From the Longview News-Journal:
Bulldogs bite Buckeyes, 28-14
From the Tyler Morning Telegraph:
Kilgore Takes Down Gilmer Buckeyes
From the Kilgore News Herald:
Kilgore runs Gilmer out of town
From The Gilmer Mirror:
By JOE DODD
The Gilmer Buckeyes came into Friday's game at Kilgore with a 27-game regular season winning streak. The Buckeyes left Kilgore with four turnovers and a humbling 28-14 loss. “It's my fault. It's my team, and it's my fault,” said Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor. “We did exactly what you can't do to beat a really good 4A football team.” Like two fumbles, two interceptions, two bad snaps that resulted in two safeties, and two break downs in pass coverage that set up Kilgore scores.
“You've got to give Kilgore credit,” admitted Traylor. “When you play a great team, that's what happens. It was like a playoff atmosphere except that you were on the opponent's home field.” That home field advantage was too much for Traylor's young team to overcome. “It was the first time this team had been put into a hostile situation, and the hostile situation was way too much,” he said.
Despite the homecoming crowd of over 8,500 fans, the Buckeyes' defense didn't seem bothered, as they stopped the Bulldogs’ first drive after nine plays and 31 yards, forcing a punt that rolled out of bounds at the Buckeyes' 11-yard line.
Four plays later, a disturbing trend continued for the Buckeyes as the first possession ended in a turnover when Gilmer quarterback Stump Godfrey was stripped of the football at the Gilmer 28-yard line. In the season's first four games, three of the Buckeyes' first possessions have ended in turnovers, while another one ended after a fumbled snap on fourth down turned the ball over on downs. Once again the Gilmer defense rose to the challenge and kept the Bulldogs out of the end zone, forcing Kilgore's Ryan Bustin to attempt a 38-yard field goal. The kick sailed wide right, giving Gilmer the football back with 2:46 to play in the first quarter.
“Defense played well. They came in and bailed us out when we needed them to, but we just couldn't execute,” said Buckeyes' senior offensive lineman Jared Harborth.
Two plays later, disaster struck for the Buckeyes when Godfrey attempted a handoff to running back Jeremy Jackson who thought that the quarterback was keeping the football. As Godfrey went in one direction, Jackson went in another, and the football bounced to the 5-yard line where Kilgore's Trevor Moon picked up the loose ball and ran into the end zone for the touchdown. Bustin's extra point kick was good, giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead with 2:34 remaining in the first quarter.
“You just can't turn the ball over and give it to them on a short field,” stated Traylor. “Our defense got them off the field, stopped them again, made them miss a field goal; our defense played great,” praised Traylor. “Our defense played good enough for us to win.”
In an ironic twist, the fumble that resulted in Kilgore's touchdown came on the same play that resulted in a Daingerfield defensive touchdown when the Buckeyes' Jamell Kennedy and Justin Johnson dropped the football in Gilmer's last regular season loss at Daingerfield in 2005.
“We just gave it to them, and that's what cost us the game,” Harborth said about the Buckeyes' offense that accounted for only three yards and two fumbles in their first three possessions.
“I can take losing;” said Traylor. “I hate playing bad, and we played a terrible first quarter offensively.”
Gilmer's third series in the opening quarter ended with a Ben Griffith punt to Kilgore's Andrew Ector who fielded the ball off a bounce at his own 38-yard line, broke two tackles and raced down the right sideline before being knocked out of bounds at the Gilmer 10-yard line.
Bulldogs' senior running back Frank Reddic scored on the next play, giving Kilgore a 14-0 lead after Bustin's extra point kick with only 40 seconds left to play in the opening quarter. Reddic finished with 154 yards on 39 carries.
Gilmer's offense finally got on track the next series, thanks in part to 40 yards in defensive penalties against the Bulldogs. A facemask and a late hit penalty on the same play gave the Buckeyes the football at Kilgore's 43-yard line. Godfrey then hit Zack Jones for an 18-yard completion as time expired in the first quarter. Another facemask penalty moved Gilmer to the 10-yard line before Godfrey hit Braylon Webb for a touchdown with 11:04 to play in the second quarter.
