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The Rangers refuse to quit and it's paying off. After dropping their first four games of the season, the Rangers have fought back and earned a spot in the SWJCFC playoffs. The spot was assured after  their victory Oct. 31 versus Cisco, 27-10. KC will face the Navarro Bulldogs at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Tiger Stadium in Corsicana. On defense, Junior Osunde was exceptional, picking off three passes, one for the go-ahead score. With the win, KC (4-5, 3-3) has won three-straight and will be the No. 4 seed in the SWJCFC playoffs. In other games, Navarro edged Blinn, 23-20 to capture the SWJCFC regular-season title. Second-seeded Blinn will play third-seed Tyler Junior College at 1:30 p.m. in Brenham Nov. 7. The winner of these two games will play for the championship Nov. 14.
(Above Right) WR Kelvin Hall makes a spectacular grab Oct. 24 versus NEO. Hall led all KC receivers with 79 yards on three catches. Click here for fullsize photo. Photo by Becky Rodriguez, Frozen-in-Motion.com
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Rangers keep playoff hopes alive with win over NEO |
The Kilgore College Rangers made a statement Saturday. They're not ready to quit--and with their win over the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Golden Norsemen, 68-36, KC is still in the playoff hunt with a 2-3 conference record. A win over Cisco College next Saturday, Oct. 31, will put the Rangers in the postseason.
Coach J.J. Eckert said that his players have really looked at the last few weeks as if they were already in the playoffs, and that strategy has worked well for them.
"We've really had our backs against the wall, and I've been proud of the way we have fought back," Eckert said. "This week, once again, is just like a playoff game."
KC gave up an early NEO touchdown in the game, but then scored 38 unanswered points. KC led the Norsemen 45-14 at halftime. KC only had one interception in its first six games, but intercepted four passes in the win versus NEO. Sophomore Jimmy Anderson picked off two passes, had one pass breakup and a blocked extra point.
QB Hans Cook completed 11-13 passes for 108 yards and one touchdown, also running the ball for another 90 yards. Kicker David Bailey was a perfect 9-for-9 on extra points.Kelvin Hall led all receivers with 79 yards on three receptions.Thoughout the game, KC racked up 468 yards of total offense with 19 first downs. The KC win also knocked NEO (3-5, 1-4) out of the playoff race. The Rangers will face Cisco College this Saturday, Oct. 31. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. in Cisco. |
Rangers defeat Trinity Valley in Athens, 39-24 |
 Kilgore College defeated Trinity Valley Community College last Saturday, 39-24, in Athens. KC quarterback Hans Cook passed for 263 yards with three TDs, and rushed for 120 yards on 20 carries. The win was the first conference victory of 2009 for Kilgore. KC intercepted four TVCC passes in the first half, one each by Matt Jones, J.R. Osuade, Joseph Schumpert and Qualon Childress. The turnovers led to 17 Kilgore points. Kilgore had a 20-6 halftime lead, including field goals of 48 and 26 yards by David Bailey. Kilgore expanded its lead to 27-6 on a 59-yard halfback-option touchdown pass from Trae Hawkins to Hallsville product Darius Perkins. TVCC (3-4, 1-4) cut the lead to 27-17, but Kilgore got a one-yard touchdown sneak by Chase Fisher, who took over at quarterback in the third quarter when Cook was injured and left the game. |
Rangers enter win column with shutout of Arkansas Baptist College, 28-0 |
 Kilgore College put on a defensive clinic to shut out the Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes Saturday, 28-0. KC held the Buffaloes to 79 total yards. Freshman Zavor Jones had the Rangers' first 100-yard rushing performance of season with 100 yards on 14 carries. QB Si'Darius Blackshire finished the game with 93 yards passing and one touchdown. Tight End Chase Ford led all Ranger receivers with 98 yards on four receptions. Kilgore College, now 1-4 (0-2), will face Tyler Junior College next Saturday, Oct. 10, at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium in Kilgore. (Above) Chapel Hill’s LeDerick Calico scooped up a loose ball and ran four yards for a touchdown last week to put KC up 14-0 with 49 seconds left in the first quarter against Arkansas Baptist. Photo by Becky Rodriguez.
