Kilgore’s Defense Stifles Sweeny in a 24-7 Win

CROCKETT -- The matchup pitting East Texas power Kilgore against Houston-area playoff mainstay Sweeny was supposed to be physical, hard-hitting, and close.

Well, it was two of those three.

After its first drive, Sweeny -- playing more than three hours from home -- didn't do much. The Bulldogs' running game, which had worked the previous week for almost 600 yards in a rout of Bay City, managed to get into the end zone only once Saturday in Crockett, and Kilgore cruised to a 24-7 win.

Kilgore (2-0), which hosts Pine Tree at 7:30 p.m. Friday for the Bulldogs' homecoming, blocked two punts and two field goals as Sweeny's special teams self-destructed. Kilgore held Sweeny scoreless through two and a half quarters to give coach Mike Wood's team six and a half scoreless defensive quarters to start the season.

Kilgore has outscored its first two opponents 66-7.

Sweeny fumbled an exchange between quarterback Dorland Fields and tailback Dante Lemons on its second possession, and Kilgore's Chad Bornes recovered the fumble. Kilgore used a host of tailbacks in the game, and Davionta Brown put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard, scoring on a 10-yard run as Kilgore capitalized on the fumble recovery. Hector Peralez added the extra point to give Kilgore a 7-0 lead with 10 minutes left in the first half.

Kilgore quarterback Cooper Coldiron added another score, this one a one-yard run with less than three minutes left in the half for a 14-0 lead the Bulldogs held through halftime.

The second half started where the first left off, with Kilgore's offensive line controlling the line of scrimmage. Kilgore marched right down the field and got into the end zone again on a one-yard run by senior tailback Austin Jordan. Peralez's extra point gave Kilgore a 21-0 lead.

Lemons did score for Sweeny, a 10-yard run with 5:42 left in the third quarter, but that would be it. Peralez hit a 23-yard field goal with 6:44 left in the game to cap the scoring.