VIDORED | Kilgore’s Bulldogs rout Vidor, 66-6, move on to round two of 4A-DI playoffs vs. Needville
There wasn’t a knockout in the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight Friday night.
But there was one at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium.
Kilgore recovered five Vidor fumbles and made short order of the Pirates, easily cashing each in enroute to a 66-6 victory in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 4A, Division I playoffs here on a chilly Friday night.
The win was sixth-ranked Kilgore’s ninth of the season and sets up an area-round matchup next week against Needville, a 49-7 winner over Houston Furr on Friday. The Blue Jays are 7-4. The game is set for Sheldon ISD Panther Stadium on Friday, with the time still to be determined.
When ETBlitz.com has that information, it’ll be posted on the site, ASAP.
Kilgore is now 9-2 and has won five straight games since a head-scratching loss to Henderson on Oct. 4. As for Vidor, the Pirates finish their season with a 5-6 record.
This also marks the fifth year in a row that the Kilgore Bulldogs have won at least nine games, and the fifth consecutive year for KHS to go at least two rounds in the playoffs.
“We are trying to keep our momentum going,” said Kilgore coach Clint Fuller, following the contest.
The three other teams from District 9-4A Division I (Pine Tree, Chapel Hill and Lindale) also advanced with victories. Pine Tree defeated Bridge City at Pirate Stadium in Longview, 35-28; Chapel Hill beat Huffman-Hargrave, 44-35, at Huffman’s stadium; and Lindale beat Little Cypress-Mauriceville, 49-21, at Battlin’ Bear Stadium in Orange.
The Bulldogs were on Friday night, scoring on 10 of their 12 possessions and ended the contest with backup quarterback Braddox Johnson taking a knee at the Pirates’ 3-yard-line.
Besides the final score, Kilgore held a decided edge in total yardage, 448 to 195.
Bulldogs quarterback Kayson Brooks was 11-of-13 for 249 yards and four touchdowns in the first half. Two of his scoring tosses went to Lakeyleon Graves, covering 66 and 63 yards. The other two went to Jayden Sanders, covering 9 and 41 yards, respectively.
QB2 Shaun Moyers (3-for-4) and Johnson (1-for-1) played the entire second half and were a combined 4-for-5 for 32 yards.
Brooks and Graves hooked up for a touchdown on just the third play of the game, giving Kilgore an early 7-0 advantage with 11:04 remaining in the opening quarter.
The first of two Isaiah Watters fumble recoveries set up Kilgore’s second score of the game, coming on a 23-yard Rayshaun Williams run with 6:29 left in the first quarter. The third TD came on the first play of the second period and was the seventh play of a 60-yard march finished with Brooks’ 9-yard toss to Sanders.
It was the senior’s 42nd catch of the season and his sixth touchdown.
The Pirates botched the ensuing kickoff return and the ‘Dogs were in business again, with a first-and-goal at the Vidor 7. Watters took the handoff from his quarterback and went in almost untouched to extend Kilgore’s lead to 28-0.
The visitors moved the football from their 25 out to the 50 before fumbling again. This time, Watters was johnny-on-the-spot, recovering the football at the Vidor 41.
Brooks and Sanders teamed for a 41-yard scoring strike on the first and only play of the drive, extending Kilgore’s lead to 35-to-zip.
The Pirates, the fourth-place playoff entry from District 10-4A, took the kickoff and ran three plays before coughing it over to Kilgore defensive lineman Bi’Syn Williams, who cradled the fumble in his arms at the Pirates’ 23-yard-line and returned it for his first touchdown of the season.
With 6:35 left in the second quarter, Eddie Jiminez, who converted nine extra points and booted a 43-yard field goal in the second half, hit the point after to give the Ragin’ Red a 42-point lead with 6:35 remaining in the first half.
Vidor’s offense then reached the Kilgore 26-yard-line and went for it on fourth-and 7, losing 9 on the play, giving the Bulldogs the ball at the Kilgore 37.
Brooks and Graves teamed up again, this time for a 63-yard scoring completion-and-run to give the ‘Dogs their biggest halftime lead of the season (49-0).
Vidor took the second half kickoff and moved 75 yards in nine plays for its only score, coming on a 19-yard Skylar Stankovich run.
Despite an 8-yard Moyers to Takieran White completion and runs of 11 and 2 yards by White, along with runs of 15 and minus-1 by Williams, Kilgore settled for Jiminez’s 43- yard field goal out of the hold of Brayden Williams to give the Bulldogs a 52-6 lead.
On Kilgore’s next possession, K’Winn Reese capped a 39-yard scoring march on the fifth play with a 33-yard touchdown run.
The Pirates fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Rayshaun Williams recovered at the Vidor 17. David McGowan made short work of the possession, carrying twice, the second of his two runs was for six yards and extended Kilgore’s advantage to an even 60, 66-6.
Jayden Sanders led the receiving corps with six catches for 80 yards. Others were Lakeyleon Graves (3-150), Rayshaun Williams (2-0), Javon Towns (1-28), White (2-14) and Gavin Wall (1-9).
Williams led Kilgore’s rushing attack (22 carries for 167 yards) with 53 yards on seven carries. Tre’ Hutchinson followed with 43 yards on eight carries and Reese added 34 yards on just two carries.
Landon Jones led Vidor’s rushing (39-172), gaining 43 yards on six attempts. Stankovich followed with 42 yards, also on six carries, with the Pirates’ only score of the game. Quarterbacks Daigan Venable and Rylan Chesser were 1-for-5 passing for 23 yards to Dallas Pachuca.
Besides all of the fumble recoveries, Cam Christian, Travis Holmes, La’Perrion Graves, Jamarian Duncan-Morgan, Wylie Mitchell, Jackson Tucker-Phillips, Jakalen Sheffield, as well as Dre’ Sanders, Travis Dixon, McGowan, Watters and Williams were strong and solid defensively in limiting the visiting Pirates to only one touchdown.