more photos I more SWJCFC results |
Rangers to face Blinn Buccaneers in Bryan |
Kilgore College (0-3, 0-1) will face the No. 1 ranked Blinn College Buccaneers (3-0, 0-0) this Saturday. The Rangers, looking for their first win of the young season, will play the Bucs at Merrill Green Stadium in Bryan at 7 p.m. KC lost Sept. 19 No. 3 ranked Navarro, 42-17. After a scoreless first quarter, KC went ahead first early in the second with a 46-yard field goal by Spring Hill kicker David Bailey. After that, it was mostly Navarro, racking up 21 straight points before the half. KC did manage to score a quick touchdown with Carthage QB Si'Darius Blackshire connecting to Darius Perkins for a 46-yard strike. But Navarro quickly put the game out of reach in the third quarter with twice, once on a run by QB Milton Howell and again with a 73-yard run by Derrick Hall. |
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| Rangers drop first game to Fort Scott Community College, 21-17 |
 A 75-yard Fort Scott pass with 4:21 remaining put the Greyhounds up for good Saturday. Kilgore got the ball back, but couldn't convert, as the Greyhounds handed the Rangers their first loss, 21-17. KC was up 17-7 at half, but FSCC cut the lead to 17-14 with a two-yard TD run. KC was led by QB Chase Fisher with 179 yards passing, RB Donielle Hill with 55 yards rushing, RB Daniel Thompson with 39 and FB Frank Rodriguez with 37 yards on three receptions. Kilgore has this week off, but returns to action 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at Trinity Mother Francis Rose Stadium in Tyler versus Tyler Junior College. Complete 2009 schedule.
(Right) Terrance Henry breaks up a Fort Scott pass attempt. Photo by Becky Rodriguez, Frozen-In-Motion Photography |
Rangers select sophomore team captains for 2009 season |
The Kilgore College Rangers have selected the following team captains for the 2009 season: Junior Kautai (OL), Chase Fisher (QB), Greg Jordan (DB), Jason Fitch (DL) and Jimmy Anderson (DB). |
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| Two former Ranger coaching legends honored at spring game |
 Jim Miller, Charlie Simmons honorary coaches
KC recognized two former coaching legends at its spring game April 25. Former coaches Charles Simmons and Jim Miller were on hand, recognized as honorary coaches for the spring game. Simmons coached the Rangers from 1967-75, racking up a record of 55-34-3, while Miller coached at KC from 1976-91, compiling a record of 97-66-2, making him coach with most wins in school history.
(Left) Jim Miller and Charles Simmons are recognized at midfield prior to the start of the spring game. Photo by Lee Littlefield. |
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| Rangers open up spring drills with local media attention |
 The Rangers began spring workouts last week, just in time for some spring-like weather. Fielding 60 or so sophomores, KC looks to improve on its 6-4 season last year. With 37 signees coming on board this summer, the Rangers plan to bring the Region XIV Championship back to Kilgore.
(Right) Coach J.J. Eckert is interviewed by CBS19 News. Photo by Rick Gray,
The Flare. |
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| Rangers wrap up spring football drills with annual Blue-Gray Spring Game |
 The Kilgore College Rangers finalized spring drills April 25, wrapping up practice in preparation for the 2009 football season. "We're really excited about the upcoming season," said head coach J.J. Eckert. "We have some holes to fill, but this game gave us a great look at what talent we have returning."
Eckert and the Rangers finished last season at a mark of 6-4 (5-3), making the playoffs for the third straight year. Photo by Lee Littlefield |
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 Cortez Smith moves on to play for Boilermakers
Kilgore College sophomore wide receiver Cortez Smith has signed a college letter of intent to play for the Purdue Boilermakers. Smith, from Hooks, led the Rangers last season in receiving yardage. Smith caught 32 passes last season for 536 yards and scored five touchdowns. He ranked 34th in the nation for receiving yardage in the NJCAA. Click photo at right to enlarge. Other players that signed with four-year universities include: Delvin Herndon, Northeastern State; La Ron Elmer-Northeastern State; T.J. Norris, New Mexico Highlands; L.T. Gaston, Northeastern State; Victor Carmichael, Sam Houston State; Woody McClendon, Texas State, Kendrick Johnson, Abilene Christian University; Jessie Smitherman, Walk-on at Texas Tech; John Woods, Lamar University, Rashad Williams, Lamar University; Edward Victorian, Northeastern State; Donquell Davenport, Arkansas Tech and Chase Ford-Lamar University. |
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| Blinn picked as pre-season No. 1 team in SWJCFC Media Day Coaches' Poll |
July 30, 2009 -- Blinn College and Navarro College tied for the No. 1 spot in today's Southwest Junior College Football Conference coaches' poll. The poll was taken today at the annual SWJCFC Media Day at Garden Valley Country Club in Lindale. KC was picked fourth in the poll behind Trinity Valley.
