Hemphill

T.K. Hamilton scored three touchdowns, leading Waskom to a 48-18 win over Hemphill in a Class 3A Division II bi-district playoff Thursday night.

The district is Newton's to lose after it returns 17 total starters from its championship season.

CENTER -- T.K. Hamilton rushed for 134 yards and four touchdowns and Waskom will play Thanksgiving week after beating Hemphill, 42-18, on Thursday night in a Class 3A Division II bi-district game.

Preview capsules for 40 bi-district football playoff games involving East Texas teams.

There's no doubt: the Newton Eagles are one of a handful of East Texas teams with realistic aspirations of celebrating a state championship in December. More than half the starters from Newton's 2016 state quarterfinalist team return, and it seems the Eagles have been flirting with state titles every year since 2012...

LINDALE -- Carthage is off to a 2-0-1 record at the Lindale Tournament and closed its day with back-to-back wins against Van and Scurry-Rosser. Chapel Hill tied the Lady Dawgs, 2-2, in both teams' opening game.

Once again, District 10-3A Division II is expected to be one of the best leagues in all of East Texas. Perennial powerhouse Newton returns a talented nucleus of players from last year's regional semifinalists, while Crockett hopes it will have enough to challenge the Eagles for league supremacy...

With four programs that have gone at least three rounds deep in the playoffs, including one who has played for a state championship, in the last half-decade, District 11-3A Division II makes a strong case for East Texas' toughest 3A district.

KILGORE -- Bullard took the lead in the top of the first and never looked back in an 8-3 win at Kilgore.

EMORY -- Garrett Walker was one batter shy of recording an abridged perfect game Friday in Van's 12-0 victory against Emory Rains. The starting pitcher earned a no-hitter instead and fanned six batters in the five-inning game.