PREDATOR | Kilgore or Lindale: Who escapes tonight as the 9-4A leader?
LINDALE – Every week of this 2025 District 9-4A, Division I football schedule seems to get bigger and tougher than the last week. Not just the way it seems, the way it truly is.
Life (in what this district is sometimes referred to as “the District of Doom”) isn’t easy, by any stretch of your imagination.
Tonight, Kilgore and Lindale, unbeatens in district play, square off at Eagle Stadium, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
They’re 1 and 2 at just about the midway mark of district play and both are in the top-10 of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football rankings this week. Kilgore (6-1 overall, 3-0 in district) leads the district standings and is third in the state behind Celina and Stephenville in the 4A-DII poll.
Lindale (6-0, 2-0) is ninth, up from 10th a week ago, after an impressive 43-14 pasting of Palestine.
After tonight’s game, Kilgore has only Palestine, Mabank and a bye on its regular-season schedule, while Lindale still has game days against Mabank, Pine Tree and Henderson.
So, this is definitely about taking care of business.
Hear the game live, with Ragin’ Red Broadcasting on the call (in their 44th year of doing so), the team of Doug Smith, Don Hedrick and Jason Smith. That’s on the radio on KDOK 105.3-FM and online at www.kdokradio.com, and you can also hear that broadcast by going to ETBlitz.com’s home page and clicking the Kilgore helmet on the left side. On your phone, scroll down past the stories until you see the helmet, and clicking it will take you to the broadcast.
“We’ve played a tough stretch and gotten off to a good start in district, but there’s room to grow and get better every week,” Kilgore coach Clint Fuller said. “It’s been a fight, and we need to try to get it going again this week against Lindale. They’re a very good football team.
“We have a lot of respect for them. They play physical and disciplined (football) and don’t make a ton of mistakes. We’ll need to be at our best,” he continued.
The respect goes both ways.
“We have a lot of respect for coach (Clint) Fuller, his staff and the Bulldogs. They’ve gotten the best of us the last several years,” said Lindale coach Chris Cochran. “I’d like to think we’re a lot like Kilgore. I’m proud of where we’re at right now with our program. I don’t feel we’re a finished product by any means. I like our resiliency, though, thus far. We’ve been in some tough spots and come through them, and that’s something I think we lacked in the past.”
Offensively, the Eagles are led by senior quarterback David Lindig, who has accounted for 1,122 yards (853 passing, 269 rushing) and a dozen touchdowns (7 passing, 5 rushing).
Leading rushers, besides Lindig, are junior Hank Thurman (116-730 yds, 12 TDs) and senior A’Million Johnson (46-225, 5 TDs rushing, 1 receiving), while the leading receivers have been Kaden Fowler (19-309, 4), Brodee Copeland (14-268, 1) and Thurman (10-102).
“Our running game has been really good for us. It’s helped us set up our passing game. Thurman has really stepped up and provided when we needed it,” Cochran continued, also pointing to the play of a couple of his seniors across the offensive line, center Cameron Griffin and left guard Trey Kincade, “as helping us hit our stride.”
Defensively, for the Ragin’ Red tackle leaders through seven games continue to be linebackers Isaiah Watters (73), Lakeyleon Graves (72), as well as safety Ja’Kalen Sheffield (60) and linebacker David “Bubba” McGowan. Watters and DE Cameron Christian lead in tackles for loss with 8 and 5, respectively, while Watters leads in sacks with 3 for minus 11 yards.
Cornerrback Dre’ Sanders leads in interceptions with 3, while Graves and Brayden Williams, another corner, follow with 2 each. Williams also leads in fumble recoveries with 2, and quarterback hurries with 10.
Leading tacklers for the Eagles have been defensive back Jackson LeGrow (32.5), Jacob Pettway (32), J.B. Ray (30), Mason Hearon (30) and Kaleb Walker (26.5). Hearon also leads in sacks (4), Walker in tackles for loss (7) and quarterback knockdowns (18), while Copeland leads in interceptions with 2. Medders leads in fumble recoveries with 2, while Ray and Kalani Quitigua have caused 2 fumbles apiece.
Offensively, the Bulldogs are led by players such as running back Rayshaun Williams, quarterback Kayson Brooks, and a corps of wide receivers led by Graves, Sanders, Tyler Johnigan and T.K. White.
Williams, at running back, leads in rushing yards (872) and rushing touchdowns (7). Brooks is 91-of-149 passing (66%) for 1,328 yards and 13 touchdowns. His leading receivers have been Graves (26-347, 5), Sanders (19-205, 1), Johnigan (15-234, 3) and White (14-183, 2).
In other district games tonight, Pine Tree visits Henderson and Mabank travels to Chapel Hill. Palestine has the open date.
In games, next week, Lindale visits Mabank and Kilgore returns home to entertain Palestine.
Interestingly enough, the Ragin’ Red have won the last five meetings between the schools and hold an 11-4 advantage in this all-time series. The Eagles and Bulldogs have engaged in some really good, close, and even wild and high-scoring games through the years, both in the regular season and the playoffs. Lindale’s last two wins came in the 2020 regular-season matchup in Kilgore (47-40), and then in the regional finals (ie: quarterfinals) at Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches 56-42 enroute to playing for the state championship against Austin LBJ.
Kilgore won the 2022 regular-season contest (49-35) at Lindale as well as the third-round playoff game (regional semifinal) at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler, 63-37.
