KILGORE-STAFFORD LIVE! | Round two! Live updates as they happen, and updates on all eight ETB-area playoff teams — let’s go 8-0 TONIGHT!
EDITOR’S NOTE: This was our live, as-it-happened coverage of Kilgore taking on Stafford in round two of the University Interscholastic League’s Class 4A, Division I playoff game in Willis, including a two-hour lightning delay. Kilgore won, 42-0, scoring all but 14 of those points in the second half.
The Bulldogs will face Bridge City at New Caney next Friday, Nov. 28, at 2 p.m. in round three of the 4A-DI postseason. But here’s how things went against Stafford.
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HEY, Y’ALL! It’s Friday night, and it’s round two of the University Interscholastic League’s high school football playoffs! Some of you are at your own games; some of you are at home; some of you are — well, who knows where. But we’re here to keep you updated. A lot of you have streaming broadcasts to help you out. The NFHS Network is broadcasting Overton-Goldthwaite, Pine Tree-Houston Yates, and Gladewater-Grandview, among others, but there’s no video streaming for a lot of our East Texas teams.
So, welcome in. We’re going to do our best to have Kilgore-Stafford covered right here, and we have ETB personnel all over the place. But we’re also going to cover all eight games involving the programs that we cover, and that would be…
CLASS 4A, DIVISION I
Kilgore (10-1) vs. Stafford (6-5)
Willis ISD / Yates Stadium, Willis
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CLASS 4A, DIVISION I
Pine Tree (7-4) vs. Houston Yates (11-0)
Crockett ISD / Driskell Stadium
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CLASS 4A, DIVISION II
Carthage (11-0) vs Sanger (8-3)
City Bank Stadium, Forney
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CLASS 3A, DIVISION I
Gladewater (10-1) vs Grandview (9-2)
Kaufman ISD / Homer Norville Stadium
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CLASS 3A, DIVISION II
Troup (11-0) vs. Hooks (8-3)
Emory Rains ISD / Wildcat Stadium
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CLASS 3A, DIVISION II
Arp (10-1) vs. Daingerfield (8-3)
Marshall ISD / Maverick Stadium
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CLASS 2A, DIVISION I
Beckville (8-3) vs. Jewett Leon (11-0)
CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium (Tyler ISD)
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CLASS 2A, DIVISION II
Overton (7-4) vs. Goldthwaite (8-3)
Groesbeck ISD / Groesbeck Stadium
We’ll go live here in just a bit for Kilgore-Stafford at 7 p.m.
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WE’RE LIVE!
Stafford has kicked off, and it’s a touchback, Kilgore assuming control at its own 25-yard-line.
It’s a wide receiver screen, Kayson Brooks completing the pass to LaKeyleon Graves, for 4 yards to about the 29-yard-line.
Brooks and Dre’ Sanders can’t connect on the second-down pass, and it’s third down and 6 coming up, at Kilgore’s 29.
Brooks completes the pass to Tyler Johnigan for the first down, and he gets it, 10 yards.
Rayshaun Williams gets 7 yards on a first-down carry.
He gets another chance, but this time, no, it’s Graves, and he gets 3 yards. It’s a first down.
It’s an incompletion to Williams out of the backfield on first down, as the Bulldogs have worked their way to midfield.
David McGowan picks up 6 yards to the 45, and the Brooks gets close, but is just short of the first down. He’s 2 yards short.
Kilgore goes for the conversion on fourth down and 2, and Stafford was offsides, anyway. The first penalty of the game goes against the Spartans. Kilgore has a first down at Stafford’s 38-yard-line.
The first-down pass is incomplete, and it’s second-and-10 from the 38. Williams gets free and he’s almost gone, a 37-yard run all the way down to the Stafford 1-yard-line! Rayshaun Williams is down at the 1.
Kilgore’s at the doorstep.
Brooks scores, a 1-yard quarterback keeper for a TOUCHDOWN, KILGORE, with 8:08 left in the first quarter. With Eddie Jiminez’s extra point, it’s 7-0 Kilgore!
Stafford gets the ball for the first time on the night, and the Spartans go with a run, Aiden Seales.
The Spartans get a first down, their first of the night, on a 19-yard play to their own 41.
Quickly, though, they’re in third and 11. Ray scrambles for just enough, though, and Stafford has the first down, right at midfield, the Kilgore 46-yard-line.
A pass play for 4 yards is stopped by Isaiah Watters, leaving Stafford in a second-and-6 at Kilgore’s 42.
Now, after no gain, it’s third-and-6 at the KHS 42.
Stafford’s sideline-to-quarterback play process is having issues; not sure what it is, but it forced them to take their first time out of the game. And they didn’t convert.
They fail on a fourth-down conversion, and Kilgore takes over at its own 42.
Oh, wow, we’ve just gone into a lightning delay. Dang it. Dang it, dang it, dang it.
