PLAYOFF SCHEDULE & BRACKETS | For round four of the high school football playoffs

A new take on our old saying about Kilgore High School football: it was, “Football is our business – and business is good.”

How about this new one: “The Kilgore Bulldogs mean business. And business is great.”

Coach Clint Fuller and the Ragin’ Red are 11-2, coming off a dominating 62-7 win over Navasota in the regional semifinals of the UIL Class 4A, Division I playoffs, and looking to take down a longtime district AND playoff rival, Chapel Hill (10-3).

That game – the 4A-DI Region 3 finals – will be Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at Forney’s City Bank Stadium (1800 College Avenue, Forney, TX, 75126).

Kilgore is the home team for the game; Chapel Hill is the visitor. Take note: no paper tickets will be sold for this game. No tickets will actually even be on sale at the gate.

To buy tickets, which in advance are $8 for adults, $5 for students, you’ll need to go to PLAYOFF GAME – Kilgore vs Chapel Hill VARSITY Football | Forney ISD Box Office.

If you wait until the day of, tickets are $10.

City Bank Stadium, where Kilgore has played multiple times over the years (it’s just been a while), does have a clear bag policy and we’ve been told it’s strictly enforced.

Bags that are approved are clear-tote, plastic, vinyl or PVC bags no bigger than 12 inches X 6 inches X 12 inches; plastic storage bags (gallon, resealable); or small, clutch size, about the size of a hand, with no handle or strap.

Prohibited bags: all purses, bags or containers larger than the small clutch; backpacks; briefcases; camera bags; fanny packs; computer bags; coolers; luggage; and drawstring bags.

The game will be available on NFHSNetwork.com for a subscription fee – if you want to do that, you can pay just the one-time fee, watch the game and then cancel, or keep it. It’s completely up to you. That link is here: 2024 UIL Football Playoffs Kilgore High School vs. Chapel Hill High School – Tyler – 12/06/2024 | Live & On Demand.

To hear Ragin’ Red Broadcasting’s call of the game, tune in to KDOK-103.5 FM on your radio, or listen to the online streaming broadcast here: Chalk Hill Communications. Just go to the site and click on the Kilgore helmets.

The Kilgore-Chapel Hill winner moves on face either Bay City (12-1) or La Vernia (10-3) next week, the round of the final four in the state, one win away from playing in the state championship game on Friday, Dec. 20, at AT&T Stadium.

Now, Kilgore is the only team from the ETBlitz.com coverage area still in the playoffs. But there are plenty of East Texas-region teams still in the mix. Here’s that information.

• Longview vs. DeSoto, UIL Class 6A, Division II Region 2 finals: Saturday, 3 p.m., McLane Stadium in Waco, home of Baylor University football. Tickets are $12 each and are available in advance here: HS FB Desoto vs. Longview | Baylor University Official Athletic Site. The Longview Lobos are 11-2, and have won seven straight games, including a first-round 23-13 win over Naaman Forest; a come-from-behind win over Lancaster, 38-35 in overtime; and a 42-28 win over Klein Collins last week. DeSoto (11-2) beat Willis, 55-35, last week and has scored at least 51 points in all three of its playoff games. Oh, and DeSoto’s Eagles: they’re the reigning, defending 6A-DII state champions. Longview-DeSoto is also available on NFHSNetwork.com, here: 2024 UIL Football Playoffs Longview High School vs. DeSoto High School – 12/07/2024 | Live & On Demand. Hear the Longview radio call of the game on JACK (106.5-FM) or here: 106.5 Jack FM – East Texas. 
• Carthage vs. Van, UIL Class 4A, Division II Region 2 finals: Friday, 7 p.m., Pine Tree ISD Pirate Stadium in Longview (3737 W. Loop 281, Longview, TX, 75604). Carthage (12-1) is the visitor, Van obviously the home team. Texas High School Coaches Association passes, district passes, and senior citizen passes all accepted. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased here: Buy Tickets – PINE TREE ISD ATHLETICS. Van is 10-3, and in the playoffs, has beaten Athens (38-30), Van Alstyne (45-42), and Sunnyvale (42-38), all fairly-close games. Carthage hasn’t lost since the season opener at home against Kilgore. The Bulldogs shut out Spring Hill in the first round, 49-0; beat Krum, 56-13, in round two; and then beat Pleasant Grove, 28-7, last week.

