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Buckeyes open practice with almost 130 players

By JOE DODD

The 2009 Gilmer Buckeyes are ranked number one in Class 3A by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine and Monday’s opening day of practice showed that many players want to be a part of this season.

“We had 85 out here today. We’re probably missing five more, and we expect about 40 freshmen out tomorrow so we’ll have around 130,” said Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor after Monday’s workouts.

The Buckeyes return an abundance of starters from a team that went 12-2 last season, losing to eventual state champion Carthage by only three points.

“We’ve got a lot of players back and that always makes it better,” admitted Traylor. But the Buckeyes are looking for a few good men to fill holes left by graduation.

“Were not solid at some places; we’re looking,” Traylor stated. “At the defensive line we lost a lot of kids there. We need to find two or three offensive linemen. We lost several receivers. So those are the holes we’re looking to fill.”

Despite the early August start, Traylor said heat wasn’t a problem for the Buckeyes on the first day. “It wasn’t too bad, it’s been worse. The humidity was kind of bad coming off the wet ground, but it wasn’t too bad. We only had two kids cramp up, so our summer conditioning program worked real well.”

Traylor explained that Gilmer’s summer conditioning program is designed to help the Buckeyes get off to a fast start. “The goal of summer conditioning is when the first day of two-a-days come, we are in mid-season form,” Traylor explained. “Whereas most schools go into the first day trying to get in shape, we want to hit the first day at game speed. We were there tonight.”

The Buckeyes will continue two-a-day practices until school starts on August 24. Gilmer will travel to Atlanta on Saturday, August 15, and to New Boston on Thursday, August 20 for scrimmages before opening the season against Jasper on Friday night, August 28 at Stephen F. Austin’s Homer Bryce Stadium.


Mirror Photos / Mary Laschinger Kirby
FINISHING WORK at the end of the first football practice Monday are offensive linemen Beau Blair, left, Floyd Hollins, Jacob Jenkins and Marcus Reed. After a brief talk by Athletic Director Jeff Traylor, the players took a break before returning for work under the lights in the second session.


GILMER QUARTERBACK Stump Godfrey throws a pass during one of the two-a-day practices Monday as footballs are in the air and the season will soon start. Gilmer is ranked number 1 in Class 3A in preseason polls.


BUCKEYE RUNNING BACKS and receivers get instructions from coach Tommy Edwards as the sun sets on the first session of football two-a-day practices. From left, front, are Tevin Godfrey, Dakota Cannon, Marlon Granville, Vance Green, Tamil Harris, Daniel McLaren and Coach Edwards. The player second row left is unidentified.


MATCHING PACES, Buckeyes Tevin Godfrey, left, and Luke Turner practice defensive moves during the second football session Monday at Buckeye Stadium. The 2009 football season opened with youth all over the county turning out.

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