Season openers spell success for Tyler County teams

The Colmesneil Bulldogs make their way down the field against West Hardin last Friday night

By Chris Edwards
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The opening games for Tyler County’s four high school football teams showed three of those teams emerging victorious, and one narrowly defeated.

The Woodville Eagles took on the Franklin Lions Friday night on the Eagles’ home turf. The back-to-back state champion Lions barely rolled out of town with a 36-33 win.

In the second quarter, the Lions came from behind of a 21-7 deficit, with an interception. They scored on a 65-yard touchdown pass, bringing the score to 21-14 at the half.

The Eagles were able to score on the Lions’ fumbles later on and led 27-21 going into the fourth quarter. Three touchdowns within six minutes put the Lions up to a 36-27 lead, but the Eagles scored on a 76-yard touchdown pass, missing the two-point conversion, and the Lions intercepting at the two-yard line.

Last season, the Eagles took on Franklin in the season opener, and came out on the wrong end of a 22-12 score.

Woodville is coming off a 9-3 2022-23 season, and this Friday takes on another school with back-to-back state championships, the Newton Eagles, in Newton.

The Colmesneil Bulldogs’ new AD/head football coach George Taylor returned to his old stomping grounds of West Hardin last Friday, as the Oilers hosted the ‘Dogs. Taylor formerly coached the Oilers prior to coming to Colmesneil.

The ‘Dogs trampled the Oilers in a 27-6 contest. Taylor called the game a “great victory for the Bulldogs.”

Related Articles

GISD students successful in all areas

Severe weather wreaks havoc in Trinity County

“The coaching staff is super proud of the grit we showed. It was hot and we were tired, but continued to push the gas pedal,” he said.

The ‘Dogs’ offensive onslaught was led by junior Kyle Taylor, who scored four touchdowns. He had three rushing TDs and one passing and rushed for 151 yards on 13 carries.

Taylor also contributed defensively with five solo tackles, one assist, a fumble recovery and one tackle for loss.

The Bulldogs take on the Christian Home Educators Fellowship team out of Baton Rouge this Friday for homecoming at 7 p.m. at Taylor Field.

The Warren Warriors also had a successful opener against Hardin. The Hornets were plagued by turnovers, and the Warriors took the 18-7 victory.

The Warriors had freshman fullback Hunter Hollyfield rush for 100 yards, cumulatively and score two touchdowns in his varsity debut. Defensively, senior DE Clayton Fountain held back the Hornets with eight tackles; four TFLs and one QBH.

The Warriors play Hull Daisetta this Friday at home for homecoming.

The county’s lone six-man team, the Chester Yellowjackets trampled Galveston O’Connell’s Buccaneers 70-12, and play two games this week, first against the East Texas Homeschool Sports Chargers, out of Longview, on Thursday at 7 p.m. and on Friday, they play the Katy Faith West Academy Eagles, both games at Aubry Bradley Stadium in Chester.