Hallsville Hands Kilgore Second Loss of Season

KILGORE -- Hallsville senior quarterback Semaj Boyd didn't have flashy passing statistics to show for his team's game here at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium against the Kilgore Bulldogs.

But he did get a win, Hallsville's first over Kilgore since 2006.

Boyd rushed for 135 yards and two scores, one in each half, and led a ball-control Bobcat offense to a 20-10 win over the Bulldogs, who drop to 0-2 on the season. Kilgore will play at Pine Tree next Friday night. Hallsville moves to 2-0 (the Bobcats beat Terrell in the season opener) and will host Bullard next Friday.

The Bulldogs' first game against Hallsville since 2011 began 15 minutes late, due to a lightning delay, and then the two teams both had a feeling-out process before coach Mike Wood's team got on the scoreboard. A failed fourth-down conversion on fourth-and-18 in Kilgore territory backfired on Hallsville, as Kilgore quarterback Gus Witt ran free for a 39-yard gain, getting his team in scoring position. Running back Kennieth Lacy would score on the next play from 14 yards out, and give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.

Hallsville began its ball control strategy on the last play of the first quarter and continued it for a 77-yard drive that finished with a 2-yard scoring run by Boyd. The Bobcats killed almost seven minutes of the second-quarter clock in the process -- that would become a theme -- as Tristan Driggers kicked the extra point to tie the game with 5:19 left in the half.

Kilgore had a punt return for a touchdown of 62 yards by Damien Parker called back on a penalty, and wound up with a 37-yard field goal by Elivan Torres, with 19 seconds left in the half. The 10-7 Kilgore lead would be the halftime score.

Kilgore's side of that score would hold up; turnovers hurt the Bulldogs badly in the second half, three to be exact.  Hallsville scored in the third quarter, the go-ahead touchdown, on a 20-yard run by Cortland Venters. That put Hallsville in front for what turned out to be for good, 14-10.

Kilgore did force a Hallsville field goal attempt by Driggers that was missed, but the Bobcats were able to take advantage of mistakes by the Bulldogs.

A 33-yard pass from Boyd to Sha'keem Jackson set Hallsville up for an insurance touchdown, this one by Boyd on a 1-yard run, his second of the game. Driggers' extra point was blocked, but Hallsville led by 10 with seven minutes left. Another Kilgore turnover helped the Bobcats run out the clock.

Witt led all Kilgore rushers with 103 yards on 12 carries.