No. 5 Kilgore Hammers Pine Tree 56-7 Behind Strong Rushing Attack [VIDEO]

A tough week for the Pine Tree High School football program ended with an even tougher loss.

The Pirates, previously unbeaten after scoring over 100 points in their first two games, ran into a dose of reality Friday night at the new Pirate Stadium when Class 3A power Kilgore came calling.

The fifth-ranked Bulldogs scored 35 first-half points, scored two touchdowns in seven seconds in the second half, and rolled to a 56-7 win.

Kilgore finished with 465 total yards, much of it on the ground as Benny Colbert threw the only five times. He  was 3-for-5 for 79 yards and a touchdown. Kevrin Justice was the high man with 102 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Davieonta "JuJu" Brown scored twice and had 97 yards on 11 carries.

Pine Tree (2-1) played its first game since head coach Derek Fitzhenry was reinstated following a suspension that started Sept. 5 regarding alleged incidents that occurred during PT's season-opening 42-38 win vs. Van.

The Pirates were hoping an offense led by Manns, who helped Pine Tree score 64 points last week against Center, would be enough to counter Kilgore.

But it wouldn't work out that way. Kilgore scored on its first possession of the game, a 1-yard run by Brown, then added another score, a 70-yard touchdown by Aaron Foy, on its third possession.

A bad snap on a Pine Tree field-goal attempt allowed the Bulldogs to prevent the Pirates from scoring after Pine Tree had first-and-goal at Kilgore's 6-yard-line. Two plays later, Kilgore made it 21-0 on a 75-yard touchdown run by Justice.

Colbert looked to be in trouble after a sack forced the Bulldogs into a second-and-21, but Colbert calmly dropped back on the next play and hit Foy in stride for a 48-yard touchdown pass. Christian Galvan, who went 8-for-8 in extra points on the night and only had to punt once, hit the point after and Kilgore went up 28-0.

The Pirates' only touchdown of the night came on the ensuing drive. Manns completed three consecutive passes, including one for 38 yards to Mason Hays, to get the Pirates into scoring position at Kilgore's 14. His first-down pass fell incomplete, but his second one, to running back Quay Ward, got Pine Tree to the 8-yard line, and the third-down pass to Hays scored the touchdown.

Pine Tree trailed 28-7 with 1:02 left in the half as it kicked off, but the kick was a shallow one to Kilgore tight end Jarod Wood at the Bulldogs' 40. Wood broke free from the first two defenders, then down the Bulldogs' sidelines before he was finally tackled by a gang of Pirates at the Pine Tree 17.

Kilgore only had 53 seconds and a timeout, but managed to put yet another touchdown on the board before the half. Colbert ran for four yards on first down, and Brown ran for nine to the Pine Tree 4. Brown scored on the next play as Kilgore took a 35-7 lead to the locker room.

The Bulldogs added two quick third-quarter scores. After Foy intercepted a pass on a fake punt attempt, Kilgore drove 85 yards for another score, this one a 2-yard run by Brown, who caught an 18-yard screen pass on a fourth-down play to keep the drive alive.

The ensuing kickoff was muffed, and Kilgore's Trey Tinney grabbed it. Tinney, who got control of the ball around Pine Tree's 10-yard-line, easily jogged into the end zone, and Kilgore had two touchdowns within seven seconds of each other.

The final score of the night was a three-yard run by Jacobie Vidal in the fourth quarter.

Defensively, Foy and Stefun Tatum each intercepted Manns. Kilgore held Pine Tree's passing attack to 225 yards. Manns had 51 yards rushing on seven carries, and Ward had 50 yards on eight carries.

The biggest problem of the night for Kilgore was penalties. The Bulldogs were flagged 11 times for 87 yards, including at least five offsides penalties. Pine Tree was penalized just once for 5 yards.

Kilgore hosts Mount Pleasant next Friday in the Bulldogs' first home game of 2013. Pine Tree has the week off.

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