By JOE DODD
The Gilmer Buckeyes and the Gladewater Bears meet Friday night at Jack V. Murphy Stadium in Gladewater for an event that has become known as the Battle of G-Town.
The 54th game in the series between the Buckeyes and the Bears is set to kickoff at 7:30 p.m.
Gilmer took a 26-25-2 lead in the series after last year’s 43-8 win over Gladewater. The last time the Buckeyes could claim the series lead was in 1965, but the balance of power has shifted to the team 15 miles farther north up U.S. 271.
“Our communities are so close to each other, our kids know them and they know our kids,” explained Gladewater head coach Scott Callaway. “I think it’s fun for both sides to get to play against each other. It gives the kids personal bragging rights.”
Those bragging rights have gone to the Buckeyes in 16 of the last 18 years. The Buckeyes claim that the rivalry is as intense as ever despite their dominant run.
“It’s the G-Town rivalry; everyone talks about that. No matter how good Gladewater is, or no matter how good we are, everybody still talks about it,” said Gilmer’s Ben Griffith.
“Our kids are excited about playing them. They like playing them,” confirmed Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor, who is 8-1 against the Bears. “It’s because our kids know their kids so well. We are so close and we compete against them in everything.”
Another motivating factor is the Buckeyes’ 42-game district-winning streak that ranks as the fourth best in Class 3A history. Seven more consecutive wins will push Gilmer past Daingerfield’s record of 48 set from 1983-1989.
“We really want to keep it going. We don’t want to be the team that ends it,” admitted Gilmer’s Gus Osborne.
Traylor is quick to point out that the rivalry and district winning streak are not the Buckeyes’ main motivation this season. “They all know we’re playing for a bigger prize,” Traylor said. “This class has been beaten by the state champion for three years in a row. They’re tired of losing that last game.”
Gladewater’s Callaway can see the Buckeyes’ intensity to make amends for the past three seasons. “They’re definitely the best team in the state,” said Callaway. “They are playing really well. They are hitting on all cylinders.”
That doesn’t bode well for Callaway’s Bears, who have struggled to a 3-5 record this season. But after a 0-4 start, Gladewater has won three out of their last four to put them in the middle of the playoff race.
“We’ve eliminated our turnovers and that has helped us win a few games,” explained Callaway about the Bears’ turnaround.
“They’ve gotten better every week,” said Traylor, who warned that the Bears are a dangerous opponent. “They’re very talented. They’ll get after us. I fully expect them to get after us.”
Traylor points to the Bears’ scoring improvement from a 7-0 loss to Center in game one to Gladewater’s 91 total points against Spring Hill and Bullard in the past two weeks.
“Their tailback, Corey Davis, is the 100-meter champion in our district. He can fly,” said Traylor about the Bears’ junior who has 849 rushing yards and five touchdowns. “The Davis kid can score every time he touches it. You have to identify where he is.”
Traylor is probably referring to Corey Davis, but you can’t be sure since identical twin brother Courtney Davis is also a triple threat on the Bears’ offense. Courtney has thrown for 349 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for 382 yards and 4 touchdowns, and caught five passes for 125 yards and another touchdown.
The Davis twins lead the Bears’ offense that averages over 350 yards per game. Callaway credits his young offensive line, consisting of only one senior, for the impressive number.
“We’ve made a lot of strides since the start of the year,” said Callaway. “We feel like we’ve gotten a lot better in some areas and the offensive line is one of them. A lot of those kids were playing on Thursday nights last year.”
In addition to starting only 4 seniors on offense, the Bears are still getting comfortable with the Wing-T offense that was introduced to them at the start of last season.
“Our kids like the system. It suits our kids’ talent best,” explained Callaway for the switch from the spread offense to the more run-heavy Wing-T.
“We want to establish the run and do well there, but we know we’re going to have to be able to throw the ball and keep it away from their offense. Our goal is to score points,” said Callaway, who admitted that scoring points will be tough to do against the Buckeyes.
“They have a reputation of being so offensive-minded, but their defense is playing so well it’s giving the offense the ball more,” Callaway said.
Gilmer’s Black Flag defense has dominated district foes, giving up an average of 29 rushing yards and 53 passing yards per game, while allowing only 21 total points.
The Buckeyes’ offense is just as dominant, averaging over 490 yards and 56 points per game.
“Gilmer is hard to defend because they work the width of the field and the length of the field, so we’ve got a lot of area that we’ve got to cover,” said Callaway.
Traylor admits that the Bears’ defense can cause problems for offenses. “They are very fast and athletic so it will be a physical game so you have to focus on ball security,” Traylor said. “You have to take care of the football against teams that can really run, because they can separate you from the ball.”
Gilmer quarterback Stump Godfrey, who needs 198 total yards to reach 10,000 for his career, expects a battle. “We know that when you play Gladewater it’s going to be a great game,” said Godfrey. “They’re going to come out and play hard. The stands are going to be packed.”
“I know their staff and their kids are not overlooking us,” said Callaway. “We’ll get Gilmer’s best.”
