SCRIMMAGE REPORT, DAY TWO | Continuing our report on scrimmages Thursday night in the ETB coverage area (UPDATED with West Rusk, Sabine)

EDITOR’S NOTE: The concept here is to update how the scrimmages turned out involving high school football teams from the ETBlitz.com coverage area. We’re hoping to talk to all of the coaches of our programs over the about how they thought their scrimmages turned out, as the regular season begins for everyone next week. Staff from ETB was at Kilgore High School’s scrimmage against Center, so Kilgore is the first report. Beginning with West Rusk, the reports were taken Saturday.
Kilgore: Isaiah Watters scored twice for Kilgore against visiting Center in the timed scrimmage Thursday night at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium, and scored another touchdown in the controlled portion, as the Bulldogs put in their final preseason work before the 2025 football season begins next week.
Maddox Wright scored for KHS, as well, with 1:44 left to play, and Kilgore outscored the Roughriders, 20-3, in the “live” portion of the scrimmage.
The starters for Kilgore, offensive and defense, were interwoven throughout the night by coach Clint Fuller and his staff, and played overall about 2/3 of the scrimmage, ETBlitz.com writer Joe Hale reported.
Kilgore won 13 games last season and got to the UIL Class 4A-Division I state championship game.
The Ragin’ Red will open the 2025 season next Friday at home against defending 4A-DII state champion Carthage, added to the ETB coverage area with the beginning of this school year. Carthage, by the way, didn’t have a second scrimmage this week; Meet the Bulldogs was the activity at CHS on Thursday night.
Carthage’s only loss last season was at home to Kilgore.
Kilgore is No. 3 in the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football 4A-DI preseason poll. Carthage is ranked No. 1 in the 4A-DII preseason poll.


Overton: Coach Scotty Laymance and the Mustangs visited Ore City on Thursday night, putting a wrap on their preseason.
Overton will open its 2025 season at Alba Golden next Friday, August 29. The Mustangs are 1-1 under Laymance in season openers, having lost at home to AG a year ago. Overton has won 10 games each of the last two seasons.
Laymance gave a good grade to his team after the Ore City scrimmage.
“I thought we improved in the areas that we had focused on during the week,” he told ETBlitz on Friday. “The offensive and defensive lines both had better nights than from the (Union Grove) scrimmage. Execution of assignments and pad level were much improved this week.
“Our skill players slowed themselves down a little this week and focused on execution of the details instead of making every play a big play. It showed up last night when they were able to turn routine plays into big plays.”
Alba Golden in week one gives way to Carlisle, and the return of Clay Baker as head coach, in week two, on Friday, Sept. 5. That’s the Mustangs’ home opener at Coach Chester Roy Stadium. They’re also home the following week, on a Thursday, Sept. 11, against Bowie.
Laymance, like several coaches, is trying to replace a lot of production lost to graduation. But so far, so good through two scrimmages.
“The two most exciting things right now are the effort and speed our guys, our players, are playing with, and them being good teammates,” Laymance said. “All players have had a role in picking up another player in a down time, and I’m proud of them for that.”

Henderson at Tatum: Tatum coach Whitney Keeling evaluated his team’s performance Thursday night in their scrimmage at home against Henderson.
“I thought we started out really slow,” Keeling said Friday morning. “We were not playing as fast as we would’ve liked. Henderson is a really fast team, and I think we were a little shell-shocked early.”
Keeling and the Eagles went 6-5 last year, having been dealt the rough card of having to face top-ranked Malakoff in the first round of the 3A-DI playoffs at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler. Tatum does have several very good players coming back, like linebacker Qwardai Peoples and receiver Quincy Davis. But graduation hit Tatum hard, and they’re looking to replace several starters on both sides of the ball.
“After (Henderson) scored, I thought we settled down,” Keeling said. “I was proud of their fight. We didn’t execute very well on offense.”
The scrimmage on Thursday didn’t throw Tatum at all, he said. “I like (playing on) Thursdays.”
The Eagles have four Thursday games this season, more than any program in the ETBlitz coverage area. And they’re first two games are on Thursday: next week, August 28, is the season opener, at Winnsboro, and the following week, Sept. 4, is the home opener at Eagle Stadium against Daingerfield. Both are ranked in the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football state preseason poll: Winnsboro at No. 10 in the 3A-DI poll, and Daingerfield’s Tigers at No. 9 in the 3A-DII poll.
Keeling said there were a few standouts in the scrimmage against Henderson, singling out linebacker Micah Thomas in particular.
“(Micah) played really well at middle linebacker,” the coach said. “He’s been hurt for two years. He’s a first-time starter, one of our seniors.”

