Games of the Year, No. 10: Highway 259 Rivals Henderson, Kilgore Reunite in 16-3A

The Battle of 259 continues in 2012, and Henderson and Kilgore are once again district foes.

The longtime rivals, who clash Nov. 2 in Kilgore, have played every year but one (1987) since 1980. Kilgore holds an 18-13 series edge in that time thanks to a 13-1 run from 1995-2008, but Henderson has answered by winning the last three contests by double digits and an average margin of 16.3 points.

Both teams have a lot of unknowns entering 2012, especially on offense, where Henderson must replace quarterback Del Barnes (Cornell), who rewrote the Lions’ passing record book, and Kilgore must replace Riley Toler, who started the last three years.

But one thing is certain: both teams will have plenty of defensive prowess.

Henderson has all-state defensive lineman Bo Brady (17 sacks in 2011) and linebacker Jamaal Kind (130 tackles) primed for their senior seasons. Brady will move from tackle to end to allow him to attack even more. Kilgore counters with senior linebacker A.J Davis, who accumulated 179 tackles a year ago, as well as fellow linebacker Jake Brantley, who had 134 tackles as a sophomore.

With strong defenses back for both teams, this “District of Doom” matchup might not provide too many offensive fireworks, but plenty of big hits.