday night at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium.
With the win, Kilgore improves to 3-1 against 9-4A Division I opponents, and 6-2 overall with just two district games remaining on its regular-season schedule. Meanwhile, the loss drops the Eagles to 1-2 and 3-4, respectively.
In other district games, Pine Tree beat Henderson 35-25, and Chapel Hill blanked Mabank 45-0.
”Kayson keeps getting better and better with every game we play,” said Kilgore football coach Clint Fuller. “I believe our offense is doing the same. Our O-line is developing the consistency we need for our offense to take it to the next level.”
Those scoring passes went to four different receivers. They were Javon Towns with two, Rayshaun Williams, Jayden Sanders and Lekeyleon Graves.
Brooks started hot, completing his first pass of the evening, a wide receiver screen to Towns, made the catch and outran the pursuit 70 yards down the Lindale sideline to give the Bulldogs an early lead with 10:08 remaining in the first quarter. Eddie Jiminez converted his first of six extra points, giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.
One of those ‘special’ kind of nights for Brooks, only a junior. He was 6-of-6 for 124 yards and three touchdowns before his only incompletion of the contest, coming with 7:36 left in the second quarter as Kilgore built a 21-7 halftime lead.
Lindale answered the first of two scoring completions to Towns on its very next possession, putting together an 83-yard, nine-play march of its own to a nine-yard scoring run by A’Million Johnson on a first-and-goal call from the nine yard line. Seth Baggett hit the tying PAT with 5:50 left in the first period.
Kilgore was quick to respond, though, scoring on its next possession, moving 74 yards in nine plays, a drive featuring Williams doing the running and receiving with the exception being a 12-yard Takieran White run. Williams, the sophomore tailback, rushed for 24 yards on five carries and caught passes of 28-, 12- and 5-yards on a running back bubble screen with 3:22 remaining in the opening quarter of play to give the Dogs a 14-7 lead.
Brooks, who completed his first seven passes of the contest and was 7-of-8 for 145 yards in the first half, completed his third scoring toss of the evening, a 13-yarder to Graves with 11:49 left until halftime, extending Kilgore’s lead to 14, 21-7 at intermission.
Lindale’s Baggett attempted a 45-yard field goal, which was blocked by Lakeyleon Graves as the first half ended.
The Kilgore quarterback, Brooks would complete 7-of-7 passes in the second half to finish 14-of-15 passing for 246 yards and five touchdowns, two of those went to Javon Towns, with one each going to Williams, Graves and Jayden Sanders.
Towns led the receiving corps with six catches and 127 yards. Williams followed with five for 82. Jayden Sanders had a catch for 12 yards, and Graves added a reception for 13 yards.
Jacory Walton also had a catch for 11 yards to round out the receiving corps for the Bulldogs.
Jayden Sanders returned the second-half kickoff 31 yards to set up a four-play, 51-yard scoring march with Sanders finishing it off with his only reception of the contest in the end zone as Kilgore pushed its lead to 28-7.
The Bulldogs added on with Brooks’ 30-yard strike to Towns to cap a 57-yard drive with 32.3 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
The defense, which limited Lindale to 225 yards (128 rushing on 31 attempts), stopped the Eagles on a fourth-down play at the Kilgore 32-yard-line. From there, Brooks and Co. moved 68 yards in just three plays with the Kilgore quarterback scoring on a 63-yard run to extend the lead to 42-7.
The Eagles would add a couple of scores late, coming one-yard Chad Ward run with 5:35 left to play and then get a Lincoln Laing fumble recovery in the Kilgore end zone with just three minutes remaining on the clock to wrap up the scoring.
Lindale’s David Lindig, only a sophomore, was 6-of-16 passing for 90 yards with an interception by Dre’ Sanders, his fourth of the season and Kilgore’s 13th. Caleb Hart, for the Eagles, was 1-for-2 passing for seven yards.
Besides his five receptions and a touchdown, Williams was the leading rusher for Kilgore and in the contest with 106 yards on 18 carries. Brooks followed with 63 yards on five carries.
Lindale’s Hart led the Eagles rushing parade with 66 yards on nine carries. Tight end Reed Carnathan had four catches for 74 yards. Other receivers for Lindale were Chad Ward (1-16) and Jackson Price (1-7).
Next week, Kilgore visits Palestine, while Lindale returns home to entertain Mabank.
