SCRIMMAGE REPORT | A flyover of the preseason scrimmages Thursday night in the ETB coverage area
EDITOR’S NOTE: The concept here is to update, throughout the day on Friday, 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 course of the day. Staff from ETB was at Kilgore High School’s scrimmage against Center, so Kilgore is the first report.
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.
