**Kilgore Falls to Northeastern Oklahoma in High-Scoring SWJCFC Showdown**
KILGORE — The final conference football meeting between Kilgore College and Northeastern Oklahoma turned into a thrilling offensive showcase on Saturday, with Northeastern Oklahoma edging Kilgore 65-48 at R. E. St. John Memorial Stadium in a Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC) contest.
The loss brings Kilgore’s season record to 4-5 overall and 2-5 in conference play. Northeastern Oklahoma, which will leave the SWJCFC to join the Kansas Jayhawk Conference next fall, improved to 5-4 overall and 5-2 in the league. The Norsemen will host a conference playoff game next week.
**A Shootout with Big Plays**
Kilgore and Northeastern Oklahoma combined for an astonishing 113 points and 1,173 total yards, in a game highlighted by 10 scoring plays of more than 50 yards. The Kilgore Rangers rushed for 409 yards and totaled 563 yards on offense. Ezell Jolly and James Johnson each scored three rushing touchdowns for Kilgore.
Jolly, fresh off being named the NJCAA Offensive Player of the Week after a 200-yard performance against Blinn last week, carried the ball 18 times for 205 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday. He also caught three passes for 40 yards. Johnson finished with 14 carries for 164 yards. Quarterback Liam Oczkowski added 139 passing yards and 49 rushing yards.
Northeastern Oklahoma dominated with 610 total yards, led by quarterback Carson Cooksey’s impressive 317 passing yards and five touchdowns.
**Game Highlights**
The scoring erupted early with Todd James returning the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, putting NEO ahead 7-0. Kilgore responded seven minutes later with a 24-yard touchdown run by Johnson to tie the game 7-7.
Just seven seconds into the second quarter, NEO took a 10-7 lead on a 41-yard field goal by Gwonwu Choi. The Norsemen then pulled ahead 20-10 with a 65-yard run by Connor Muldowney and extended the lead thanks to a 76-yard touchdown pass from Cooksey to Mishaun Graham.
Kilgore answered with an 81-yard touchdown sprint by Jolly, narrowing the gap to 20-17, but Northeastern Oklahoma responded with a 54-yard run by Qwontrel Walker and a 24-yard touchdown pass from Cooksey to Jordan Warrior, taking a 34-17 lead with just over three minutes left in the half.
Kilgore wasn’t finished, as Johnson broke free for a 55-yard touchdown run at the 2:30 mark, followed by a 20-yard field goal by Choi as the first half expired, closing the gap to 34-27 at the break.
Early in the third quarter, Cooksey connected on a 36-yard touchdown pass to Graham, pushing NEO’s lead to 40-27. Kilgore quickly answered with a 16-yard touchdown run by Jolly, cutting the deficit to six points at 40-34.
The Norsemen pulled away with two quick scores—a 40-yard touchdown pass from Cooksey to Antojuan Woody and an 80-yard touchdown run by Johnie Caldwell—extending the lead to 53-34. Kilgore battled back again, scoring on a 64-yard run by Johnson and a 58-yard touchdown run by Jolly, making it a close 53-48 with 1:46 left in the third quarter.
Northeastern Oklahoma sealed the victory in the fourth quarter with a 79-yard touchdown pass from Cooksey to Christian Bond and a 1-yard touchdown run by Josh Ames, making the final score 65-48.
**Looking Ahead**
With this win, Northeastern Oklahoma looks ahead to its upcoming conference playoff game, while Kilgore College wraps up its season at 4-5. Both teams displayed explosive offense and big-play ability in what will surely be remembered as an exciting finale to their conference rivalry.
https://news-journal.com/2025/11/08/neo-outlasts-kc-in-offensive-slugfest-65-48/