Troup: Count coach Sam Wells’ Troup Tigers as “dangerous” in UIL Class 3A, Division II this year.
Like really dangerous. And how do we know?
He’s satisfied with his team after both scrimmages the Tigers have played. Both were at home: the first against Gladewater last Thursday, August 14, and the second, last night, against Alto.
“I thought both scrimmages have been really good for us,” Wells said Friday morning. “The kids have gotten after it. Proud of where we are at this point, and looking forward to getting going.”
The Tigers bring back quite a bit of experience on both sides of the ball, but one area where they’ll be new is quarterback. Bryce Wallum graduated in May, and has a ton of production to replace, including 1,355 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 1,740 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns.
But Wells is counting on Josh Childress to take care of quarterback duties.
“He is doing a fantastic job,” Wells said.
Troup will open the season against Shelbyville, a team that barely defeated the Tigers last year, at Shelbyville on August 29. They’ll host Edgewood on Sept. 5, the first home game of the season for the Tigers.

West Rusk, White Oak: The Raiders, it sounded like, from listening to head coach Rafe Mata, had a pair of very good scrimmages, at least enough to make their coach satisfied with their progress.
“I thought the kids played hard for two weeks,” Mata said. “We still have some things we need to continue to work on, and clean up, but they have worked hard during camp and see the goals and opportunities ahead of them.”
Those goals and opportunities surely include 1.) making the UIL Class 3A, Division II playoffs for an 11th straight season, and 2.) winning the District 11-3A, DII championship. The district includes Buffalo, Elkhart, and Winona, and then of course West Rusk, New Diana (last year’s champion), Arp and Troup, all four figuring to be district title contenders.
“Jud Dotson continues to do well at quarterback, while our receivers have all had a good week,” Mata said. “Kam Brown, Gunner Harp and Bryce Pobuda have all had great camps. Hunter McCandless has been steady at running back and shown to be more explosive. Kyron Reed and Maxx Curry have really stood out up front.”
And Mata didn’t save all his praise for his offense.
“Defensively, I couldn’t be more happy with their progress,” he said. “All of the guys are flying around right now. Isiah Vasquez and Adrian Vargas have stood out on the defensive line. McCandless, Drake Mills and Caidon Landon have all had good camps at linebacker. The secondary has been flying around. Harp, Dotson, Brown and Chris Sanchez have all been doing well in the secondary.
“Tristan Castillo and Syncere Cleaver and Tucker Heathco have also been doing extremely well at what we asked of them, and I’m excited to see what they bring to the table this year.”
The Raiders open the season with a stout appointment: next Friday, August 29, at home against Malakoff, who reached the 3A-DI state championship game last year.
After that, in week two, the Raiders travel to Diboll.
For the complete schedule of all 15 programs in the ETBlitz.com coverage area, click here: THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS! | Regular season begins next Thursday, Friday; here are schedules for all teams in the ETBlitz coverage area! | Presented by KILGORE MERCANTILE & MUSIC.

Sabine: Coach Cody Gilbert’s Cardinals were hurt some by graduation just like everyone else, and the Cardinals are hoping to turn the page from 2024 to a new day.
They’ll do that in their season opener next Friday, August 29, at home against Spring Hill; the Panthers are coming off the high of winning a state baseball championship in June.
But everyone is hitting the reset button of sorts, and Sabine is no different. But coach Gilbert has been happy with his team’s progress through their scrimmages.
“We got out of our scrimmages what we needed,” said Gilbert, about to start his fourth season as the Cardinals’ head coach and athletic director. “We have lots of respect for Waskom, New Boston and Edgewood. All three are veteran and physical football teams that we needed to see to help us gain experience. All three will be playoff teams in 2025.”
And Sabine, just like everyone else, has that as their goal, as well. The Cardinals are aiming at making the postseason for the first time since 2021. It won’t be easy, in tough District 8-3A, Division I, with three state-ranked teams (Atlanta, Liberty-Eylau and Jefferson), and Tatum, White Oak and Gladewater as well.
But personnel-wise, Gilbert is satisfied with effort he’s seen.
“Lincoln Royce has had two quality scrimmages at inside linebacker,” he said. “Kelton Lee on the offensive and defensive lines is a consistent staple for us. Landry Laird is emerging as a nice wide receiver target, and is a proven defensive back.
“Sophomore Darnin Richardson has had a nice showing at running back. All of our kids are improving, and we saw improvement overall from scrimmage one to scrimmage two.”