The scene at Carthage ISD Stadium, shortly before kickoff of Kilgore-Carthage on Friday night. (Photo by MITCH LUCAS)
OK, we’re only a few minutes late. The game was supposed to kick off at 7:30 p.m. here at Carthage ISD Stadium, and it kicked off at 7:38. Carthage has first possession.
Jett Surratt and Kelvin Edwards are a pretty solid 1-2 punch for Carthage. Surratt, of course, is the coach’s son (head coach Scott Surratt) and Edwards, a running back. Edwards catches a ball for 6 yards on the first play from scrimmage, and then ran for 14 yards — Carthage has already taken its first of three time outs in the half, and they’re at their own 42-yard-line.
Surratt, rushed, gets just a little greedy and tries to force a ball in past Kilgore defensive back Ja’Kalen Sheffield. Sheffield makes him pay — Sheffield makes the interception. There’s no return, but Kilgore has the ball at its own 49-yard-line.
First play of the season for Kilgore on offense: Isaiah Watters, a run to Carthage’s 42, for 9 yards.
A run is stopped quickly, but Watters, on the third and short, takes it all the way to Carthage’s 21, 19 yards.
Lakeyleon Graves snags a pass from Kayson Brooks from the 17 to the 11, a 6-yard pickup. They’re back in third and 1, at Carthage’s 11.
Watters takes care of that, a 7-yard gain to Carthage’s 4.
On the next play, first and goal, Watters right up the middle for the 4-yard score. TOUCHDOWN KILGORE, 8:15 in the first.
Along the offensive line: Collin Burrows, Jaden Pastor, Jonathan Barron, Daniel Garcia and Haygan Schmitz, doing a heck of a job on that drive. One run after another, controlling the line of scrimmage early in the game.
Sheffield submarines the kickoff return man on the return, dropping him at Carthage’s 20-yard-line after a 15-yard gain.
Edwards for Carthage, a 7-yard run on first down, and then on second and short, he gets 5, for another first down.
Graves picks off another pass, a quickly-thrown ball by Surratt, two interceptions early. Graves’ interception, with no return, is Kilgore’s second of Surratt tonight. Kilgore begins the drive at Carthage’s 32.
Watters muddles for 2 yards on first down, then 2 more on the outside on second down to set up a third and 6.
The third-down pass was to Jacory Walton, a little high, but incomplete. Kilgore will try a 45-yard field goal, Eddie Jiminez, who barely misses it. So Kilgore has a chance to go up two scores, but Carthage will take over on downs at their own 28, with 5:16 left at the start of the possession.
After a holding penalty on Carthage, and an incomplete pass, the “other” Bulldogs (the Dawgs, as they refer to themselves), have a second and 20 at their own 18. Surratt goes long down the Kilgore sideline, but the ball falls incomplete.
The Bulldogs start out at their own 28, and are forced to punt.
The punt is only 29 yards, and Carthage takes over at its own 44. A deep pass intended for Junior Henderson is defended well by Jayden Sanders and incomplete.
Surratt scrambles for a first down, 7 yards at Kilgore’s 45.
3 yards for CHS on the next run, a slow bleed here.
The quarter ends with a holding penalty on Carthage that negates a completed pass.
Carthage now in second and 17 at their own 48.
The drive stalls and Surratt drops back and nails a punt (by the quarterback), pinning Kilgore back at its own 1-yard-line!
The bad luck bites Kilgore on this one, a running play that didn’t escape the end zone, with Carthage defenders swarming. Carthage’s first score of the game: a safety, with 11:32 left in the half. It’s 7-2 Kilgore.
Carthage also gets the ball back, after the safety. Blake Marion returns it to near midfield, to Carthage’s 48, right back where the last drive ended.
On the second play of the drive, a scary moment: an official gets involved in a running play-tackle attempt, and is down on the field at the Kilgore 41.
The official is being attended to by the paramedics, on the field with a stretcher. He’s been down about 5 minutes.
Applause as they have him on the stretcher now, and we’re about to resume play. First down Carthage at Kilgore’s 41, with 10:36 left in the half.
