BULLDOGS RANKED NO. 2 IN STATE | Soccer roundup
When you’ve been one of the best high school soccer programs in the state of Texas for 15 years, have dominated your district like few other teams ever have, are off to an unbeaten start through 13 games, and have a senior class zeroing in on the 100-win mark, people tend to take notice.
The voters in the UIL Boys State Coaches Rankings have taken notice of the Kilgore High School Bulldogs.
Kilgore, 12-0-2 overall this season and leading the District 15-4A standings, are ranked second in the state in Class 4A in the poll, behind only Boerne.
Sabine, also in the ETBlitz.com coverage area in nearby Liberty City, is also ranked in the poll at number 30.
Among Kilgore’s 11 wins is the number three team, Oak Cliff Faith Family, that the Bulldogs defeated in a tournament, and Sabine, whose Cardinals are actually a Class 3A program, but they are allowed by the UIL to “play up” due to the lack of 3A programs in proximity to this area. Kilgore and Sabine are in the same district.
Coach Hector Peralez’s Bulldogs were off on Tuesday after going to the wire with rival Henderson, finally beating them, 3-2, in two overtimes. Kilgore, 5-0 in district play, will host Carthage on Friday, starting with junior varsity at 5 p.m.
Coach Todd BonDurant’s Kilgore’s girls aren’t ranked in the latest Texas Girls Coaches Association poll, but they are doing well, with just one district loss (last Friday at Henderson, 2-1). Kilgore (9-3-1 overall, 5-1 in district) plays at Carthage on Friday, also a 5 p.m. JV start, with varsity to follow.
On Tuesday, Kilgore’s girls will be home vs. Tatum, varsity-only, and the boys will play at Tatum, starting at 5 with JV.
Sabine’s Cardinals are 12-1-1, the only loss coming to No. 2 Kilgore. Not bad at all! The Cardinals are 4-1 in district play.
They’ll host Henderson on Friday, starting with JV at 5, and then play at Spring Hill on Tuesday at 7 p.m. following the girls game.
Coach Heidi Hagan’s Sabine Lady Cardinals are at Henderson on Friday, same format, with JV beginning at 5, followed by varsity, and they’ll play at Spring Hill on Tuesday, as mentioned, at 5 p.m. prior to the boys game.
The Lady Cardinals are 3-2-1 in district play.
Henderson’s girls soccer Lions are loving life right now. They’re 8-3-2 overall and 5-0 in district after getting by Kilgore in that tight game last week. They’ll still have to face Kilgore once more (at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium on March 5). They host Sabine on Friday.
The Lions are at Sabine – Henderson’s only district loss so far was the one in double OT to Kilgore last week. They’re 4-4-1 overall.
Tatum’s soccer programs are also in the district with Kilgore, Sabine and Henderson, also a 3A program playing up with 4A schools. The Eagles have an open date on Friday after a 9-1 loss to Carthage Tuesday. On Tuesday, Feb. 13, they’ll play at Kilgore, beginning with JV at 5. Tatum is 1-4 in district play.
The Lady Eagles are also off on Friday, and host Kilgore’s girls Tuesday, also starting at 5 with JV. The Lady Eagles are 0-6 in district.
Gladewater’s soccer teams play a free schedule with no district affiliation. The boys were to play at Atlanta on Tuesday, the girls at Tyler High on Wednesday – on the schedule, that date for the girls was listed as their season finale. The Bears still have one more date: at home against Kemp at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13. At press time for this story, no scores or information were available for the games already played this week.