NO. 4 KC HOLDS OFF NMMI | Rangers have big day from offense, D and special teams; win 40-30
Kilgore College defensive back Jaylen Webb (2) guards New Mexico Military Institute receiver Javion McKay during Saturday’s Southwest Junior College Football Conference game at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium in Kilgore. KC won the game, the conference opener for both programs, 40-30. The Rangers are ranked No. 4 in the nation; the new poll comes out the early part of the week. (Courtesy photo, NMMI)
After a two-week layoff, did the Kilgore College Rangers need to shake off a little rust when they got a visit from New Mexico Military Institute on Saturday?
Not really.
Honestly, it was KC’s Marcus Moultre that did the shaking.
Moultre outran everybody to the end zone late in the first half on a 75-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, a part of a back-breaking first-half scoring outburst for the Rangers en route to a 40-30 win, in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference opener for both teams.
In another score from the conference on Saturday, Tyler Junior College held off Trinity Valley, 14-7, at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler.
KC – ranked fourth in the nation in last week’s NJCAA poll – is 2-0, and 1-0 in conference play. They’ll visit Navarro in Corsicana next Saturday, a rematch of the Rangers’ best two games of the season last year: their only regular season loss, and the SWJCFC championship game.
NMMI falls to 1-2 on the season, and obviously, 0-1 in conference. The Broncos finally get to play at home this season on Saturday; they’ll host Blinn.
The Rangers trailed early, but the defense forced the Broncos to kick a field goal; Jack Nelson hit from 35 yards out, midway through the first quarter.
Quarterback Tyler Webb hooked up with receiver Melvin Polk for a 15-yard score, and then added another on a 5-yard pass to Cedric Harden. NMMI got a 38-yard touchdown pass from Elliot Paskett-Bell to Kendall Jones, and then came Moultre’s return, with just under four minutes left in the half, which gave the Rangers a 23-9 lead.
The Broncos got closer before the half on a 1-yard touchdown catch by Kris Harbin (23-16).
Early in the third, they’d tie the game (23-all) on Paskett-Bell’s third TD pass of the day, this one a 3-yarder to Javion McKay.
But then KC switched into a different gear.
Gary Maddox would put the Rangers in front for good, as it would turn out, with six minutes left in the third quarter on a 10-yard touchdown run, and former Kilgore High School standout Adan Reyes added a 43-yard field goal with 2:25 left in the quarter to stretch KC’s lead to 10 (33-23).
For good measure, KC’s defense got into the act. DaeVaughndric Lewis picked off Paskett-Bell and brought it back 70 yards for a touchdown, a pick-six, just after the start of the fourth quarter. That gave the Rangers a 40-23 advantage.
NMMI would finish the scoring after Rayden Aphayvong, who had an interception earlier in the game, blocked a Reyes 45-yard field goal attempt, and Sampson Alofipo returned it for a score, with 3:29 left in the game.
Maddox finished with 95 yards and the touchdown run, a part of a 219-yard rushing day for the Rangers as an offense. Luke McMullen didn’t score but had 88 yards on the ground. Tyler Webb threw for the two scores and 140 yards, and the three interceptions., which were aplenty on the day for both teams: KC defensive back Jaylen Webb also had a pick in this game, his third on the season.
Darmel Hollins had a blocked extra point against NMMI, and had a fumble recovery; and Polk and Devontae Mozee each had long returns to set KC’s offense up for short drives that ended in touchdowns. Mozee, of course, had the 99-yard kick return for a touchdown in the season opener against Monterrey Tech back on August 24.