Just as momentum looked to have shifted in the Buckeyes' favor, Gilmer gave it right back when a bad snap from center allowed the Bulldogs time to block Adan Olivares' extra point attempt and Kilgore's Javarri Kelly returned it 90 yards for a safety, making the score 16-6.
The Buckeyes' special teams got their revenge on the Bulldogs' next series after Gilmer's defense made a valiant goalline stand. Facing a first and goal from the 6-yard line, the Buckeyes' Black Flag Defense kept Kilgore out of the end zone and forced another field goal attempt by Kilgore's Bustin. The Buckeyes' Tristan Holt broke through the Bulldogs' protection and blocked the 20-yard attempt, giving Gilmer the football at their own 20-yard line with 3:26 remaining in the half.
The Buckeyes' ensuing drive stalled quickly with Gilmer punting to the Bulldogs six plays later with 2:03 to go in the half.
Three plays later, the run-heavy Kilgore offense surprised the Buckeyes when quarterback Steven McBryde dropped back and hit a streaking Andrew Ector, who had gotten behind Gilmer's secondary, for a 60-yard touchdown with 1:11 to play in the first half. Bustin's extra point kick gave the Bulldogs a commanding 23-7 halftime lead.
The Buckeyes' hopes of a second-half comeback were dashed on the half's first series when Gilmer's Griffith prepared to punt deep in his own territory. Another bad snap sailed over Griffith's head and into the Buckeyes' end zone, where Griffith was tackled for another Bulldogs' safety, making the score 25-7.
Unfazed by the offense's struggles, Gilmer's defense forced a three-and-out series on Kilgore's first possession of the second half, returning the football to the Buckeyes' offense in great field position at the Bulldogs' 49-yard line.
This time the Gilmer offense responded with an impressive 10-play scoring drive, aided in part by an 18-yard pass interference penalty against Kilgore. Godfrey connected with Prentiss Bell from six yards out for the touchdown with 6:08 remaining in the third quarter. The Buckeyes lined up for the extra point attempt, but holder Webb took the snap and ran to the right and fired a pass to J.T. Beecham in the end zone for the 2-point conversion, cutting the Bulldogs' lead to 25-14.
Kilgore replied with their own scoring drive, covering 73 yards in 14 plays, helped by another big pass from McBryde to Ector for 45-yards. The Buckeyes' defense forced another field goal attempt after a goal line stand that saw the Bulldogs with a first-and-goal at the Gilmer 5-yard line. This time Bustin's kick was good from 7 yards out to give Kilgore a 28-14 lead with 10:29 left in the game.
The Buckeyes continued to make valiant attempts to get back in the game, but their final two drives ended like their first two drives, with turnovers. A 10-play 55-yard drive was halted when Kilgore's C.J. Gary intercepted a Godfrey pass at the Bulldog's 9-yard line with 7:35 to play. Gary also stopped Gilmer's final 7-play 54-yard drive with an interception in the end zone with 2:04 left in the game.
“We could have quit 100 times. You talk about adversity; our kids don't quit. They're amazing,” surmised Traylor, who also praised the Buckeyes' fans. “Our crowd tonight was by far the best I've ever seen. They stayed until the end and cheered for the kids even though we lost.”
Kilgore head coach Mike Vallery said the difference in the game was obvious. “We always say that in big games, the team that turns the football over is the team that's going to lose, and it showed in this game, turnovers will kill you.”
The turnovers definitely killed the Buckeyes' winning streak. But Gilmer senior D.J. Stanley promised that the Buckeyes would not dwell on the loss. “We'll go back to work and see if we can start another winning streak.”
Mirror Photo / Mary Laschinger Kirby
GILMER’S PRENTISS BELL follows his blocking after a fourth quarter reception as the Buckeyes try to close the gap on Kilgore.
