Wake Up to STATE! STATE! STATE! | Ragin’ Red destroys La Vernia, will meet Stephenville next Friday at AT&T Stadium for 4A-DI state crown
WACO — When you’ve got it really, really right, it’s really, REALLY good.
And Friday night, the Kilgore Bulldogs did it right.
And they were really, REALLY good.
That’s how things were here Friday evening at McLane Stadium on the banks of the Brazos River for Kayson Brooks and the Ragin’ Red.
Brooks threw for 236 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for another score as Kilgore routed La Vernia, 49-0, to punch its ticket to the Class 4A Division I state championship game next Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Yep, the Bulldogs are returning to the state finals for the second year in a row, their fourth time in program history (2004 and 2013 were the other two) and they’ve got business to attend to when they get there.
The ’Dogs stretched their win streak to 14 in a row against the Bears, who end their 2025 football season with a 13-2 record.
Business for coach Clint Fuller’s Bulldogs in the Division I finals will come against Stephenville (15-0), a 24-21 winner over defending state champion Celina (14-1) on Friday night in Fort Worth.
Another sterling performance by the Ragin’ Red; offense, defense & special teams.
The offense rolled up 470 yards (246 passing & 224 rushing) and seven touchdowns. Three rushing, three passing and one on a 65-yard punt return by LaKeyleon Graves.
Brooks was 14-of-21 passing for 236 yards with scoring strikes of 20-yards to Ja’Kalyn Sheffield to go with 71- and 32-yard completions to Dre’ Sanders for point
Rayshaun Williams led all rushers with 104 yards on 12 carries. Brooks, besides passing, ran three times for six yards and a touchdown.
Maddox Wright finished the evening with 82 yards, which included a scoring run of 44 yards to wrap up for scoring with 10:31 left in the ballgame. Isaiah Watters added 16 yards and a touchdown on just four carries.
The defense was just as formidable, tossing its third shutout of the playoffs.
With the exception of Fort Bend Crawford’s field goal in the regional finals a week ago, the ’Dogs ‘Dhas not allowed a score since the fourth quarter of bi-district against Little Cypress-Mauriceville. If you’re counting, that’s 15 quarters since Nov. 14.
La Vernia managed just 143 yards, 84 of that was rushing and 59 passing. Cooper Null, who came into the contest with 1,045 yards and 10 touchdowns passing, was 6-of-23 for 59 yards against the Bulldogs. Ty Carter was the leading rusher for the Bears with 11 carries for 34 yards to go with two receptions for three yards. Sean Garza added 32 yards to the final rushing figure and Null chipped in with 18.
La Vernia’s leading receiver was Beckett Richardson with two catches for 35 yards. Other receivers were Wyatt Frank (1-11) and Garza (1-10).
Kilgore received the opening kickoff and went to work, driving 80 yards in 13 plays (4:56 in time) to take a 7-0 lead on Brooks’ first-of-three scoring passes and the first-of-seven Eddie Jimenez extra points with 7:06 left in the first quarter.
Brooks added to the lead with the first rushing touchdown of the game, coming on the tush-push from a yard away to complete a 75-yard march in six plays. Williams had runs of 15- and 39-yards to go with a couple of Brooks’ completions the first to T.K. White for seven yards and the second to Graves for 12.
Brooks’ rushing touchdown came on the first play of the second period and it was the first of three touchdowns for the Bulldogs in the quarter.
In the first quarter, Kilgore had the football for three seconds shy of 10 minutes. Pretty dominant while building a 28-point halftime advantage.
Kilgore’s next possession started on the Bulldogs’ 18-yard line. A couple of Williams’ runs set the stage for the 71-yard scoring completion to Sanders. The defense held La Vernia on its ensuing possession forcing a Lane Green punt of 45 yards which Graves took 65 yards to-the-house, extending the lead to 28-0.
The Ragin’ Red would add two more touchdowns in the third quarter, the first of those was set up by a David McGowan blocked punt, which turned the football over to Kilgore at the La Vernia 16-yard line.
Watters would score on a one-yard run. The three-play march took 1:10 and came with 6:59 remaining in the third quarter.
La Vernia’s next drive started at its 25 and moved all the way to the Kilgore 43 where Null was sacked for a three-yard loss on a fourth-and-seven play.
The Ragin’ Red took over and used a 30-yard Brooks completion to Graves to go with a couple of short runs by Williams. The dagger this time was Brooks’ 32-yard completion to Sanders, giving Kilgore a 42-point cushion.
Kilgore’s final touchdown came with 10:31 remaining in the game on a 44-yard run by Wright.
Shaun Moyers, the backup quarterback came on with 9:46 left to play and was 1-for-2 passing, a 10-yard completion to Brayden Williams.
Sanders was the Bulldogs leading receiver with three catches for 110 yards and two scores. Sheffield (2-24, 1 TD), Graves (3-55), White (2-5), Rayshaun Williams (1-17), Zarak Hall (1-8) and Tyler Johnigan (2-17) rounded out the receiving corps.
Kilgore was 3-for-3 in the red zone, improving to 16-for-16 in the playoffs (five games) with 13 touchdowns and three field goals.
And, if you’re counting, the Bulldogs are now 4-0 in semifinal contests and will be making their fourth championship game appearance next week.
The Kilgore High School Bulldogs pose on the turf at McLane Stadium in Waco after completely demolishing La Vernia, 49-0. Kilgore (14-1) has qualified for a return to the state title game, and will meet Stephenville at AT&T Stadium next Friday. (Photo by DENNIS JACOBS / ETBLITZ.COM)