Traylor has a 3-part plan to keep his team focused on the Bears. “Eliminate the big play from Corey Davis, make sure we take care of the ball, and focus on the bigger objective, which is we want to play for all of it so we have to get better now, today.”
GAME NOTES
Gilmer has a 14-game regular season winning streak (last loss: 28-14 @ Kilgore, 2008)
Gilmer has a 7-game winning streak over Gladewater (last loss: 20-14 in 2001)
Gilmer has a 101-consecutive games scoring streak (last shutout: 10-0 @ Longview to Pleasant Grove, 2001)
Gilmer’s Jeff Traylor’s 86 percent winning percentage is the third best among all active coaches in Texas
Gilmer’s 42-game district win streak is currently the longest among all schools in the state of Texas. (source: Joe Lee Smith)
Gilmer has outscored their district opponents 1,925-393 during their 42-game district winning streak.
Gilmer needs 107 points to break the school record of 554 points scored during the regular season by the 2006 team
Gilmer has scored 70 or more points in three games this season. The school record is four games by the 1929 and 1930 Buckeyes
Gilmer’s 448 points is the most points scored in all classifications
Gilmer’s 56 ppg average is the best in Class 3A and second best in all classifications. Class 1A Wellington has a 59.28 average in seven games
Gilmer’s 42.1 average margin of victory is best in Class 3A and tied for third best in all classifications
Gilmer has receiving touchdowns by 10 different players
Gilmer has rushing touchdowns by 10 different players
Bounty Hunter of the Week: Kedon Franklin
Special Teams Player of the Week: Adan Olivares
Scout Team Players of the Week:
Austin Hollingsworth, Offense; Vondrick Nelson, Defense
October 30- @ Gladewater
Mascot: Bears
Colors: Orange & Black
District: 17-3A
Enrollment: 568
Stadium: Jack V. Murphy Stadium
Stadium Capacity: 5,000
Stadium Surface: Safe Play
Stadium Address: 2201 W. Gay Ave., Gladewater, TX 75647
2008 Record: 6-4, 2-3 district
2009 Record: 3-5, 2-1 district
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 43-8
Series Record: Gilmer leads 26-25-2
Head Coach: Scott Callaway (4th season, 16-23, 67-37 overall)
Returning Starters: 4 Offense/6 Defense
Did you know? Gladewater’s last shutout of Gilmer was in 1986 when the Bears beat the Buckeyes 34-0.
BUCKEYE TICKET LINE:
841-7777
LUNCH WITH THE COACH:
Noon Wednesdays, Buckeyes Booster Club meets at Gilmer Country Club
LIVE WEBCAST:
www.GilmerBuckeyes.com
The Gilmer Buckeyes and the Gladewater Bears meet Friday night at Jack V. Murphy Stadium in Gladewater for an event that has become known as the Battle of G-Town.
The 54th game in the series between the Buckeyes and the Bears is set to kickoff at 7:30 p.m.
Gilmer took a 26-25-2 lead in the series after last year’s 43-8 win over Gladewater. The last time the Buckeyes could claim the series lead was in 1965, but the balance of power has shifted to the team 15 miles farther north up U.S. 271.
“Our communities are so close to each other, our kids know them and they know our kids,” explained Gladewater head coach Scott Callaway. “I think it’s fun for both sides to get to play against each other. It gives the kids personal bragging rights.”
Those bragging rights have gone to the Buckeyes in 16 of the last 18 years. The Buckeyes claim that the rivalry is as intense as ever despite their dominant run.
“It’s the G-Town rivalry; everyone talks about that. No matter how good Gladewater is, or no matter how good we are, everybody still talks about it,” said Gilmer’s Ben Griffith.
“Our kids are excited about playing them. They like playing them,” confirmed Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor, who is 8-1 against the Bears. “It’s because our kids know their kids so well. We are so close and we compete against them in everything.”
Another motivating factor is the Buckeyes’ 42-game district-winning streak that ranks as the fourth best in Class 3A history. Seven more consecutive wins will push Gilmer past Daingerfield’s record of 48 set from 1983-1989.
“We really want to keep it going. We don’t want to be the team that ends it,” admitted Gilmer’s Gus Osborne.
Traylor is quick to point out that the rivalry and district winning streak are not the Buckeyes’ main motivation this season. “They all know we’re playing for a bigger prize,” Traylor said. “This class has been beaten by the state champion for three years in a row. They’re tired of losing that last game.”
Gladewater’s Callaway can see the Buckeyes’ intensity to make amends for the past three seasons. “They’re definitely the best team in the state,” said Callaway. “They are playing really well. They are hitting on all cylinders.”
That doesn’t bode well for Callaway’s Bears, who have struggled to a 3-5 record this season. But after a 0-4 start, Gladewater has won three out of their last four to put them in the middle of the playoff race.
“We’ve eliminated our turnovers and that has helped us win a few games,” explained Callaway about the Bears’ turnaround.
“They’ve gotten better every week,” said Traylor, who warned that the Bears are a dangerous opponent. “They’re very talented. They’ll get after us. I fully expect them to get after us.”
Traylor points to the Bears’ scoring improvement from a 7-0 loss to Center in game one to Gladewater’s 91 total points against Spring Hill and Bullard in the past two weeks.
