CHAPEL HILL -- The No. 4 Kilgore Bulldogs haven’t allowed many teams to play them close all season. Friday night, in spite of the reputation of their competition, was no exception.

Kilgore took care of business early against defending state champion Chapel Hill, scoring 17 first-quarter points to cruise to a 31-2 win in District 16-3A football action.

Kilgore (7-0, 4-0) hosts Henderson (5-3, 3-1), which beat Bullard on Friday, next week at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium. Henderson has won the last three meetings between the rivals after only beating Kilgore once between 1995 and 2009.

Chapel Hill quarterback Andrew Black was under pressure all night from LaDarrin Anthony, DaQuellan Scott, and the Kilgore front seven. Chapel Hill (2-7, 1-4) had only three first downs in the first half, and just two in the final half. Chapel Hill’s only score of the game was a safety in the fourth quarter when a punt snap went out of the end zone. Kilgore has held seven opponents to 37 total points, or 5.3 points per game.

Facing Chapel Hill for the first time since 2003, Kilgore got into Chapel Hill territory quickly, but then lost ground on a fumble. Kilgore recovered the third-down fumble, but was forced to kick a field goal. Hector Peralez nailed it from just 21 yards out to put Kilgore up 3-0.

Kilgore forced Chapel Hill to punt on its second possession, then Kilgore’s offense set itself up to score again on a 40-yard pass play from quarterback Cooper Coldiron to receiver DaQuavian Brewster to the Chapel Hill 10-yard-line. Kilgore scored JuJu Brown's 5-yard touchdown run for a 10-0 advantage.

Black’s next possession ended in even worse fashion: an interception on a deep ball, picked off by Kilgore’s Joseph Shepherd, who took it back 75 yards for another Kilgore score and a 17-0 lead with a little more than a minute left in the first quarter.

Kilgore added a 30-yard run by Austin Jordan to lead 24-0 at halftime. Kilgore pushed its lead to 31-0 on Cornelius Bell's 18-yard touchdown run in the second half before the safety got the Bulldogs on the scoreboard.

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