Kilgore Jumps On Paris Early En Route to 41-14 Victory

FORNEY -- Kilgore claimed another playoff victim Friday night at City Bank Stadium, racking up 279 rushing yards and scoring 31 points in the first half on its way to a 41-14 blowout win over Paris.

The Bulldogs (10-1) will be back at Forney next Friday night, facing Gainesville in a Class 3A Division I Region II final, although a time has not yet been set. Gainesville routed Princeton earlier Friday to secure its spot in that game.

Kilgore quarterback Cooper Coldiron went 6 of 11 for 106 yards and two touchdowns against Paris (8-4), including one on the third play from scrimmage to a wide-open A.J. Davis. On the next drive, Coldiron had a 33-yard run to get Kilgore downfield quickly, then scored on an 8-yard run, giving the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead with just seven minutes off the first-quarter clock.

Kilgore did turn the ball over on its next drive, and its defense put Paris back in a third-and-27 hole, but Paris quarterback Dakota Smith was able to convert, finding receiver Quay Henderson along the sidelines, tackled at the Kilgore 4-yard-line.

But Kilgore’s Joseph Shepherd stopped the Wildcats in the most spectacular fashion possible: he picked off a Smith pass at Kilgore’s 7 and took it the distance, a 93-yard touchdown. Hector Peralez hit the point after and gave Kilgore a 21-0 lead.

Peralez added a 46-yard field goal, his career long, and Kilgore got another score on a Coldiron pass to Nick Orange from 11 yards out, to take a 31-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Kilgore’s second-half scores were a 30-yard field goal by Peralez and a 9-yard touchdown run by Austin Jordan. Paris scored late on a 12-yard pass from Smith to Kadarius Scott, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Kidarius Corprew.

Defensively for Kilgore, Davis had a sack, as did Cornelius Bell, and Benny Colbert also had an interception.

Kilgore had 385 total yards of offense in the contest.