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Bulldogs bite Buckeyes, 28-14
From the Tyler Morning Telegraph:
Kilgore Takes Down Gilmer Buckeyes
From the Kilgore News Herald:
Kilgore runs Gilmer out of town
From The Gilmer Mirror:
Buckeyes' streak ends with 28-14 loss at Kilgore
By JOE DODD
The Gilmer Buckeyes came into Friday's game at Kilgore with a 27-game regular season winning streak. The Buckeyes left Kilgore with four turnovers and a humbling 28-14 loss. “It's my fault. It's my team, and it's my fault,” said Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor. “We did exactly what you can't do to beat a really good 4A football team.” Like two fumbles, two interceptions, two bad snaps that resulted in two safeties, and two break downs in pass coverage that set up Kilgore scores.
“You've got to give Kilgore credit,” admitted Traylor. “When you play a great team, that's what happens. It was like a playoff atmosphere except that you were on the opponent's home field.” That home field advantage was too much for Traylor's young team to overcome. “It was the first time this team had been put into a hostile situation, and the hostile situation was way too much,” he said.
Despite the homecoming crowd of over 8,500 fans, the Buckeyes' defense didn't seem bothered, as they stopped the Bulldogs’ first drive after nine plays and 31 yards, forcing a punt that rolled out of bounds at the Buckeyes' 11-yard line.
Four plays later, a disturbing trend continued for the Buckeyes as the first possession ended in a turnover when Gilmer quarterback Stump Godfrey was stripped of the football at the Gilmer 28-yard line. In the season's first four games, three of the Buckeyes' first possessions have ended in turnovers, while another one ended after a fumbled snap on fourth down turned the ball over on downs. Once again the Gilmer defense rose to the challenge and kept the Bulldogs out of the end zone, forcing Kilgore's Ryan Bustin to attempt a 38-yard field goal. The kick sailed wide right, giving Gilmer the football back with 2:46 to play in the first quarter.
“Defense played well. They came in and bailed us out when we needed them to, but we just couldn't execute,” said Buckeyes' senior offensive lineman Jared Harborth.
Two plays later, disaster struck for the Buckeyes when Godfrey attempted a handoff to running back Jeremy Jackson who thought that the quarterback was keeping the football. As Godfrey went in one direction, Jackson went in another, and the football bounced to the 5-yard line where Kilgore's Trevor Moon picked up the loose ball and ran into the end zone for the touchdown. Bustin's extra point kick was good, giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead with 2:34 remaining in the first quarter.
“You just can't turn the ball over and give it to them on a short field,” stated Traylor. “Our defense got them off the field, stopped them again, made them miss a field goal; our defense played great,” praised Traylor. “Our defense played good enough for us to win.”
In an ironic twist, the fumble that resulted in Kilgore's touchdown came on the same play that resulted in a Daingerfield defensive touchdown when the Buckeyes' Jamell Kennedy and Justin Johnson dropped the football in Gilmer's last regular season loss at Daingerfield in 2005.
“We just gave it to them, and that's what cost us the game,” Harborth said about the Buckeyes' offense that accounted for only three yards and two fumbles in their first three possessions.
“I can take losing;” said Traylor. “I hate playing bad, and we played a terrible first quarter offensively.”
Gilmer's third series in the opening quarter ended with a Ben Griffith punt to Kilgore's Andrew Ector who fielded the ball off a bounce at his own 38-yard line, broke two tackles and raced down the right sideline before being knocked out of bounds at the Gilmer 10-yard line.
Bulldogs' senior running back Frank Reddic scored on the next play, giving Kilgore a 14-0 lead after Bustin's extra point kick with only 40 seconds left to play in the opening quarter. Reddic finished with 154 yards on 39 carries.
Gilmer's offense finally got on track the next series, thanks in part to 40 yards in defensive penalties against the Bulldogs. A facemask and a late hit penalty on the same play gave the Buckeyes the football at Kilgore's 43-yard line. Godfrey then hit Zack Jones for an 18-yard completion as time expired in the first quarter. Another facemask penalty moved Gilmer to the 10-yard line before Godfrey hit Braylon Webb for a touchdown with 11:04 to play in the second quarter.