"Polls don't really mean much to me," said KC's head coach J.J. Eckert. "But I'd rather not be at the top of the preseason poll. Blinn and Navarro definitely deserve the top two preseason spots."
Blinn was also listed today as the preseason No. 5 team in the nation by the NJCAA/JCFootball.com Preseason Top 25 Poll. In that same poll, Navarro was seventh and Trinity Valley was twelfth.
"We're anxious for August to get here and get the pads on," Eckert said. "That's the only way we'll know how good we are. I think we have a great chance to be a pretty good team."
At Media Day, each of the seven conference coaches gave reports of what they expect from their teams. Eckert stressed that he feels like KC's defense should be pretty experienced, but noted that there are several question marks on the offensive side of the ball.
"Of course we have question marks on both sides of the ball, but I feel like our defense should be pretty good," Eckert said.
The conference includes: Blinn College, Cisco Junior College, Navarro College, N.E.  Oklahoma A&M, Trinity Valley Community College and Tyler Junior College. KC's first game is versus Fort Scott Community College Aug. 29 in Fort Scott, Kan.
(At Right) SWJCFC coaches meet after media day to discuss the upcoming season. |
Football Camp is June 8-12
Young men ages 7-15 are encouraged to sign up for KC Football Camp, June 8-12, 2009. Attendees will learn basic football fundamentals from Kilgore College coaches in a fun atmosphere.
Click here for a registration packet. |
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KC signs 37 top prospects on National Signing Day |
 The Rangers once again racked up an impressive list of recruits, inking 37 committments of student-athletes who signed to play for the 2009 football team. Among the list are several area players including standout QB Si'Darius Blackshire from Carthage, Pine Tree receiver Terrance Sparkman, Arp defensive lineman Richard Bradley and West Rusk RB Daniel Thompson. Click here for a complete list. |
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| OLDER NEWS: |
| KC will not play in bowl game after Aztec Bowl canceled |
| The Rangers had high hopes of playing in the Aztec Bowl in Santillo, Mexico, Dec. 3, but bowl officials notified KC officials last Saturday that the bowl had been canceled due to a lack of sponsorships. Kilgore ends its season at 6-4, preparing for another successful season in 2009. |
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Former Ranger Kevin Everett wins Espy
Kevin Everett was awarded with the Jimmy V award for perseverance at the 16th annual ESPY Awards at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on July 16. Everett played for KC from 2001-2002 under head coach Jimmy Rieves. He was chosen in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. His career came to an end Sept.9, 2007, when he suffered a severe spinal cord injury. He has since made a miraculus recovery and has been an inspiration to all. |
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Kilgore College 1966 National championship
team inducted to NJCAA Hall of Fame |
 The 1966 Kilgore College Rangers national championship football team will be inducted into the 2008 NJCAA Hall of Fame, according to the Web site NJCAA.org. Other honorees in this year's class include former Dixie State College (Idaho) running back Archie Amerson, former Fort Scott Community College (Kan.) star Gerland Beaman, former Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College offensive lineman Richard Hayes and the 1997 NJCAA Player of the Year Frank Murphy of Garden City Community College (Kan). MORE |
| KC shuts out Northeastern Oklahoma A&M on the road, 34-0 |
 The Rangers' defense came up big Saturday with three interceptions, shutting down the NEO Norsemen's offense. KC started backup QB Lane Johnson since starter Shane Fry was suspended for the game. Up 14-0 in the third quarter, KC switched to Kenderick Johnson at quarterback, who normally plays wide receiver. Johnson had 49 yards rushing on 10 carries and returned a punt 41 yards that set up the Rangers' final score of the contest. The Rangers close out the regular season 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium in Kilgore versus Cisco (1-7, 0-6). The Rangers, already qualifying for a playoff spot, could seal home field advantage in the playoffs with a win versus Cisco and a Navarro win over Blinn. (Right) Freshman cornerback Jimmy Anderson makes a spectacular catch versus NEO. Photo by Becky Rodriguez. |
