Kilgore tops Henderson; both teams playoff-bound
HENDERSON – With no district championship on the line, and no one fighting for their playoff life – both Kilgore and Henderson had already qualified for the UIL postseason – two rivals renewed “feelings” for one another Friday here at Henderson ISD Lion Stadium.
Kilgore closed the regular season with a 28-10 victory over Henderson before a senior night crowd, assuring itself some momentum going into the 4A, Division I playoffs beginning next week.
The Bulldogs and Lions were playing for third place in District 8-4A DI behind Lindale and Pine Tree. Both advance to bi-district.
The UIL’s playoffs begin this coming week. In Class 4A, Division I, Henderson (4-3, 5-5) meets 7-4A DI champion Sulphur Springs in Sulphur Springs on Friday at 7 p.m., while Kilgore faces Paris, the 7-4A DI runnerup in Paris at a date and time to be determined.
As soon as ETBlitz.com gets that information, we’ll pass it on, including playoff information for all of the programs in our area that reached the playoffs.
KIlgore played in the 4A-DI state championship game the last two years. And this is Henderson’s first trip to the playoffs under second-year coach Ricky Meeks, and the Lions’ playoff return. Henderson reached the postseason for the first time since 2019.
Who was left out from 8-4A, DI? That would be Palestine, Jacksonville, Bullard, and somewhat shockingly, Chapel Hill.
Back to the game.
Rayshaun Williams and Maddox Wright combined for 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns and Braddox Johnson threw for two touchdowns as the Ragin’ Red improved to 5-2 in district, and 5-4 overall.
Kilgore advanced to the playoffs for the 30th time in the last 32 years.
“We played our best game as a team this season. Our offense controlled the clock and limited Henderson’s time of possession,” said Kilgore coach and athletic director Clint Fuller. “Our defense has been improving every week and eliminated Henderson’s explosiveness in their pass game.”
Williams, the all-time rushing leader at Kilgore High School, scored on runs of 3 and 5 yards. In between, Johnson threw scoring passes of 14 yards to De’Andre Thurmond and 18 yards to Tyler Johnigan.
Ethan Reyes converted all four of his extra-point attempts.
“Maddox (Wright) stepped up at a corner against a very talented wide receiver (Brailon Walker). Our entire front seven played well stopping the run and rushing the passer,” Fuller continued.
Blade Chitwood and Zarak Hall each had sacks as the Kilgore defense continually pressured Blake Meeks, the Henderson quarterback.
Johnson completed 10-of-14 passes for 138 yards, with scoring strikes to Thurmond and Johnigan.
Wright led the ground game with 68 yards on 11 carries, and Williams followed with 60 on 16 carries.
Meeks, only a sophomore, was 13-of-25 passing for 124 yards and a touchdown. Walker, who came into the game with 49 catches for 848 yards, finished the evening with six receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown.
Michael Russell, who led the rushing attack with 69 yards on 14 carries, had three catches for 26 yards. J.D. Anthony (2-20) and Au’maz Jackson (2-12) also had receptions for the Lions.
Time of possession was key in the outcome, although neither team did much on its initial possession.
Kilgore’s second possession, though, started at its own 37-yard line and took 13 plays and 6:09 off the clock. It was a nice mixture of pass and run, 43 yards on four Johnson completions to three different receivers and seven rushing plays with Williams going the final three yards with 3:27 remaining in the first quarter.
Ethan Reyes converted the first of his four extra points to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 advantage.
Henderson answered on its very next possession with a 75-yard march of its own to knot the score at 7-all on a touch pass from Meeks-to-Walker covering seven yards with 6:55 left in the first half.
Chitwood’s sack of Meeks came on the scoring drive and Devin Tinney intercepted a pass, returning it for a touchdown, but the score was nullified as Kilgore was flagged for a 10-yard penalty, to give the Lions a first down instead.
Kilgore regained the lead on Johnson’s completion on a slant route to Thurmond to cap an 11-play, 61-yard drive, coming with just 1:17 remaining in the second period. Williams, Johnson and Wright rushed for 47 of the 61 yards and the Bulldogs, who converted on six of eight third-down attempts in the game had two of those on this scoring drive. One of the two came on an off sides penalty against the Lions.
Henderson converted on four-of-six fourth-down attempts, but weren’t as fortunate on only two-of-eight third-down conversions.
The Lions took the second-half kickoff and reached the Kilgore 16-yard line before the drive stalled. Ivan Navarro came on to boot a 43-yard field goal, cutting Kilgore’s seven-point halftime lead to four, 14-10 with 6:40 remaining in the third quarter. The big plays on the scoring march were Meeks-to-Walker completions of 21 and 16-yards.
The Bulldogs, who have won two-in-a-row to close the regular season, answered with a nifty six-play scoring march, which took only 2:35 off the clock with Johnson finding Johnigan in the corner of the end zone, with 4:05 left in the third period.
The score extended Kilgore’s lead to 11 (21-10).
Henderson’s next possession reached the ’Dogs’ 34-yard line. Kilgore corner back Keion Sanders made a couple of tackles on completions from Meeks to Jackson on a third-and-9 call and again a few minutes later on a second-and-11 completion for only five yards.
The Lions went for it on fourth-and-16, but came up short, turning the football over to Kilgore.
The big plays on Kilgore’s eight-play, 77-yard scoring march that took 4:46 in time for the Bulldogs were a 29-yard Wright run to get things going, as well as a couple of Johnson completions, the first of 21-yards to Thurmond and the second 18-yards to Brenton Mumphrey, moving the football to the Henderson 5.
Williams completed the drive with a five-yard run for his 13th rushing touchdown of the season.
Johnigan (3-41) and T.K. White (3-35) led the Kilgore receiving corps. Thurmond (2-35), Sekemian Moore (1-9) and Mumphrey (1-18) followed.