SAME OLD BULLDOGS, SAME OLD WILDCATS | Kilgore starts slow but routs Palestine; Hall has late-game injury scare
EDITOR’S NOTE: ETBlitz.com editor / publisher Mitch Lucas contributed to this story.
KILGORE – Those of you who had written off the Kilgore High School Bulldogs after a couple of non-district losses and a loss to Pine Tree: Not so fast, my friends.
That’s my best Lee Corso impression.
Palestine scored first – 10 points, in fact – but Kilgore roared from behind to come away with a 59-31 victory over the Wildcats on a cold, windy Friday night at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium.
Maddox Wright and Rashaun Williams combined for 240 rushing yards and five touchdowns, and Tyler Johnigan enjoyed a rather memorable performance of his own as the ’Dogs improved to 3-1 in 8-4A Division I play (3-3 overall) in convincing fashion.
Two interceptions and two touchdowns for Johnigan, a senior corner on defense. He returned one of his picks 25 yards for a score, just a little more than two minutes (2:19), after catching a 52-yard completion on a post route for a touchdown from his quarterback Braddox Johnson.
In other district play, state-ranked Lindale upended Pine Tree 45-21, Henderson topped Jacksonville 42-14, and Chapel Hill spilled Bullard 55-35.
For those of you concerned about Kilgore tight end and defensive lineman Zarak Hall, who was injured late in the contest and had to be stretchered off the field, we have this update.
At 1:15 a.m., ETBlitz.com confirmed with what we would call a very credible source that Zarak, who was taken to a local hospital, was awake, talking and was able to move his arms and his legs.
Of course, our thoughts and prayers go out for Hall.
As for the game, Johnson threw for two touchdowns, the one to Johnigan, and a 5-yard strike to Hall, playing tight end, to cap an eight-play, 64-yard march, extending Kilgore’s 31-17 lead at the end of the third quarter to 21 (38-17) with 11:46 remaining in the game.
Wright led all rushers with 123 yards on 19 carries. His touchdowns came on runs of 13, 31 and 33 yards. Williams added 117 yards on 23 carries to the total with scoring runs of 4 and 33 yards.
Ethan Reyes kicked a 43-yard field goal to end the first half and converted all eight of his extra points.
Kilgore finished with 343 yards of total offense, compared to Palestine’s 302.
After falling behind Palestine 10-0 on a short London Brown run along with a 29-yard Sam Garcia field goal in the first quarter, the Bulldogs got down to serious business: scoring.
Besides Johnigan’s interceptions, Zechariahs Jackson recovered a fumble for Kilgore. And on each occasion the Bulldogs turned turnovers into touchdowns.
Palestine’s Ashton Cook led the Wildcats with 117 yards rushing and added three receptions for 27 yards. Noah Hutchinson was 8-of-11 passing for 69 yards with an interception. And backup quarterback Carson Coker was 0-for-1, with an interception.
Deaundre Turner (1-11), Landen Andrews (1-2), Cameron Jones (1-5) and Thurman Harrell (1-24) also had receptions for Palestine.
The Wildcats wrapped up their scoring with a 4-yard Turner run with 4:06 remaining in the third quarter, and a pair of Cook runs, covering 12 and 2 yards, in the fourth. All three of those drives covered 75 yards.
Johnigan was Kilgore’s leading receiver with two catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. T.K. White, back in the lineup after missing some time due to injury, added three catches for 10 yards, while De’Andre Thurmond (1-5), Wright (1-24), Hall (1-5) and Williams (1-minus 1) also had catches for the Bulldogs. Wright also returned a kickoff 35 yards.
After starting slow, down 10, Kilgore built a lead to 14 at halftime, 14 at the end of the third period and 28 at the end, scoring four times in the final quarter.
Next up for the Ragin’ Red is unbeaten, state-ranked Lindale (4-0 in District 8-4A, Division I, 7-0) at Eagle Stadium, while Palestine (1-3, 3-4) returns home to entertain Jacksonville (0-4, 2-5) next Friday.