| Rangers defeat Trinity Valley Cardinals, 35-23 |
Kilgore College improved to 4-3 (3-2 in conference) with a win over Trinity Valley Community College Oct. 18. Both the Rangers and the Cardinals entered the contest with 2-2 conference marks, needing a win. With a 9-0 lead at the half, KC scored 14 more points, making the score 23-0 with 7 minutes left in the third quarter. TVCC would respond, thoughl, with two consecutive scoring drives--one being a 71-yard TD pass. Freshman QB Lane Johnson took over full-time signal calling duties after QB Shane Fry was ejected in the third quarter. Johnson led the Rangers on a 59-yard touchdown drive to seal the victory. Also, freshman Donielle Hill sparked the KC offense throughout the game, running for 132 yards and two TD's on 23 carries. KC moves into sole possession of third place in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference with the win. The Rangers have two games remaining--next Saturday at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, and the following week at home against Cisco Junior College. Game time next Saturday in Miami, Okla. is set for 3 p.m. |
Rangers knock off Arkansas Baptist 21-7 in Little Rock |
 Kilgore College improved to 2-1 in SWJCFC play with a 21-7 win over the Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes Saturday at Quigley Stadium in Little Rock. The Rangers' defense provided the difference in the ballgame, holding the Buffaloes to 157 total yards. Arkansas Baptist's only touchdown came on a 98-yard kickoff return by Micah McDonald with 6:14 remaining in the fourth quarter, making the score 14-7. The Rangers responded, however, with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Shane Fry to Kenderick Johnson with 3 minutes left in the contest. Fry finished 12 for 20 passing with 196 yards. Freshman Frank Rodriguez led all receivers with 67 yards on three receptions. KC's defense limited the Buffaloes' rushing game, holding them to only 71 yards on the ground. Arkansas Baptist falls to 2-4, 0-3, with its fourth straight loss. The Rangers will meet up with Tyler Junior College 3 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 11, at Tyler's Trinity Mother Francis Rose Stadium. TJC lost last Saturday to Blinn 52-3 last Saturday, and is 1-2 in conference with its only win coming against Cisco Sept. 20 (35-14). Above: Woody McClendon runs for a touchdown after making a catch in the opening drive of the game. Photo by Becky Rodriguez, Frozen-in-Motion.com. 2008 PHOTOS HERE |
KC knocks off No. 1 Blinn for 2nd straight year
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 Kilgore College knocked off No. 1 Blinn College for the second year in a row Saturday in a dramatic three overtime nailbiter at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium in Kilgore, 20-17. KC was down 17-10 with 35 seconds left in regulation when WR Cortez Smith launched into the air to swipe a touchdown pass from QB Shane Fry in the corner of the end zone. The extra point was good, sending the game into the first of three overtimes. In third overtime, Rico Casas booted the game-winner as the Rangers stormed the field, winning 20-17. Last year, the Rangers defeated No. 1 Blinn in Brenham on a last-minute field goal, winning, 40-39. Kilgore improves to 2-2 (1-1), while the Buccaneers fall to 3-1 (1-1) on the season. The Blinn loss puts Trinity Valley and Navarro atop the SWJCFC standings at 2-0. Navarro won Saturday at Tyler, 44-34, while Trinity Valley beat Cisco, 47-13. KC travels to Little Rock next Saturday for a 3 p.m contest with Arkansas Baptist.
(Above) Rangers celebrate knocking off the No. 1 team in the nation Saturday at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium in Kilgore.
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Rangers rebound in second game, shut out Apaches, 31-0 |
 (Left) Coach J.J. Eckert addresses his team after defeating the Apaches, 31-0.
