WHO’S WHERE AND WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING? | Your road map to the ETBlitz coverage area for Friday night football
OK… time for the second installment of Who’s Where and What the Heck is Happening, where we look at the weekend in high school football from the perspective of the teams in our ETBlitz.com coverage area.
We had a wild one Thursday night in New London, at Bruce Bradshaw Stadium on the West Rusk High School campus, with Gladewater visiting those West Rusk Raiders. It didn’t start out that way, as Gladewater went up 13-0 at halftime, then got a 90-yard kick return for a score from Trayvion Watts – and he kept his balance, the whole deal – that made it 19-0. It didn’t look like anybody headed for the exits, and it’s a good thing.
Because the Raiders came back.
That running game started clicking, Cole Jackson found his rhythm, and BAM! Touchdown, West Rusk. BAM! Touchdown, Cole Jackson. BAM! Touchdown, Cole Jackson. Next thing we know, it’s a freakin’ ballgame. Gladewater 25, West Rusk 20, fourth quarter.
Gladewater’s Luke Brown finished it off with under a minute left with a 17-yard score, for a 32-20 final. You can read our recap here, including spectacular photos from the incomparable Ronnie Sartors: GLADEWATER GETS OUT | Bears lead big early, then hold off West Rusk comeback for 32-20 win (etblitz.com).
A heck of a game.
So, what’s on tap tonight: everybody else.
Our game of the week has Kilgore (2-0), the No. 5 team in Dave Campbell’s Texas Football’s Class 4A-Division I poll, at Gilmer (0-2), the No. 6 team in their 4A-DII poll; say what you will about the rankings. That’s a 7:30 p.m. kickoff there at Jeff Traylor Buckeye Stadium.
Also, Henderson (1-1), coming off that football game-turned-track-meet at home last week against Liberty-Eylau, visits Jacksonville (1-1) at the Tomato Bowl at 7:30 p.m. tonight. The trains get to runnin’, phantom flags get to flyin’ – did I say that? Be careful, Lions.
Here’s my pick for most underrated matchup of the night: Sabine (2-0), with Mr. John Elway himself, quarterback Colt Sparks, at New Diana (2-0), a 7 p.m. kickoff. Two good teams. Somebody’s losing, folks.
How about this one: Tatum (2-0), the champion at knocking off ranked teams so far this year, is now one themselves, having debuted in the DCTF 3A-DI rankings this week at No. 10. They’re making a long trip to Newton (0-2) for a 7 p.m. kickoff tonight.
A little closer, coach Mike Ludlow’s White Oak Roughecks (2-0) will try to go 3-0 on the season and celebrate homecoming, as Quitman (0-2) comes to town, also set to start at 7.
I remember when Mineola (0-2) was a state title contender. Let’s hope for the sake of Arp (1-1) that the Yellow Jackets don’t decide they are tonight. Arp hosts Mineola at 7:30 p.m.
Harleton (1-1), who already made one trip to the area and lost to Arp, returns to the area to take on Troup (2-0) tonight, a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
Our reigning, defending Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Player of the Week, Overton quarterback Bryce Still, puts that title on the line, so to speak, on a trip to James Bowie (0-2), a 7 p.m. start.
And coach Keith Hughes’ Leverett’s Chapel Lions (1-1) will try and shake off that loss to Longview Christian Heritage a week ago, as they visit Chester (0-2) for a six-man contest that kicks off at 7 p.m.
And don’t forget the Rangers! Kilgore College (1-0) is back in action at home on Saturday! Coach Willie Gooden and the Rangers will open Southwest Junior College Football Conference play with New Mexico Military Institute (1-1), here at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium at 3 p.m.
Now, here’s a rundown of each of the games for ‘ya.
Kilgore at Gilmer: First of all, the need-to-knows.
If you’re planning to go, here’s your ticket link: https://gilmerisd.hometownticketing.com/embed/event/141. Tickets will also be available at the gate for $8 for every living soul that wants to buy one, until they’re sold out.
If you can’t go but want to listen to the Kilgore Ragin’ Red Broadcasting call of the game, do it by tuning in to KDOK 105.3-FM, or going online here: 107.182.234.197:7472/stream.
How about streaming video, from the Kilgore perspective? Well, here’s a link: The Bulldog Media Network – YouTube.
For Gilmer streaming video, go here: https://www.etex.net/local-sports/. And for more on Gilmer, try the Gilmer Buckeyes Broadcasting Facebook page.
Let’s get down to business.
The Buckeyes won the Class 4A, Division II state championship in 2023.
