BEWARE OF THE…WELL, YOU KNOW | Kilgore stops Chapel Hill by three TDs, 28-7 / Presented by WHATABURGER
It looks like Kilgore now has Chapel Hill’s number.
And that number – is up.
Rayshaun Williams ran for two touchdowns and Kayson Brooks threw for another score as No. 3 Kilgore scored 21 second-half points, and defeated Chapel Hill, 28-7, Friday night at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium.
The win was Kilgore’s third in a row over the Tyler-based Bulldogs, including the regular season and playoff meetings last season.
The Ragin’ Red have won six in a row this season, leaving the Bulldogs at 3-0 against District 9-4A, Division I, and sets the stage for next week’s showdown with unbeaten Lindale (6-0, 2-0) for the outright district lead.
Lindale defeated Palestine 44-14 on Friday.
In the other 9-4A game, Henderson — another program covered by ETBlitz — spilled Mabank 61-20, improving to 5-2 and 2-1 respectively.
It was Pink-Out night at the stadium and Chapel Hill struggled against the Kilgore defense.
Led by David “Bubba” McGowan, LaKeyleon Graves and friends, the ‘D’ limited Chapel Hill to only a fourth-quarter touchdown. And that didn’t come easy, either.
Kilgore coach Clint Fuller was pleased with the play of his defense, especially the defensive line against Chapel Hill’s run game, but also the pass rush, as the Ragin’ Red continually pressured CHHS quarterback Malik Gee coming away with interceptions by Travis Holmes, Dre’ Sanders and Graves to douse any hope the visiting Bulldogs had of scoring an upset.
“Our secondary played great, getting the three interceptions,” Fuller said, “and, De’Andre Thurmond got his first start at corner back and stepped up big for us.”
Another solid performance all around for the Ragin’ Red.
Kilgore rushed for 198 yards on 32 carries, with Williams leading the way with 152 on 18 carries. Brooks followed with 29 yards on 10 carries.
Brooks was 10-of-15 passing for 102 yards and a touchdown to Tyler Johnigan. Johnigan, a junior, had three receptions for 54 yards. T.K. White also had three catches for 23 yards. Dre’ Sanders (2-14), Graves (1-4) and Brayden Williams (1-7) rounded out the Kilgore receiving corps.
Gee led the visiting Bulldogs’ rushing effort of 173 yards on 35 carries with 57 yards on 12. Cazden Holton added 39 and Lemuel Stinson 28. Gee was 14-of-27 passing for 95 yards.
Williams, coming off a career night a week ago against Henderson, scored on runs of 40- and 21-yards. His sixth rushing touchdown of the season opened the scoring for Kilgore with 5:16 remaining until halftime to give the hometown
After Williams’ score, Eddie Jimenez converted the first of his four extra points for the evening.
Williams, who turned in his fifth 100-plus yard performance of the season, capped a two-play drive with a 21-yard run on just the second play of the third period. The touchdown came with 11:22 left in the quarter. Jimenez was money on the PAT, extending Kilgore’s advantage to 14-0.
The very first play from scrimmage of the third quarter was a big one, a Brooks 40-yard completion to Zarak Hall to spark the offense in the second half.
Brooks’ scoring completion of 15 yards to Johnigan finished an 11-play, 54-yard march with 1:16 left in the third quarter to stretch the Ragin’ Red’s advantage to three touchdowns, 21-to-zip.
Chapel Hill – turned away numerous times on Kilgore’s end of the field – finally scored on its longest drive of the night (21-plays, 75 yards) on a 1-yard Joshua Castaneda run with 6:28 left in the ballgame.
The visiting ’Dogs converted two fourth downs and needed a holding penalty against Kilgore to convert another (fourth down) inside the red zone at the Ragin’ Red’s 5-yard line. It took four plays from there, but Castaneda got in.
Brooks, the Kilgore quarterback, scored the final touchdown of the evening and his third rushing TD of the season on a 4-yard run with 4:18 remaining in the contest, after the Ragin’ Red defense stuffed another Chapel Hill drive this time on a fourth down deep in the visiting ’Dogs end of the field.
Travis Holmes’ interception was his first of the season and the first of the contest. It came at the Kilgore 6-yard line to stop Chapel Hill’s initial drive of the game.
Kilgore didn’t move the football on that drive, but Jimenez flipped the field with a 49-yard punt.
Again, Chapel Hill reached the Kilgore 39, but this time, Sanders made the pick, his third of the year, giving the Ragin’ Red the football at its 35-yard line. Brooks completed passes of 15- and 24-yards to Johnigan to put the Ragin’ Red down close to the goal line, but a fumble, which Brooks recovered, and back-to-back incompletions left the visiting Bulldogs with a first down at their own 4.
Chapel Hill moved to the Kilgore 41, but the hometown Bulldogs’ defense stopped a fourth-down attempt three yards short at the Kilgore 40. Runs by Graves, Brooks, Williams and Brooks again, along with a short completion to T.K. White, set the stage for Williams’ 40-yard scoring run.
The Ragin’ Red defense got good coverage and efforts from Johnigan, Ja’Kalen Sheffield and Brayden Williams in the secondary along with timely tackling by Isaiah Watters and Graves, forcing Chapel Hill to punt from the Kilgore 46 yard line.
Kilgore moved the football, but with time running out at the end of the half, a 42-yard Jimenez field goal was blocked by Chapel Hill’s Timontrea Jenkins.
After Kilgore scored on its opening possession of the third quarter, Graves interception at the 8-yard line stymied another Chapel Hill march. The Kilgore linebacker returned the pick 30 yards to the Kilgore 38to set the stage for the Ragin’ Red’s third touchdown of the game.
Gee’s leading receiver, Damarcion Blaylock, had eight receptions for 50 yards. Maliek Brown followed with 3 catches for 27. Elton Calico (1-10), Jeremiah Hinojosa (1-4) and Ryan Harris (1-4) also had catches for the visiting Bulldogs.