Marion was Surratt’s intended receiver on a bomb near the end zone – it’s incomplete, no flags, and no Kilgore player touched him.
Surratt’s pass on fourth down and long: INTERCEPTED by Dre Sanders at Kilgore’s own 24. There’s 8:47 left in the half.
A deep pass by Kayson Brooks to Jayden Sanders is incomplete, but interference was called on Carthage, and Kilgore has it at its own 39.
Two plays later, a Brooks pass to Sanders IS caught, and for 13 yards.
Brooks’ first down pass falls incomplete and could have been caught by both a Kilgore player or a Carthage defender; it was tipped up, but hit the turf.
Kilgore is at the Carthage 42. There’s 7:29 left in the half.
Sanders makes a grab for 8 yards to the 34, and the next play, an incomplete pass, as Brooks was rushed.
It’s fourth and 2 at Carthage’s 34.
The fourth-and-short run fails, and Carthage takes over on downs at the 34, 7:10 left in the half.
Big first down run of 20 yards by Edwards, to Kilgore’s 42, and it’s second and 9 there with 5:48 left in the half.
Kilgore’s defensive backs giving Carthage fits. Another fourth down attempt isn’t coming, though, because Kilgore was flagged for defensive holding.
Edwards fell down trying to cut, leaving Carthage in second and long.
I’m on the Carthage side (the press box side) and now I’m out here with the people. Carthage fans are getting grumpy. They’re not used to seeing their team even TRAIL in a game.
There’s 4:26 left in the half, and they’re at Kilgore’s 32.On the next play, a big throw from Surratt, down inside Kilgore’s 10 to the 7.
A loss on the next play, as Surratt lost the handoff, but he recovered at the 8.
Edwards with another catch, but stopped at the 7. Third down and goal upcoming.
On that down, a pass to Marion for a TOUCHDOWN, Carthage, with 2:52 left until halftime. On the two-point try, though, Dre Sanders strikes again, picking it off in the end zone.
So Carthage leads, 8-7, for the first time tonight.
After the kick, a touchback, and Kilgore takes over at its own 21. 2:52 left in the half, once again.
A pass out of the backfield to Rayshaun Edwards gets Kilgore to a first down at the 35.
on second and 6, an incomplete pass to Javon Towns on the Carthage sideline.
Sanders had everyone beat, and it’ll be pass interference on Carthage. It’ll be Kilgore’s ball at the Carthage 48.
A Carthage fan not watching just shouted it might be the other way around. Well not for those of us who can SEE, sir.
Brooks scrambles for about 5, then out of bounds with 53 seconds left in the half. Kilgore has no time outs left.
Just as I say that, they’re flagged for a delay.
And they’re about to be flagged for a hold on the third down incompletion. Actually, Carthage will decline the penalty and it’ll be fourth down.
There’s no return, and Carthage takes over at its 20 with 24.9 seconds left in the half.
They kneel.. The halftime score will be 8-7, Carthage.
The Kilgore Hi-Steppers and band have performed, and Gilmer’s counterparts have done the same. We’re about to begin the third quarter, at 9:34 p.m.
Carthage’s kickoff is out of bounds; Kilgore will open at its own 30.
Jayden Sanders makes a 5-yard quick catch from Brooks to the 35.
Javon Towns catches a short pass from Brooks for 4; Kilgore is a yard shy of the first down. Third and 1 coming up.
Jayden can’t get a handle on the third-down pass, and Kilgore will likely punt.
They do, and Jiminez hits a beauty, a 46-yarder, and Carthage’s first possession of the second half will be at its own 16.
Carthage gets in trouble, now backed up in a fourth and 6 at its own 20. Surratt does a quick-kick punt again, and Kilgore takes over, after no return, at its own 40.
Brooks and Jacory Walton connect to get Kilgore within a yard; third and 1 upcoming.
Two quick passes to Watters (11) and then Jayden Sanders (9) get Kilgore much closer, all the way to Carthage’s 29.
Brooks’ third-down pass to Jacory went incomplete; on fourth and 1 at the 29, Graves makes a catch, for 6 yards for the first down to the 23.