Hear the Carthage call of the game here: KGAS 104.3 or 1590-AM.

The streaming video, again, here at NFHSNetwork.com: 2024 UIL Football Playoffs Carthage High School vs. Van High School – 12/06/2024 | Live & On Demand.

Daingerfield vs. Woodville, UIL Class 3A-Division II Region 3 finals: Friday, 7 p.m., Palestine ISD Wildcat Stadium (1600 South Loop 256, Palestine, TX, 75801). Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students, and can be purchased here: Palestine ISD – Daingerfield vs. Woodville. All passes will be accepted. And like all of the other games, it’s available for a fee on the NFHSNetwork.com site here: 2024 UIL Football Playoffs Woodville High School vs. Daingerfield High School – 12/06/2024 | Live & On Demand. Daingerfield’s Tigers started the season off 0-2, but are now red-hot and 8-5. They beat Harmony in round one, 35-14; beat what looked to be an unbeatable New Diana team, 42-35; and then beat a good Newton team badly, 62-28, last week. Woodville (11-2) beat Arp, 49-12, in round one; beat previously-undefeated Grand Saline, 48-21, in round two; and beat one-loss DeKalb, 42-12, a week ago.

Liberty Eylau (11-2) vs. Malakoff (13-0), UIL Class 3A-Division I Region 2 finals: Friday, 7 p.m., at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium, Tyler (609 Fair Park Dr Tyler, TX 75702). Liberty-Eylau is the home team, and gates will open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for students and THSCA, district and senior passes are all good, and military, as well. To buy tickets, go here: Malakoff vs Liberty-Eylau | TYLER ISD Box Office. L-E beat Commerce (57-35) in round one; routed Pilot Point (57-7) in round two; and held off Winnsboro (56-49) so far in the playoffs, but this week is a much harder challenge: Malakoff has been the No. 1 team in 3A-DI in the state for almost this entire season. The Tigers’ closest game was against Madisonville way back in the first month of the season, a 29-28 Malakoff win. And Malakoff beat previously-unbeaten Jefferson, 31-21, at Rose Stadium last weekend. The streaming broadcast (L-E home broadcast) will be on NFHSNetwork.com here: 2024 UIL Football Playoffs – LIBERTY-EYLAU HOME BROADCAST Liberty Eylau High School vs. Malakoff High School – 12/06/2024 | Live & On Demand. The Malakoff-leaning broadcast is here: 2024 UIL Football Playoffs – MALAKOFF HOME BROADCAST Liberty Eylau High School vs. Malakoff High School – 12/06/2024 | Live & On Demand.

Joaquin vs. Honey Grove, UIL Class 2A-Division 3 regional finals: Thursday, 7 p.m., at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco (9 Cowboys Way, Frisco, Texas, 75034). The Joaquin Rams (9-4) will take on Honey Grove (12-1) a day earlier than anyone else in East Texas hits the field. Joaquin will be the home team. Tickets are $15 for adults and students. Buy early here – Joaquin v Honey Grove tickets in Frisco (Ford Center) – Dec 5, 2024 | SeatGeek – and if you can’t go, you know the drill: it’s available on NFHSNetwork.com for a subscription fee here: 2024 UIL Football Playoffs Joaquin High School vs. Honey Grove High School – 12/05/2024 | Live & On Demand. The Rams have won four of their last five games, and in the playoffs, they’ve defeated Centerville (38-28), Cooper (32-24) and Shelbyville (54-30). Honey Grove (12-1) has won 10 straight: their one loss was to Winnsboro back on Sept. 13 (49-21). In the playoffs, they’ve beaten Elysian Fields (56-20, Hearne (36-7), and Waskom (54-29).

Check out the brackets of each classification below, courtesy of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.