Just as momentum looked to have shifted in the Buckeyes' favor, Gilmer gave it right back when a bad snap from center allowed the Bulldogs time to block Adan Olivares' extra point attempt and Kilgore's Javarri Kelly returned it 90 yards for a safety, making the score 16-6.
The Buckeyes' special teams got their revenge on the Bulldogs' next series after Gilmer's defense made a valiant goalline stand. Facing a first and goal from the 6-yard line, the Buckeyes' Black Flag Defense kept Kilgore out of the end zone and forced another field goal attempt by Kilgore's Bustin. The Buckeyes' Tristan Holt broke through the Bulldogs' protection and blocked the 20-yard attempt, giving Gilmer the football at their own 20-yard line with 3:26 remaining in the half.
The Buckeyes' ensuing drive stalled quickly with Gilmer punting to the Bulldogs six plays later with 2:03 to go in the half.
Three plays later, the run-heavy Kilgore offense surprised the Buckeyes when quarterback Steven McBryde dropped back and hit a streaking Andrew Ector, who had gotten behind Gilmer's secondary, for a 60-yard touchdown with 1:11 to play in the first half. Bustin's extra point kick gave the Bulldogs a commanding 23-7 halftime lead.
The Buckeyes' hopes of a second-half comeback were dashed on the half's first series when Gilmer's Griffith prepared to punt deep in his own territory. Another bad snap sailed over Griffith's head and into the Buckeyes' end zone, where Griffith was tackled for another Bulldogs' safety, making the score 25-7.
Unfazed by the offense's struggles, Gilmer's defense forced a three-and-out series on Kilgore's first possession of the second half, returning the football to the Buckeyes' offense in great field position at the Bulldogs' 49-yard line.
This time the Gilmer offense responded with an impressive 10-play scoring drive, aided in part by an 18-yard pass interference penalty against Kilgore. Godfrey connected with Prentiss Bell from six yards out for the touchdown with 6:08 remaining in the third quarter. The Buckeyes lined up for the extra point attempt, but holder Webb took the snap and ran to the right and fired a pass to J.T. Beecham in the end zone for the 2-point conversion, cutting the Bulldogs' lead to 25-14.
Kilgore replied with their own scoring drive, covering 73 yards in 14 plays, helped by another big pass from McBryde to Ector for 45-yards. The Buckeyes' defense forced another field goal attempt after a goal line stand that saw the Bulldogs with a first-and-goal at the Gilmer 5-yard line. This time Bustin's kick was good from 7 yards out to give Kilgore a 28-14 lead with 10:29 left in the game.
The Buckeyes continued to make valiant attempts to get back in the game, but their final two drives ended like their first two drives, with turnovers. A 10-play 55-yard drive was halted when Kilgore's C.J. Gary intercepted a Godfrey pass at the Bulldog's 9-yard line with 7:35 to play. Gary also stopped Gilmer's final 7-play 54-yard drive with an interception in the end zone with 2:04 left in the game.
“We could have quit 100 times. You talk about adversity; our kids don't quit. They're amazing,” surmised Traylor, who also praised the Buckeyes' fans. “Our crowd tonight was by far the best I've ever seen. They stayed until the end and cheered for the kids even though we lost.”
Kilgore head coach Mike Vallery said the difference in the game was obvious. “We always say that in big games, the team that turns the football over is the team that's going to lose, and it showed in this game, turnovers will kill you.”
The turnovers definitely killed the Buckeyes' winning streak. But Gilmer senior D.J. Stanley promised that the Buckeyes would not dwell on the loss. “We'll go back to work and see if we can start another winning streak.”
Mirror Photo / Mary Laschinger Kirby
GILMER’S PRENTISS BELL follows his blocking after a fourth quarter reception as the Buckeyes try to close the gap on Kilgore.
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