“Their tailback, Corey Davis, is the 100-meter champion in our district. He can fly,” said Traylor about the Bears’ junior who has 849 rushing yards and five touchdowns. “The Davis kid can score every time he touches it. You have to identify where he is.”
Traylor is probably referring to Corey Davis, but you can’t be sure since identical twin brother Courtney Davis is also a triple threat on the Bears’ offense. Courtney has thrown for 349 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for 382 yards and 4 touchdowns, and caught five passes for 125 yards and another touchdown.
The Davis twins lead the Bears’ offense that averages over 350 yards per game. Callaway credits his young offensive line, consisting of only one senior, for the impressive number.
“We’ve made a lot of strides since the start of the year,” said Callaway. “We feel like we’ve gotten a lot better in some areas and the offensive line is one of them. A lot of those kids were playing on Thursday nights last year.”
In addition to starting only 4 seniors on offense, the Bears are still getting comfortable with the Wing-T offense that was introduced to them at the start of last season.
“Our kids like the system. It suits our kids’ talent best,” explained Callaway for the switch from the spread offense to the more run-heavy Wing-T.
“We want to establish the run and do well there, but we know we’re going to have to be able to throw the ball and keep it away from their offense. Our goal is to score points,” said Callaway, who admitted that scoring points will be tough to do against the Buckeyes.
“They have a reputation of being so offensive-minded, but their defense is playing so well it’s giving the offense the ball more,” Callaway said.
Gilmer’s Black Flag defense has dominated district foes, giving up an average of 29 rushing yards and 53 passing yards per game, while allowing only 21 total points.
The Buckeyes’ offense is just as dominant, averaging over 490 yards and 56 points per game.
“Gilmer is hard to defend because they work the width of the field and the length of the field, so we’ve got a lot of area that we’ve got to cover,” said Callaway.
Traylor admits that the Bears’ defense can cause problems for offenses. “They are very fast and athletic so it will be a physical game so you have to focus on ball security,” Traylor said. “You have to take care of the football against teams that can really run, because they can separate you from the ball.”
Gilmer quarterback Stump Godfrey, who needs 198 total yards to reach 10,000 for his career, expects a battle. “We know that when you play Gladewater it’s going to be a great game,” said Godfrey. “They’re going to come out and play hard. The stands are going to be packed.”
“I know their staff and their kids are not overlooking us,” said Callaway. “We’ll get Gilmer’s best.”
Traylor has a 3-part plan to keep his team focused on the Bears. “Eliminate the big play from Corey Davis, make sure we take care of the ball, and focus on the bigger objective, which is we want to play for all of it so we have to get better now, today.”
GAME NOTES
Gilmer has a 14-game regular season winning streak (last loss: 28-14 @ Kilgore, 2008)
Gilmer has a 7-game winning streak over Gladewater (last loss: 20-14 in 2001)
Gilmer has a 101-consecutive games scoring streak (last shutout: 10-0 @ Longview to Pleasant Grove, 2001)
Gilmer’s Jeff Traylor’s 86 percent winning percentage is the third best among all active coaches in Texas
Gilmer’s 42-game district win streak is currently the longest among all schools in the state of Texas. (source: Joe Lee Smith)
Gilmer has outscored their district opponents 1,925-393 during their 42-game district winning streak.
Gilmer needs 107 points to break the school record of 554 points scored during the regular season by the 2006 team
Gilmer has scored 70 or more points in three games this season. The school record is four games by the 1929 and 1930 Buckeyes
Gilmer’s 448 points is the most points scored in all classifications
Gilmer’s 56 ppg average is the best in Class 3A and second best in all classifications. Class 1A Wellington has a 59.28 average in seven games
Gilmer’s 42.1 average margin of victory is best in Class 3A and tied for third best in all classifications
Gilmer has receiving touchdowns by 10 different players
Gilmer has rushing touchdowns by 10 different players
Bounty Hunter of the Week: Kedon Franklin
Special Teams Player of the Week: Adan Olivares
Scout Team Players of the Week:
Austin Hollingsworth, Offense; Vondrick Nelson, Defense
October 30- @ Gladewater
Mascot: Bears
Colors: Orange & Black
District: 17-3A
Enrollment: 568
Stadium: Jack V. Murphy Stadium
Stadium Capacity: 5,000
Stadium Surface: Safe Play
Stadium Address: 2201 W. Gay Ave., Gladewater, TX 75647
2008 Record: 6-4, 2-3 district
2009 Record: 3-5, 2-1 district
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 43-8
Series Record: Gilmer leads 26-25-2
Head Coach: Scott Callaway (4th season, 16-23, 67-37 overall)
Returning Starters: 4 Offense/6 Defense
Did you know? Gladewater’s last shutout of Gilmer was in 1986 when the Bears beat the Buckeyes 34-0.
BUCKEYE TICKET LINE:
841-7777
LUNCH WITH THE COACH:
Noon Wednesdays, Buckeyes Booster Club meets at Gilmer Country Club
LIVE WEBCAST:
www.GilmerBuckeyes.com
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