But this ain’t 2023. New season. And they’re 0-2. Not a bad 0-2 – their losses are to Pine Tree, a much-improved program coming in from 5A-DII, now a member of the district with Kilgore and Henderson, and to Chapel Hill, a 33-29 loss last week in which the lights, on a timer, went out with Gilmer driving and inside Chapel Hill’s 10-yard-line.
Yeah.
At any rate, the Buckeyes are wounded animals, and Kilgore – well, Kilgore’s been living right. They knocked off Carthage, the No. 1 team in the DCTF 4A-DII poll. And they’re still No. 1, even after that loss and having not played since then.
But Kilgore kept rolling, and beat Whitehouse by 20, 27-7, last week in the Bulldogs’ home opener at R.E. St. John, getting another solid performance by quarterback Kayson Brooks and a lights-out performance by the defense.
Let’s talk about Kilgore’s defense a minute.
Eight interceptions in two games. Some teams don’t have eight interceptions in two YEARS, let alone two games.
La’Perrion Graves has been like a heat-seeking missile: he’s already got 23 tackles this year, two for loss, a fumble recovery and two quarterback hurries. Dre Sanders, LaKeyleon Graves, Javon Towns and Jacory Walton each have one interception, and Ja’Kalen Sheffield and Jayden Sanders each have two.
Brooks has thrown for 256 yards and three scores in the games against Carthage and Whitehouse. His touchdowns have been to three different players: Towns, running back Isaiah Watters, and Jayden Sanders.
Watters also has 103 rushing yards and a pair of scores, both against Carthage in the first game.
Gilmer came oh-so-close to knocking off second-ranked Chapel Hill a week ago, reaching the 7-yard-line when the lights went off. Chapel Hill’s Demetrius Brisbon picked off a pass on the next play, ending the threat and the game.
Brady McCown is playing QB for the Buckeyes, and he’s thrown for 419 yards and three scores. Brendan Webb has all three of McCown’s touchdown passes, and 179 receiving yards.
Gilmer has been proficient in beating everyone its played, but the Buckeyes have had their problems with Kilgore. The Ragin’ Red have beaten Gilmer in four of the last six meetings, including one very high-profile meeting in 2013 for the district championship.
Henderson at Jacksonville: If you’re going to the Tomato Bowl, remember: you have to buy your tickets online. Ticket sales are online only and no cash will be accepted at the gates. In addition, the stadium has a clear bag policy.
Hey, don’t shoot the messenger.
The link to buy tickets: https://www.jisd.org/apps/pages/index/jsp?uREC_ID=1945667&type=d&pREC_ID=1999088
Quite frankly, Henderson’s offense – can it do what it did last week, and in the opener, marching up and down the field? If so, Jacksonville could at least be in trouble. Lions running back Jesstin Starling already has seven touchdowns and 348 yards through two games, scoring four last week in the 44-41 shootout loss to Liberty-Eylau.
Quarterback Vince Howard, who is very much a threat to come out of the pocket and run, has 380 yards passing and two scores, and has ran for two touchdowns, as well; Lemarion Coleman had 11 catches for 169 yards and a score, and Jordan Ervin also has a touchdown catch.
If Jacksonville wins tonight, they can pick up the program’s 500th win. Number 499 was a 35-7 spanking of Brownsboro last week.
The Indians, unless there’s a change of game plan, will try a strong running game with Radarrius Sirls and Didier Mares carrying the load. Mares has 43 carries already this year, and three touchdowns to go with 313 yards. Sirls has about half that – 22 carries and 163 yards – but has scored twice.
Sabine at New Diana: One of our ETBlitz.com crew this week, when discussing this game, said that New Diana defenders would “have to make some business decisions” when deciding whether or not to try and tackle, head-on, Sabine quarterback Colt Sparks, who is every bit of 6-foot-5 (maybe more than that), and 215 pounds (maybe more than that).
Sparks has six rushing touchdowns and 377 yards already this year on 37 carries, and can also sling it: 21-of-35 for 268 yards and three touchdowns, all three TD passes to Bryce Pobuda.
Cason Patterson also brings the running game for coach Cody Gilbert, whose crew comes off a 42-7 home win over Harmony, after beating Spring Hill, 50-48, to open the season. Sabine is 2-0, and a win tonight in New Diana would give them a victory over a state-ranked team. New Diana cracked the 3A poll this week at No. 7.
The Eagles, though, likely have no intentions of giving that up. They’re coming off a 56-14 win over Gladewater a week ago, and quarterback DeJuan Johnson has already put up impressive numbers, just like Sparks.