Watters on a BIG run, all the way down to the 11. Watters again, to the 5.
On second down, Brooks’ pass into the end zone was incomplete. Third and 3 upcoming, and Kilgore can get a first down without scoring.
It’s Watters AGAIN, down to the 1, for the first down.
On the next play: a 1-yard TOUCHDOWN pass to Javon Towns. TOUCHDOWN KILGORE, 2:33 left in the third, a clock-eating drive that puts the Bulldogs back in front. Jiminez hits the extra point and Kilgore leads 14-8.
And in a game-changing play, Kilgore recovers a fumble on the kickoff! Kilgore gives it right back, though, after recovering the ball at the Carthage 14, Brooks is picked off in the end zone on the very next play by Jaydon Lewis.
Kilgore’s defense forces a punt, and Towns fields it at the Carthage 47, with 42 seconds left in the third.
And after a loss on first down of 3 yards, that’s the way the third quarter ends. Kilgore up 14-8, headed to the fourth.
The drive stalls for Kilgore, now at its own 48 and punting. Kilgore players down it on the 4, a great special teams play for KHS.
Surratt, on fourth and 1, gets the ball out, and it’s PICKED, his fourth interception of the night! This one by Jayden Sanders at Carthage’s 31! Kilgore ball with 8:25 left.
Watters for 1 to the 31; then a loss of two, back to the 33. It’s third and 11 at the 32.
Jiminez misses a 50-yard field goal, and Carthage gets the ball with 6:53 left at its own 32.
Edwards was quiet for a bit, and then reeled off a 14-yard run, to the 48, his own 48.
The next play: a 52-yard TOUCHDOWN for Carthage, the run by Edwards, with 5:13 left. Leo Medrano hits the extra point, and Carthage is back up by one, 15-14.
Towns, on the return, gives Kilgore life, catching it inside his own 5 and returning it all the way to Carthage’s 26!
Watters gets 2 on first down, and then a pass to Jayden Sanders, all the way to Carthage’s 1, a 23-yard gain, and first-and-goal for Kilgore with 4:10 left.
Watters is stopped at the 1, and second down coming up.
TOUCHDOWN, looks like Watters, with 2:51 left. TOUCHDOWN KILGORE. The two-point conversion pass is incomplete in the back of the end zone, but Kilgore is up, 20-15, with 2:51 left. Carthage has two time outs.
After a short return by Marion, Carthage takes possession at its own 31, with 2:44 left.
Surratt was bombs away to Cale Preston downfield, but Preston couldn’t quite haul it in along Kilgore’s sideline. Third and 7 at the 34.
Incomplete, on third down, a pass to Junior Henderson.
Here it is: fourth and seven at the 34, with 2:10 left.
IT’S INCOMPLETE! IT’S INCOMPLETE! And Kilgore takes over on downs at Carthage’s 34, with 2:02 left.
Rayshaun Willilams stopped for a loss of 2; time out Carthage, with 1:56 left.
Carthage people are LEAVING with 1:56 left, down just five. My goodness.
Rayshaun Williams tackled out of bounds; a flag comes in, and was waved off by the official. That’s not being a homer; that just happened.
Kilgore attempts to get a first down on third and 1, but it looks like Kilgore is still short.
NO! The ball needed the 24, and officials have it marked as a first down, with 1:45 left. Carthage has just one time out remaining.
Kilgore kneels! But Brooks kneels back, to run out more clock, at the 29. The clock is running, 1:09, 1:08…
Kilgore wins, 20-15, Kilgore’s first win over Carthage IN CARTHAGE since 2003. Congratulations to the Kilgore Bulldogs, a win over No. 1-ranked Carthage to open the season.
We’ll have more on the game — photos and a story by Joe Hale, video of the KHS band and Hi-Steppers (sponsored by Lauren and Carmine Faye), and maybe even a few surprises.
1 thought on “KILGORE 20, CARTHAGE 15, FINAL! | A real-time update of the game as it happened, by Mitch Lucas”
Love the play by play .. almost like being there !! Love the Bulldogs!!
Love the play by play .. almost like being there !! Love the Bulldogs!!