Lindale’s Kelsi Kilgore representing Baylor in New Year’s Eve Sugar Bowl parade

Published 3:30 pm Monday, December 30, 2019

How sweet it is!

That phrase was made famous by actor and comedian Jackie Gleason, but this week Baylor football fans are shouting it as they descend on New Orleans.

East Texan Kelsi Kilgore is one of those Bear backers. She is excited about her school playing in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, plus she gets to take part in the festivities.

The Baylor University junior and Lindale High School graduate will represent her school in the Allstate Sugar Bowl New Year’s Eve Parade Tuesday in New Orleans.

She was overjoyed to find out recently she will take part in the Mardi Gras-style parade with floats, bands and other entertainers.

“I was selected to represent Baylor in the parade because of my involvement in the Baylor Chamber of Commerce,” said Kilgore, a social work major who is studying pre-law. “The chamber is a service organization responsible for maintaining many aspects of Baylor’s spirit and traditions, including facilitating the Baylor Line and caring for our live bear mascots, Lady and Joy.”

Kilgore, daughter of former Tyler Lee basketball player and educator Karl Kilgore and mother, Tara, loves wearing the green and gold of BU.

“I am honored to represent Baylor in the parade,” Kilgore said. “Over the past three years, I have come to love Baylor and view it as my second home. I am proud to represent a university with such strong Christian values, rich history, and academic and athletic achievements.”

The parade will begin at the intersection of Elysian Fields Avenue and Decatur Street at approximately 2:45 p.m. Tuesday.

The participants will travel through the French Quarter up Decatur Street along the Mississippi River, passing landmarks such as the Old U.S. Mint, the French Market, Café du Monde and Jackson Square.

The bands and entertainers will perform in front of the Jax Brewery before continuing to Canal Street.

Kilgore has been watching the Bears’ rise under coach Matt Rhule. She expects a win when Baylor meets Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Wednesday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

“I think the Bears are going to show up to play their best and I’m expecting us to leave with a win,” she said. “This has been an incredible season for the Bears. It has been so exciting to watch the team go from a 1-11 season in 2017 to an 11-2 season this year. I can’t wait to cheer on the Bears in the Sugar Bowl and watch them continue to shatter expectations in future seasons!”

The 86th Allstate Sugar Bowl kickoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m.

The 11-2 Baylor Bears, representing the Big 12 Conference, will face the 11-2 Georgia Bulldogs of the Southeastern Conference.

This will be Baylor’s second Sugar Bowl appearance, and the Bears’ first since they won the 1957 Sugar Bowl, 13-7, over Tennessee.

This will be Georgia’s 11th Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs have a 4-6 record in the bowl. It will also be Georgia’s second consecutive Sugar Bowl, after last year’s 28-21 loss to Texas.

SUGAR BOWL NOTES: There are several Baylor players from East Texas including, senior linebacker Blake Lynch (Gilmer), senior wide receiver Denzel Mims (Daingerfield), senior running back JaMycal Hasty (Longview), junior running back Trestan Ebner (Henderson), senior linebacker Jordan Williams (Paris) and freshman offensive lineman Elijah Ellis (Paris). … The 2020 Sugar Bowl is the fifth all-time meeting between Georgia and Baylor. The Bulldogs have won all four meetings by an average of 6.8 points and all four were played in Athens, Georgia.