WAKE UP! ON ETB, FRIDAY EDITION | Volleyball and football all over the place; a Classic ’70s Friday
EDITOR’S NOTE: Wake Up! is presented every day here on ETBlitz.com by Cozy Coffee Station. With the best menu of any shop of its kind in East Texas, there is SERIOIUSLY no better place to get your coffee, tea, or soda, and they also have sandwiches and baked goods. Take a look at their website, Home | Cozy Coffee Station, and see them on their socials: on Facebook, they’re Cozy Coffee Station-Kilgore and Cozy Coffee Station-Gilmer. On Instagram: @cozycoffeestationkilgore and @cozycoffeestationgilmer. And most importantly, visit them at 110 Midtown Plaza in Kilgore, and in Gilmer at 755 Highway 271 North.
Volleyball updates
We have opening-week updates on our area volleyball programs, who are mostly in tournament play, here at this link: VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP | Tournament play rules the land early in the season.
And our long-awaited volleyball preview, looking at all 15 programs, hits tomorrow here on ETBlitz.com.
Scrimmages tonight
We’re in the first week of high school football scrimmages, and the ONLY scrimmage for Carthage is tonight.
Here’s a list of the scrimmages involving schools in our coverage area that are happening tonight. This also appeared in Wake Up! on Thursday morning.
Kilgore: Kilgore heads to Mesquite Poteet for their first of two scrimmages. They’ll scrimmage at Poteet (at 3300 Poteet Drive in Mesquite), with junior varsity and freshmen starting at 5:30, and varsity at 6:30.
Kilgore opens the season on at home Friday, Aug. 29 against Carthage.
Henderson: The Lions’ scrimmages are both on the road. The first one is Friday night at Hallsville, (the start time for this is listed absolutely nowhere), and next Thursday, Aug. 21, the Lions head to Tatum for the second scrimmage.
Henderson’s season opener is at Athens on Friday, Aug. 29.
We ran their season preview already: it ran on Thursday, and here’s the link, if you’d like to check it out: 2025 ETBLITZ FOOTBALL PREVIEW / HENDERSON | Meeks returns, and Lions fans, get ready for a ride | Presented by WHATABURGER.
Gilmer: Coach Alan Metzel and the Buckeyes have a scrimmage at home at Jeff Traylor Stadium tonight with varsity starting at 7, hosting Paris. Then next week, on Thursday, Aug. 21, they visit Whitehouse, also at 7.
The Buckeyes open the season at Pine Tree on Aug. 29. And here’s our Gilmer football preview: 2025 ETB OFFICIAL GILMER FOOTBALL PREVIEW | Glory days: A return to the big time for the Buckeyes?.
Carthage: Defending 4A-DII champion Carthage will host Whitehouse for a scrimmage tonight at 7 p.m., and this is the only scrimmage for the Bulldogs prior to their season opener at Kilgore on Aug. 29.
Their ETBlitz season preview: 2025 ETBLITZ CARTHAGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW | Armed & loaded Bulldogs on Drive For 11 / Presented by ZIPPY J’S.
Tatum: The Eagles hit the road for the first scrimmage – that’s tonight at 6 p.m. in Timpson.
But they’ll be home for the second scrimmage, next Thursday night at Eagle Stadium against Henderson. That one also begins at 6.
Sabine: The Cardinals visit Waskom tonight at 7:30 p.m., and then next Thursday, they’ll host scrimmage number two against Edgewood, at 6:30 p.m.
Here’s our Sabine football preview: 2025 ETBLITZ FOOTBALL PREVIEW | SABINE / A reset, a new season, and this Cardinals team has talent (Presented by KILGORE MERCANTILE & MUSIC).
Pine Tree: The Pirates’ first scrimmage is at Center tonight at 6:30 p.m. And then next week, the Pirates host Marshall on Thursday night, also at 6:30.
White Oak: The Roughnecks host New Diana tonight, a 6:30 p.m. start. And then the ‘Necks go to West Rusk for a scrimmage next Thursday, Aug. 21, also at 6:30.
White Oak’s season opener is on the road at Eustace on Aug. 29.
West Rusk: Coach Rafe Mata’s Raiders will be home for both scrimmages.
They’ll host Garrison tonight at 6:30 p.m., and then next week, on Thursday, they’ll host White Oak at 6:30 p.m.
Here’s our 2025 preview for the Raiders: 2025 ETB OFFICIAL FOOTBALL PREVIEW | WEST RUSK / A decade of postseason runs? Well, let’s run it back, son
Leverett’s Chapel: Coach Keith Hughes and the Lions – the only six-man football program in the ETB area – are headed to Fruitvale tonight for a multi-team scrimmage that’s set for a 6:30 p.m. start.
Classic ’70s Friday!
Couldn’t get out without doing one. Remember, our regular spot, Classic ’80s Saturday, tomorrow.
Right now: Fleetwood Mac, “Go Your Own Way.”