Kilgore College (1-1) produced a monster 21-point third quarter, shutting out its arch rival, Tyler Junior College (1-1), 31-0, Saturday in its first of two meetings between the two teams. KC was led on offense by Cornelius Shackelford who rushed for 125 yards on 14 carries in his first game played of the season after sitting out the season-opener with an injury. KC's defense gave a strong effort, holding the Apaches to minimal yardage in the shutout. Both Shane Fry and Lane Johnson were used at quarterback, combining for 202 passing yards. Johnson threw two TD's, one for 58 yards to Cortez Smith, and another to Edward Victorian for 27. The KC offense produced 374 total yards in offense in the contest. The two teams will meet again in Tyler, 3 p.m. Oct. 11. |
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 KC will take on Trinity Valley 3 p.m. this Saturday at R. E. St. John Memorial Stadium in Kilgore for Homecoming. Trinity Valley will be hungry for a win after losing its last two games, the first to Navarro (35-6), and last week to Blinn (55-20). Despite losing its last two, the Cardinals began the season 4-0, defeating Independence (Kan.), Louisiana College, NEO and Cisco. The Cardinals, under the leadership of second-year head coach Brad Smiley, are led on offense by returning starting QB Pat Cook. Cook completed 16-31 passes for 110 yards last week against Blinn. Cook has thrown for more than 700 yards so far this season. TVCC returns seven lettermen on defense, including four starters, from last year’s squad. Homecoming festivities will begin at 2:30 p.m. at the Stadium Saturday. |
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KC to host Fort Scott in home opener Saturday |
| Kilgore College, coached by second year head coach J.J. Eckert, will play Fort Scott Community College 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, for the first time since 2006. KC defeated the Greyhounds in the Heart of Texas Bowl in 2006, 19-7, in the last game coached by head coach Jimmy Rieves. Kilgore College, under the direction of second-year head coach J.J. Eckert, is a member of the Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC). KC looks to build on a successful 2007 season, winning the regular season SWJCFC Championship. The Rangers finished the 2007 season 8-4 (6-1), earning a bid to the Heart of Texas Bowl. The Rangers were defeated by Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in the Heart of Texas Bowl, 62-28. Fort Scott is in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC), and is coached by second year coach Jeff Simms. The Greyhounds are ranked No. 18 in the pre-season NJCAA poll. They finished 9-3 last season, winning their first 9 games, including a victory over Garden City Community College in a semi-final playoff. However, in the KJCCC championship game, Fort Scott was defeated by No. 2 Butler, 35-22. The Greyhounds played in the Valley of the Sun Bowl last season, losing to Mesa Community College. |
Older News
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Rangers host Navarro Saturday in scrimmage |
 Kilgore College will host the Navarro College Bulldogs in a final warmup scrimmage Saturday, Aug. 23, at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium in Kilgore. The scrimmage is slated for 5 p.m.
KC, under the reigns of second-year head coach J.J. Eckert, returns 11 starters and 30 lettermen from its 2007 team that won a SWJCFC Regular Season Championship and qualified for the 18th bowl appearance in school history.
Navarro's first-year head coach Nick Bobeck will try to emulate last season, one of the most successful seasons in NC's history. Last year's team set a school record for points (428), and finished third in the entire NJCAA in total offense. Offensively for 2008, they return eight starters.
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Former Ranger Kevin Everett featured on cover of Sports Illustrated |
 Former Kilgore College Ranger football player Kevin Everett
is featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Read the story, "The Road Back" by clicking here. |
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| (Above) The Rangers had the largest turnout ever for its summer skills camp in June. Click photo to enlarge. |
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| SWJCFC Football Media Day held at Garden Valley |
 The annual Southwestern Junior College Football Conference Media Day was held July 31 at the Garden Valley resort off Interstate 20, just west of Lindale. The event, sponsored this year by Kilgore College, gave the media an opportunity to visit with coaches from the SWJCFC.
“This is a great event,” said KC Athletic Director Jimmy Rieves. “We want to roll the red carpet out this year to all attendees, and make it a perfect start to what looks like a very fun and competitive football season.”
The event consisted of coaches’ remarks from all head coaches in the SWJCFC and the annual coaches’ meeting. The conference includes: Blinn College, Cisco Junior College, Navarro College, N.E. Oklahoma A&M College, Trinity Valley Community College and Tyler Junior College. The conference also added a new team this year, Arkansas Baptist College, located in Little Rock, Ark.