Johnson has rushed for 344 yards and five touchdowns, and has thrown for 261 yards and three TDs. Sabine also has to account for Davyon Mapps, who has 225 yards and four touchdowns, and for Jaiydyn Johnson, who has caught all three of DeJuan Johnson’s three touchdown passes.
Like at Jacksonville, New Diana’s tickets are also online only. Here’s the link: https://newdiana.hometownticketing.com/embed/all.
Tatum at Newton: Tatum’s schedule has had them fighting for their football lives all season.
Not really.
In fact, the Eagles have been the ones handing out the whippings.
In their season opener at home, after sitting around in a lightning delay for a couple of hours, they knocked off then No. 12 Winnsboro, 29-14, punctuating it with a 100-plus-yard return by Cayden Tatum of a missed Winnsboro field goal. That game was only a half.
Then last week, on a second straight Thursday night game, Tatum went to then No. 3 Daingerfield, who some likely expected to bounce back after losing their first game, and they kept Daingerfield on its heels, blasting the Tigers, 34-14, and it didn’t feel that close.
As Tatum was doing this, Newton, normally very strong, was going 0-2, and now it’s out of the state rankings. The Eagles: they’re in.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. tonight there at Newton, and tickets are $5, cash is fine, at the gate.
Coach Whitney Keeling’s Eagles (2-0) have a one-two punch on the ground of Jamarri Gipson and Cayden Tatum. Gipson has five touchdowns already and 189 yards; Tatum has 149 yards and a score, and then the score on the return. Luke Sigler has a 23-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Jacorie Bradley. And look out for quite a few people on Tatum’s defense, including Sigler, with a pick, and Qwardai Peoples, who has forced three fumbles in two games, and has 16 total tackles.
Newton, coming off a 47-38 loss to Jefferson, is also the Eagles, by the way.
Newton trailed Jefferson 24-6 at the half last week – the Eagles’ only first-half score was a 4-yard run by K.J. Porter.
Porter scored on TDs of 5 and 8 yards to get the Eagles within six (24-18) before Jefferson began to pull away. Porter finished with four touchdowns and Braylen Patterson had two.
Quitman at White Oak: It’s homecoming tonight for the Roughnecks, who would like to get off to a fast start against Quitman and win for a third time, in three games, this year.
White Oak quarterback Jaxsen Ludlow, the son of coach Mike Ludlow, has 334 passing yards and has thrown six TD passes this year; he’s also ran for 200 yards and three scores.
Three of his TD passes have gone to Braydon Bratcher, who has 137 yards receiving this year. Logan Ladwig has 148 yards receiving and two touchdown catches.
Junior Allen barely edges Ludlow as the team’s leading rusher, by 16 yards (216). Allen also has three rushing TDs.
Defensively, look for Cameron Venable to have a good night – he’s had two so far. He’s got 25 total tackles this year.
Quitman’s offense is led by Davis Watson, who has a pair of rushing scores and 98 yards, and by Jacob Breding, with 185 rushing yards.
Mineola at Arp: The Tigers had a near-miss last week, taking Garrison, ranked in the top 10 in 3A, to the limit in a 28-27 overtime loss for Arp.
This year, quarterback Thomas McKelvey has thrown for 227 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions, and has also ran for 104 yards and a score. His main target is the talented Zane Borque, with 121 yards and two TDs on 11 catches this year, and Borque also has 83 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Josh Smith is a threat on both sides of the ball. He’s ran for a score on offense, as a running back, but is among the leaders in the ETBlitz area in tackles – 34 in two games.
Harleton at Troup: The Tigers were hurt by graduation, but still have plenty of talent to have a very good season.
Brett Wells and Bryce Wallum do a lot – they wear a lot of hats, and will likely again tonight against Harleton. Wallum had 195 yards and three scores last week in the loss at Edgewood. Harleton lost at Arp to open the season, and then blanked Queen City, 25-0, last week.
Overton at James Bowie: “All” Overton quarterback Bryce Still did last week in earning his Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Player of the Week award was throw for 340 yards and three touchdowns, and run for another in a 40-10 win at Carlisle.
All three of those TD passes were to big-time target Jayden Edwards.
Edwards has 11 catches for 280 yards and five touchdowns already this year in two games: a loss at home to Alba-Golden, and the win last week at Carlisle.
Still is 33-of-57 for 526 yards, by far the biggest passing numbers among ETBlitz-area quarterbacks, and has five passing touchdowns. He also has the rushing TD.
Bowie may have a hard time keeping up: Bowie hasn’t scored a point this season.