That’ll be a mandated 30 minutes, unless there’s another lightning strike again before that 30 minutes is up. If that happens, the 30 minutes begins anew, according to long-standing UIL rules.
While we’re waiting on the delay, let’s do an update on games that have started, a score update.
ETBLITZ-AREA GAMES
Overton vs. Goldthwaite, scoreless in the first quarter.
Jewett Leon leads Beckville, 7-0, at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler.
Troup 14, Hooks 0, with 2:14 left in the first quarter at Emory Rains ISD Stadium.
Gladewater leads Grandview, 21-14, in Kaufman, at the start of the second quarter.
Carthage leads Sanger, 28-0, at Forney City Bank Stadium with 3:04 left in the first quarter.
Pine Tree is just about to kick off against Houston Yates in Crockett.
And Arp-Daingerfield is about to kick off at Maverick Stadium in Marshall.
Here at Willis ISD Yates Stadium, it’s Kilgore 7-0 over Stafford in the first quarter, again in a lightning delay.
EAST TEXAS SECOND-ROUND GAMES
Lindale leads Fort Bend Crawford, 14-3, with 1:46 left in the first.
DeSoto leads Longview, 13-7, with 11:51 left in the second quarter.
San Augustine leads Waskom, 7-6, with 8:43 left in the half.
Newton is up on De Kalb, 22-0, with 9:30 left in the half.
This of interest:
Celina up 6-0 over Fort Worth Eastern Hills, with 9:23 left in the first quarter.
Again, an update: Kilgore and Stafford are STILL in a lightning delay. There is 4:22 left in the first quarter.
For longtime fans of Kilgore football, this might remind you a little bit of the Kilgore-Port Neches-Groves playoff game in 2004, except for that game was delayed by storms before it got started. There was some thought it could be decided by a coin flip, terrifying Kilgore fans.
Fortunately, the game got under way, and Kilgore won by six touchdowns. 🙂
Let’s do a score update.
Obviously, Kilgore leads Stafford, 7-0, with that same 4:22 left in the first quarter.
Overton leads Goldthwaite, 19-7, at the half.
Beckville and Jewett Leon are tied at 7 at the half. Leon is undefeated.
Troup leads Hooks, 28-0, at half.
Gladewater leads Grandview, 35-34, at the half.
Carthage is slaughtering Sanger, 55-14, at halftime. My goodness.
Houston Yates leads Pine Tree, 21-7, with 7:02 left in the second quarter.
Arp is up 28-10 over Daingerfield with 2:18 left in the first half.
Let’s have music!
The lightning delay continues.
At this point, Noah would be proud.
This song might be more appropriate. The rain is not really the problem so much as the lightning, but…
The lightning delay at Yates Stadium is approaching an hour and a half.
Wow, man. Hopefully we’ll eventually start back. I’m sorry, guys.
Let’s do a score update.
Beckville and Jewett Leon are tied at 14, with six minutes left in the game.
Troup is put Hooks in a 42-0 hole, with seven minutes left in the third quarter. Again, these are reports I’m getting; times could be off. Doing the best we can here.
Grandview has taken the lead over Gladewater, crap. Crap! With nine minutes left in the game, Grandview leads the Bears, 49-42.
Carthage is up on Sanger, 61-21, with 8 1/2 minutes left in the third.
Houston Yates leads Pine Tree, 21-14, at the half, according to our folks.
Looks like Overton may have things in hand: Mustangs 40, Goldthwaite 7, with 1:10 left in the third.
And earlier we had said 28-7 Arp over Daingerfield, but now I’m seeing 21-7 Arp, with three minutes left in the third.
Kilgore-Stafford resumes!
We just went under four minutes left in the first quarter, Kilgore up 7-0 after a two-hour lightning delay.
Brooks hit Johnigan, then Williams gained the first down on a run.
Williams on first down a 10-yard gain, then a 5-yarder to Stafford’s 33-yard-line. A 31-yard pass to Graves gets Kilgore inside the 5, all the way to the 2-yard-line!
TOUCHDOWN, KILGORE, a 2-yard run by David McGowan, and the Bulldogs have doubled their lead with 1:46 left in the first quarter. Jiminez’s extra point is good, and Kilgore is up 14-0.
On Stafford’s next possession, Kilgore buries the Spartans in a third-and-17, and a quarterback run doesn’t do a lot. The first quarter ends with Stafford down 14-0, and in fourth and long.
Stafford opens the second quarter with a punt. The return is by Graves, of a 43-yard punt.
Kilgore gets a holding call on first down, and is pushed back to their own 35, an odd first-and-17.
After a nice pick-up on first down, and before a second-and-5, Kilgore calls a time-out. The Bulldogs are leading 14-0.
On second down, McGowan gets 4 on a run, and the Bulldogs are in third-and-1, to the Stafford 49.
On third, McGowan gets 4 more, and it’s a first down to Stafford’s 45.
Williams takes the first-down handoff (after a 5-yard penalty for an illegal shift), and gets the 5 yards back.