For more information, contact Chris Craddock, KC Sports Information Coordinator, at (903) 983-8181.
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KC Rangers demonstrate returning talent in Spring Game
The KC Rangers football team now begins the long wait until next season after holding its spring game April 26. The defense shined in the scrimmage, outscoring the offense, 41-19, in a game with special points awarded to offensive and defensive achievements. Queen City's Chris Propps led the defense with two sacks and a stop for negative yardage. On the offensive side of the ball, Woody McClendon manned the quarterback position, throwing a 55-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. The Rangers showed to be in good hands with two strong sophomore running backs, Cornelius Shackleford and LaRon Elmer. Shackleford rushed for 64 yards on 16 carries and Elmer ran for 46 yards on 11 attempts. The Rangers open play at home this fall Aug. 30 against Fort Scott. For a complete 2008 schedule click here.
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(Above) Sophomore safety Victor Carmichael strips the ball from a receiver in the scrimmage. |
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Scranton signs scholarship to play for Baylor |
 KC wide receiver T.J. Scranton (RIGHT) signed a letter of intent on National Signing Day, Feb. 6, to play for Baylor University. Scranton, a sophomore from Hitchcock High School in Houston, had 25 catches for 587 yards and 8 touchdowns this year. Scranton played his freshman season at Ranger College before switching to Kilgore last year. He also visited Houston and had interest from Syracuse, South Carolina, Illinois and Texas Tech, is scheduled to graduate from KC in May. |
Scranton joins a group of six mid-season transfers from
the KC football program, including:
Kendal Abron - Louisiana College, Cody Ball - Midwestern State, A.J. Billings - TAMU Commerce, Chris Burns - New Mexico Highlands University, Brad Guillory - Arkansas State, Anthony Holder - Texas State, Tony Johnson - S.W. Baptist , Kedric Manning - Troy Uinversity, Jarrod McCarty - S.W. Baptist, Prince McKinney - N.E. State, Logan Morris - TAMU Kingsville, Earnest Quander - TAMU Commerce, Shea Rodriguez - Tamu - Commerce, Jamall Skipper - Sam Houston State, Jared Wallace, Bellhaven, Robin Williams - Emporia State |
KC to hold Spring game April 26
The Kilgore College Rangers football team will bring back two familiar faces to the field for its spring game this Saturday, April 26 -- former head coach Jimmy Rieves and former Ranger and current NFL player Demorrio Williams.
Rieves and Williams will serve as guest coaches for the two squads at the annual Blue and Gray Spring Game. Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. at Kilgore’s R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium. Head coach J.J. Eckert said he is thrilled that Williams will be able to make the trip to help KC athletes and give back to the community that gave him a good jump start on his career.
“When former players (Williams) go on to have successful college and NFL careers, we need to get them back here to work with the young men currently trying to maintain their legacy,” Eckert said. “It will be great to have a former Ranger who is now in the NFL to come back and impart some of his knowledge with our athletes.”Williams helped lead Kilgore to an undefeated season in 2001, and a No. 2 national ranking. He transferred after his sophomore campaign at KC to The University of Nebraska where he completed his degree in sociology and was a fourth round NFL draft pick for the Atlanta Falcons in 2004.
Williams started all 16 of the Falcons' regular-season games of the 2005 NFL season recording 132 tackles, and ranking second on his team for that statistic. He had a career-high 15 tackles in a Dec. 12, 2005 game against the Saints. He will play his first season with the Chiefs this season, having signed a five-year contract with Kansas City this past March.
Rieves coached the Rangers from 2000-06, compiling a 48-27 record and winning two conference titles in 2001 and 2004, including the undefeated season in 2001. Rieves is currently the director of student success and the assistant athletic director at KC. He will take over as KC’s athletic director this summer upon David Castles’ retirement.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun. I won’t have to worry about winning or losing. I can go for it on fourth down every time if I want to. It’s like a coach’s dream,” Rieves said. “It’s the best of both worlds—I can be an armchair quarterback and not have to worry about what people think about my play-calling the next day.”
