Kyle Parks Accounts for Six Touchdowns to Help Center Stun Kilgore, 40-39

KILGORE -- By all rights, a team that lost 56-0 a week ago had no business going into the house of the unbeaten-in-district Kilgore Bulldogs and coming out with a win.

Well, that's why they're called "upsets."

Center did exactly that on Friday night at Kilgore's R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium, getting six total touchdowns from quarterback Kyle Parks -- four of them rushing, and two passing -- to stun District 9-4A Division I-leading Kilgore, 40-39.

There were 11 lead changes in the game, and the final one came with 33 seconds left: a 14-yard touchdown pass from Parks to receiver Octavious Evans that gave the Roughriders the edge.

Kilgore (5-4, 4-1) lost for the first time since its non-district schedule, but can still wrap up the district championship if it can defeat Bullard in the regular season finale next week.

The win was Center's last game of the regular season. The Roughriders, who improved to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in district, locked up a playoff berth with the win.

Parks and Evans hooked up for the score after Kilgore was flagged for pass interference on a fourth-down play.

Kilgore had a final chance, but began its last drive with just 28 seconds left at its own 22-yard-line. The Bulldogs got as far as midfield, but time ran out on the final play, as Kilgore's Deiontrae Wheat, Garrett Meyers and quarterback Patrick Jackson tried to maneuver the Bulldogs free for a score, but couldn't.

Parks had Center on the scoreboard first when he and Evans connected on a 19-yard touchdown pass on third-and-goal. Kilgore blocked the extra point, then scored a touchdown of its own on a 4-yard run by Melek Hamilton just seconds later -- Hamilton returned the kickoff to Center's 18-yard-line, and then did the scoring honors, as well. He scored three touchdowns and had 150 yards rushing in defeat.

The Riders led 19-17 at the half, trailed early in the second half after a 37-yard scoring run by Jackson, and the lead bounced back and forth from there, until Parks and Evans executed their final heroics.