IT’S ELLE, DODSON! | They’re the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week!

There’s something to be said for consistency.

There’s something to be said for being in the line-up, being there, being at practice, being dependable, being the teammate that’s steady, that’s always going to produce.

Cal Ripken Jr. made a career of it – being there every day, and being great. (Cal Ripken Breaks Lou Gehrig’s Record)

Two athletes this week that are honored both fall into that category – we’ve been watching both during their play this school year, and they’re both deserving.

The Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week are Elle Litchenburg of Kilgore High School, and Judson Dotson of West Rusk!

Elle helped lead her team to a pair of District 16-4A wins over Chapel Hill and Pine Tree last week, totaling 55 assists in the process (more on that in just a moment), and Dotson had five total touchdowns in guiding the Raiders to a homecoming win over Winona.

Dotson and his teammates played a tough non-district schedule that included Malakoff and Tatum, but they’ve bounced back, and won their last two games to go 2-0 in District 11-3A, Division II. The Raiders, by the way, have won four of their last five district titles in football.

Dotson was on last Friday. He only missed three passes. He was 7-of-10 for 149 yards, and three of the passes were for touchdowns to three different receivers: Kameron Brown, Kemontrea McGregor and Jase Reasoner. Dotson did throw an interception, but he also pulled the ball down and ran for 133 yards on just seven carries and scored twice – he averaged 19 yards a carry.

Three of the Raiders’ final four games are against big-time opponents: this week at New Diana (Friday night at 7:30), Oct. 25 at home against Troup, and Nov. 8, at home against Arp.

As for Ms. Litchenburg…

Coach Mika Hubbard, in her first season, is hitting clutch time with the Lady Bulldogs, and they are not out of the playoff hunt. The top four teams from each district make the playoffs. It’s an eight-team district, with Henderson, Cumberland Academy (in Tyler), Spring Hill, Carthage, Gilmer, Chapel Hill, and now Pine Tree, having came in from 5A.

Kilgore needed wins, badly, headed into last week, and got them both: a sweep of Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, 27-25, 25-20, 25-17, and then a win Friday night at home over Pine Tree, 20-25, 25-16, 25-16, 25-22.

And Litchenburg stepped up big. In the sweep of Chapel Hill on Tuesday, Elle had 27 assists, five kills, four digs, a block and an ace, and in the win over Pine Tree on Friday, she had 28 assists, five kills, four digs and four aces.

Tonight, Kilgore visits another ETBlitz-area school in Henderson – those two teams meet at 6:30 p.m., after junior varsity play, and then Kilgore visits Cumberland Academy on Friday. Varsity will play first on Friday, starting at 4:30.

We’re proud to have both Elle and Judson as our players of the week, just like we’re proud to partner with Whataburger to present it!

And we all spend quality time there. Whataburger is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but take a look at their menu anytime right here: Whataburger | Order Online with Curbside and Delivery.

Don’t miss the new Bacon Blaze Jalapeno Double, the Dr. Pepper Shake, their Whatawings – all just available for a limited time – or, if you’re like us, and you’re in Whataburger a lot and craving breakfast, you can get it beginning at 11 p.m. and it’s served until 11 a.m. every single day!

Here are our Whataburger / ETBlitz Players of the Week so far this year, if you’d like to go back and read about ‘em:

• WHATABURGER / ETBLITZ.COM PLAYERS OF THE WEEK | Tatum’s Scott, Sabine’s Sparks win first honors of the school year!
• OVERTON’S STILL, TATUM’S FOSTER | They’re the Whataburger / ETBlitz Players of the Week!
• WHITE OAK’S LUDLOW, HENDERSON’S STANDLEY | They’re the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week!
• AND THE HONORS GO TO… | Tatum’s Scott and LC’s Wheat, the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week!
• THE WHATABURGER / ETBLITZ PLAYERS OF THE WEEK | White Oak’s Addison McClanahan, Troup’s Bryce Wallum!

And again, congratulations to Judson Dotson and Elle Litchenburg!