Williams gets another first down, and Kilgore is set up at Stafford’s 33 with the clock moving pretty solid now through the first half — you know, after a TWO-HOUR LIGHTNING DELAY. The Bulldogs are up 14-0.
A holding penalty is called, moving Kilgore back 10 yards.
Brooks and Johnigan connect for 3 yards, and then to Dre’ Sanders. Kilgore went for it on fourth down and 11, and got 9, but short of the first down.
With 5:13 left, Stafford takes over on downs at its own 25. Quarterback Nate Ray gets nothing on a first-down run.
A pass for 11 yards to the 36 nets a first down for the Spartans. Dominick Young gets 2 yards on a first-down carry,
On second and 8, Ray is sacked, and Kilgore’s defense is attempting to contain Ray. It’s a loss of 6, back to the 30, and Stafford is in third and 14.
With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, Ray’s pass is complete, but Travis Holmes makes the tackle after only a yard gain.
They get the punt off before the two-minute time-out, and it’s a 37-yard punt, no return. There’s two minutes left until the half, and the Bulldogs are up 14-0.
We’ll do a score update at the half.
Brooks tries to scramble, but he loses a yard; receivers were covered.
Kilgore is in a fourth-down, now, deep in its own territory. The Bulldogs call time out, and look to punt.
They do, and it’s halftime. Kilgore’s up, 14-0.
The third quarter is starting — wow, that was fast! — and here we go!
If you’re all over social media, go check our Facebook page, and there is a pretty extensive score update.
Stafford gets the ball first, and Seales, the Spartans’ running back, loses 3 yards on first down.
Kilgore’s Graves makes the catch, takes it for 17 yards and runs unofficially for about 35, and then Williams to midfield for 5 yards on a runs.
Two plays later, on third and 4, Brooks’ throw to Sanders is incomplete, and it’s fourth-and-4 and it’ll be likely a punt from midfield.
There’s a 5-yard penalty on Kilgore pre-snap, but the punt gets off. Stafford will start this possession after the 31-yard punt at its own 22 with 8:28 left in the third.
Well, TOUCHDOWN, KILGORE! And it’s — of all people, it’s DAVID McGOWAN, a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown. This McGowan kid does EVERYTHING! Jiminez puts the extra point through and the Bulldogs lead 21-0 with under eight minutes left in the third quarter.
On Stafford’s next drive, roughing the passer penalty called on Kilgore — on a halfback pass after the “passer” had already thrown the ball.
I’m guessing the officials are from the great Houston chapter again.
My opinions here, folks: my website, my opinions. Kind of like, my house, my rules, right?
A fumble was just called, and a scoop and score by Kilgore’s Isaiah Watters, and the Bulldogs have upped their lead to 28-0, still in the third quarter.
After forcing another Stafford punt, Kilgore, leading 28-0, stalls out at fourth-and-2. The Bulldogs elect to go for the fourth down conversion and they got it, as the third quarter ends.
There’s under 10 minutes left in the game, and Williams scores on a 7-yard TOUCHDOWN, KILGORE, the 15th play of a very-impressive drive. Jiminez hits the extra point and there’s 9:23 left in the game. The Ragin’ Red leads Stafford, 35-0.
There’s more time left, but it’s time for the song.
Are y’all ready?
I know some of you didn’t get the song, but for the ones who did, I’m sure it brought back memories.
Kilgore’s defense holds Stafford — it seems like we’ve said that all night — and the Bulldogs have the ball back already.
Maddox Wright just scored for Kilgore, an 80-yard run for a TOUCHDOWN, KILGORE! It’s 42-0, with 6:45 left in the game.
Stafford is running clock, and I don’t blame them.
I say that, and then of course, they throw it. That time, the quarterback, Ray, threw it away under pressure.
The Spartans are having to punt AGAIN.
It’s a 45-yard punt, and Kilgore runs the clock down to the two-minute time out. The Bulldogs once again are leading 42-0.
And it’s a final. Sorry guys, these score updates have kept me busy!
Stafford had 5 first downs.
Ray was 4-13 for 22 yards and an interception.
Interestingly, Stafford only had ONE PENALTY for 5 YARDS. Hmmmm.
The Spartans had the grand total of 51 yards rushing and 73 total yards on 43 plays. Great job, Kilgore defense.
Kilgore had 18 first downs.
Brooks went 8-of-16 for 73 yards.
Graves had two catches for 38 yards. Not a lot of passing tonight.
Williams had 162 yards and a score for Kilgore’s rushing game, which had 298 yards combined. Kilgore had 371 total yards.
Kilgore will face Bridge City at 2 p.m. on Friday at New Caney, where the Bulldogs have played often.
Thank y’all for reading. We’ll have all kinds of things over the next day, including Joe Hale’s official game story on this game, and much, much more on the remainder of the programs in the ETBlitz.com coverage area that won their games.
Y’all have a fantastic night!