By JOE DODD
When the Center Roughriders made the 100-mile trip to Gilmer last year, things couldn’t have been much worse for coach Ron Callahan’s team. The Roughriders were 1-3 and had scored only 20 points in their first four games while allowing 130 points.
Fast forward one year and things are worse for Center as the Roughriders are 0-4 and have scored only 8 points in their first four games while giving up 157 points to their opponents. The only thing that has gotten better for the Roughriders this season is Gilmer has to make the 100-mile trek to Center for Friday night’s 7:30 kickoff.
The Buckeyes were rude hosts last season, jumping out to a 43-0 halftime lead before finishing off the Roughriders, 64-6, giving Center their worst loss in a miserable 2-8 season. And despite Gilmer losing three offensive starters to major colleges, Callahan believes that this year’s Buckeyes will be harder to stop.
“I think Gilmer is better than they were last year. I think on offense they are more explosive than they were last year,” said Callahan, who is in his second season at Center. “Any time you put 71 points on Tatum you’re very, very good.”
That would be the same Tatum team that beat Center 55-2 the very next week. Despite the worse record, Callahan insists that his team has improved as well. “We’re playing a lot better than we ever did last year, we just don’t have a whole lot to show for it. We’re just trying to compete as much as we can with the teams that we are facing.”
That would be the two defending state champions, one 3A playoff team, and a 4A team that the Roughriders have played in their first four games. Liberty-Eylau, Tatum, Chapel Hill, and Nacogdoches have all dominated Center.
Now the Roughriders have to try and stop the 4th-ranked Buckeyes. “I just hope that we can keep them held down and that we can put some points on the scoreboard,” said Callahan. That scenario seems unlikely considering that out of 174 Class 3A teams, Gilmer’s 48.3 points per game ranks 4th, while Center’s 2 points per game ranks 172nd.
Buckeyes’ head coach Jeff Traylor knows better than to look at the statistics. “There’s an upset every week, and if we don’t want them to be the Appalachian State, we can’t fall asleep,” warned Traylor. “We’ve got to take care of ourselves.”
In case you’re not a college football fan; Appalachian State is the Division 1-AA team that stunned a 5th ranked Michigan team just a few weeks ago.
Traylor insists that the Roughriders have the personnel to compete with the Buckeyes. “Center has good players. That’s not the problem. They have to play the toughest 3A schedule in the state of Texas. That schedule is a killer. They’re struggling with those tough teams that they’re playing.”
Struggling is putting it mildly. The Roughriders have been held to under 100 yards of total offense in their last three games and have allowed four defensive touchdowns in their last two games. Callahan admits that the Roughriders’ eight turnovers this season have hand-cuffed his team. “When we played Tatum, we gave up 21 points on the offensive side; two fumbles that they picked up and scored on and the quarterback’s arm was hit one time in the act of throwing and a defensive lineman caught it and scored. That’s what we’ve got to stop.”
In contrast, the Buckeyes have committed only three turnovers while racking up an amazing 525 yards per game this season, while Gilmer’s Black Flag Defense has held teams scoreless in 9 of 12 quarters.
The Roughriders and Buckeyes do have one thing in common; both start sophomore quarterbacks. Jaylen Short (6-1, 165) operates under center in the Roughriders’ multiple-I offense, while Darian Godfrey (6-1, 195) directs the Buckeyes’ spread attack. Both quarterbacks have impressed the opposing coach.
“I think the quarterback is unbelievable,” marveled Callahan. “He’s throwing the ball real well, but where he’s really hurting people is his running the ball. There are a lot of seniors around him to make him really look great. We also have a sophomore quarterback playing; it’s just that he has a lot more sophomores around him.”
Short showed what he was capable of in the season opener against Chapel Hill when he passed for 182 yards and a touchdown. That performance got Traylor’s attention. “I really like Center’s quarterback. He’s a good looking sophomore. He’s a big, athletic kid, and plays hard every snap no matter what the score is, no matter how bad he’s getting hit, he stays in there. He’s a real competitor, I really like that kid.”
Center’s quarterback is not all that has impressed Traylor. “Defensively they’re pretty good,” stated Traylor. “They’ve got some good football players on defense. They play hard and they get after you.”
The Buckeyes are coming off an open week, following a lackluster performance in a 35-12 win over Daingerfield. “It kind of worked out well that we didn’t play so well against Daingerfield because I think it really got their attention,” Traylor admitted. “The open week was a good work week. I know that we were better on the practice field. They were sharper and more attentive. You never know until you play; that’s why we have the test on Friday.”
A big part of that test will be how the Buckeyes react to the season’s first visit to a hostile stadium. “This team hasn’t played on the road yet. We’ve had two home games and a neutral [site game]. This is our first time to hit the road.”
Traylor admitted the difficulty in keeping his team focused while playing teams that are huge underdogs. “We’re going to have to find a way to stay motivated. We’ve got 54 days until the playoffs begin,” reminded Traylor. “Last years team from this point on didn’t get much better. We kind of digressed and ultimately that led to our down fall. This year’s team has 54 days to continue to improve. This team has got to continue to look at the big picture; and we’ve got 54 days to get ready, and that’s what we will keep stressing.”
Directions to Center’s Roughrider Stadium: From US 96 South in Center, turn right (West) at the Wal-Mart Supercenter on County Road 1668. The stadium is located approximately ½ mile away, off of Roughrider Drive between Moffett Primary School and the Center High School Campus. Visitor parking is located in the lot Northwest of the high school between the high school and the stadium.
