Mount Pleasant entered Friday night's home game against Kilgore averaging 56.0 points per game during a 3-0 start that included an average margin of victory of 29.3 points.

The Bulldog defense ended that.

Defensive back Benny Colbert led a Kilgore defensive unit that stifled the high-powered Mount Pleasant passing attack, forcing eight turnovers in a 38-6 win. Colbert had six tackles, two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and a blocked PAT, and is this week's ETSN.fm Dairy Queen Defensive Player of the Week.

Colbert, a 5-10, 175-pound junior, received the toughest assignment of the game: shadowing Mount Pleasant junior receiving standout K.D. Cannon, a 6-foot, 163-pounder who scored nine touchdowns in the Tigers' first three games.

"We put him on their best receiver Friday night and he followed him around al night and a did a great job," said Kilgore coach Mike Wood. "As much as they wanted to throw the football we certainly tried to disguise some coverages and give the quarterback some different looks. We certainly wanted to try to take away the receiver they wanted to go to.

"The kids had a great week of preparation and they were up to the challenge."

Colbert, who played a lot on varsity as a sophomore, is also a dangerous return man. But his defensive effort sparked the Bulldogs on Friday, when Kilgore limited Mount Pleasant to 307 total yards. Kilgore picked off Mount Pleasant five times, including two times in the fourth quarter by Q. Brewster and once by Hector Peralez.

Kilgore enters District 16-3A play ranked fifth in the latest Associated Press Class 3A Poll. The Bulldogs have held their first three opponents to 199.3 yards per game -- 116.7 passing, 82.6 rushing.

"I think to be competitive in this district you've got to be good at all phases of the game," Wood said. "We hope we've gotten better during our non-district schedule. I think we've come out of our pre-district schedule feeling good about where we are. We hope going into district that we're where we need to be."

Colbert and the Bulldogs host Spring Hill at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Dairy Queen Defensive Players of the Week

Sept. 20-22: Benny Colbert, DB, Kilgore
Sept. 13-15: DeQuante Woods, DB, John Tyler
Sept. 6-8: Corey Bartley, FS, Longview
Aug. 30-Sept. 1: Coby Bradford, DE, Hallsville 

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