WHAT’S CAUSING ALL THIS? | Hard work pays off: Kilgore’s back in Arlington
NEW CANEY – It’s been exactly 7,300 days – that’s 20 years and two days – since the Kilgore High School Bulldogs beat Dallas Lincoln in double overtime in Waco to claim the University Interscholastic League’s 4A, Division II state championship.
It’s been exactly 4,011 days since Kilgore’s return trip to a state title game, a trip to AT&T Stadium on Dec. 20, 2013 to face Carthage, a game where the Bulldogs came up short.
What does all of this mean?
Well, nothing, honestly, LOL, other than Kilgore is going back to the big game, the state’s biggest stage.
Kilgore beat La Vernia Friday night, 38-13, to punch a ticket for the UIL 4A-DI state title game next Friday, a part of championship week at AT&T where state champions are crowned in every single classification, beginning with the 1A (six-man) games on Wednesday and winding up with the biggest schools in the state next Saturday night.
Coach Clint Fuller took over the KHS program in the 2021 season, and has done very well – that’s what we call “an understatement.” Fuller went 11-2 and won a district championship outright in his first season (’21), then went 10-4 in season two and all the way to the regional finals. Both of those years, Kilgore fell to Chapel Hill: in overtime at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances in ’21, then again in another close one in ’22, also at Rose.
Last year, Chapel Hill scored 21 points in the first quarter at Lobo Stadium in Longview, and Kilgore held them scoreless the rest of the way. Still, the Bulldogs came up short on the two-point conversion that would’ve tied the game, and they lost, 21-19.
But KHS exorcised the demons that made for miserable playoff exits the last three years by beating Chapel Hill twice this season, by the combined score of 77-13: a thoroughly-convincing 42-7 win in the regular season, back on Oct. 11, and then a 30-6 victory in the Region 3 finals just a week ago at City Bank Stadium in Forney.
Kilgore is 13-2 through 15 games this year, having won nine straight. The ‘Dogs have lost only lost a pair of close games (to Gilmer and to Henderson), and since Fuller’s arrival from Pleasant Grove, where he was defensive coordinator of state title teams. Kilgore is 46-10.
Some numbers that stand out this year:
- La’Perrion Graves leads the Bulldogs with 149 tackles, 77 solo; Ja’Kalen Sheffield has 124 stops, and also has 77 solo. Lakeyleon Graves has 124 tackles, as well, and 44 solo.
- Kilgore’s defense has had 39 takeaways this year: 24 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries. Ja’Kalen Sheffield leads the way with seven interceptions; Dre’ Sanders has five; Jayden Sanders and LaKeyleon Graves each have three. Dre also has three fumble recoveries.
- Cameron Christian has six sacks to lead the Bulldogs this season, a defense with 29 of them. Wylie Mitchell has five, and Bi’Syn Williams, Jackson Tucker Phillips, Lakeyleon Graves and Jamarion Duncan Morgan each have two.
- Wylie Mitchell leads KHS with 14 quarterback hurries; Sheffield leads in pass break-ups (14); and Duncan Morgan and David McGowan each have three forced fumbles.
- The Bulldogs’ defensive unit as a whole has only allowed 1,546 rushing yards in 2024, about 103 a game. Incredibly, Kilgore has given up only 1,068 passing yards – that’s just 71 A GAME.
- On offense, quarterback Kayson Brooks has thrown for 3,402 yards and 41 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. Of those seven picks, only one was in the playoffs.
- Isaiah Watters leads the team in rushing touchdowns (12), and has 478 yards on 95 carries. Rayshaun Williams, has exactly 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns.
- Jayden Sanders has 53 catches for 940 yards and 11 touchdowns. Javon Towns has 46 catches for 716 yards and nine touchdowns; Lakeyleon Graves has 40 catches for 851 yards and leads the team in TD catches (13). And Jacory Walton has 23 catches for 205 yards.
- Kilgore’s offensive line – right tackle Collin Burrows, right guard Jaden Pastor, center Jonathan Barron, left guard Daniel Garcia and left tackle Hunter Whipkey – has only gotten better.
We’ll have so much more on the Ragin’ Red this week – the schedule for Championship Week at AT&T Stadium; videos; photos; stats; a look at who all from East Texas is still playing; a preview of the Kilgore-Celina game, of course; and whatever else we can fit in between now and Friday.
For now, congratulations to coach Clint Fuller and the Bulldogs for getting the program back to AT&T. We can’t wait to see you guys take the field.