SCOUT TEAM
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offense - Desmond Johnson
Defense - J.T. Beecham
When the Center Roughriders made the 100-mile trip to Gilmer last year, things couldn’t have been much worse for coach Ron Callahan’s team. The Roughriders were 1-3 and had scored only 20 points in their first four games while allowing 130 points.
Fast forward one year and things are worse for Center as the Roughriders are 0-4 and have scored only 8 points in their first four games while giving up 157 points to their opponents. The only thing that has gotten better for the Roughriders this season is Gilmer has to make the 100-mile trek to Center for Friday night’s 7:30 kickoff.
The Buckeyes were rude hosts last season, jumping out to a 43-0 halftime lead before finishing off the Roughriders, 64-6, giving Center their worst loss in a miserable 2-8 season. And despite Gilmer losing three offensive starters to major colleges, Callahan believes that this year’s Buckeyes will be harder to stop.
“I think Gilmer is better than they were last year. I think on offense they are more explosive than they were last year,” said Callahan, who is in his second season at Center. “Any time you put 71 points on Tatum you’re very, very good.”
That would be the same Tatum team that beat Center 55-2 the very next week. Despite the worse record, Callahan insists that his team has improved as well. “We’re playing a lot better than we ever did last year, we just don’t have a whole lot to show for it. We’re just trying to compete as much as we can with the teams that we are facing.”
That would be the two defending state champions, one 3A playoff team, and a 4A team that the Roughriders have played in their first four games. Liberty-Eylau, Tatum, Chapel Hill, and Nacogdoches have all dominated Center.
Now the Roughriders have to try and stop the 4th-ranked Buckeyes. “I just hope that we can keep them held down and that we can put some points on the scoreboard,” said Callahan. That scenario seems unlikely considering that out of 174 Class 3A teams, Gilmer’s 48.3 points per game ranks 4th, while Center’s 2 points per game ranks 172nd.
Buckeyes’ head coach Jeff Traylor knows better than to look at the statistics. “There’s an upset every week, and if we don’t want them to be the Appalachian State, we can’t fall asleep,” warned Traylor. “We’ve got to take care of ourselves.”
In case you’re not a college football fan; Appalachian State is the Division 1-AA team that stunned a 5th ranked Michigan team just a few weeks ago.
Traylor insists that the Roughriders have the personnel to compete with the Buckeyes. “Center has good players. That’s not the problem. They have to play the toughest 3A schedule in the state of Texas. That schedule is a killer. They’re struggling with those tough teams that they’re playing.”
Struggling is putting it mildly. The Roughriders have been held to under 100 yards of total offense in their last three games and have allowed four defensive touchdowns in their last two games. Callahan admits that the Roughriders’ eight turnovers this season have hand-cuffed his team. “When we played Tatum, we gave up 21 points on the offensive side; two fumbles that they picked up and scored on and the quarterback’s arm was hit one time in the act of throwing and a defensive lineman caught it and scored. That’s what we’ve got to stop.”
In contrast, the Buckeyes have committed only three turnovers while racking up an amazing 525 yards per game this season, while Gilmer’s Black Flag Defense has held teams scoreless in 9 of 12 quarters.
The Roughriders and Buckeyes do have one thing in common; both start sophomore quarterbacks. Jaylen Short (6-1, 165) operates under center in the Roughriders’ multiple-I offense, while Darian Godfrey (6-1, 195) directs the Buckeyes’ spread attack. Both quarterbacks have impressed the opposing coach.
“I think the quarterback is unbelievable,” marveled Callahan. “He’s throwing the ball real well, but where he’s really hurting people is his running the ball. There are a lot of seniors around him to make him really look great. We also have a sophomore quarterback playing; it’s just that he has a lot more sophomores around him.”
Short showed what he was capable of in the season opener against Chapel Hill when he passed for 182 yards and a touchdown. That performance got Traylor’s attention. “I really like Center’s quarterback. He’s a good looking sophomore. He’s a big, athletic kid, and plays hard every snap no matter what the score is, no matter how bad he’s getting hit, he stays in there. He’s a real competitor, I really like that kid.”
Center’s quarterback is not all that has impressed Traylor. “Defensively they’re pretty good,” stated Traylor. “They’ve got some good football players on defense. They play hard and they get after you.”
The Buckeyes are coming off an open week, following a lackluster performance in a 35-12 win over Daingerfield. “It kind of worked out well that we didn’t play so well against Daingerfield because I think it really got their attention,” Traylor admitted. “The open week was a good work week. I know that we were better on the practice field. They were sharper and more attentive. You never know until you play; that’s why we have the test on Friday.”
A big part of that test will be how the Buckeyes react to the season’s first visit to a hostile stadium. “This team hasn’t played on the road yet. We’ve had two home games and a neutral [site game]. This is our first time to hit the road.”
Traylor admitted the difficulty in keeping his team focused while playing teams that are huge underdogs. “We’re going to have to find a way to stay motivated. We’ve got 54 days until the playoffs begin,” reminded Traylor. “Last years team from this point on didn’t get much better. We kind of digressed and ultimately that led to our down fall. This year’s team has 54 days to continue to improve. This team has got to continue to look at the big picture; and we’ve got 54 days to get ready, and that’s what we will keep stressing.”
Directions to Center’s Roughrider Stadium: From US 96 South in Center, turn right (West) at the Wal-Mart Supercenter on County Road 1668. The stadium is located approximately ½ mile away, off of Roughrider Drive between Moffett Primary School and the Center High School Campus. Visitor parking is located in the lot Northwest of the high school between the high school and the stadium.
SCOUT TEAM
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offense - Desmond Johnson
Defense - J.T. Beecham
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