Kilgore Drops Wild 51-50 Contest To Corpus Christi Flour Bluff

GALENA PARK -- Kilgore has started the season 0-2, but is only three points away from being 2-0.

The Bulldogs dropped a 51-50 fireworks show to Corpus Christi Flour Bluff at Galena Park ISD Stadium on Saturday night, a big-play fest that included a 300-yard rushing night from Kilgore‘s Jacquorius Smith.

Flour Bluff scored the go-ahead touchdown with 38 seconds remaining in a game that saw three touchdowns scored in the final four minutes.

The Bulldogs lost the season opener at Nacogdoches, 27-25, on a last-second field goal a week ago.

Kilgore isn’t exactly reeling. Both of its losses have came to teams in Class 5A, a classification above the Bulldogs. Still, Kilgore is 0-2 as Pine Tree visits R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium next Friday. That game is also homecoming for Kilgore, the Bulldogs’ home opener.

Kilgore’s inexperienced secondary had a tough night dealing with Flour Bluff quarterback Corey Brewer, listed at 6-foot-6. Brewer scored Flour Bluff’s final two touchdowns of the game on 1-yard runs, but also hit receiver Kevin Dewitt for a 90-yard touchdown pass earlier in the fourth quarter.

Turnovers and penalties hurt Kilgore all night, and the Bulldogs were without star running back and Houston commit Kevrin Justice for the game. Justice was injured late in the first half against Nacogdoches in the season opener.

Kilgore had its chances in this one. The Bulldogs, who led 17-14 at halftime, extended that lead to 24-14 on the first series of the third quarter on a 10-yard scoring run by Smith.

But Flour Bluff held in tough, and wouldn’t go away. A 26-yard run by tailback Jonathan Winfrey into Kilgore territory sparked the Hornets (2-0), and then eight plays later, Brewer scored to bring his team within four, 24-20. Brewer called his own number on the two-point conversion, and got the Hornets within two, 24-22.

The game continued to see-saw from there. Caylon Williams broke free for Kilgore for a 63-yard scoring run, and then Ridell Clayton scored on a 76-yard run just three plays later. Flour Bluff was able to keep pace with Kilgore, in spite of failing on several occasions to catch Kilgore off guard with onside kick attempts.

Kilgore looked to pull away from Flour Bluff after quarterback Xaviar Gaona hooked up with tight end Jarod Wood on a 32-yard touchdown pass with 9:39 left in the game, giving the Bulldogs a 38-29 lead. But again, Flour Bluff punched back. The first play after Kilgore’s kickoff was the 90-yard pass play to Dewitt.

Kilgore even scored right after that on a 33-yard run by Smith. But the Bulldogs elected to go for the two-point conversion. Gaona’s attempt was picked off in the end zone, and Kilgore led, but by eight, 44-36.

Flour Bluff put together a 10-play drive that appeared to stall inside Kilgore’s 30, but Kilgore was flagged for pass interference, giving Flour Bluff new life at Kilgore’s 14-yard-line. The Hornets called five straight running plays, the final one a 1-yard run by Brewer. Dewitt ran out of the shotgun formation for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 44-all with 3:57 remaining.

A third onside kick attempt by the Hornets failed, with Kilgore recovering, and then Kilgore scored on yet another long touchdown run by Smith, this one from 46 yards out. The extra point, however, wasn’t completed -- the ball squirted through the hands of William Colbert and Livan Torres was unable to kick it. Kilgore led, but somewhat uneasily, 50-44, with 2:58 to play.

Brewer came out firing on what would be the Hornets’ final possession, and even got a little luck: a 22-yard pass to Aaron Dillworth on a tipped ball on fourth-and-8, for a new set of downs.

Dewitt caught Brewer’s next pass down to Kilgore’s 1, and Brewer scored on the next play up the middle. The extra point broke the tie, and gave the Hornets a 51-50 lead.

Kilgore, with 33 seconds remaining and no timeouts, missed on a screen pass to Quavion Mumphrey, and then Gaona, trying to scramble, was tackled as time ran out. He did manage to get his teammates to the line of scrimmage and spiked the ball for a final play. But the ball was snapped with 1.5 seconds left, and Gaona’s pass to Nick Orange downfield fell incomplete.

Kilgore’s numbers, especially the 470 yards on the ground, were impressive. Smith finished with 300 yards rushing and five touchdowns on 23 carries for the Bulldogs. Williams had eight carries for 100 yards. And Gaona went 12 of 18 for 177 yards and the touchdown pass to Wood.

Torres hit a 37-yard field goal, his first-ever for Kilgore, in the first half.

Still, Kilgore’s defense has work to do. Kilgore gave up 288 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns to Brewer, who went 24 of 40. Dewitt caught eight balls for 198 yards and two scores. Clayton rushed for 136 yards, including the second-half 76-yard score.