The Rangers opened spring workouts March 27, and second-year head coach Eckert said that he is excited that expectations are high this coming season for the Rangers after a successful 9-3 season. The Rangers were regular season champs last season, but lost the conference championship game to Navarro College, 56-28.
The Rangers signed more than 40 players in the offseason, and have 45 players returning to the team, including Second Team All-American Woody McClendon.
“We have some really good experience returning,” Eckert said. “Also, we don’t have to introduce a brand new scheme like we did last year. A lot of these guys have 12 games under their belt as a Ranger -- on both sides of the ball. We’re ready to get suited up and see exactly what this team is capable of.”
Eckert has reworked the point system of Saturday’s game as well. Gone is the traditional scoring of a normal contest and in its place is a structure that more evenly distributes points between offense and defense. The scrimmage will consist of four quarters, with at least 15 plays per quarter. Points will be awarded to offense and defense for specific achievements.
“A touchdown will still count six points, a PAT one and a field goal six, but additional points will be given for first downs and plays longer than 30 yards,” Eckert said. “The defense can also score by forcing a punt or a three-and-out series, and by making a fourth-down stop, a sack, a negative-yards play, a turnover and a turnover for a touchdown.”
Each drive will begin at the 35-yard line. If a punt is forced, the ensuing drive will start where the ball is fielded. If a turnover is forced, offense will again start at the 35.
“We’ve reworked this to try and give it a little more pep and make it more festive of an atmosphere,” Eckert said. “The more people we have out there taking an interest and supporting our football program, the better. Hopefully everyone that comes will enjoy themselves.”
The 33-year-old coach has also enlisted the assistance of KC Cheerleaders, who will be helping with water, T-shirt and hat sales at Saturday’s game.
Also, raffle tickets will be available for $5 each. Grand prize is two tickets to a Dallas Cowboys’ home game plus hotel accommodations.
-By Chris Craddock
KC Coordinator of Sports Information
KC finds success on National Signing Day
KC wide receiver T.J. Scranton signed a letter of intent on National Signing Day, Feb. 6, to play for Baylor University. Scranton, a sophomore from Hitchcock High School in Houston, had 25 catches for 587 yards and 8 touchdowns this year. Scranton played his freshman season at Ranger College before switching to Kilgore last year. He also visited Houston and had interest from Syracuse, South Carolina, Illinois and Texas Tech. He is scheduled to graduate from KC in May.
Scranton joins a group of 15 transfers from the KC football program, including:
Kendal Abron - Louisiana College
Cody Ball - Midwestern State
A.J. Billings - TAMU Commerce
Brad Guillory - Arkansas State
Anthony Holder - Texas State
Tony Johnson - S.W. Baptist
Kedric Manning - Troy Uinversity
Jarrod McCarty - S.W. Baptist
Prince McKinney - N.E. State Univ.
Logan Morris - TAMU Kingsville
Earnest Quander - TAMU Comm.
Shea Rodriguez - Tamu - Comm.
Jamall Skipper - Sam Houston
Jared Wallace – Bellhaven
Robin Williams - Emporia State
CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF INCOMING PLAYERS
THAT KC SIGNED TO PLAY IN 2008.
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New scholarship to benefit athletics
 A new scholarship has been established at Kilgore College to benefit the Ranger football program. The fund was endowed by former Ranger football player Hershell Curtis of Waco who played tackle for the Rangers from 1940-41 under coach Clyde Lee.
Curtis was also the driving force in the establishment of the Coach Clyde Lee Players’ Association which sponsors and underwrites several athletic events during the course of the school year.
“Curtis has been a generous financial supporter of KC athletics, especially the Ranger Field House project which prominently bears evidence of that support,” said David Wylie, director of development. “While the membership of the Clyde Lee group changes with the natural attrition of that era, the heart of those former athletes continues to beat strongly in support of KC football.”
The scholarship will be up to $600 awarded annually and will reside in the Kilgore College endowment fund.
The selection process will be under the direction of head football coach J.J. Eckert. |
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KC Rangers hold "Buddy Day" |
The Kilgore College Ranger football team held "Buddy Day"Aug. 16. Kids ages 5-12 were invited to come to R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium where they ate hamburgers, participated in football drills and met the 2007 Ranger players and coaches. |
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